BLACKSBURG, Va. -- There was a play midway through the third quarter -- a key moment for Virginia Tech, to be sure, but in retrospect irrelevant to a 31-17 Clemson win that was never particularly in doubt.
It was a fourth-and-3, a must-have for the Hokies. Josh Jackson swung a pass out to the far side of the field, connecting with receiver Sean Savoy on a screen. In an instant, Clemson's Austin Bryant converged, blowing up the play for a 5-yard loss.
All of that might sound like nothing special, until you realize Bryant is a 6-foot-5, 265-pound defensive end that the Tigers moved out to the boundary to cover a wide receiver.