Showing posts tagged “Ryan Williams”
Mike Potter ·
16 Dec 2009, 1:39 PM ·
Comment
Duke wideout Conner Vernon has been selected to the Freshman All-America team by The Sporting News.
Vernon, who established Duke single-season records for pass receptions (55), receiving yards (746) and 100-yard receiving games (3) by a freshman, also finished with 1,041 all-purpose yards.
Vernon is one of five ACC players on that Sporting News team, joined by Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams, Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, Clemson safety Rashard Hall and Florida State punt returner Greg Reid.
He is also one of seven Triangle-area players on the magazine’s freshman All-ACC squad. Joining Vernon were Duke teammates Brian Moore as an offensive lineman and Desmond Scott as a kick returner; UNC’s wideout Erik Highsmith, offensive lineman Jonathan Cooper and linebacker Kevin Reddick; and N.C. State defensive back Brandan Bishop.
Virginia Tech’s Williams was named ACC freshman of the year.
ACC, Duke, Football, N.C. State, UNC-Chapel Hill Adam Kennedy, Boston College, Brandan Bishop, Brian Moore, Clemson, Conner Vernon, Desmond Scott, Erik Highsmith, Florida State, Greg Dalby, Jonathan Cooper, Luke Kuechly, Rashard Hall, Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech
Joe Schwartz ·
21 Nov 2009, 7:39 PM ·
Comment
TV/ESPNU — Prolific Hokie freshman running back Ryan Williams ran wild Saturday, scoring four touchdowns as No. 15 Virginia Tech defeated N.C. State comfortably, 38-10.
Early turnovers, an inability to run the ball or stop the run plagued the Wolfpack (4-7, 1-6 ACC) all day. N.C. State’s depleted team, now missing 12 players to season-ending injuries, couldn’t hold onto the ball long enough to have a chance at Lane Stadium. Williams churned for 120 yards along with his four scores for Virginia Tech (8-3, 5-2 ACC).
Quarterback Russell Wilson (pictured) was sacked and fumbled on the team’s first offensive play, giving the Hokies the ball on the N.C. State 34-yard-line. Virginia Tech could only muster a field goal, but they soon got a second chance when wide receiver Darrell Davis fumbled along the sideline on the Wolfpack’s next drive. Virginia Tech’s Cody Grimm caused both turnovers, recovering the first one himself. Stephan Virgil fell on Davis’s loose change at the N.C. State 25.
This time Ryan Williams crossed the plane from four yards out, spotting his team a 10-0 lead with 7:55 to go in the 1st quarter that N.C. State never surmounted. They did answer with a 20-yard touchdown strike to Owen Spencer on the next possession on a nice pump and post, bringing the game to 10-7 in the first quarter. That was the closest they came, though.
N.C. State was outgained 200-14 on the ground and couldn’t overcome three lost fumbles and an interception. Tom O’Brien’s club will have to lick its wounds on the trip home, but the Wolfpack won’t have any trouble getting up for next week’s rivalry contest against UNC on Thanksgiving weekend.
Despite today’s result, this is an N.C. State team that’s far more talented than the record shows. Injuries and inexperience have forced a near constant reshuffling of the starting lineup. They are a tough out when able to hold onto the ball and stop the run, as they did early in the year, jumping to a 3-1 start including a win against Pitt, now a top 10 team.
Now they don’t have a bowl or even a winning record to play for, but you can bet that they’ll be fired up at Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday.
ACC, Football, N.C. State Cody Grimm, Darrell Davis, N.C. State, Russell Wilson, Ryan Williams, Stephan Virgil, Tom O'Brien, Virginia Tech
Joe Schwartz ·
20 Nov 2009, 12:15 PM ·
Comment
N.C. State tries to play spoiler
N.C. State (4-6, 1-5 ACC) vs. Virginia Tech (7-3, 4-2 ACC)
3:30 p.m., Saturday, Lane Stadium
ESPNU, WRAL 101.5 FM
N.C. State's dynamic duo of Russell Wilson and Toney Baker will face Virginia Tech on Saturday.
Key stats … There will be no late-season bowl run this year for Tom O’Brien’s club. Clemson’s dynamic C.J. Spiller put an end to those hopes last week. Now the Wolfpack travel north to the always hostile Lane Stadium where Frank Beamer’s 16th ranked Hokies sit waiting. Virginia Tech is out of the ACC Championship picture thanks to loses to Georgia Tech and UNC, but they still have a New Year’s Day bowl to play for. These two teams have squared off only twice since Virginia Tech joined the ACC six years ago, splitting contests in 2004 and 2005.
Continue reading »
ACC, Football, N.C. State Frank Beamer, Jamelle Eugene, N.C. State, Russell Wilson, Ryan Williams, Tom O'Brien, Toney Baker, Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech
Jacob Swiger ·
29 Oct 2009, 9:03 PM ·
Comment
Freshman receiver Jheranie Boyd caught a fade pass -- his biggest catch since the ECU game -- in the endzone to score the only points of the half. (Photo by Rob Rowe)
TV/ESPN — Another first-half offensive slugfest for the Tar Heels … but this time, UNC looked the better team and scored on a touchdown pass with less than three minutes to play.
After being torched by FSU’s Christian Ponder last Thursday, UNC’s defense made key plays on third and fourth down, stopping two key fourth down pass attempts by Tyrod Taylor in UNC territory.
Key series of the half: On third-and-3 in Hokie territory, Greg Little motioned into the backfield and rushed for 23 yards deep into Hokie territory. Little also caught a 17-yard pass on the drive, which milked much of the clock in the second quarter.
Little set up a 13-yard touchdown pass from T.J. Yates to freshman receiver Jheranie Boyd and put the Heels up by seven points.
Key stats of the half: One — that’s how many more carries freshman stud running back Ryan Williams had than Taylor, who spent the first half scrambling for his life.
Williams opened the game with a 25-yard rush only to see his carries diminish as the Hokies got impatient on offense and elected to pass the ball down field.
What to watch for in the second half: Which team sticks to the run? Both the Hokies and Heels ran the ball effectively and looked terrible when passing. If the Hokies start plugging away with Williams, the Heels’ front seven should be in for a long night, especially considering the margin the Hokies are winning the field position battle.
ACC, Football, UNC-Chapel Hill Greg Little, Jheranie Boyd, Ryan Williams, TJ Yates, Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech
Jacob Swiger ·
28 Oct 2009, 7:56 PM ·
2 Comments
North Carolina (4-3) at No. 14 Virginia Tech (5-2)
[7:30 p.m., Oct. 29, Lane Stadium]
Televised by ESPN
UNC faces a completely different style quarterback Thursday than FSU's Christian Ponder. (Photo by Rob Rowe)
Another Thursday night game, but this time North Carolina travels to Blacksburg to face an angry and bitter Virginia Tech team looking to stay in the Coastal Division race.
The past few games between these two schools have been closer than expected. An injury to UNC quarterback T.J. Yates cost the Heels the victory in 2008, and the season before the Heels lost by a touchdown despite outgaining the nationally ranked Hokies.
Key stats: 2001 — that’s the last time UNC won a road game against a ranked opponent, and the prospect of ending that streak Thursday night in Blacksburg looks slim.
Despite the poor second-half performance against the Seminoles, some are pegging UNC’s defense as the key for victory. Statistics back up the defense, but last Thursday showed that talented skill players and patient quarterbacks can pick apart Butch Davis’ secondary.
And Virginia Tech is no slouch on defense either. The Hokies allow more than 317 yards per game (No. 31 in the nation) and played a tougher first seven games than UNC did.
Another key aspect of this game is preparation. The Hokies had a bye week to prepare for UNC just like Georgia Tech, Virginia and Florida State did. It’s no coincidence that UNC is 0-3 in league play with such terrible ACC scheduling.
Continue reading »
ACC, Football, UNC-Chapel Hill Butch Davis, Frank Beamer, Ryan Williams, TJ Yates, Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech
Mike Potter ·
1 Oct 2009, 3:14 PM ·
Comment
Duke had a respectable non-conference portion of its season in September, although the opener against Richmond may long be thought of as “one that got away.”
Since there’s nothing the Blue Devils can do about that now, they have one clear assignment if they’re going to realize second-year coach David Cutcliffe’s dream of a quick bowl bid. They have to go at least 5-3 in the ACC - they have to finish with at least seven wins, since Saturday’s 49-14 victory in their historic first meeting with cross-town rival N.C. Central won’t count toward bowl qualification.
Saturday’s home game against No. 6 Virginia Tech isn’t one that absolutely has to go into the win column, but an upset that would have highlights running on national TV for the rest of the day certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Duke, which has dropped eight straight in the series, gave the homestanding Hokies a scare last season when they were competitive and lost only 14-3.
“There was some confidence gained from playing in that game,” Cutcliffe said. “(But) this is a better Virginia Tech team and I think our team knows that. We certainly need to be a better Duke team to have a chance in the fourth quarter to win the game.
“There’s some confidence you draw from a game like that, but you have to go out every snap and compete with them. There was a lot of pride displayed on that field that night.”
Tech coach Frank Beamer, who has taken his teams to 15 straight bowl games, said he’s not expecting an easy afternoon.
“You look at how they played us last year,” Beamer told The Associated Press. “They didn’t have their quarterback (Thaddeus Lewis, pictured) in that game. He’s back, and they are a better team.
“You have to bring a good game every week, and that’s a fact.” Continue reading »
ACC, Duke, N.C. Central Barquell Rivers, Blake DeChristopher, Connor Vernon, Davon Morgan, Demetrius Taylor, Desmond Scott, Dyrell Roberts, Frank Beamer, Greg Boone, Jarrett Boykin, Jarrod Holt, Jason Worilds, Jay Hollingsworth, John Drew, Johnny Williams, Kam Chancellor, Kyle Griswould, Leon Wright, Miami Hurricanes, Mitchell Lederman, Patrick Kurunwune, Randez James, Re'quan Boyette, Richmond Spiders, Ryan Williams, Sergio Render, Thaddeus Lewis, Tyree Watkins, Tyrod Taylor, Vince Oghobaase, Vincent Rey, Virginia Tech
