The Virginia defense had all kinds of problems going into the Georgia Tech game last Saturday, as it faced suspensions and injuries. No one knew if the defense would be able to withstand the No. 24 Yellow Jackets and their high-powered offense. But, to the surprise of many, the defense came through in the clutch.
Aside from the nickel defense holding first team All-ACC wide receiver Calvin Johnson to only 41 yards, the front four on the defensive line were also a key element of the win. Georgia Tech running back P.J. Daniels was held to 41 yards on 11 carries.
"I'm very admiring of the guts, effort and determination that these kids showed tonight," head coach Al Groh said following the win. "Our numbers were down a little bit, and they went down a little further in a hurry. They didn't blink, they didn't flinch, and as a result, they have something they can really be proud of."
The defensive line was short-handed, especially at nose tackle, with Kwakou Robinson being suspended and Ron Darden having quit the team due to recurring head injuries. How would the defensive line be able to cope with these losses?
"There were guys out, so we just needed to pull together and push through," sophomore defensive end Allen Billyk said.
As a result, the same players were forced to be in for much of the game, and they weren't able to get much rest.
"Allen Billyk gave us some good minutes, and [freshman] Alex Field helped us out," Groh said. "But Keenan [Carter], Allen, Brennan [Schmidt] and Chris [Long] did it all for us tonight. They were in on the nickel, on the goal line [defense], on the regular [defense] -- they knew the deal coming in. If 'no rest for the weary' is a tried statement, it certainly applied tonight -- because there wasn't going to be any rest."
During the rest they did have, the younger, less experienced players were able to step up and fill in.
"I'm really proud of our guys to step up, some of them in their first start," senior defensive end Brennan Schmidt said. "I asked them if they were a little nervous, and they said the other day they were a little but not once they got in the game."
Carter came down with an injury early in the game. The players and coaches didn't know how they would be able to handle coping with another defensive injury.
"There was only one medical opinion we were able to give Keenan -- [it] was that 'You're not allowed to get hurt today,'" Groh said.
Carter was able to fight through his injury and return to the game. His example of guts and toughness can describe Virginia's defensive play in general: It may not have been stellar, but the defensive line stepped up when it needed to and got the job done.
"Today wasn't perfect, but I think we had perfect heart today," Schmidt said. "No one flinched, and for a while, they had the momentum, but it didn't faze any of our guys."
With No. 6 Virginia Tech coming to town Saturday, the defensive front four will have to show the same amount of resilience and toughness if Virginia is to stop Hokie quarterback Marcus Vick and pull the upset.
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