BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Sam Siefkes wanted to make sure his unit had the right mindset for his first spring game with the Hokies. Right before the defense took the field for the first possession Saturday afternoon, defensive end James Djonkam heard Siefkes tell the group, “BTA.”
Djonkam and his teammates knew exactly what the acronym meant.
“We really took that to heart,” Djonkam said. “We went out there and we did not brother-in-law. We looked at them like they were UVa, and we wanted to win. So at the end of the day, we came for blood, and we got that.”
In a spring game that featured the offense taking on the defense, it was the defense that set the tone early. The unit scored a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter and took advantage of the unique scoring system to secure a 50-21 win over the offense at Lane Stadium.
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“It’s been an emphasis. We talk about the double positive, which is taking the ball away and limiting explosives,” Siefkes said. “I thought they’ve done a pretty good job, for the most part over the course of the spring, of utilizing that mentality and trying to take the football away every chance we get the opportunity to.”
The turnovers came not long after the offense scored the first of its three touchdowns on a 57-yard wide receiver pass from Ayden Greene to Cam Seldon on the third possession of the spring game.
The first takeaway for a touchdown came two plays after Greene’s touchdown pass.
Kelden Ryan, a freshman quarterback who joined the program as a mid-year enrollee in January, scrambled to his left and had the ball slip out of his hands. Linebacker George Ballance was there to scoop up the ball and rumble 22 yards for the touchdown.
Virginia Tech quarterback Kelden Ryan (left) fumbles the ball as linebacker George Ballance (center) prepares to pick it up and return it for a 22-yard touchdown in the first quarter of Saturday’s spring game at Lane Stadium.
“If you’re around the ball, you’re going to make plays,” linebacker Caleb Woodson said of Ballance’s play. “He was around the ball covering down and pursuing the ball, the ball popped out, he scooped it up and scored.”
It didn’t take long for the ball to find its way into a defensive player’s hands after Ballance’s fumble return.
Ryan, who remained in at quarterback, delivered a pass to Chanz Wiggins. Wiggins attempted to bring in the ball as he hit the ground, and the ball popped straight up into the air and into the hands of cornerback Dante Lovett.
Lovett returned the interception 38 yards for a touchdown.
“Turnovers win games. If you have two or more turnovers, your percentage to win the game goes way up,” Woodson said. “That was great to see the guys go out and do.”
The offense had 132 yards at the end of the first quarter. Only two of the 24 plays picked up more than 10 yards.
“I wouldn’t say it was more defense. I guess it was just us having a slow start,” wide receiver Donavon Greene said. “First time as an offense being out there in a game setting.”
The scoring system was slanted in favor of the defense. The unit could accumulate points by scoring a touchdown (seven points), recording a takeaway (four), getting a fourth-down stop (three), forcing a three-and-out (two), posting a safety (two), making a stop that forced a punt (one) and recording a sack and a tackle for a loss (one point each).
Aycen Stevens and Deric Dandy each had two tackles for a loss and the defense finished with 10 TFLs. Dandy, Sherrod Henderson and Zeke Chinwike each recorded a sack.
Lovett and Jojo Crim each recorded an interception.
Virginia Tech cornerback Jojo Crim (left) intercepts a pass intended for wide receiver Chanz Wiggins on the final play of Saturday’s spring game at Lane Stadium.
“I think they all played hard. I think they all did fly to the ball, and that’s where your turnovers happen,” Hokies coach Brent Pry said. “Unfortunately for the offense, we’ve done a nice job all spring in the takeaway category. We’ve got to do a better job protecting the football.
“And, honestly, I think those were both avoidable today. And that’s what happens. You turn the ball over a couple of times and all of a sudden, you’re in a hole.”
The offense recorded points in conventional fashion with six points for a touchdown, three points for a field goal, two points for a two-point conversion and one point for an extra point.
“I did think the offense kind of clawed back slowly but surely, had a chance to make it a game again,” Pry said, “but I thought the defense played hard today. Made some things happen.”
The offense scored a pair of touchdowns in the second half.
Ayden Greene caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Davi Belfort, and A.J. Brand scrambled for a 12-yard touchdown.
The three freshmen quarterbacks played extended snaps with Kyron Drones and Pop Watson both unavailable for the game.
Pry said Drones had a successful, minor medical procedure on Wednesday and Watson was held out with a soft tissue injury.
The three quarterbacks who suited up Saturday combined to throw for 73 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions on 10-of-22 passing.
Belfort, who is penciled in as third-string quarterback behind Drones and Watson, played the most of the three quarterbacks. He threw for 51 yards and added 36 rushing yards.
Virginia Tech running back Braydon Bennett (center) looks for running room between linebacker George Ballance (left), defensive tackle Christian Evans (back) and cornerback Jojo Crim (right) during Saturday’s spring game at Lane Stadium.
“He did what he could considering the circumstances that everyone was in,” Donavon Greene said. “I felt like he did pretty good.”
Ryan and Brand each threw an interception. Ryan had a 43-yard scamper late in the first half that was the longest run of the game.
“I think they both showed up and played well today,” Donavon Greene said.
