Redshirt freshman running back Ryan Williams (rookie of the week), sophomore right tackle Blake DeChristopher (offensive lineman of the week) and junior defensive end Jason Worilds (defensive lineman of the week) were all honored by the ACC for their outstanding play Saturday against Miami.

Williams, who rushed for 150 yards on a career-high 34 carries, has been named the ACC’s top rookie in three of the first four weeks of the season.

Worilds was a pain in the Hurricanes’ backside for most of the game. According to official stats, Worilds had 1.5 sacks and six total tackles. Tech’s coaches credited him with three sacks and eight total tackles (six solo). Either way, he had a great game. Worilds’ second-quarter sack of UM quarterback Jacory Harris was Reggie White-esque. The 6-2, 240-pound end bullrushed 6-7, 307-pound tackle Matt Pipho and knocked him to the ground to get to Harris. 

DeChristopher played through a sprained ankle and graded out a team-high 85 percent. He contributed to one of the best games in recent memory by Tech’s offensive line. They paved the way for 272 rushing yards and didn’t allow a sack, the first time that’s happened in more than three years (Sept. 16, 2006 vs. Duke).

ODDS AND ENDS …
*If the headline of this blog post didn’t tip you off, kickoff for the Oct. 10 home game against Boston College has been set for noon. It’ll be a regional television broadcast.

*Cornerback Stephan Virgil, who missed the previous two games with a bruised knee, played 40 plays Saturday against Miami. Eddie Whitley was in for 20 plays.

*Rover Dorian Porch graded out higher than any defensive player. Game stats said he had nine total tackles and a sack. Tech’s coaches recorded nine solo tackles, three assists and a sack.

*Defensive tackle John Graves (ankle) was limited to three special teams plays against the Hurricanes.

*Now back to Ryan Williams. At this pace, he is headed for a gigantic year. In arguably Tech’s toughest four-game stretch (No. 4 Alabama, Marshall, No. 19 Nebraska, No. 9 Miami), Williams has rushed for 492 yards and eight touchdowns. He is also Tech’s second-leading receiver with six catches for 120 yards.

Somebody asked him after Saturday’s game if he thought a Heisman Trophy campaign was in order. He laughed it off, but it’s not a far-fetched idea.

He has done his damage so far against a couple of heavyweight defenses (’Bama and Nebraska) and another, Miami, that isn’t too bad either.

With games against Duke and Boston College coming up the next couple of weeks, he could be in the thick of the Heisman conversation before the Hokies’ big Oct. 17 game at Georgia Tech.

Here’s where Williams ranks nationally in the major rushing categories:
    -5th in total rushing yards (492)
    -6th in rushing yards per game (123)
    -Tied-5th in scoring (48 points)
    -Tied-2nd in total touchdowns (eight), behind Navy QB Ricky Dobbs and Cal RB Jahvid Best, both of whom have nine.
    -Tied-1st in rushing touchdowns among RBs … Best also has eight rushing touchdowns.

To put Williams’ start into better perspective, Darren Evans broke the Virginia Tech freshman records last season for rushing yards (1,265) and touchdowns (11). Through his first four games – against East Carolina, Furman, Georgia Tech and North Carolina – Evans had 264 yards and four TDs.

Williams proved Saturday he could be a workhorse if needed, though I think we’ll see more of Josh Oglesby and David Wilson as the schedule gets a little easier the next few weeks. Williams had 34 carries Saturday, 13 more than last week against Nebraska. In fact, his workload has increased from 13 carries against Alabama to 16 against Marshall to 21 against Nebraska and now 34 against Miami.

He didn’t seem tired afterward, and he said he could go for another 30 carries if needed.

I went and looked back to see how many Tech running backs have gone over 30 carries in recent years. I could only find stats back to 1996, but here’s a year-by-year account of the 30-carry backs.

2009
Williams (34 vs. Miami)

2008
Evans (32 vs. Maryland, 31 vs. BC in ACC title game)

2007
Branden Ore (31 vs. Virginia)

2006
Ore (37 vs. Clemson)

2004
Mike Imoh (30 vs. West Va., 32 vs. UNC)

2003
Kevin Jones (30 vs. Texas A&M, 30 vs. Pitt)

2001
Jones (37 vs. UVa.)

2000
Lee Suggs (30 vs. UCF)

1997
Ken Oxendine (36 vs. Miami)