Taking the handoff in the backfield, with the wind in his face and his eyes focused on the lane his offensive line was paving for him, Jeff Overton, Jr. saw his opportunity and seized it.
The freshman running back waited for his blocks to develop, put his left foot in the ground, and accelerated into the Miami secondary, leaving defenders in his wake as he raced to his first career touchdown as a Hokie, igniting the crowd in Lane Stadium on what was otherwise a tough day.
Overton’s electric 38-yard score represents the culmination of a seemingly bright future career for the Woodbridge, Virginia native. Since making his debut against Louisville earlier this season, Overton has impressed with his playmaking ability and speed, and has provided a badly needed spark for the Hokies’ offense.
Overton enjoyed his accomplishment after getting into the endzone for the first time since joining the college ranks.
“I’m happy. It was my first touchdown at the college level, so it was definitely exciting. It was just a deep moment for me out there,” Overton recalled postgame.
Savoring this moment meant even more to the young running back, who suffered a knee injury requiring surgery during preparations for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl last year, causing him to miss the first eight games of this season. Since then, Overton has put in a lot of work to get this point and is now reaping the benefits.
“[It was] definitely a lot of hard work, staying down, not getting overwhelmed about the situation, keeping my head straight, only controlling what I can control, and everything's going to play out,” Overton described.
Interim head coach Philip Montgomery believed Overton had been close to a breakout, despite missing significant time this season.
