In the wake of the Hokies' narrower than expected win over the Cincinnati
Bearcats, I heard a consistent comment from the pool of fans whose opinions I
respect: "Tech needed a game like this." I agree. Cincinnati gave Virginia
Tech what the Hokies needed: a good, sharp smack in the mouth. Tech battled
back, learned a lot, and continues to develop as a team.
Cincinnati's defense didn't surprise me. Their offense did. First, the
defense. The Bearcats are smallish on the defensive line, with one of their
starting tackles, Tony Carvitti, going 250. Phil Martin warned us that Cincy was
quick and could make plays, but he also said they would wear down as the game
went on. This was evidenced by the way they held their ground against Ohio State
last week (13-7 midway through the third quarter), only to fade late.