Boise State vs. Virginia Tech: Zoom-In College Football Game of the Week
We are just a few hours away from the kickoff of the 2010 college football season. We’ve been waiting all year for this, and pretty soon the action will finally get underway.
We’ve got some great games being played on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but sadly we’ll have to wait until Monday night for the biggest and most anticipated game of the weekend—Boise State vs. Virginia Tech.
The meeting has two preseason top 10 teams squaring off, and there are a whole bunch of intriguing storylines involved.
Here’s everything you need to know about Monday night’s super matchup.
Boise State Looking For Respect
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It seems like Boise State has been battling for respect from the national college football world for a good solid decade now, yet every year it feels like they keep getting slighted. No matter how many double digit win seasons they put up, it never seems to be enough. People just don’t feel like the WAC is a challenging enough conference and they choose to weigh Boise’s accomplishments differently than say a school from a more powerful conference like the SEC or Big 12.
At this point, the only thing Boise can do is keep beating the big boys from the BCS. They’ve already taken down Oklahoma in the memorable Fiesta Bowl three years ago, and they’ve beaten a ranked Oregon team in consecutive seasons.
Boise has finally earned a Top Five preseason ranking due to their previous efforts. Now it’s time to prove that they deserve it. A quality BCS opponent like Virginia Tech is exactly what they need to prove to everyone that they are legitimate.
The last time Boise State was in a proving game like this was when they opened the 2005 season against Georgia in Athens. They had their doors blown off and lost 48-13.
Both Teams Readying for a Championship Run
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Both of these squads are ranked in the preseason top 10, and both have National Championship aspirations.
Boise State has gone undefeated twice in the last four years, but both times they were shut out of consideration for the national title game. With such a lofty early ranking, the Broncos will have less hoops to jump through this season if they can run the table once again.
Virginia Tech played for a national championship back in 2000 in the Sugar Bowl against Florida State. The Mike Vick guided Hokies team would end up falling to the Seminoles 46-29 and finishing the season with an 11-1 record.
The closest they’ve come to getting back to the big game was in 2005 when they held a late season top three ranking going into a showdown with Miami. They would lose the game 27-7 and end up finishing the season with an 11-2 record.
Primetime Showdown!
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The Labor Day Monday night battle will take place at a neutral siteFedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. Coverage starts on ESPN at 8 PM.
This will surely be one of the biggest national viewing audiences that the Boise State football team has ever played in front of. It is a real chance for the school to make a statement and show off their brand of football for the entire country to see.
Kellen Moore—Heisman Hopeful
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The face of this Broncos team is quarterback Kellen Moore. The junior has compiled a 26-1 record as a two year starter. Moore was one of the highest rated quarterback prospects to ever sign with Boise back in 2006. At just 6‘0" tall, the former Washington Gatorade Player of the Year was downgraded by a lot of schools because he lacked the prototypical height for the position.
Things seemed to work out fine for Moore at Boise though. After winning the WAC freshman player of the year in 2008, Moore followed that up with an extraordinary season last year. The quarterback threw for 3,536 yards and 39 TDs in 2009. He was awarded the WAC Offensive Player of the Year and named to numerous All-American teams.
Now that he’s established himself as a proven player, Moore has started to hear Heisman buzz surrounding his name going into this season. There will be no better proving ground than Monday night’s game to show his stuff to the voters around the nation.
Virginia Tech's Dynamic Backfield
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Two of the best running backs in the ACC just so happen to play in the same backfield. Junior Darren Evans and sophomore Ryan Williams make up one of the most talented running back duos in the country for 2010. Williams was the ACC’s leading rusher in 2009 with 1,655 yards and 21 TDs. He was given that opportunity because Evans, who rushed for 1,265 yards and 11 TDs in 2008, missed all of last season with a knee injury.
With both backs healthy, Virginia Tech has a nice 1-2 punch to hit opponents with this season. Neither is a particularly “big play” back, but they both have the strength and toughness to continually wear down defenses throughout the course of a game.
Boise State Offense vs. Virginia Tech Defense
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Don’t be fooled, this offense runs a lot deeper than quarterback Kellen Moore. The Broncos have their own dangerous running back combo to unleash in Doug Martin and Jeremy Avery. Avery was the starter all last year, but that duty will belong to Martin, a 5‘9 200 lb. junior, for this game.
Martin is a better between the tackles runner while Avery, the slimmer and faster of the two, is better out in space. Avery has the speed to get to the second level so it’s of the utmost importance to keep him contained.
You can bet defensive coordinator Bud Foster will have a gameplan in place to try and get the Boise offense out of their element. Kellen Moore is one of the brightest quarterbacks on the college level, and one of the best decision makers and game managers. But one thing he’s not used to is a lot of pressure. Moore was only sacked five times last season.
Expect Foster to dial up some pressure packages when the time is right.
Still, with the lack of experienced players, don’t expect too many tricky schemes or blitzes out of Virginia Tech, especially since this is the first game of the season.
This will be all about which group is the toughest and most disciplined.
How will the Hokies defense react if they give up a big play or get flagged for a detrimental penalty?
The key for Virginia Tech is to stay smart and stay focused.
Boise State Offensive Lineup
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Projected Lineup
QB: Kellen Moore (11)
RB: Doug Martin (22)
WR: Austin Pettis (2)
WR: Titus Young (1)
WR: Tyler Shoemaker (89)
TE: Tommy Gallarda (85)
LT: Faraji Wright (75)
LG: Nate Potter (73)
OC: Thomas Byrd (66)
RG: Will Lawrence (59)
RT: Brenel Meyers (64)
Key 2009 Offensive Stats
Points Per Game: 42
Total Yards Per Game: 450
Passing Yards Per Game: 264
Rushing Yards Per Game: 186
Yards Per Play: 6.5
First Downs Per Game: 22
3rd Down Conversions: 37 percent
Average Time of Possession: 30:34
Virginia Tech Defensive Lineup
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Projected Lineup
DT: John Graves (91)
DT: Kwamaine Battle (93)
DE: Steven Friday (82)
DE: Chris Drager (33)
MLB: Bruce Taylor (51)
OLB: Lyndell Gibson (39)
OLB: Jeron Gouveia-Winslow (43)
CB: Rashad Carmichael (21)
CB: Jayron Hosley (17)
FS: Eddie Whitley (15)
SS: Davon Morgan (2)
Key 2009 Defensive Stats
Points Per Game: 15
Total Yards Per Game: 295
Passing Yards Per Game: 167
Rushing Yards Per Game: 128
Yards Per Play: 4.6
First Downs Per Game: 14.9
3rd Down Conversions: 35 percent
Average Time of Possession: 29:39
Virginia Tech Offense vs. Boise State Defense
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Virginia Tech senior quarterback Tyrod Taylor has improved immeasurably as both a passer and an offensive leader since first stepping foot on the field as a freshman.
Taylor, who acquired some Mike Vick comparisons as an elite high school recruit, took big strides in his junior season. His grasp of offensive concepts was much more evident and his passing ability took a huge leap in the right direction.
That’s not to say that the Hokies are now a passing team. This is still the same team that finished ninth in the ACC with a little over 180 passing yards a game in 2009. Still, you can see that the threat of the passing attack has started to open up the offense over the last year or so.
Receivers like Jarret Boykin and Dyrell Roberts are talented playmakers that need to be accounted for on every snap. You won’t see a lot of 50 yard pass connections, but with Boykin and Roberts, the threat is certainly there.
The bread and butter for this team is still the running game. With a healthy Darren Evans, expect the Hokies to frequently pound the rock in this game.
Boise State returns everyone from last year’s defensive front seven, and they certainly have what it takes to contain the running game and keep the Virginia Tech offense grounded.
It would be wise for Boise to implement the bend don’t break style of defensive play. Let Evans and Williams pick up a a few yards here and there, but the key is to limit the big runs and plays that pick up large chunks of yards at one time.
The worst thing the Broncos can do on defense is to get complacent. They can go toe to toe with Virginia Tech’s rushing attack, but do they have the discipline to react properly to a play action pass or maybe even a trick play?
The worst thing Boise can do is let Virginia Tech slow play the tempo, and then hit a play over the top for a big score.
Virginia Tech Offensive Lineup
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Projected Lineup
QB: Tyrod Taylor (5)
RB: Ryan Williams (34)
WR: Jarrett Boykin (81)
WR: Dyrell Roberts (11)
WR: Danny Coale (19)
TE: Andre Smith (88)
LT: Nick Becton (54)
LG: Greg Nosal (75)
OC: Beau Warren (60)
RG: Jaymes Brooks (68)
RT: Blake DeChristopher (62)
Key 2009 Offensive Stats
Points Per Game: 31
Total Yards Per Game: 392
Passing Yards Per Game: 183
Rushing Yards Per Game: 208
Yards Per Play: 6.2
First Downs Per Game: 17.8
3rd Down Conversions: 43 percent
Average Time of Possession: 30:21
Boise State Defensive Lineup
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Projected Lineup
DT: Chase Baker (97)
DT: Billy Winn (90)
DE: Shea McClellin (92)
DE: Ryan Winterswyk (98)
MLB: Derrell Acrey (52)
OLB: Winston Venable (17)
OLB: Aaron Tevis (36)
CB: Brandyn Thompson (13)
CB: Jamar Taylor (21)
FS: Jeron Johnson (23)
SS: George Iloka (8)
Key 2009 Defensive Stats
Points Per Game: 17
Total Yards Per Game: 300
Passing Yards Per Game: 180
Rushing Yards Per Game: 120
Yards Per Play: 4.8
First Downs Per Game: 16
3rd Down Conversions: 30 percent
Average Time of Possession: 29:26
Virginia Tech Spotlight Player: LB Bruce Taylor
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Bruce Taylor will take over the all important mike linebacker spot for Barquell Rivers, who will miss the game with a torn quadriceps that he suffered in the Spring. The sophomore was one of the true standouts of both spring and summer camp as he made a lot of key plays that really impressed coaches.
Taylor was a big get recruiting wise for the Hokies when signed with the school out of Myrtle Beach High School in South Carolina. He was one of the highest rated linebacker recruits in the country, receiving offers from the likes of Georgia, Florida State, South Carolina, and Clemson.
He has the athleticism and brute strength to be a factor against the run and the pass, the only thing he has to prove is that his lack of true game experience won’t be his downfall.
Rivers was one of the key cogs for the 2009 Virgina Tech defense, and he was expected to be one of its main leaders this year. Taylor is capable of matching Rivers with his play, but can he be the vocal and spiritual leader they need him to be in the middle of the defense?
Boise State Spotlight Player: DT Billy Winn
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Boise State’s defensive line will be crucial in this game, and the player that really needs to have a standout performance is defensive tackle Billy Winn. The 6‘4" 290 lb. junior has the ability to penetrate and also stay steady at the point of attack. Winn recorded 44 tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss, and six sacks last season.
He’s stout and moves well for a man his size. Winn is the type of tackle that will really give the interior lineman for Virginia Tech a headache all game.
Special Teams
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If you asked any college football fan out on the street to think of the first team to come to mind when they heard the term “special teams”most would probably quickly spout out Virginia Tech.
That’s because Frank Beamer has done a great job over the years of really making his special teams unit special. It’s one of the main reasons for the team’s continued success. From blocked punts to big kick returns, the Hokies have always done a great job using the special teams component to their benefit.
Any football coach will say that you can never underestimate the advantage of having sound special teams.
This year, it will be a challenge for the Hokies as they will have to replace both their punter and place kicker. Senior Brian Saunders takes over for the departed Brent Bowden and will handle the punting duties while senior Chris Hazley will be responsible for the kicking game. Dyrell Roberts is one of the best kick returners the ACC has to offer, and he's the type of guy you want to make sure you kick away from.
Boise State’s special teams is all about Kyle Brotzman. The senior handles both the kicking and punting duties. As a kicker, Brotzman was perfect on extra points and finished 33-44 on field goals with a long of 51 in 2009. As a punter, he averaged 43.8 yards a punt. Senior wide receiver Titus Young will be the main returner once again this year. He averaged 26 yards on kickoff returns last season.
Coaches
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This game pits two of the winningest coaches in college football head to head.
Chris Peterson of Boise State has a remarkable 49-4 record in his four year stint as coach of the Broncos. He has won two BCS bowl games, but he has never coached in a neutral field regular season contest. He has also never brought his team to the east coast to play a game.
Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer guided his team to eight double digit win seasons during the last decade. This will be his 24th season as coach of Virginia Tech. Something to keep in mindBeamer is only 10-13 when playing on a neutral field, and the last time he brought the Hokies to FedEx field to start the 2004 season, they were beaten by a superior USC team. He is also just 6-25 all time when playing a top 10 opponent.
This game also has some great coordinators involved. The standout of the group is Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster, whose defenses are routinely some of the most steadfast in the country.
Will It Live Up to the Hype?
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This one has been gaining hype all summer long, and that excitement got ratcheted up to another level when it was revealed Boise State was ranked No. 3 in the AP preseason poll.
This game is going to come down to which team can dictate the pace?
Boise State would love to make this game a high scoring shootout while Virginia Tech wants a grind it out slug fest.
I expect both teams to be prepared and ready to bring their A-games for this one. Both schools have solid foundations for success in place, and there’s no way either of these coaching staffs are going to let their players lose sight of how important this game is for both programs.
If I had to pick how I see this one goingI would say Virginia Tech in a low scoring affair. Something along the lines of a 16-10 game. Anytime the Broncos face a real quality opposition, that seems to be how the game goes.
When it comes to early season games like this, the defenses are usually way ahead of the offenses. Plus, I think you have to factor in Boise State’s cross country trip to the east coast. The adaptation to a new time zone is certainly not an easy thing for an athlete’s body to overcome.
When it comes right down to it, I expect this one to live up to the hype, and hopefully the college football nation gets treated to a real entertaining contest between these two talented teams.
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