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Virginia defensive coordinator Jim Reid laughed when asked about slowing down Virginia Tech's Logan Thomas.
Not that he finds anything funny about trying to stop the 6-foot-6, 254-pound quarterback, who has a strong arm, uncommon poise and is unquestionably the toughest Hokie to tackle.
''Somebody said he's like a fullback when he runs, but that's not true,'' Reid said on a teleconference Tuesday, laughing though he might have felt more like crying. ''He's like a massive giant when he runs. I've watched him run the quarterback sneak for 14 yards running through everybody. Nobody could stop him.''
That was against Georgia Tech. Stopping the redshirt sophomore and the sixth-ranked Hokies is Reid's charge this week. The No. 24 Cavaliers host the Hokies on Saturday, with the winner earning a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship.
Reid's recollection of the ''sneak'' isn't far off. The play actually went for 12 yards, and Thomas carried several Georgia Tech defenders into the end zone, giving the Hokies the lead for good in that contest.
Virginia Tech wide receiver Danny Coale said he was ''marveling'' as he watched it unfold.
''I was on the field and I just saw Yellow Jacket defenders, just white jerseys, kind of moving and they kept moving and when he came out of the pile he was in the end zone,'' Coale said. ''It's pretty cool to see a guy who's 6-6 and can lower his shoulder and excite the crowd like that.''
As long as the crowd is rooting for Thomas' team.
Thomas has run for nine touchdowns this season, breaking Michael Vick's regular season record for a quarterback in Frank Beamer's 25 years as coach. Several have been memorable, most notably a 19-yard burst up the middle with 56 seconds left to beat Miami 38-35, and last week's 23-yard run on the same read option play as the Hokies beat North Carolina 24-21, their fifth straight win.
Both times, Thomas faked a handoff to David Wilson, the nation's fourth-leading rusher with an average of 131 yards, and then bolted through the line and virtually untouched into the end zone.
''Marvelous read and a tremendous run to beat Miami,'' Reid said.
Against the Tar Heels, Thomas also ran 18 yards on third-and-19, bowling over two defenders on the way, and then went for two yards on a quarterback sneak after being stopped at the line.
The Hokies are not allowed to tackle Thomas in practice, but linebacker Tariq Edwards has seen enough in games to be surprised at mistakes defenders keep making trying to bring him down.
''Hitting him up high. I look at other guys trying to hit him every week and I'm like, `Why are they even trying to hit him up high?''' he said. ''He's like 270. I think the only way to bring him down is by trying to hit his legs. And most people, even when they try to do that, they bounce right off him.''
Thomas committed to the Hokies because he thought he would play tight end, and has said he even crossed schools off his list when they seemed intent on trying him to play quarterback.
But now, after drawing comparisons to former Auburn star and No. 1 NFL draft pick Cam Newton because of his size, Thomas continues to grow into the position every game - with a tight end's mentality.
''He's a tough guy, he's a rough guy and I think he just uses good judgment, when the hit's necessary and when the hit's not necessary,'' Beamer said, smiling and adding: ''We haven't worked on him sliding yet, so I think he plays the way he plays and that's rough and tough and that's who he is.
''The bottom line is you don't want him taking any hits that he doesn't need to take.''
