Can the Hokies stop Watkins again?

by TigerNet Staff - Thursday, December 1, 2011 5:29 PM

Sammy Watkins
Pos: WR Height: 6-1 Weight: 205 Hometown: Fort Myers, FL (South Fort Myers HS) Years Played: 2011 - 2013

From Heather Dinich of ESPN:

One of the bright spots for the Hokies in their 23-3 loss to Clemson this season was the standout defensive effort against true freshman receiver Sammy WatkinsSammy Watkins
Fr. Wide Receiver
#2 6-1, 200
Fort Myers, FL
View Full Profile, who was held to three catches for 38 yards in that game. Redshirt senior cornerback Cris Hill was tasked with defending Watkins for most of the game, and the veteran obviously had the edge.

"It wasn't like we had to pay a little more attention to him," safety Eddie Whitley said of Watkins. "We knew he was a dynamic player and he was going to make his plays when possible.

"It didn't matter who was on him," he said. "We just had to trust our technique and our coaches to put us in the right position to make plays."

The Hokies held Watkins to his lowest receiving total of the season in Week 5, as he entered that game averaging 108.3 yards and 92.3 yards after the catch per game. What the Hokies excelled at was minimizing Watkins' gains after the catch.

The question now is, can Virginia Tech do it again?