Blacksburg, Va. -- When the Virginia Tech Hokies needed a strong showing, they came out on Saturday and spotted an upstart Duke Blue Devils 20 points. It didn't look good for the Hokies.
Whether it was a sideline tirade by Hokies player and/or coach, or a collective switch that finally got flipped, Virginia Tech came roaring back to score 41 unanswered points and shut down the Blue Devils for the remaining 49 minutes of the game.
Leading the defense was redshirt junior defensive lineman James Gayle, who was a ball hawk on Saturday. Everywhere the ball was, Gayle was. He led the Hokies with nine tackles, including 2.5 for losses and a sack. He also tallied three quarterback hurries as Virginia Tech stifled the Duke running game, allowing just 22 yards for the game.
On the offensive side of the ball, a pair of Hokies were named Players of the Week at their respective positions; wide receiver Marcus Davis and running back J.C. Coleman.
Davis had a huge game. The senior had five catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns as the Hokies recorded the biggest comeback in Frank Beamer's 26 years at Virginia Tech. Davis' two TD catches went for 42 yards and 47 yards.
Coleman set a new Virginia Tech true freshman record with 183 yards rushing, including an 86-yard burst midway through the fourth quarter that sealed the Hokies' win.
The freshman moved into the starting lineup and his career-high 183 yards came on just 13 carries for a 14.1 yards per carry average. He scored two touchdown - the 86-yarder in the fourth quarter and a 45-yarder in the third quarter.
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