Logan Thomas took over after Wilson’s long run gave the Hokies a 13-7 lead. He hit Marcus Davis for a 20-yard touchdown, and then ran in from the 1, giving the Hokies a 27-7 lead.
Thomas said getting back to what the Hokies do helped jump-start the offense.
“It softened up the defense. They had to honor the run a lot more,’’ he said. “They’d drop back for a pass, I’d give David the ball and let him do his thing. It’s kind of hand in hand.’’
The Hokies (7-1, 3-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) won their third in a row, all games in which Thomas has scored at least one touchdown on the ground and through the air.
Linebacker and leading tackler Bruce Taylor left the game in the third quarter with a foot injury and linebacker Alonzo Tweedy was sidelined with an ankle injury. And that was after defensive end Jaymes Gayle returned from an ankle injury but tweaked it again early in the first quarter. The status of Taylor and Tweedy was not known.
The injuries made the Hokies’ defensive performance all the more impressive. The Eagles’ first touchdown drive covered just 35 yards on their opening series after a shanked punt, and their last — 72 yards in 11 plays — came in the fourth quarter with the Hokies leading 27-7.
“Once we got inside the 50, we stalled,’’ Eagles quarterback Chase Rettig said. He accounted for both scores, running two yards for the first and hitting Chris Pantale for a 7-yard TD.
Eagles linebacker Luke Kuechly, who had 19 tackles to stay on pace for an NCAA record, said the attention to getting Wilson involved after halftime highlighted his potential.
“He’s a player. That’s what you have to realize,’’ Kuechly said, scoffing at people who last year described Wilson as a backup to Ryan Williams and Darren Evans, both now in the NFL.
“He’s a time bomb and it’s only a matter of time before he’s going to hit one,’’ he said.
The Hokies had plenty of trouble in the first half, managing just a pair of field goals.
