Virginia
Five Biggest Takeaways from Virginia Tech’s Win Over Old Dominion
1. Virginia Tech’s Defense
The Hokies’ defense had an excellent night against the pass this weekend, only giving up 50 total passing yards and no passing touchdowns, along with an interception. The defense held Old Dominion scoreless in the first quarter and only 17 yards of total offense for the entire first quarter alone. The defense, however, struggled against the run in certain situations, giving up 240 yards rushing and two rushing touchdowns with one coming in the final few minutes of the game. The defense outside of the final touchdown when the game was out of reach, held Old Dominion to a touchdown and a field goal for most of the game.
2. Virginia Tech’s Run Game
Virginia Tech ran all over the field the whole game, with nothing but fierce intentions. Quarterback Kyron Drones had a huge run for 53 yards where he stiff-armed and ran over defenders, runningback Bhayshul Tuten had a couple of similar runs as well, where he broke tackles for touchdowns. The Hokies offense ran for 289 yards and had 3 total rushing touchdowns from QB Kyron Drones and RB Bhayshul Tuten.
3. Offense Came Out Swinging
In the first quarter, the Hokies offense exploded with two touchdowns on back-to-back drives. The Hokies’ protection was the best this season allowing no sacks and giving the offense enough time to develop for both passing and running. Virginia Tech wide receiver Jaylin Lane had 106 receiving yards in the first quarter and a touchdown with his longest reception coming in at 46 yards off a wild pass play. Kyron Drones was able to get outside the pocket and make throws down the field, which led to a lethal rushing attack for him finishing the game with 117 rush yards and a rushing touchdown.
4. Offense And Defense Needs Consistency Through All Quarters
It was a tale of two quarters in the first half for the Hokies, the first quarter they came out on fire but then the second quarter are held scoreless. The offense only managed to get 80 yards of offense in the second quarter and the defense struggled against the run.
The defense allowed Old Dominion QB Quinn Henicle to get a 65-yard touchdown in the second quarter and gave up a total of 176 rushing yards in the second quarter. These two things cannot happen as the season progresses, or it will be a lot tougher to win games against ranked teams who can be consistent on both sides of the ball.
5. The Offensive Line Played Great
The offensive line was an underrated key to victory in this one, as they kept the backfield clean and a place to get things done. The offensive line for the first time this season gave up 0 sacks the whole game and were key factors for the offense as a whole being able to be as explosive as they were, having a total of 465 yards. The most yards this season by the Hokies through the first 3 games that they’ve played and the most points they’ve scored. If the line can keep up this consistency along with the rest of the offense, the Hokies could go far this season as the defense has proven they can play well enough through most of the game.
Virginia
Did you know West Virginia has an official state gun?
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia has plenty of state symbols, be it the black bear as the state animal, the cardinal as the state bird or the rhododendron as the state flower, but did you know that the Mountain State also has its own official gun?
The Hall Flintlock Model 1819 was first manufactured in Harpers Ferry by John H. Hall in 1811 and was adopted by the United States Army in 1819, making it the first breech-loading rifle ever adopted by a country’s military.
All of this information is listed in Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, which was introduced and passed during the 2013 West Virginia Legislative session, and officially recognizes the Model 1819 as the official firearm of the State of West Virginia.
On top of being created in West Virginia, the resolution also points out that the rifle saw use during the Civil War, an event that directly led to West Virginia’s statehood.
While having an officially recognized state firearm may seem far-fetched, West Virginia is not the only state that has one. As a matter of fact, a fifth of the states in the country have officially designated a state firearm, including West Virginia’s neighbors in Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
Virginia
Virginia Tech HC James Franklin Gives High Praise For Clemson’s Dabo Swinney
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches.
That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer.
“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”
The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s.
But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers.
“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”
On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist.
“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said.
The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship.
Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment.
Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day.
Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years.
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Virginia
Drought emergency declared for parts of Virginia; governor warns of water restrictions
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Extreme drought conditions in parts of Virginia have prompted an emergency drought warning for a wide swath of the region, including Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties, along with the cities of Danville, Roanoke, Salem and Martinsville.
The governor has warned that if conditions worsen, she will activate mandatory nonessential water-use restrictions.
In Martinsville, city leaders have issued a voluntary water conservation notice and are urging residents and businesses to cut back where they can. The request comes as local businesses that rely heavily on water say the drought is already affecting day-to-day operations.
SEE ALSO: Botetourt County residents adjust daily routines as voluntary water restriction continues
John Hughes, owner of John’s Car Wash, said the dry conditions have hit his business hard in recent weeks. “For the last 3 weeks, it’s been hitting pretty hard. We done three yesterday and haven’t done anything today with the drought and hot weather. Yeah, I’m really concerned about it,” Hughes said.
Restaurants are also feeling the strain. David Kitzmiller, an owner of Be Wiched, said water is essential for routine tasks such as washing dishes and preparing some menu items.
“We use a lot of water for washing dishes and some of our recipes if they limit us in anyway defiently can’t produce and its a scary aspect,” Kitzmiller said.
Kitzmiller added that cutting back is not always realistic for businesses that must meet sanitation needs. “Not really feasible for a business that depends solely relies on water to wash their dishes, so that can’t definitely be an impact there,” he said.
City leaders emphasized that the conservation request is voluntary for now, but they are encouraging everyone to do their part by taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when it is not in use, washing only full loads of laundry, and limiting outdoor watering whenever possible.
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