Tech notes

By: | Times-Dispatch
Published: September 20, 2009

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Boone returns, but Virgil does not

Senior starting tight end Greg Boone returned for yesterday's 16-15 win over Nebraska after missing last week's game against Marshall with a sprained joint connecting his breastbone and collarbone.

But the Hokies were without senior Stephan Virgil, the starting boundary cornerback, for the second consecutive game. Virgil is nursing a sore left knee and did not dress.

Like the Marshall game, junior Rashad Carmichael, the starting field corner, started at boundary. But this week, sophomore Eddie Whitley made his first career start at field corner. Last week, sophomore Cris Hill (Highland Springs High) started at field corner, which also was his first start.

Boone and Virgil suffered their injuries in the season opener against Alabama.

Another opponent tops 100-yard mark

Nebraska junior running back Roy Helu Jr. finished with 28 carries for 169 yards. That's significant because it marked the third consecutive game in which an opposing back has run for 100 yards or more against Tech - something that hadn't happened since 2002.

Two weeks ago, Alabama's Mark Ingram had 150 yards. Last week, Marshall's Darius Marshall had 109. In 2002, the backs were West Virginia's Quincy Wilson (125), Virginia's Wali Lundy (127) and Miami's Willis McGahee (205).

Tuttle sees time

Before yesterday, Matt Tuttle was best known as Tech's 2008 homecoming king. But he also is a fifth-year senior long snapper for the Hokies.

Tuttle, a walk-on, has been on the team for two seasons, and before yesterday he had never appeared in a game. Then the Hokies' starting long snapper, sophomore Collin Carroll, sprained his right ankle in the second quarter, leaving the duties to Tuttle for the rest of the game. He did not botch any snaps.

Nebraska kicker ties stadium mark

The Hokies held Nebraska to five field goals despite allowing nine plays of 15 yards or longer, including five of 20 or longer. Overall, Nebraska gained 343 yards.

Alex Henerey's five field goals - from 40, 27, 19, 38 and 38 yards - tied the Lane Stadium record for most field goals by an opposing kicker. Virginia's Rafael Garcia had five in 1994 - the last time an opposing kicker had that many field goals at Lane. The stadium record is six by Tech's Mickey Thomas against Vanderbilt in 1989.

As the game wound down, Nebraska's sports information staff scoured its record books to find the last time the Cornhuskers won a game without scoring a touchdown. They had reached World War II, according to one of the staff members, before Tech mounted its comeback, rendering the stat useless. - Darryl Slater