Thomas was one of many bright spots in Hokies' bittersweet season

A LOOK BACK

* Tech played in the ACC championship game for the fifth time in seven years and clinched the ACC’s first-ever at-large BCS bowl berth.

* The Hokies beat in-state rival Virginia for the eighth straight year but lost twice to Clemson and to Michigan in the Sugar Bowl.

* Tech extended its streak of 10-win seasons to eight and played in its 19^th straight bowl game.

* The Hokies were ranked 21^st in the final Associated Press poll and 17^th in the final coaches poll. They were the highest-ranked ACC team in both polls.

A LOOK AHEAD

*The Hokies return two starters on offense and nine starters on defense in 2012.

*Tech coach Frank Beamer, who leads all active FBS coaches with 251 wins, needs five wins to pass Nebraska’s Tom Osborne for seventh place on the all-time list and seven to pass BYU’s LaVell Edwards for sixth place.

*The Hokies play a challenging schedule that includes road games against Clemson, Pittsburgh and Miami and home games against Florida State and Georgia Tech.

Logan Thomas was a shining light for Virginia Tech in a season that ended in disappointment.

Thomas, in only his third year as a starting quarterback at any level, certainly didn’t play like an inexperienced signal-caller in his first season as a college starter.

The redshirt sophomore from Lynchburg had one of the best seasons ever for a Hokies quarterback, breaking the school’s single-season records for total yards (3,482) and total touchdowns (30) and earning second-team All-ACC honors.

The 6-foot-6, 254-pound Thomas, who drew comparisons in the preseason to former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, tied the school single-season records for wins (11) and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (11), and he finished with the second-most passing yards in a season at Tech with 3,013.

"I’ve shown that I can throw the ball, and I’ve shown that I can run the ball. Anybody who is a fan of the game probably says the comparisons were unfair to Cam Newton because, obviously, he won the Heisman [in 2010]," Thomas said.

"I’ll take them, but I’m not that kind of player yet. I’ve still got a long way to go. I think there’s always room for improvement, but I think that I’m happy with my first year."

Thomas wasn’t happy, however, with how the season ended. The Hokies (11-3) finished with consecutive losses to Clemson in the ACC championship game and to Michigan in the Sugar Bowl — the first time they’ve ended a season with two losses since 2003 — but Tech’s coaches were certainly encouraged about what the future holds with Thomas.

"You’re still going to see a guy who continuously improves," Hokies offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring said. "Now you’ve got a guy who has gone out and played like he has this year and still has the opportunity I believe, and he believes, to have better days in front of him."

Thomas, who orchestrated fourth-quarter comebacks against East Carolina and Miami this season, helped bring the Hokies back from two fourth-quarter deficits in the Sugar Bowl before the Wolverines won 23-20 in overtime to drop Tech’s record in BCS games to 1-5.

Tech, which extended its nations-leading streak of 10-win seasons to eight, played in the ACC championship game for the fifth time in seven years and secured the ACC’s first-ever at-large Bowl Championship Series berth, but it lost its final two games in memorable fashion — a 38-10 blowout loss to Clemson and an excruciating overtime defeat by Michigan in a game it dominated.

The Hokies lose most of their offensive personnel from the 2011 team. They graduate the top two receivers in school history, Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale, and four starting offensive linemen, including the ACC’s top lineman in right tackle Blake DeChristopher.

Also gone from this year’s team are starting tight end Chris Drager and tailbacks Josh Oglesby, a senior, and David Wilson, who declared early for the NFL draft after breaking the school’s single-season rushing record with 1,709 yards in 2011.

But Tech returns Thomas, who is already being touted as a future first-round draft pick by ESPN’s Mel Kiper, and experienced receivers Dyrell Roberts, D.J. Coles and Marcus Davis. There’s no shortage of talent at tailback, with highly-touted but inexperienced Michael Holmes and J.C. Coleman, among others, waiting in the wings.

The big question lies with the offensive line. Can Tech find four new capable starting linemen and also cultivate adequate depth up front?

There will be no such pressing issues for Bud Foster’s defense, which returns nine starters from the Sugar Bowl.

Foster did one of his best jobs in his 17 years as Hokies defensive coordinator, coaxing a top-10 statistical season out of a group that suffered a rash of injuries to key starters.

Six Tech starters missed at least one game and three missed at least six games, but the Hokies still managed to finish the season ranked 10^th in the nation in total yards allowed per game (304.64) and seventh in points allowed per game (17.64).

"We felt like after last season we needed to get back and be a dominating type defense," Foster said. "We’re not there yet, but I feel like we made big strides towards being the type of defense we like to be around here."

The Hokies lose only two starters from that defensive group. Junior cornerback Jayron Hosley, who led the team in interceptions the last two seasons, declared early for the NFL draft, and senior free safety Eddie Whitley graduated.

"I think the future is very, very bright, and our expectations will continue to be where they are: To be one of the best, if not the best, in the country," Foster said.

The return of Thomas and an experienced defense could mean another successful season for Tech in 2012. But will the Hokies have what it takes to hoist the ACC championship trophy again and come away with an elusive BCS bowl win?

Tech has time to answer that question. Spring practice begins March 28, and the spring game will be played Saturday, April 21 at 4 p.m.