What We Saw: Landrum 28, Blacksburg 6

Jed Blackwell October 11, 2024 @ 11:33 PM

BLACKSBURG | [player_tooltip player_id='1592581' first='AJ' last='Lindsey'] didn't do EVERYTHING for Landrum in the Cardinals' 28-6 win over Blacksburg on Friday.   He sure did do a lot, though.   Take one exchange in the fourth quarter, just for example. With the Wildcats trying to cut into a 21-6 Landrum advantage, Lindsey notched a huge tackle, helping to get the ball back for the Cardinals. Then, he put the game away. His 24-yard carry set up a 6-yard TD run, his third of the night, and gave Landrum more breathing room.   He had nine carries for 51 yards and those three scores in the running game. He caught two balls for 16 yards, including the Cardinals' lone completion in a second half that saw Blacksburg dominate time of possession. And he flew all over the field on defense, dishing out hard hits, bringing pressure, and just generally creating havoc.   Not a bad night.   A lot of Lindsey's rushing yardage came out of the Cardinals' super-jumbo package, in which he takes a direct snap behind a mountain of massive players and tries to make something happen.   "It's awesome," he said. "We put all the biggest guys on the team in front of me, great blockers in front of me, and it works almost every time."   Lindsey's no stranger to taking snaps, either, though they might have been a few years ago.   "I played QB in the fourth grade and won the championship," he said with a laugh.   As well as he played offensively, Lindsey said his love is still on the opposite side of the ball.   "I like defense better," he said. "I love making big hits and making things happen."   The Cardinals showed a little rust from the two-week layoff caused by Hurricane Helene, but played well. TJ Foster continued his strong play at QB, both through the air and on the ground. Aiden Kelly contributed a bunch of hard yards, keeping the chains and the clock moving when the Cardinals needed it most. And Titus Poore was his usual self, with 37 yards rushing, including a 13-yard first-half TD, and 79 receiving yards.   Where the Cardinals really made a difference, though, was on the defensive front. Landrum was able to get pressure with their front three for most of the night, as Brody Gosnell, Dominic Whiteside, and MiCah McClentock chased down play after play. Whiteside had three sacks, Gosnell equaled that number with tackles for loss, and all three brought a ton of pressure.   "The defense played lights-out tonight," Landrum coach Brent Bridges said. "Coach Reid, our defensive coordinator and Coach Thompson and Coach Driggers had a great plan coming into the game, and our kids did a good job of executing it. We gave up a few big plays in the second half, but that's just teenage kids getting out of position. Every once in a while they're going to do their own thing and get out of position. Our guys were just getting after it, flying around, playing fast, and playing hard."   For Blacksburg, [player_tooltip player_id='1149066' first='Josh' last='Sims'] threw for 179 yards and a touchdown, a five-yard circus catch by Saad Lavender. Lavender also notched an interception on an equally important grab. And while the Wildcats struggled to get much going on the ground against the Cardinals' front, Shun Rogers gave them a spark on a couple of wildcat plays, with 42 yards on just four carries.

BLACKSBURG | AJ Lindsey AJ Lindsey 6'0" | 180 lbs | LB Landrum | 2026 State SC didn't do EVERYTHING for Landrum in the Cardinals' 28-6 win over Blacksburg on Friday.