Bleacher Report - Articles by Justin Cocchiola

Will Bud Foster Finally Land a Head Coaching Position?

Justin Cocchiola — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:01:42 -0500

Every single year the same question comes up around Blacksburg—will Bud Foster finally leave Virginia Tech?

Foster has been a coach at Virginia Tech since 1987, and he took over the defensive coordinator job in 1995.

Throughout Foster's tenure, Virginia Tech has been one of the greatest defenses in the nation, year after year. You could say Foster has just as much to do with the success Virginia Tech has had in the last 16 years as head coach Frank Beamer.

That being said, Foster isn't the head coach. Not even the head coach in waiting, but if Beamer were to retire with Foster still on the staff I think it would be obvious who the next head coach in Blacksburg would be.

But nobody knows how long Beamer is going to remain as the top man in Blacksburg. Beamer himself isn't even sure when he's going to call it a career.

Foster, like Beamer, is in no danger of losing his job, which has given him reason not to leave. Foster has said that he's not interested in leaving Virginia Tech for a head coaching job at a school in the MAC or a conference similar in ranking.

He does deserve a shot, and it blows my mind nobody has ever hired him. This has me thinking that there's a good chance somebody gives Foster a head coaching opportunity for the 2010 season.

Even when the Virginia Tech defense struggles in a season, like this year, the defense is still one of the tops in the nation, ranking 13th in total defense and 11th in points allowed. Foster has always been able to get the most out of the players he recruits, regardless of talent.

For example, Brandon Flowers and Kam Chancellor were two star recruits when they arrived in Blacksburg, Cody Grimm is a walk-on, and the Hokies fill their team with three-star recruits or lower, for the most part.

Here are three places and some potential scenarios that Foster could find himself in the upcoming weeks.

Maryland

The Terrapins have yet to fire Ralph Friedgen, but lets assume they do. Who else could be better to take over as head coach? Nobody.

Foster is familiar with the recruiting area, he could dip into the state of Virginia, and he could bring an entirely different attitude to College Park than they're used to.

Friedgen is offensive minded, so the Terrapins may be looking to switch philosophies. This is a big time opportunity for Maryland, and I don't think Foster would turn the offer down.

Louisville

The Cardinals have already fired head coach Steve Kragthorpe, and the program has been in a tailspin ever since Bobby Petrino left. Kragthorpe had a decent first season, but had done nothing since.

The Big East, I believe, is a conference on the rise. They don't have one great team in the conference, but there are a lot of good, competitive teams, which could make rebuilding a team a little easier.

Louisville has been a predominately offensive team the past few seasons, but defense is key to winning games. I think Foster's "lunch pail" mentality could do wonders for a school like Louisville looking to turn things around.

However, this could be a situation where Foster decides he would rather stay in Blacksburg and contend for a national championship next season.

Notre Dame

You had to see this coming. Notre Dame has said that they want someone who's defensive minded. Going through their candidates—Brian Kelly has been adamant about staying in Cincinnati and building that program, there's no chance Urban Meyer is leaving Florida, while Bob Stoops could leave Oklahoma after a disappointing season, but he's been unable to win the "big games" at Oklahoma and that's a must at Notre Dame.

There are a few others out there, including some in the NFL, but Foster would be an interesting guy to watch in South Bend. He would bring a fire to the Irish sidelines that's been missing in past years and maybe even a defensive player or two.

The problem here is the recruiting factor. Foster would be in a completely different situation as far as recruiting goes, because Notre Dame recruits across the country, whereas Virginia Tech is fairly regional.

He would really need to build a good staff around him that's pretty well-rounded, but I think it would work out.

If other jobs open up then you never know, but these are three early jobs that I think Foster should be considered for.

It may sound like I'm lobbying for Foster to leave, but trust me, I'm not. I do think he deserves a chance as a head coach, and hopefully one day it's at Virginia Tech. However, you can't ask someone to wait for an indefinite amount of time, and I think Foster's clock is ticking.

Virginia Tech-Virginia: What to Expect In Charlottesville

Justin Cocchiola — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:26 -0500

When Virginia Tech and Virginia face off on Saturday the two teams will be playing for very little, other than pride of course.

Virginia Tech is trying to solidify a second-tier bowl, such as the Chick-fil-a or Gator Bowl, and Virginia is likely to move in a entirely new direction starting with a new head coach after this game.

Virginia started the season with an embarrassing loss to say the least. William & Mary came into their house and dominated. This isn't excusable, but every team in college football is different at this point in the season compared to the beginning.

That being said, Virginia has lost five straight games with their last win coming against the worst team in the ACC, Maryland.

None of these facts should bode well for the Cavaliers when they have to take on the second-best team in the ACC. Yes, Virginia Tech is the second-best team in the ACC.

The Hokies have once again had an interesting season. It has looked a lot different on paper as far as team statistics go.

Virginia Tech's offense has been their strongest asset at times and the defense has struggled. At the same time, the offense is the reason the Hokies lost to North Carolina and both the offense and defense can be blamed for Tech's other two losses (Alabama, Georgia Tech).

Alabama was a better team than the Hokies and that's why the Crimson Tide were able to come out on top in the fourth quarter. The other two losses Virginia Tech had came in back-to-back weeks and the Hokies seemed to be in a bit of a slump.

Why? I don't know. It always seems to happen with the Hokies. The slump lasted three weeks and they were able to sneak by with a win against East Carolina despite an abysmal offensive performance.

Since the Hokies last loss, they've won three in a row. Two of those wins came against two of the worst teams in the ACC. On Saturday they will finish their streak of weak conference opponents as they take on Virginia.

But this game means a little more than the other two. These are big time rivals and the rivalry has taken a hit over the past few years because of Tech's dominance. Al Groh is 1-7 all-time against Virginia Tech and Frank Beamer is 13-9 against Virginia.

It's fair to say that the two schools, at least fans, alumni and students, don't like each other, but the respect factor is their.

The two have completely different styles. Virginia Tech is typically a hard-nosed, tough football team, whereas Virginia is a bit more soft, but they typically have pretty strong defenses.

Although the Hokies have struggled on defense this year, they still have the 13th best defense in the nation in both total defense and points allowed. Virginia's defense ranks 47th in total defense and 62nd in points allowed.

However, the Cavaliers rank 118th in total offense and 105th in points scored. One word can describe these numbers: pathetic.

However, Hokie fans know the feeling all too well. Virginia Tech's offense was ranked 100th or worse for three straight years, but they've finally been able to break away from that this season.

So, what does all this mean for Saturday's game? On paper, Virginia Tech should blow out their rival, but it's a rivalry game. No matter how bad teams have played all season they will sometimes play their best game against their bitter rival.

I think the game will be close for a couple of quarters, but Ryan Williams will be way too much for the Virginia defense to handle. Tyrod Taylor has also been extremely efficient of late and hasn't thrown a pick in 98 pass attempts.

As long as the Hokies rush defense can limit the damage, everything should go smoothly for the Hokies. I would be surprised if Virginia Tech were to lose this game, because the talent on these two teams isn't even close.

Virginia Tech 38, Virginia 13

Virginia Tech-Virginia: What Hokie Fans Think About the Rivalry

Justin Cocchiola — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:52:42 -0500

Any time the Hokies take on the Hoos, everyone's interest is drawn regardless of each team's record. It pretty much has to be this way because Virginia has been down the last few years.

In fact, Virginia has beaten Virginia Tech only once since 1999. Matt Schaub and company defeated the Hokies in Charlottesville during the 2003 season, and the play that put the Hokies under was the fake field goal (remember, Schaub used to be the holder) bootleg pass to current Pittsburgh Steeler Heath Miller.

The Hoos went on to win 35-21 but have not seen the win column since.

Virginia has had some decent teams since 2003, and back in 2007 the game actually decided who would represent the Coastal Division in the ACC. Tech prevailed and went on to defeat Boston College in the ACC Championship.

However, the last two years the Cavaliers have been playing for pride instead of championships.

Virginia had a chance to make a bowl last season if they beat the Hokies, and they came pretty close. The Hoos completely changed their offense, and Vic Hall, who was an all-state quarterback in high school, was running a spread-option, wildcat-like offense. This caught the Hokies off guard, and Virginia almost came out with a victory.

I doubt we'll see Virginia completely change their offense for this year's game, but it's probably Al Groh's last game, and he's 1-7 all-time against Virginia Tech.

Although Hokie fans fully expect to win this game, many seem to be jaded. The offense has been rolling the last couple of weeks, and the Hokies have given up only one offensive touchdown in their last three games.

However, fans of Virginia Tech often prepare themselves for the worst possible scenario. The thought of losing to Virginia has entered everyone's mind, and it's mainly because of last year's game.

People were shocked when Hall took the majority of the snaps, and shocked that the game was won by only three points. A close call, but the Hokies won.

Last year's game leaves many fans wondering what Virginia could throw at the Hokies in this year's game. Even if Virginia runs the same offense they've been running all season, they've done a good job of putting doubt in Virginia Tech's mind.

Whether the coaches admit to it or not, I don't know, but you would have to think last year's game has put a little bit of doubt in their minds.

It's normal to get a little anxious for a game against your biggest rival because no matter how bad they are, you know they're going to give you their best shot.

This rivalry is still very big around campus, but the football part of it has fallen a bit, mainly because Virginia has been so bad for so many years. I honestly think that's why the two schools decided to make a "Commonwealth Cup Challenge" instead of giving the "Commonwealth Cup" to the winner of the football game.

The two schools are pretty competitive with each other in all of the other sports, such as basketball, soccer, and baseball, but football is the polar opposite.

It's senior day for Virginia, but it's also the last time Virginia Tech seniors will be playing against their biggest rival. This game could be good, or it could be a blowout. Either way, Virginia Tech is the better team, and they should be able to control the pace of the game.

Virginia Tech: Senior Day For Players and Students

Justin Cocchiola — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:23:52 -0500

On Saturday, Virginia Tech will be hosting NC State in Lane Stadium for what will be the last home game played for some of the Hokies top players. Cody Grimm, Kam Chancellor, Sergio Render and Stephan Virgil are among the group, and are looking to make one last memory on Worsham Field come Saturday.

However, it will also be the last time many Virginia Tech students will attend a home game as a student.

After four years of watching the Hokies hit many highs, and fall a bit to low at times, students on campus are looking forward to attending their last home game.

A lot of students have a hard time believing that four years has passed by so quickly. Seniors right now are stressing about jobs upon graduation, wondering where they're going to live in six months, and juggling class with jobs or job interviews.

Saturday just marks the next step into the future, for many students. The end of an era even. When we're looking back on our college days Tech football games will give us a lot of stories to tell.

We could talk about our first game against Northeastern, or our first Thursday night home game–where we destroyed the 10th ranked Clemson Tigers 24-7.

We could talk about September 1, 2007, which may be the most important Tech football game that has ever been played as it moved the community forward after April 16th.

Football games are just one of the many things students will miss after leaving Blacksburg, but nothing brings together an entire community like gameday at Virgina Tech.

I had only been to one game before arriving at Virginia Tech as a freshman, and I remember stepping out of East Ambler Johnston to walk the game, and I was blown away by the amount of people tailgating.

The parking lot next to Lane Stadium literally looked like a giant party, and it always does for a home game, regardless of the opponent.

Senior Day for the football team has never really meant much to me, other than losing some of our top players.

The activities that take place during the pregame really don't mean much to students, but it's fun to see the seniors run out of the tunnel one last time.

Once the final second ticks off the clock on Saturday it will probably be a weird feeling as I walk down the stairs from section 27 for the last time with a student ticket in my possession, but I'm still excited about it

The Hokies have gone 23-3 at home since 2006. Hopefully, the Hokies can win their 24th home game in four years on Saturday, and top off the end of an era for the players and students at Virginia Tech with a victory.

Virginia Tech: Hokie Fans Still Skeptical of the Offense

Justin Cocchiola — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:53:14 -0500

Virginia Tech went into College Park on Saturday and laid down the hammer on the Terp's, but that was expected. Maryland had only two wins this season, and one came to an FCS school (James Madison) in overtime.

But if you're a Hokies fan you have to look at the positives. Tech was a big favorite over East Carolina and scored only one touchdown, and struggled to move the ball through the air.

Saturday against Maryland, Tyrod Taylor had one of his best games through the air and on the ground. Taylor finally didn't hesitate to run the ball out of the pocket and ended up with 80 yards rushing and over 250 passing yards and three scores through the air.

His running ability opens up the pass. Taylor has to continue to do this.

Now the Hokies attention is shifting towards NC State, and many of the Virginia Tech faithful still aren't very confident in their teams' ability. More so, the teams consistency is a major area of concern.

"I just have a feeling, I don't know if it will happen, but I think Tech's going to lose one more time," says one Hokie fan. That comment mirrors that of many other people associated with Virginia Tech football, because, frankly, you never know what you're going to see out on the field.

The Hokies have two more games, one home and one away. If they do lose one of those two games it will be against NC State (4-6) or Virginia (3-7). Tech should dominate both of these schools like they dominated Maryland, and if they do drop one of these games it would be rather embarrassing for the program.

Senior day is this coming Saturday and that alone should provide enough emotion for the Hokies to go out and win one for the seniors taking part in their last home game.

Virginia is their biggest rival, but the two teams are miles apart as far as talent goes. Virginia almost caught the Hokies off guard last year in Blacksburg, when Vic Hall was used as the primary quarterback running a wildcat/spread option offense the entire game.

Now that Jamelle Sewell is back for UVA I doubt we see anything too crazy, but that will be the last game of the season for UVA, and they'll probably approach it as their bowl game. The Cavaliers will be fired up, but the Hokies should be able to distinguish their fire with ease.

Time will tell, but after watching the Tech offense last week I'm a little more optimistic heading into the final weeks of the season.

Virginia Tech Looks To Fly By Terrapins In New Uniforms

Justin Cocchiola — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:18:27 -0500

Virginia Tech has teamed up with Nike to wear the lightest jersey Nike has ever created. The cleats weigh only 10 ounces and Virginia Tech is wearing the new Nike Pro Combat uniforms as they travel to College Park to take on the two-win Terrapins.

Nike has done this with a number of other schools as well. The uniforms display the Virginia Tech slogan "UT Prosim," which mean "That I may serve", and the phrase "Beamerball" on the collar.

The jersey's aren't the worst I've ever seen, but they're not spectacular. The cleats are my personal favorite and many students have been talking about how cool the gloves look.

Virginia Tech is auctioning off the jerseys, which were donated by Nike, after the game to benefit Herma's Readers, which is a non-profit organization that promotes literacy for children in kindergarten through the third grade.

If you would like to place a bid, make sure you have a minimum of $500 on hand.

The jersey's were shown off for the first time on Monday outside of the Squires Student Center on campus, and Virginia Tech football alum Antonio Freeman and Bruce Smith were there for the introduction.

Of course, Frank Beamer was on hand, and Cody Grimm and Tyrod Taylor acted as the models for the event.

Nike also had a number of stands setup around campus selling shirts promoting the new uniforms. It's unknown if the Hokies will use uniforms made out of this particular material in the future, but if they play good on Saturday it would be an excuse to look into doing so.

Also, Maryland will be wearing all black, so it should make for a pretty cool effect at Byrd Stadium. However, if you're not attending the game you probably won't be able to see it as the game is not going to be televised. The game will be on ESPN360.com, so if you have one of those Internet service providers that carry ESPN360 you're set to watch the game.

And of course ESPN360 is available on all college campuses. Don't you remember the Billy Mays commercial?

Virginia Tech Looks to End Losing Streak

Justin Cocchiola — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:37:10 -0500

Virginia Tech isn’t used to losing streaks, unless we’re talking about bowl season, but they find themselves in the middle of one heading into Thursday night’s match-up against East Carolina.

So what do the Hokies have to do to end their losing streak?

Well, if they played better that would certainly help. They were 16.5 point favorites against North Carolina last week, and lost on a last second field goal to the nation’s 114th ranked offense. It truly doesn’t get anymore embarrassing than that.

They need to find an identity on offense. At the beginning of the season they were taking a conservative approach, and now it seems the ball is being thrown 50 yards down the field every other play.

And look at Ryan Williams and his production. Williams only touched the ball eight times in the first half against the Tar Heels last Thursday, and he was averaging five yards per carry.

Then in the second half, North Carolina began pressuring Tech’s offensive line a bit more and the running game was held in check for the rest of the game. The Hokies need to balance out their play calling over the entire span of the game, and they need to make sure they have more runs than passes if they want to win.

Let’s face it Hokie fans. If you haven’t figured it out already, Tyrod Taylor is not a great quarterback. He’s a good athlete that all of the sudden this year refuses to run out of the pocket.

I realize that he wants to prove he’s a good passer, but it’s more important to win games. He gives Virginia Tech the best chance to win by what he can do with his legs not his arm.

The Hokies shouldn’t have trouble with East Carolina, but they will. The defense has been poor, and the offense has been inconsistent. That’s a recipe for a pretty bad cake that nobody wants to eat.

When will the Hokies wake up? I have no idea. I thought it would be last week, but I was wrong. I mean a team that only puts up three points on Virginia scored 20-points on Virginia Tech. Humiliating.

The Hokies need to find answers, and they need to find those answers within their own coaching staff, and most importantly the players themselves need to start putting something together on the field.

I’m guessing this game is going to be pretty close, but I guess I’ll pick Virginia Tech to win. My confidence is contagious, is it not?

Virginia Tech wins a nail biter for the Hokie fans that still have interest in the season.

Hokies 21, Pirates 20

Virginia Tech Fans Losing Interest In the Season

Justin Cocchiola — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:31:38 -0500

"Another season lost." That's what every Virginia Tech football fan has been saying since the Hokies went down to the 16.5-point underdog that was North Carolina last Thursday night.

After an embarrassing effort in every facet of the game, the Hokies lost their second consecutive game. So, how are fans and students feeling about it.

Well, they're over it. So much so that if you were a visitor to the Virginia Tech campus this week you would have no idea there was a football game this Thursday night.

Granted, the game is being played at East Carolina, but in years past that hasn't mattered.

Students are more excited about their flag football games than watching the Hokies play football. Can you blame them? I can't.

Virginia Tech has played flat in their last two weeks and honestly have looked like they haven't cared about whether they win or lose at certain times throughout those two games.

Frank Beamer continues to preach at his press conferences that the team is practicing hard, and they're ready. So why aren't they winning?

If I study hard for a test, and don't perform well, guess what, I didn't study very good. It's one thing to practice, and it's another thing to prepare for your opponent. One of those two things has not been done the last two weeks, and it's showing.

As far as students go, they're overwhelmed with their second and third exams in their respective classes. For many, this is the last exam before finals, which are just over a month away, so their attention is elsewhere.

If the Hokies still had only one or two losses their may be a little more excitement around Virginia Tech's campus, but for right now no one cares whether the football team wins or loses. What's the difference between the Chick-fil-a Bowl and the Music City Bowl.

Students and fans aren't concerned with payouts. They want national championships, games that mean something. Hokie fans are tired of being disappointed year after year, and an appearance in a non-BCS bowl isn't going to help matters.

Another year lost for Hokie fans, but lets hope the football team has a different attitude heading into Thursday nights game against East Carolina, or it will be three straight losses, and their second straight loss to the Pirates.

Virginia Tech Punter Brent Bowden Kicks Off College Football's Greatest Entrance

Justin Cocchiola — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:22:59 -0400

Everyone that watches college football, or sports in general, knows how great the Virginia Tech entrance onto Worsham Field is. It's arguably college football's greatest entrance.

On Thursday night against North Carolina, "Enter Sandman" will be blasting through the stands in Lane Stadium—but something will be different.

What, you ask? Brent Bowden, the Virginia Tech punter, will be performing the song. Not live, but Bowden pre-recorded his version of "Enter Sandman" and a video to go along with it, which will be played as the Hokies get ready to take the field against the Tar Heels.

Bowden, known as Sunshine by many Virginia Tech fans because of his long, flowing blonde hair, is apparently an avid guitar player. He's always wanted to perform the entrance and now he has his chance with the nation watching.

As word spreads around campus, students seem to be looking forward to it. "Enter Sandman" is played at many stadiums across the sporting world, but nobody reacts to the intensity of the song like Hokie fans.

A new twist, at least for one night, should be a lot of fun, and after classes—or should I say a long day of tailgating for many students—the reaction from fans will likely be strong.

It's unknown how far Bowden's version strays from Metallica's, but my guess is it will have Lane Stadium jumping come Thursday.

Hopefully Bowden can continue his strong senior season as his "Enter Sandman" will be on display for all to see.

Virginia Tech-UNC: Hokie Fans Ready For Thursday Night

Justin Cocchiola — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:58:09 -0400

Regardless of how Virginia Tech has played during the regular season, one thing is always guaranteed for a Thursday night game. Lane Stadium will be electric.

The Hokies have had an up-and-down season to say the least, but after a bye week, which followed a loss, Hokie fans are ready for some football.

Virginia Tech dominates on Thursday night games, and the only team that seems to give them trouble on this particular day of the week is Boston College who will not be in attendance.

Instead, North Carolina will be playing their second Thursday night game this season, and the second Thursday night game in school history.

Nothing can prepare a team with the atmosphere Hokie fans provide on Thursday nights. Lets take a look at the last three Thursday night games in Blacksburg.

In 2006, Virginia Tech went from the 10th ranked team in the country to unranked after a couple of losses. Clemson came into town with the No. 10 placed to the left of their name, then the Tigers left with their tails between their legs.

The Hokies won 24-7, and held the "Thunder and Lightning" tandem (James Davis and C.J. Spiller) to 12 yards rushing. Where's there's lightning, thunder is near but neither were in attendance on that night.

In 2007, the eighth-ranked Hokies were taking on the second-ranked Boston College Eagles, and after shutting out the Eagles for the first 57 minutes and 49 seconds I guess you could say lightning struck and thunder followed (and it wasn't from Hokie fans).

Instead it was from the Boston College sideline as the Eagles scored 14 points in the last 2:11 of the game to stun the Hokies on Thursday night.

Students were literally piling up at the bottom of their respective sections, ready to pounce the field, but were instead left with one of the worst losses in Virginia Tech history. Not to mention a long, cold, wet walk home.

Lane Stadium went from the loudest it had ever been, with people jumping to "Enter Sandman" as it was played before Boston College's first scoring drive, to the most deafening silence one could imagine with 66,000-plus people at any one place on earth.

Then last year the Hokies hosted Maryland and Darren Evans ran over the Terps, breaking the school record for rushing yards in a game while he did it.

So the Hokies are 2-1 the last three years on Thursday night in Blacksburg, and could easily be undefeated in that span, but I'm not about to play the "What-If" game.

North Carolina is coming off a tough loss after blowing a large lead to Florida State in Chapel Hill, and Thursday night won't be any easier for the Tar Heels.

Playing in Blacksburg is tough enough, but under Thursday night lights it's close to impossible to beat the Hokies on Worsham Field. That is, except when lightning strikes.

Will the Tar Heels be able to muster any thunder come Thursday? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Hokie Fans Playing the "What-If" Game After Clemson Defeats Miami

Justin Cocchiola — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:32:49 -0400

Leaving your fate in the hands of another team never works out like you want it to. Virginia Tech finds itself in that boat once again after Clemson upset Miami on Saturday.

This means if Georgia Tech beats Duke and Wake Forest—their only two remaining conference opponents—they will be the Coastal Division's representative in the ACC championship game.

This leaves many Virginia Tech fans feeling the same as past years. The Hokies came into 2009 with high expectations, and they failed to come through on them.

It's not that fans and students aren't looking forward to the remaining games on the schedule, but it's difficult to be all that excited—especially when you look at Georgia Tech's remaining games.

Wake Forest lost to Navy this past weekend, and the Midshipmen didn't put the ball in the air a single time. How will Wake fair against Navy's big brother?

Probably not all that well.

However, Hokie fans are remaining optimistic about Duke.

See where I'm going here?

Every Virginia Tech fan is playing the "what-if" game. Well, I have a message for the Hokie Nation: It's pointless.

College football this season has been unpredictable, and every team has shown they can go down on any given day—it just depends if you get the right breaks.

So, for Hokie fans, just try to enjoy the remainder of the college football season and leave the "what-if" scenarios alone. Honestly, they're only going to frustrate you further when they don't come true.

Mid-Terms Are Here: How Is Virginia Tech Doing?

Justin Cocchiola — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:55:14 -0400

After a rough start to the opening of the season in Atlanta, the Hokies ran into another rough patch in the same city.

Overall, the Hokies have looked very good this year, and their offense has been a pleasant surprise for many. However, their defense has a lot of room for improvement. (Wait, is that right?) Tech should just avoid scheduling games in and around the Atlanta area for the foreseeable future.

Here's the Hokies' Mid-Term report card:

Offense: B+

Compared to other seasons, the Hokies should have an A in this category. But overall this season they have had a lot of good moments and some bad.

Offensively, Tech looked like the same team we have seen the past three seasons after their opening game against Alabama. The time of possession was dominated by Alabama (37-plus minutes) and Ryan Williams was the only bright spot for the offense.

The Hokies responded nicely the following week against Marshall, but then reverted to old form, until the final drive, against Nebraska. Since that point, Tech's offense has been formidable and, for once, they weren't the main reason for the team's defeat against Georgia Tech.

Defense: C

Virginia Tech's defense has been average at best, and inconsistent throughout much of the season. Rushing defense has been their biggest weakness, as exposed by Georgia Tech, who ran for over 300 yards on the Hokies.

Though the defense is very young in the middle, there's no reason for your starters to be missing tackles and allowing so many big plays through the air. Maybe it looks worse than it actually is because of past years' success, but the Hokies have a lot of work to do on the defensive side of the ball.

Excluding this past weekend, when was the last time a Virginia Tech defense was solely responsible for the team's loss?

Special Teams: A

Should this section be titled "Special Teams" or "Dyrell Roberts?" Either way, the Hokies' special teams has once again been one of their strongest qualities.

Roberts is a beast on kickoffs, true freshman Jayron Hosley has been very good on punt returns, and the Hokies have done a pretty good job of defending and blocking punts and kicks of the opposing squad.

Coaching: B-

Bryan Stinespring, Virginia Tech's offensive coordinator, has been very impressive in his play calling so far this season, and maybe that can be attributed to more experience on offense.

Bud Foster has had a difficult time adjusting to younger linebackers. I've never seen Foster struggle the way he did against Paul Johson and Georgia Tech this past weekend. Every time Foster made a change, Johnson countered and took the Hokies' best playmaker in the secondary, Kam Chancellor, out of the game. Foster and the Hokies were dumbfounded.

Frank Beamer has done a good job of managing the roster as a whole, but I've been a little disappointed in how certain players (David Wilson, Logan Thomas, Greg Boone) have been utilized.

Thomas was one of the top athletes in the nation coming out of high school, but the coaching staff decided he's going to be a quarterback down the line. That's fine, but I was a little disappointed not to see him on the field as a receiver.

Wilson has hardly been used at all outside of the Marshall game, but it seems he's starting to find himself in a few more formations each week. It's still not too late for Wilson to bust out. It's only the mid-way point.

Boone has basically been non-existent this year. He was injured against Alabama, causing him to miss a couple of games. On the field the last couple of weeks, Boone looks like he's just another blocker.

Expectations: D

A D never looks good, but the Hokies have once again underachieved.

They were expected to compete for a national title, and did so through six games. That ended in their seventh game, against Georgia Tech, when the Hokies' national title aspirations fell to the wayside and their chances at a third consecutive ACC Championship took a hit.

The ACC Championship is still within reach, or else the Hokies would have received an F in this category. If they end up getting to the ACC Championship game they will likely win because they'll be playing a team from the ACC's Atlantic Division. This also goes for Georgia Tech, Miami and even Virginia because that's how big of a joke the Atlantic has been.

It's tough to say that three straight ACC Titles and Orange Bowl appearances would be disappointing. But when you're not competing for national championships, it's disappointing.

Overall: C+

The Hokies have improved in key areas (quarterback, running back, wide receiver, special teams), but they've regressed on defense. Virginia Tech is through the toughest part of their schedule, with a couple of scars to show for it.

If the Hokies run the table, it's not guaranteed they make the ACC Championship game. Right now, the Hokies need to focus on what's in front of them and worry about the technicalities when they come. If they come.

Virginia Tech-Georgia Tech: Hokies Look to Dominate Yellow Jackets

Justin Cocchiola — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:33:41 -0400

The Virginia Tech Hokies will go into Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech ranked as the fourth-best team in the nation and the best team in the ACC. The Hokies are far and away the best team in the ACC, but as we know, any team can beat the other on any given day.

Therefore, the Hokies will not be taking the Yellow Jackets lightly.

However, the Hokies have an advantage in almost every category and even last year’s game can help Virginia Tech.

The Hokies beat Georgia Tech 20-17 in Blacksburg last year, but that was with an ineffective offense: no Ryan Williams and Tyrod Taylor throwing for only 48 yards.

Three of Georgia Tech’s defensive lineman from that game have graduated to the NFL, and the Yellow Jackets have injuries all over their defense right now, most notably in the secondary. All of this has caused major problems for the Georgia Tech defense.

Coming into to this week’s game against Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech ranks 82nd nationally in total defense, allowing 385 yards per game, while the Yellow Jackets rank 77th in the nation and allowing 26.5 points per game.

Of the 385 yards per game the Yellow Jackets are allowing, 135 are coming on the ground, and when you have the nation’s fifth-leading rusher coming to town and an offense that’s averaging over 200 yards on the ground per game, good things can’t be on the horizon.

The Hokies are also averaging 34 points per game so far this season, and they haven’t exactly been playing cupcake opponents.

Georgia Tech gave up over 500 yards of total offense to Florida State this past weekend, but won the game, 49-44.

The main difference between Florida State and Virginia Tech is defense. The Hokies' defense hasn’t been as good as past seasons, as it ranks 54th nationally, but is coming off a dominating performance against Boston College.

The Eagles didn’t get above zero total yards in the first half against the Hokies and only managed to move the ball in the second half against Virginia Tech’s second and third defensive squads.

By the way, Boston College beat Florida State by seven points the week prior to playing Virginia Tech.

Frank Beamer said Tuesday in the Hokies’ weekly press conference that they work on defending the option every day in practice.

Freshman Antone Exum, who is being redshirted this season and ran a spread-like offense in high school, plays quarterback for the scout team and is acting as Josh Nesbitt in practice.

Beamer knows that this game is incredibly important for his team, and stopping Nesbitt will be key to the Hokies' success.

Here are the three keys to the game for the Hokies as they travel to Atlanta to take on the Yellow Jackets, with Georgia Tech featured columnist Zach Osterman weighing in (also be sure to check out his take on the game )as well:

1. No Big (Passing) Plays

I put passing in parentheses for a very simple reason: Teams can get carried away in trying to stop the spread option rushing attack of Georgia Tech and get hurt through the air on a big play.

Nesbitt has thrown the ball much better in his last two weeks of play, passing for 397 yards and two touchdowns combined against Mississippi State and Florida State.

Obviously, the primary concern for the Hokies' defense will be stopping the run, but the defense’s main problem so far this year has been giving up the big play.

They did it against Alabama, Nebraska, and Duke, and if they give up big plays through the air, that may open up bigger holes on the ground for Georgia Tech.

Zach:

I would agree with part of the premise of this argument. The Jackets are an offense that loves big plays —one reason they have the conference's best offense. But the fallacy, I think, behind stopping the option is the idea that it's just a rushing offense. The only difference between the spread option Tech runs and the spread option that say, Texas runs, is that most of the action happens beyond the line of scrimmage for Texas, whereas in Tech's offense, it's behind it. That fact alone makes the option a rushing offense, yes, but at its base, the spread option is just an incredibly innovative way of getting the ball into the hands of playmakers, then setting them up to make plays. So I would say that Virginia Tech moreso just needs to limit big plays in general, whether they be through the air or on the ground.

2. Keep the Offense on the Field

The Virginia Tech offense has only struggled in two games so far this year. One time was against Alabama, the Hokies' only loss, and the offense couldn’t stay on the field for longer than three plays at a time for much of the game.

Alabama’s offense was on the field for 37 minutes, which resulted in an exhausted Virginia Tech defense giving up 18 points in the fourth quarter.

Against Nebraska, well, neither team could move the ball offensively until the Hokies went 84 yards on four plays at the end of the game to stun the Cornhuskers, 17-16.

Tech’s offense has transformed since these two games, but it can’t afford to revert back to its old form. If it does, then Georgia Tech’s offense may be able to wear down the Hokies' defense to the point that big plays will be inevitable.

I’m not expecting this to happen, but it’s something the Hokies will have to avoid on Saturday.

Zach:

This one's the truth, although Tech's defense might start getting used to the extra work anyway —against Florida State, Tech had three touchdown drives of two or less plays. That's not a lot of time for the defense to rest. That said, the Jackets' weakness is their defense, and maximizing your chances to exploit your opponents' weakness makes tons of sense. Plus, the more time your defense has on the sidelines, the more time Bud Foster has to make adjustments.

3. A Steady Diet of “Ru-Ru”

For those that don’t know, "Ru-Ru" is Ryan Williams. I believe it’s a self-inflicted nickname, but don’t hold me to that.

Anyway, Williams is 12 yards away from being the nation’s leading rusher and is tied for fourth in the nation with the most touchdowns (nine). If he had played more against Boston College, Williams, a freshman, would likely be the nation’s leading rusher.

Since the Yellow Jackets' defense is giving up 135 yards per game and the Hokies are averaging over 200 yards per game on the ground, I’m expecting Virginia Tech to dominate on the ground.

This may be a very fast-paced game because of all the rushing we may see, but we may also see Williams emerge as a front-runner for the Heisman trophy if he has another performance of 150-plus yards on the ground with a couple scores.

However, that’s not his main focus, which is refreshing to hear. Williams is the ACC’s best player and he will prove that again on Saturday.

Zach:

I'll agree with this one mostly on the premise that I still don't really trust Tyrod Taylor to win me games if I'm a Virginia Tech fan. The Hokies have always run the ball well, and Georgia Tech doesn't even have a top 50 run defense. Were I calling the plays, I'd mix in some option looks —it's strange, but quarterback read options have just killed Tech in the last two weeks, odd from a unit that sees the triple option every week in practice. Go figure.

Look for Virginia Tech’s offense to jump on this maligned Georgia Tech defense early. If Taylor and Williams can get the ball rolling for the Hokies, then they will once again have the ACC on lockdown for the third consecutive year.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 45, Georgia Tech 17.

Virginia Tech Football: Fire Stinespring Chants Are Gone with the Wins

Justin Cocchiola — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:25:04 -0400

The last couple of seasons, Virginia Tech's stands would be full of students, fans, and alumni screaming at the top of their lungs, "Fire Stinespring," referring to the team's offensive coordinator, Bryan Stinespring.

Were they warranted? Well, an offense that ranks out of the top 100 for three years in a row isn't something to brag about when you're supposed to be one of the ACC's best teams.

However, 2009 has been a different story. Fans, students, and alumni aren't exactly yelling, "We love Stinespring," in the stands, but they're very happy with the offense they're seeing on the field so far.

It wasn't until Tyrod Taylor's 81-yard pass to Danny Coale against Nebraska—that would later set up an 11-yard touchdown pass to Dyrell Roberts that would put the Hokies up 17-16—that Hokie Nation could breathe a sigh of relief.

Just think. If that play didn't happen, Viriginia Tech would have at least two losses, no National Champoinship hopes, with, potentially, the costal division and ACC Title still in their sights.

But Hokie fans are becoming spoiled. When you win three out of five conference championships in your first five years in the conference, including back-to-back conference championships, it's hard to get excited for the same bowl each year.

This year has been different for Hokie fans, though.

Stinespring seemed to leave a dark cloud over Blacksburg for the last couple of years and it left everyone related to Virginia Tech football angry, complaining about Stinespring, and blaming head coach Frank Beamer for keeping him around.

One thing Stinespring has always been good at is recruiting. You can credit Stinespring for bringing in some of the best players Virginia Tech has had in the last few years, but when people saw what was happening on the field, no one cared.

Now, Stinespring has an experienced quarterback in Taylor—who's, wait for it, the nation's 10th-leading quarterback in pass efficiency (if I had predicted that at the beginning of the season, or anyone else for that matter, you would have thought that I had lost my mind)—a running back who's the nation's fifth-leading rusher—and he's a freshman—and a wide receiver whose hands are bigger than XXXL (Jarrett Boykin) to go up and make great catches in clutch time.

You add an impressive showing to the special teams, and Virginia Tech is finally a team that can put up points—34 points per game that is.

If anyone came into this season saying the Hokies offense would look better, play better, and mean more to the overall success of the team than the Hokies defense, you wouldn't have believed that person.

The fact of the matter is that the offense has outplayed the defense for Virginia Tech this season. Quite a change for a team's offense that has been abysmal for three straight years.

A reporter asked Taylor in Tuesday's weekly press conference about him being the No. 1 guy and not having to look over his shoulder. Taylor said it has felt no different to him this year, but he did say that he knows that he's the leader of this offense, which is the biggest difference from last year.

Something else that favors Stinespring from last year to this one: Leadership was something that seemed to be lacking the last couple of season's and now that Stinespring has his guy under center, things have been going differently for the Hokies.

If the Hokies keep winning, and they have a decent challenge this week in Atlanta, then everything should fall into place. And believe it or not Hokie fans, Stinespring will be near the top of the list of people to thank if the Hokies finish the rest of the season undefeated.

Virginia Tech's Ryan Williams for Heisman

Justin Cocchiola — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 18:47:19 -0400

Virginia Tech fans can't stop talking about Ryan Williams for Heisman. The freshman running back has taken the ACC by storm, and after Saturday's performance against Boston College he's made everyone in the Hokie Nation a believer.

"He's the greatest running back I've ever seen," said a fan in the East Stands of Lane Stadium during Saturday's game. Williams ran for 159 yards on 18 carries and a score, which now makes him the nation's fifth-leading rusher, and he's tied for fourth in touchdowns.

After Williams made three Eagles defenders miss on his way to the one-yard line, the student section was electric. Many students were doing Heisman poses in the stands every time Williams finished a run.

And when he scores, there's always an extra burst in the cheers from the fans in the stands. Hokie fans can not get enough of their new star.

The most impressive part about yesterday is that Williams was in for only one drive in the third quarter, and split a lot of carries in the first half because the Hokies were moving the ball so effectively.

"He's better than Kevin Jones," shouted another fan after Williams bounced off a group of tacklers, much like Adrian Peterson does, and reversed his route to break a 20-plus yard run.

Whatever adjective you want to use to describe Williams (breathtaking, stunning, powerful, elusive) one thing's for sure. If he keeps this pace up, the Heisman Trophy may actually be possible.

Before Saturday's game, Williams responded to a question about his Heisman candidacy in Virginia Tech's weekly press conference. “Yeah, there has been talk, but I don’t really pay any attention to it,” Williams said.

That's exact response you would want to hear from one of your players. Williams is beginning to receive some attention, and a sports writer gave him a Heisman vote last week after the Duke game.

A freshman has never won the Heisman, but then again you rarely see a freshman like Ryan Williams.

What's The Big Deal About Homecoming?

Justin Cocchiola — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:55:59 -0400

Typically homecoming games are played against a "cupcake" opponent or a team that finds themselves at the bottom of their conference year in and year out.

This is not the case for the Hokies come Saturday. Boston College is coming to town, and the Eagles find themselves at the top of the Atlantic Division in the ACC.

So, technically it's a battle of number one's on Virginia Tech's homecoming. However, I'm not sure how many people are more excited for the game or more excited for the homecoming activities.

Campus, in-particular the drill field, has been swamped with fraternities and sororities passing out fliers, playing music, dancing, and playing games trying to get people to vote for someone they're sponsoring.

I personally don't see the big deal about homecoming from a current student's perspective. I honestly think it's a bigger deal in high school because you know the people you're voting for. You wouldn't vote in an election for someone you don't know, right? Well, maybe you would.

I have always chosen not to vote because I don't honestly care. If someone could tell me why homecoming is so important to some organizations on campus maybe I would be able to understand it better.

I've talked to some of my friends who are in fraternities and they said homecoming is a way to draw attention to your organization and it helps in the recruiting process. Fair enough, but homecoming is done after the rush period to join these organizations.

And here's my last point about homecoming and the activities surrounding it. Virginia Tech scheduled Fall Break for this weekend. Why, I don't know, when you have away games scheduled for the week prior and the week after this game.

So if homecoming was truly important I don't think Virginia Tech would schedule a day off for the university.

Homecoming to me is more for the alumni than it is for current students. Typically it's a game that's easy to get tickets to, and it's an excuse for old friends to meet up, tailgate, and pretend like they're in college again for a weekend.

Sounds like a whole lot of fun.

If you're in college you have your own weekly traditions, and once I graduate next May I might actually look forward to homecoming in years to come. But for right now the daily activities and begging for votes has become quite annoying.

The 1999 Virginia Tech football team is supposed to be at the game against Boston College on Saturday, and I believe they're going to be honored at half time.

Not every member of the team will be in attendance, but it should be a fun scene to see the only Virginia Tech squad to reach a national championship back on campus.

Maybe that's a sign for the 2009 Virginia Tech football team. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Virginia Tech-Boston College: Hokies Look to Pass Eagles' Perennial Roadblock

Justin Cocchiola — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:27:41 -0400

Virginia Tech and Boston College has become one of the best rivalries in college football over the past couple of years. Why? Matt Ryan's comeback has something to do with it, but then the Hokies beat the Ealges in back-to-back ACC Championships.

Here's a stat that you may not be aware of. Virginia Tech has lost to Boston College in their last three regular season games matchups.

In 2006, the Hokies traveled to Chestnut Hill and a walk-on kicker, Steve Aponavicius, outscored Virginia Tech by himself. Boston College won 22-3.

There was no ACC Championship appearance by either team that year.

On October 25, 2007 the second ranked Eagles came into Blacksburg to take on the eighth ranked Hokies. Virginia Tech was up 10-0 with 2:11 left, and then the unthinkable happened. Not only was it a Thursday night game in Blacksburg, where the Hokies had only lost one time before, but one of the best defenses in the nation couldn't stop Ryan and the Boston College offense in the last two minutes.

After an onside kick slipped through the hands of Virginia Tech wide receiver Josh Morgan, Boston College recovered, and then scored a second touchdown in a two-minute time span to stun the Hokies 14-10.

The two teams would meet later that season in Jacksonville and the Hokies would dominate the Eagles winning 30-16 for the ACC Title.

Last year, a very different Boston College team would face Virginia Tech, but an inept Hokie offense would prevent the Hokies from beating the Eagles in the regular season for the third consecutive year.

The Virginia Tech defense forced five turnovers in the game, and scored a defensive touchdown. However, an abysmal offense was too much for the Hokies to overcome and Boston College beat Virginia Tech 28-23 in Chestnut Hill.

These two teams would once again meet in the ACC Championship where Virginia Tech defeated the 18th ranked Eagles 30-12.

So, what are the Hokies going to do this year. Unlike year's past, this Virginia Tech team actually has a good offense. The offense isn't great, but it seems to have that potential.

Tyrod Taylor is coming off his first career 300-yard passing game, and he's thrown only one interception this season compared to six touchdowns.

Ryan Williams has been by far the best running back in the ACC, and ranks near the top of the best backs in the nation.

Boston College is suiting up a 25-year old freshman in Dave Shinskie, who's coming off one of his best performances of his season against Florida State throwing for over 200 yards and two touchdowns.

Both of these teams have a chance to meet up for a third consecutive year in the ACC Championship. The Coastal Division is by far the best in the ACC and the Atlantic will likely stay up for grabs until the end of the season.

If Virginia Tech wins this week and then beats Georgia Tech on the road next week they may have locked up the Coastal Division by mid-October. The one difference is, Virginia Tech finds themselves in the mix for the national championship.

Virginia Tech's offense the last three year's has failed to reach the top 100 in college football. A pretty embarrassing statistic. Right now, the Hokies rank 55th in the nation in total offense, which is a huge improvement from last season.

Once again, Virginia Tech is the better team, but Boston College has never been afraid to take on the Hokies. If this is the Hokies year to go to a national championship they will have to overcome a perennial road block in Boston College.

The Hokies are set to take on Boston College at noon this Saturday in Blacksburg, Va. The game will be televised regionally on Raycom.

Virginia Tech Hokies Show Support For Boston College's Mark Herzlich

Justin Cocchiola — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:05:06 -0400

Virginia Tech has done a lot to keep the image of the football program and the university as one of the best in the nation.

They continue to do so by raising funds for the nonprofit organization Uplifting Athletes in honor of Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich. The organization is made up of college football players that use their popular status to raise funds for people who suffer from rare diseases.

Herzlich was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a disease typically found in young adults, on May 12, 2009. Ewing's Sarcoma is a malignant tumor that causes cancerous cells to form in bone and tissue.

The cancer typically forms in the pelvis, femur, humerus, or ribs. Herzlich's cancer is affecting his left leg.

The reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Herzlich chose to stay for his senior season at Boston College. Before his cancer was diagnosed, the Boston College program had undergone a lot of turmoil, but nothing could have prepared the program for the news about the linebacker.

Herzlich could have been a top-10 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, but instead of battling opponents on the gridiron, he had to take on the biggest challenge of his life—cancer.

After months of treatment, including chemotherapy, Herzlich announced on ESPN's "College GameDay" that his doctor called Herzlich's father and told him that he's 99 percent sure the cancer has been defeated.

Herzlich broke the news to the "GameDay" crowd and they responded with an emotional cheer of joy. He still has some more chemotherapy to complete as well as a surgery to repair the damage that the cancer left in his leg.

Despite chemotherapy treatment, Herzlich continued to workout and kept up his weight, unbelievable in-and-of-itself. He is determined to get back on the football field and I wouldn't be surprised to see him suiting up within the next year or two.

The original goal Virginia Tech set for the Uplifting Athletes fund was $5,094. But the generous fans of Hokie Nation exceeded that goal in the first weekend. Frank Beamer announced last week that a new goal had been set for $9,400, in honor of Herzlich's No. 94.

The Hokies should have no problem reaching this goal by Saturday when they will present the check to Herzlich before his Boston College Eagles take on the Hokies at Lane Stadium in a critical ACC matchup.

Regardless of who wins the game, sportsmanship and respect will prevail on Saturday when these two rivals come together as one before they take the field, honoring one of the best players the ACC has to offer.

Hokies Respect will be taken to another level on Saturday, and I'm sure Herzlich will be truly grateful for what the Hokie Nation will present to him.

If you're going to be in Blacksburg for the game, they are selling the wristbands at all of the local bookstores. The Virginia Tech scout team will also be walking around selling the wristbands prior to kickoff.

Conference Play Heats Up in Week Five

Justin Cocchiola — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:04:19 -0400

The ACC has had an up and down season thus far. Virginia Tech is again the class of the conference, Miami still has to prove that the "U is back", and NC State looks to continue their winning streak after an opening day loss.

Here are my predictions for week five in the ACC:

Virginia Tech 52, Duke 3

One name, Ryan Williams. Williams will run wild against the Blue Devils, and by the time Duke looks up it will be 21-0. This game will not go like last year's 14-3 performance by the Hokies, and it will likely be decided by halftime.

Clemson 31, Maryland 10

The Tigers are still a hard team to figure out, and C.J. Spiller has had a fairly disappointing season thus far. Kyle Parker is playing pretty well, but Dabo Swinney continues to use a two-quarterback system. Clemson won't struggle with Maryland, but they still have a few question marks heading into the rest of the season.

North Carolina 20, Virginia 6

This game is going to be painful to watch. North Carolina has a good defense, but offensively, when challenged, they have consistently failed this season. Everyone keeps trying to give Virginia a win this year, but unless they beat Duke or Maryland the Wahoo's may go winless. So far, both of these teams have been very disappointing.

Florida State 31, Boston College 20

I guess Florida State will win if they decide they want to play on Saturday. This team has been so inconsistent this season it's been embarrassing. They seem undisciplined, they lack focus and it shows when they struggle with Jacksonville State and go down to South Florida.

Boston College is honoring now cancer-free linebacker Mark Herzlich before the game, so look for a motivated Boston College team to stay motivated and maybe surprise the Seminoles and gain some momentum heading into Blacksburg next week.

NC State 35, Wake Forest 24

Both teams have decent defenses, but only one team has Russell Wilson. I love Riley Skinner, but Wilson continues to amaze. The Sophomore has thrown only one interception in his career, set the NCAA record for most pass attempts without throwing a pick, and has thrown 12 touchdowns already this season.

This will be the Wolfpacks' first conference game of the year, and they don't have an overwhelmingly difficult schedule before playing the Hokies in Blacksburg, which could also be an ACC Championship game matchup in early December.

Georgia Tech 31, Mississippi State 17

I hope for the sake of the ACC Georgia Tech decides to show up for this one. After getting pounced by Miami the Yellow Jackets stung the Tar Heels, but North Carolina seems like they were a little overrated entering the year.

The Yellow Jackets will want to win their next two games, they play Florida State next week, so they can host the likely undefeated Hokies in Atlanta in two weeks with only one conference loss. That game will probably decide the Coastal Division winner, if the Yellow Jackets can play more consistently.

Oklahoma 45, Miami 34

I'm not expecting a whole lot of defense in this one, as both teams have very good offenses and weaker defenses. If Miami came out and won this game it would be huge for the conference, and bring a lot of respect to the ACC, I just don't see it happening.

Randy Shannon will have to do a great job of motivating his team after a lackluster performance last week in Blacksburg.

The Hokies Look To Run Wild on Blue Devils

Justin Cocchiola — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:40:03 -0400

Virginia Tech came into the Duke game last year with one of the worst offenses in college football. The Hokies still have plenty of room for improvement but have shown huge strides in the last couple of weeks on both sides of the ball.

It all begins with Ryan Williams. There was a great article on Ryan Williams in the Roanoke Times this week talking about his road to college football, and how he dominated in high school.

Williams has a chance to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, running backs in Virginia Tech history, and that's saying a lot when you talk about the "Running Back U."

If the coaching staff sticks with Williams this week for more than the first half, then I'm expecting the freshman, who's the nation's fifth leading rusher and tied for the most rushing touchdowns in the nation, to have well over 200 yards on the ground against Duke.

The Blue Devils have a decent front seven, but it's not as good as Miami, Nebraska, or Alabama's. Williams had over 100 yards on the ground against the Hurricanes and the Cornhuskers, and he only received 13 carries against the Crimson Tide but still managed 72 yards on the ground against one of the nation's top rush defenses in first collegiate start.

David Wilson and Josh Oglesby will likely get some action as well. Tyrod Taylor only threw the ball nine times in the Hokies win against Miami last week and I'm not expecting a lot of passes to enter the air this week.

Tech simply won't need to throw the ball. If they do, Tech will strike the air early, but then switch to the ground-and-pound attack that seems to work so well for them.

Taylor has been playing much better this year, already doubling his passing touchdown total from last year with four. More importantly he's not turning the ball over. Taylor has only one interception on the year, and the Hokies have four turnovers as a team.

When you think about who they've played this year that's pretty impressive, and ironically enough Taylor threw his lone interception against Marshall. Last year, Tech turned the ball over five times against the Blue Devils, and if Duke had any offense at all in the game they likely would have pulled the upset in Blacksburg.

I'm not expecting a similar performance this year, as Duke is struggling with tough opponents and the Hokies have already beaten two top 20 teams. If this game is close late in the first half, I will be shocked.

Look for Tech to have well over 300 yards on the ground in this one, and also keep an eye on the single game rushing record, which stands at 253 yards set by Darren Evans last year. Williams is definitely capable of putting up this figure.

The Hokies will rout the Blue Devils in Durham.

Virginia Tech 52, Duke 3

Hokie Fans Laughing at Disrespect

Justin Cocchiola — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:48:56 -0400

As Virginia Tech continues to win games after their opening day loss to Alabama, the media continues to ignore that the Hokies may actually have a formidable team.

If I remember correctly, Miami came into Blacksburg last Saturday and left with a 24-point loss, their first of the season.

However, Miami has received more publicity about the loss than Virgina Tech has for the win. If Miami was "back" then where does that leave Virginia Tech? Are the Hokies just the favorite in the ACC again, or that team that some people have ranked behind USC in their personal AP poll?

Well, I and the rest of the Hokie Nation have the answer. Virginia Tech is the best one loss team out there. Yes, Oklahoma lost Sam Bradford before losing to BYU but the last time I checked teams are ranked in the polls, not players.

Matt Barkley didn't start for the Trojans when they lost to, yes, WASHINGTON. You can only carry a team but so far, and if we're going to play the injury card let's take a look at the Hokies.

If you forgot, Virginia Tech lost their starting running back in summer practice and inserted a freshman running back, Ryan Williams, who, luckily for the Hokies, has taken the ACC by storm and is about to be on everyone's radar for the Heisman. Yeah, I just said that.

Virginia Tech lost to now third ranked Alabama, and they led three quarters of the game. Both teams had huge questions coming into that September 5th matchup, and there's no doubt in my mind both teams are better now at this point in the season.

The fact of the matter is, no matter what Virginia Tech does they will get looked over in the media because their program doesn't have the luster of some of the other top programs (USC, Ohio State, Oklahoma) that are ranked in or near the top 10.

Last time I checked, what you did last season, or the year before, or 30 years ago doesn't matter. Someone needs to tell this to member's of the media that have other one loss teams in front of Virginia Tech.

Overall, the majority of the media got it right, because the Hokies are the highest ranked one loss team, but I still have to put forth this theoretical question.

How do you rank Miami, who was unranked at the start of the season and was ranked ninth after two win's over ACC opponents, and give them so much hype, but then say Virgnia Tech isn't a legitimate national title threat after they beat "The U", which was apparently "back", by 24 points?

I and the rest of the Hokie Nation will continue to ponder this question, but until the Hokies lose again, which doesn't appear imminent, we'll continue to watch our team win games and continue to be ignored until someone looks up and figure's out the Hokies are one of the best teams in the nation, and, no, they're not in the SEC or Big 12.

Virginia Tech-Miami: The Hokies Will Beat the Hurricanes If...

Justin Cocchiola — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:17:20 -0400

Miami and Virginia Tech have been rivals going back to their Big East days. Before that, Miami dominated the meetings between the two schools, but that was before Virginia Tech had arrived on to the college football scene.

Virginia Tech has dominated the ACC the last two years, but "The U" is back. Are they here to stay? Well, we'll find out this weekend.

Miami is getting a lot of hype right now, which is great for their conference. The Hurricanes have gone from being unranked to the ninth rated team in the AP Poll after only two games.

The jump surprises me for one reason. Everyone talks about how the ACC is so weak and how the conference just isn't that great. Maybe now people are starting to take notice.

Miami has beaten Florida State and Georgia Tech, both of which were ranked when they played. If you're going to vote Miaimi into the top 10 of the AP Poll after only two games, both against ACC opponents, you have to say the ACC is stronger than expected.

You can't have one without the other. This is just a point I wanted to stress, because, personally, I'm a bit tired of hearing about how weak the ACC is.

Moving on, Virginia Tech is coming into this game after a shocking finish against Nebraska. The Hokies had next to no offense against Nebraska after their first offensive drive, and then Tyrod Taylor makes the two biggest throws of his career on the last offensive series, which finished with 20 seconds left.

Hokie fans are still in shock of the finish. If Tech had lost that game, they could have been staring at a very possible 1-3 start. Maybe that finish gives the Hokies' offense some much needed momentum heading into Saturday's game against the Hurricanes.

Virginia Tech simply cannot play the way they have been playing and continue to win games. It's going to catch up with them at some point if they don't turn it around, and it's not just their offense that needs work.

Defensivley, the Hokies are not the same as past years. I think the problem area is with the linebackers who seem to be missing a lot of tackles. Tech is very young at that position and they've had some very tough opponents to start the year, but it gets no easier with Miami coming into town.

The Virginia Tech secondary has been the defense's biggest strength, and that's been without senior boundary corner Stephan Virgil, who has missed the last two games. If the Hokies have Virgil back for this game it will be a huge boost.

Frank Beamer said it best at Virginia Tech's press conference on Tuesday. "Being ready to play won't be a problem," he said, "You just have to play better." Simple, but to the point. Some would say obvious, but it's the truth.

Here are my five keys to win for Virginia Tech:

1. Pressure Jacory Harris

Harris has to be a legitimate Heisman candidate at this point in the season. The sophomore has completed nearly 70 percent of his pass attempts, throwing for 656 yards and five touchdowns.

Why? Great protection to start, and the fact that Harris has been sacked only one time this season. If the Hokies can get pressure on the Harris then it's more likely he will make mistakes.

He had a few arrant passes against Florida State and I felt there were a lot of holes in the Florida State secondary, along with Georgia Tech.

Tech's defense isn't as great as it has been, but it will definitely be the best defense Miami has faced all season.

2. Offensive Production

Virginia Tech has to move the ball on offense or they will get blown off the field by the Hurricanes. Last week's game went a lot differently than I expected. I was thinking a lot of points would be scored, but obviously that was not the case.

This allowed an abysmal offensive performance to keep the Hokies in the game and then all of a sudden, the offense woke up. Well, Taylor found a wide open receiver who took it to the three-yard line after an 81-yard gain.

Taylor kept emphasizing in Tuesday's press conference that he and the offense will get better with more film study and practice. Taylor said his timing is a little off with some of his receivers and it's showing.

3. Special Teams

Dyrell Roberts has been an absolute beast on kickoff returns for the Hokies, and was probably a big reason the Hokies scored on their first offensive possession. He's starting to look a lot better on offense as well.

Jayron Hosley has also been impressive as a punt returner and with a stagnate Hokies offense, Hosley's ability to adjust field position with his punt returning capability will pay dividens.

However, I'm expecting Virginia Tech to be a lot more agressive on blocking kicks this week. We've yet to see the Hokies really send the house on a punt attempt by an opposing team, and the few times they have, it's been pretty close to being blocked.

If the Hokies want to win this game, they're going to have to be aggressive with their play calling. Otherwise, they'll struggle to win.

4. Ryan Williams

The Hokies' offensive production has been poor, but Williams has been the one constant for the Hokies. Saying that, Williams re-injured his ankle against Nebraska and it slowed him down in the second half.

Williams still ran for over 100 yards and rushed for his sixth touchdown of the season. His performance may be the biggest determining factor on the outcome of the game.

He received 21 carries last week, the most so far in his career, and, if he's healthy, I think he should carry the ball 25 times on Saturday. When you have a weapon, you need to unleash it.

Williams is the Hokies' greatest offensive weapon with no questions asked.

5. Check Your Benjamin('s)

Travis Benjamin is the real wild card in this one. Personally, I love to watch him play. He can hurt a team in so many ways returning punts, as a receiver, and as a runner.

Benjamin is very explosive, quick, and potentially the most athletic player on the Hurricanes, which is a huge compliment.

If the Hokies can take Benjamin out of his comfort zone or at least slow him down, the Hokies have a greater chance of winning the game.

I think Miami is going to use Benjamin a lot against the Hokies and wouldn't be shocked to see the sophomore throw a pass or two out of a set formation or on a trick play.

Both teams are obviously ranked very high and this isn't unusual when the two teams play. Last year was the first time since 1998 that neither team was ranked when they faced off.

From 1999-2005, both teams were ranked when they faced off and Miami won four out of the seven meetings. The last time both teams were ranked facing off in Blacksburg, the fifth-ranked Hurricanes beat the third-ranked Hokies 27-7, back in 2005.

Those are just some interesting tidbits heading into the weekend and both teams should leave it that. The past is the past and last year's game really means little in the whole scheme of things.

Miami beat Tech 16-14 in Miami, but Virginia Tech has a very different team and Miami is more experienced. Hopefully the game will live up to its hype and if both teams come out with a great showing, I think everyone will be able to agree on one thing.

The ACC is back.

Here's Chris Harring, a featured columnist for the Miami Hurricanes, and his take on my five keys.

First, Tech may be better than FSU and Georgia Tech, but getting pressure on Jacory Harris is easier said than done. Jason Worilds may be on his way to being one of the best defensive linemen in the country, but the ‘Canes have faced a player with that kind of resume.

Though very different players, the Yellow Jackets' Derrick Morgan receives many of the same accolades that Worilds does. Despite that, he was completely shut down by the one player who most would say is the line’s weak link, Matt Pipho.

If Miami can neutralize Worilds in a similar fashion, specifically if he’s up against the line’s best, Jason Fox, on the blindside, then Jacory will have success.

Second, do the Hokies have to move the ball? Yes, absolutely, but the Hurricanes' defense should provide a fairly strong test.

The ‘Canes returned two key starters last week in Eric Moncur, the team’s veteran pass rusher, and Vaughn Telemaque, perhaps the team’s most improved offseason player. They both played very well last week and really solidified a defense that looked shaky against FSU.

The key will be keeping Tyrod Taylor contained. Dating back to even the glory days, the ‘Canes have had trouble with mobile QBs and a repeat of one of those performances (think Christian Ponder in '08) would mean bad news for Miami.

Third, the special teams is where the 'Canes could be facing some real trouble against the Hokies. Beamer Ball is based off pressuring punters, running back kicks, and hitting people all over the field. The Miami special teams so far? Not so much.

Graig Cooper has been tremendous on returns, but with Bosher’s struggles in the field goal department and Alex Uribe’s kickoffs, the overall grade isn’t too high. This young team simply can’t afford to give away points and make big special teams mistakes.

Fourth, despite their total lock-down of Jonathan Dwyer a week ago, I wouldn’t consider the Hurricanes' ability to hold this standout freshman down all that likely. Williams has the looks of a tremendous back and would be even better if he were on a team with a quality passing threat.

The Hokies are going to ride this kid until the end; whether they have any success on offense is dependant on him. Will it be enough to win though, that’s the question.

Fifth, yes, Benjamin is an explosive player, and yes, he’s been tremendous so far this season, but even if Benjamin is completely locked down, the 'Canes' offense can thrive. If there were a player on the outside I would be making special note of it may not even be Benjamin.

That honor would go to LaRon Byrd, a tall, fast, dangerous wideout from Louisiana that many feel is emerging as the 'Canes' best weapon. Expect to see Harris looking downfield for Byrd early and often.

Thanks to Chris for helping to put this together, and if you want to check out his take on why Miami will win, there's a link in the article.

Now, here's my weekly score prediction. Taking all that was said, defense should prevail and so will the Hokies.

Virginia Tech 19, Miami 17.

Hokie Fans Stunned By The Nebraska Finish

Justin Cocchiola — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:59:48 -0400

Even after a couple of days to reflect on the game last Saturday, Virginia Tech fans, students, and on-lookers can't get over the finish.

"It's Virginia Tech," is the typical response from many people, "how did it even happen?"

Disbelief would be an appropriate adjective for everyone's reaction...and for good reason. The Hokies' offensive performance against Nebraska was abysmal in between the first and last drives of the game, literally.

The Hokies came out of the gate fast and were set up by another great kick-off return by freshman Dyrell Roberts. Tyrod Taylor converted three third downs through the air on the first drive, and Ryan Williams capped it off with his sixth rushing touchdown of the season.

After that first touchdown, the stands were electric. Nebraska fans, who were scattered about Lane Stadium, were stunned and it was loud.

From that point, until the 1:44 mark in the fourth quarter, the Hokies did next to nothing on offense but struggle.

Before the Hokies' last drive, fans began leaving the stadium. There was under two minutes left, the Hokies had no sign of offensive life and the frustration had reached an all-time high.

And then a safety severely misread a play and left sophomore wide receiver Danny Coale wide open to run 81 yards to the three-yard line.

Those fans that left were desperately trying to re-enter the stadium, but to no avail.

Hokie fans, at least in recent years, have been on the other side of that play (Boston College comes to mind). Taylor, who struggled much of the day through the air, and seemed hesitant to run the ball, made a play with his arm.

Yes, the receiver was wide open, but for an offense that's struggling, anything can make a difference in terms of a confidence booster.

Many fans, including myself, thought Coale was in the end zone. The replay that was shown on the Hokie Vision in Lane Stadium showed nothing that would have made us change our minds, and we were stunned to say the least.

Obviously, Coale went out of bounds, but the fans in the stands had no evidence of this revelation.

The mood went from pandemonium to absolute panic within 10 seconds. The Hokies had struggled all day, and the only sign of life in the last 60 minutes had come on the previous play.

Boom. Taylor is sacked for an eight-yard loss on the first play. The Hokies had just gone from their own 16, into the end zone, out to the three, and now they're on the 11-yard line with under 30-seconds left.

After the incomplete pass, fans were getting restless. However, the next play looked incredibly similar to a play that Matt Ryan made on the Virginia Tech defense in Lane Stadium, just under two years ago.

Taylor ran around, with a lot of time and protection, for a whopping nine seconds before finding Roberts in the end zone for six to go up by one with 20 seconds left. Lane Stadium erupted, as the Hokies' offense had done the unthinkable.

To say people were losing their minds would be an understatement. I think everyone in the stadium was embracing two or more people at once (I'll let your mind wander).

The Boston College loss that the Hokies suffered ended up being a wake up call for Virginia Tech in 2007. They didn't lose again that year until they played in the Orange Bowl against Kansas.

With a Boston College-like comeback under their belt early in the season, Hokie fans are hoping that this can turn around their offensive production for the rest of the season.

With the return of "The U," the Hokies will have to play better on offense and defense. The feeling of this rivalry is beginning to overtake the campus, but there's a lot of reason for concern because Miami is a formidable opponent, and the Hurricanes beat the Hokies last season when the Hokies seemed to have the better team.

With the improbable win over Nebraska, the Hokies still have a lot of work to do for Miami. As for the fans, the game as a whole was forgettable, but the comeback will be in the forefront of their minds for years to come.

Creature Vs. Creature: Three Keys for Virginia Tech to Defeat Nebraska

Justin Cocchiola — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:45:04 -0400

When Nebraska comes into Lane Stadium on Saturday to face Virginia Tech (you probably haven't heard this is the game with the two highest-ranked teams in the country this weekend), they'll be playing not only for themselves, but for their conferences as well.

Both teams look a bit different on offense compared to last season, but both have been moving the ball pretty well. Whichever defense makes the most plays will likely win the game, but you never know.

Here are three things Virginia Tech must do on Saturday to defeat the No. 19 Nebraska Cornhuskers.

1. Move the Ball Through the Air

The Hokies rushed for 444 yards on the ground last Saturday and had 605 yards of total offense. Although quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw as many touchdowns in last week's game as he did all of last season, he still missed some big plays through the air.

If you take that and compare the Marshall defense to the Nebraska defense, Taylor may have some difficulties this week.

Taylor has already played one of the best defenses in the nation this season, Alabama, and threw for only 91 yards. Nebraska is no Alabama, so I expect Taylor to have more success in this game.

Taylor had a solid game through the air last year against Nebraska (9-of-15, 171 yards) and also added 87 yards on the ground. A performance like this would help the Hokies on Saturday, but the Hokies need to be a little more aggressive through the air if they want to keep the defense on its heels.

2. Virginia Tech Secondary vs. Zac Lee and Receiving Corps

Stephan Virgil is still listed as questionable, but coach Frank Beamer was confident Tuesday the senior would be ready to go. Assuming Virgil is back, Rashad Carmichael (who's played very well so far this season), Kam Chancellor, Davon Morgan, and Dorian Porch will look to shut down the Cornhuskers' receiving corps.

They likely won't be able to shut them down completely, and the secondary's ability to dominate the game will rely on the performance of the pass rush.

If the Hokies' defensive line can pressure Lee into making bad decisions, the secondary will make him pay for his mistakes. Lee has spread the ball around a lot this season, which is always a good thing for an offense facing a tough defense.

Virginia Tech is known for its smash-mouth defense, and if mistakes are made, Nebraska won't have a shot at winning.

3. A One-Two Punch for the Hokies' Backfield

If Virginia Tech plays both Ryan Williams and David Wilson, then the Hokies' chances of winning should go up. Tech running backs struggled last year against Nebraska, Darren Evans running for 72 yards on 21 carries and Kenny Lewis for 50 yards on 17 carries, but neither of those backs will be playing in this game.

The biggest difference between those two backs and the two the Hokies have now is athleticism. Williams and Wilson are both elusive and agile, which is important when you're going up against a tough defensive line.

Williams' biggest advantage is having experience against Alabama under his belt. Alabama's top defensive lineman is Terrence Cody, and Nebraska's defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is very similar to Cody.

Suh is probably quicker and more athletic, but overall, Nebraska's defensive line is inferior to Alabama's, and Williams was able to break a couple of big runs against the Crimson Tide.

Overall, this should be a very good game. The Hokies have had to face tougher opponents so far this year, which I think will be a big factor in Saturday's outcome.

Lee is another player to keep an eye on. He is a junior, but prior to this season he threw only two passes. He's never faced a defense like Virginia Tech in the environment he will be entering on Saturday afternoon. Lane Stadium isn't known as a gracious host.

I expect the Hokies to win this one 38-24.

Virginia Tech Campus Buzzing About Saturday

Justin Cocchiola — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:00:07 -0400

With one of the biggest games of the year fast approaching for the Hokies, students and fans can't stop talking about the game.

If you're a student that didn't win a ticket through the lottery chances are you'll have to watch this one on TV, as tickets are being sold for well over $100 apiece.

Many fans are confident, but just as many are skeptical about the Hokies chances against the Cornhuskers. Everyone's biggest concern continues to be the offense, and that's after the Hokies racked up 605 total yards against Marshall last week.

Yeah, but its Marshall is the typical response. Yes, Marshall doesn't have the athletes that Nebraska does, but 444 yards on the ground is impressive against anybody.

Fans really want to see more of true freshman David Wilson. It's unknown how much Wilson will play this week, but he has to be moving up the depth chart, doesn't he?

Wilson and Josh Oglesby both received 12 carries last week. Oglesby rushed for 60 yards and Wilson for 165. The two have totally different running styles, but Wilson is by far the more athletic and explosive of the two.

In order to win games you need to play your best players. If Wilson spells Ryan Williams Hokie fans shouldn't have much to worry about.

However, fans are concerned Wilson will be used the same way he was against Alabama, which wasn't at all on offense.

Another concern is the offensive and defensive lines of Nebraska. The Cornhuskers have that guy on their defensive line that no one can seem to pronounce correctly (Ndamukong Suh). Suh is a beast (6 ft 4in 300 lbs).

If the Hokies can neutralize the Senior, or at least slow him down, the running game will have some success. If not then Hokie fans will have to watch quarterback Tyrod Taylor try to win the game with his arm, which he has yet to do in his career.

If Nebraska forces the Hokies to beat them with the pass then Hokie fans have something to worry about. Taylor is progressing, but he's still to inconsistent to rely on.

Nebraska will move the ball, and will likely score multiple times. The first team to 30 will likely win the game, which should mean good things for the Hokies as Bud Foster run defenses don't give up 30 points all that often (although the defense allowed 30 to Nebraska last season).

This game is truly a wait and see, but the Hokies should have the edge because they're at home, and they've played much tougher opponents than the Cornhuskers so far this season.

ACC Looks to Take Shape In Week Three

Justin Cocchiola — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:42:23 -0400

Week Three of the ACC could be a statement week for the conference or another step back. There are two big in-conference matchups, and games against the Big 12 and Mountain West. How will each team fair? Here are my predictions:

Georgia Tech 45, Miami 42

I really want to pick Miami in this game, but I can't for one reason. I don't think their defense is good enough, and after a win against Florida State, who almost lost to Jacksonville State last week, the defense has to prove itself.

I'm not in love with either defense, but I expect Georgia Tech to edge out the Hurricanes in Miami because of its rushing attack.

Kansas 45, Duke 20

Duke isn't very good, and when you go against a high-octane offense on the road, bad things are bound to happen. Thaddeus Lewis has to start playing better if the Blue Devils want to have any success this season.

North Carolina 35, East Carolina 20

North Carolina's defense is too good to lose this matchup. The Tar Heels had a peculiar win against UConn last week, but a win is a win. T.J. Yates should be better this week, since he's had two weeks to work off the rust. North Carolina will likely rely on Shaun Draughn to carry the offensive load.

Clemson 27, Boston College 14

The Eagles have been playing well, but against weak schools. Clemson showed some fight against Georgia Tech last week after being down big, and a phantom penalty haunted the Tigers in the loss. Boston College still has some question marks, most notably at quarterback, and Clemson's athleticism should carry them past BC.

Virginia Tech 38, Nebraska 24

This is one of the biggest matchups of the week, and it will take place in Lane Stadium. Tech moved the ball very well against Marshall last week, primarily on the ground, and will look to do the same against Nebraska this week.

Nebraska will move the ball and score points in this one, but this will be their first test of the season, which I think hurts the Cornhuskers. Ryan Williams and David Wilson should be able to make enough plays for the Hokies to come out on top.

Mid Tennessee State 38, Maryland 20

Middle Tennessee beat Maryland last year, and I'm expecting the same result this year. Maryland lost a lot of personnel from last season's squad and they're currently struggling. An overtime win against FCS opponent James Madison can't mean good things for the Terrapins.

Southern Miss 45, Virginia 24

Virginia is officially the worst team in the ACC, and they're certainly playing like it. The new offense doesn't seem to be working for the Cavaliers, but they need to find answers quickly, before they have a truly embarrassing season.

NC State 42, Gardner Webb 3

NC State's defense has looked very good so far this season, and that should continue this week. Russell Wilson played well last week, and will likely continue his streak of consecutive passes without an interception.

Wake Forest 45, Elon 0

The Demon Deacons lost their first game to Baylor, but beat a better Stanford team last week. This team lives and dies with the play of Riley Skinner, who should play well in this one.

BYU 38, Florida State 31

BYU has a very good offense, led by quarterback Max Hall. Defensively, Florida State looked inept against Miami, and the Seminoles had an embarrassing performance against Jacksonville State last week, although they won.

The Seminoles may have been looking ahead to this game, but I think their defense has too many questions to stop an offense like BYU's.

Virginia Tech Running Game Explodes Against Marshall

Justin Cocchiola — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:54:08 -0400

The Hokies came into Saturday's game expecting to run the ball well. I don't think anyone was expecting the Hokies to rush for 444 yards.

Ryan Williams and David Wilson became the first Virginia Tech running tandem to each record 160-plus yards on the ground, and the two combined for four rushing touchdown.

Wilson received his first action of the year at running back and averaged 13.8 yards per carry. Most of his carries came in the second half, but his performance should give the Tech coaching staff some confidence heading into next week.

Tyrod Taylor added 58 yards on the ground and threw for 161 yards. Taylor threw as many touchdowns in Saturday's game against Marshall (two) as he did all of last season.

Taylor didn't dominate through the air, but he did throw touchdown passes, which is progress for the Hokies offense. I would have liked to see more of a focus through the air in the first half, but the running game was working so well it would have been tough to stray away from that.

This game should give the Hokies some confidence heading into their game against Nebraska next Saturday.

It's tough to gauge how good Nebraska is right now because they have yet to play a formidable opponent. Nebraska was in a similar situation last year when Tech traveled to Lincoln and the Hokies won 35-30.

Both teams look a little bit different this season, and I'm expecting a few points to be scored in Lane Stadium next week.

Here are three things to watch for in Blacksburg this week:

1. Player's Health

Greg Boone and Stephan Virgil both sat out Saturday's game against Marshall. It's thought both will be ready to go against Nebraska, and it's vital that the Hokies have their best corner on the field against a high octane offense.

2. Depth Chart Shift

Williams will obviously hold on to the number one running back slot for the remainder of the season, but it may be interesting to see what happens behind him. Josh Oglesby received the same number of carries against Marshall that Wilson received (12), but Wilson ran for 105 more yards.

If the Hokies want to continue to be explosive in the running game they will mix-and-match their backs, and Wilson's play Saturday could make him the number two back.

3. Searching for that "Wild Turkey"

After utilizing the "Wild Turkey" in a few games last season Virginia Tech has yet to break it out in '09. They could be waiting for Boone to get back, but I say throw Wilson back there to see what he can do.

If the formation is still in the coaching staff's plans then I'd expect to see it against Nebraska. If we don't, then I doubt we see it again in Blacksburg, at least for this season.

Virginia Tech Hokies To Look for Offense Against Thundering Herd

Justin Cocchiola — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:38:54 -0400

Virginia Tech, once again, is among the worst offenses in the country. The good news for them is it's only week two. Will they find their offense against Marshall? Probably, but they really need to focus on their aerial attack.

Marshall gave up 164 rushing yards per game last season, which bodes well for the Hokies. The Thundering Herd are coming off a four-win season, and their defense will have problems stopping Ryan Williams and Co.

Tyrod Taylor needs to put a good game together through the air. Taylor should have ample opportunities to run in this one, but he really needs to focus on the passing game with Nebraska and Miami coming to town the following two weeks.

Taylor struggled last week against Alabama, and the blitz was part of the reason. However, Taylor is going to be blitzed consistently by every team he plays because of his mobility. If he can't adjust to this and make plays with his arm the Hokies are in trouble.

Here are three things to watch for against Marshall in Week Two:

1. David Wilson

Wilson is a very competitive athlete, and will likely take last week personally. What do I mean? Wilson was only on the field for two kickoff returns. If the Hokies are going to play him at all, they should play him more. That's why the decided not to redshirt him, right?

Wilson is extremely athletic, strong and quick. He can be a game breaker on offense if he's given a chance, but if he's not given opportunities like last week the coaching staff will continue to waste a year of his eligibility.

Personally, I would like to see Wilson out of the "Wild Turkey" formation and spelling Williams in the backfield.

2. Throw it Tyrod!

Taylor has to be aggressive through the air against Marshall. He should be able to have some success, given Marshall is an inferior opponent and the Hokies are heavily favored.

However, I wouldn't get your hopes up. Taylor has struggled through the air against weak opponents before, and until he can start proving to Hokie fans that he is a good quarterback the fans will continue to doubt him.

Taylor has the receivers around him to make plays (Danny Coale, Xavier Boyce, Greg Boone, Jarrett Boykin, Dyrell Roberts), so there's no excuse for his continued struggles.

3. How good was Alabama?

It's always tough to judge how good a team is in the first week of the season. If the Hokies come out and absolutely dominate offensively then everyone should have an idea of how good Virginia Tech and Alabama actually are.

Both teams are good, but the question is are both teams great? The Hokies didn't play like a great team in Week One, but if they come out and dominate Marshall offensively it should give them confidence to build upon for the rest of the season, and potentially be a great team in 2009.

If the Hokies' offense can string together drives and give their defense more than a couple minutes of rest between series, I think the defense will absolutely dominate.

Marshall is way over-matched going against this defense to begin with, and with the emergence of the defensive MVP from a week ago (Jake Johnson) the Hokies seem to have a good group of guys heading into the rest of the season.

Expectations

I obviously expect the offense to play better this week, but I'm not expecting huge strides. The Hokies have given me absolutely no reason to expect big things regarding the past, so until they show everyone that they have a good offense I will continue to expect mediocrity.

The Hokies won't have any trouble winning this one, but they won't win by a huge margin.

Virginia Tech 31, Marshall 9

The ACC Looks to Rebound In Week Two

Justin Cocchiola — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:06:23 -0400

After a disappointing first week, including two losses to FCS schools, the ACC is trying to look forward without looking back. ACC teams lost every game against major BCS conferences (SEC, Pac-10, Big 12), and two games to FCS opponents. Yikes!

The best game in week one was Miami-Florida State, but after the game you would have to question the defense of both teams. At least the week ended on a positive note.

Here are my predictions for week two:

Clemson 28, Georgia Tech 17

I know that Georgia Tech is a sexy pick right now, but after talking to Georgia Tech fans about their performance last week there seems to be some concern. My biggest problem with Georgia Tech is their defense, and I expect C.J. Spiller to have a field day against the Yellow Jackets.

North Carolina 35, UConn 21

North Carolina will win this game because of their defense. Connecticut doesn't have the talent on either side of the ball that the Tar Heels have, and I expect T.J. Yates to have a better game this week than he did last week.

Expect North Carolina to pound the ball with Shaun Draughn.

Wake Forest 24, Stanford 13

Turnovers seemed to be the story for the Demon Deacons against Baylor. Riley Skinner threw three interceptions, and he will have to limit his mistakes this season if Wake Forest is going to have any kind of success.

Stanford is led by freshman Andrew Luck, and the Cardinals dominated Washington State last week.

But Wake is a stronger opponent. Look for the Wake Forest defense to have some success against the freshman.

Duke 24, Army 19

Duke lost to FCS Champion Richmond last week, and I believe Richmond is a better team than Army. David Cutcliffe should have his guys ready to go against Army, and for the sake of the ACC, I hope they come out on top.

Virginia Tech 31, Marshall 9

It should be an emotional beginning to the game as Virginia Tech is honoring their first ever All-American. Frank Loria was an assistant coach for Marshall in 1970, which is when the team plane crashed on their way back from a game.

The Hokies will look to get going on offense this week, but I'm not expecting huge strides. I hope I'm wrong, but if the Hokies don't play great on offense there should be reason for concern in Blacksburg.

Boston College 24, Kent State 23

I'm expecting the Golden Flashes to give the Eagles a good game in this one. Boston College did beat Northeastern 54-0, but Kent State will be a tougher matchup. I think Boston College still wins, but their many weaknesses should be evident in this one.

TCU 56, Virginia 3

Virginia really embarrassed themselves last week and took the ACC along for the ride. William & Mary? You've got to be kidding me.

Virginia had, count them, seven turnovers against an FCS opponent, lost by 12, and allowed the Tribe to dominate the time of possession. So what does that mean this week?

Let's just say it won't go well at Scott Stadium on Saturday when the Cavs face a top 25 team.

Florida State 63, Jacksonville State 7

Florida State's offense looked really good, minus the dropped pass in the end zone when time expired against Miami on Monday night.

The Seminoles won't have any issues in this one, and it will still be difficult to have a feel for how good their defense is going to be. There were a lot of open receivers in the secondary against Miami.

Maryland 28, James Madison 10

I'm a little concerned about this game just because the ACC has made a joke of itself against FCS opponents so far this season. Chris Turner should be way to much for the Dukes to handle, but James Madison is a good football team and should find themselves in this one for a couple of quarters.

NC State 45, Murray State 14

NC State will look to score more than a field goal this week. The Wolfpack struggled offensively against South Carolina, but their defense looked strong.

Russell Wilson and Co. should be able to get on the board a few times, and I would also like to see Mike Glennon get some action.

Glennon is the younger brother of the infamous Virginia Tech quarterback Sean Glennon for those of you that didn't know.

How Virginia Tech Fans are Reacting to Week One Loss

Justin Cocchiola — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:09:43 -0400

Virginia Tech came in to 2009 season with high expectations, and many fans felt, and still feel, that the Hokies have a shot at the national title.

Saturday night, the first game of the 2009 season, had Hokie fans saying, "If we only had an offense."

In a battle of two top 10 teams, Virginia Tech and Alabama seemed to be mirror images of each other on special teams and defense. Alabama had a slight edge on defense, and the Hokies a slight edge on special teams.

However, the biggest difference between the two teams was offense. Alabama doesn't have a great offense, but they have an offense that's capable of making adjustments throughout the game.

Virginia Tech obviously is not to that point. Bryan Stinespring, the much maligned Virginia Tech offensive coordinator, called a very conservative game on offense. Yes, the Hokies were going against a top 10 defense, but so was Alabama.

It surprised me when Alabama lined up in the wildcat for their first offensive play, but they didn't have much success from the formation. They were, however, willing to take a risk.

After talking with a few Virginia Tech fans in Atlanta this weekend there were three things that really seemed to bother them:

1. Virginia Tech didn't take the game seriously enough

By this, fans were upset throughout the week with quotes by Beamer about how this game isn't do-or-die, and it won't hurt our season if we don't win it.

My guess is Nick Saban and Co. approached the game a little bit different, and it showed offensively.

The problem with the Hokies in the past is their coaching staff hasn't been aggressive enough the first time round. Here's an example.

In the 2008 Orange Bowl against Kansas, Frank Beamer told the media that he told his team that reaching the Orange Bowl was quote, "a reward" for their hard work that season.

In that game the Hokies were outplayed and lost by three to an inferior opponent. Beamer addressed the situation after the game, and said that he would take a different approach next time. That "different approach" resulted in tougher practices for the 2009 Orange Bowl where the Hokies beat Cincinnati by 13.

The fact of the matter is, Beamer needs to start being more aggressive the first time round when it comes to big games. If you lose, well, that's fine. But you can't tell me and other Hokie fans that the coaching staff and the offense threw everything they had at Alabama.

2. Tyrod seemed hesitant to run

There were multiple times throughout the game where Tyrod Taylor had no receivers open, but then he would take a shot down field. Yes, Taylor needs to become a more productive passer but he can't be outside of his comfort zone.

There were times when Taylor had open running lanes and he refused to take them. I don't know if the coaching staff was telling him to stay put or what, but most of his rushes came while he was blitzed by a linebacker.

Taylor's greatest asset to the offense, right now, is his legs. He needs to run the ball more, which will open up the pass.

3. The Hokies are settling for Conference Titles

When I heard Hokie fans complaining after the game about another Orange Bowl this year I was a little bit surprised. The Orange Bowl is a BCS Bowl, but, right now, it's probably the weakest BCS bowl out there because of the conferences affiliated with it.

The Orange Bowl gives an automatic bid to the ACC and an at-large bid (The Orange Bowl used to be ACC vs. Big East).

After watching some of the games around the conference this weekend there's no doubt in my mind Virginia Tech is the favorite to win the conference. If they can somehow find a way to score on offense, which I think they will, the Hokies have a great shot at running the table from here on out.

The problem is the fans are becoming a bit restless. Virginia Tech has never won a national title. The Hokies have only played in the game one time, and year after year Hokie fans are left with a bowl that doesn't have a crystal ball as its trophy.

The Hokies have fielded great teams in the past, but seem to have at least one disappointing loss each year.

Saturday's loss was more frustrating than anything because Virginia Tech couldn't keep their offense on the field. The Hokie defense was on the field for 37 minutes. That's outrageous, and the biggest reason Alabama scored 18 points in the fourth quarter. Defensive fatigue was evident for the Hokies.

There's still an outside shot that the Hokies can reach the national championship, but they will likely end up in the Orange Bowl once again.

The Hokies take on Marshall this Saturday and what the fans want to see more than anything is offense, because they're tired of the offense being the continuous demise of the team.

Beamerball needs a new dimension.