Orange Bowl 2010: 10 Things You Need to Know About Stanford vs. Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech and Stanford started out the year on drastically different sides of the college football spectrum.
While Stanford sat just outside the preseason top 25 without star running back Toby Gerhart, Virginia Tech was in the top 10 and returning star running backs Ryan Williams, Darren Evans and David Wilson.
The Hokies proceeded to drop completely out of the top 25 with an embarrassing loss to James Madison while the Cardinal rose to the top 10.
The Hokies fought their way into back to prominence and secured a flawless ACC record and a conference championship while Stanford’s loss to Oregon kept them from getting any higher than fourth in the BCS.
Although they’ve had opposite paths, Virginia Tech and Stanford have somehow come out as remarkably similar teams, yet pose unique challenges both offensively and defensively for each other. The game is without a doubt a must-watch this bowl season.
As with any football game, there will be games within the game that will ultimately decide the outcome as well as storylines that will add excitement to the casual viewer. Here are ten of those things.
Andrew Luck Vs. Tyrod Taylor Is the Best QB Duel of the Bowl Season
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It’s likely been a while since the average college football fan has seen Andrew Luck or Tyrod Taylor in action.
Luck has been the talk of the NFL draft and has almost assuredly locked up the number one draft pick while Taylor has quietly built a season in which he’s just dominated opponents, and he is one of three quarterbacks in the country with over 275 pass attempts and four interceptions.
Neither team would be in the Orange Bowl without the phenomenal play of their quarterbacks—play that has looked incredibly similar and has resulted in similar stats.
Luck is 19-5 as a starting QB and Taylor is 34-8 over his four years. Both hold numerous individual records including rushing yards by a quarterback and in the eyes of many fans have surpassed great quarterbacks of yesteryear, John Elway, Jim Plunkett, Bryan Randall and Michael Vick.
However, their biggest similarity is their ability to escape pressure and either run or pass. Watching Luck throw the ball on the move is astounding; his power and accuracy while under duress is a joy to watch as long as your team isn’t on defensive. And his strength as a runner and as a tackler makes him look more like a video game character than a quarterback.
Taylor was a running quarterback his first year as a starter in 2008 but has established himself as a premier dual-threat in 2009 and 2010. He consistently leaves defenders grasping at air and can even complete the pass as he’s getting tackled.
If for nothing else, watch the Orange Bowl to see how the quarterback position is supposed to be played.
They Aren’t Throwing to Bad Receivers, Either
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Stanford and Virginia Tech have two of the most underrated receiving units this year in college football.
Both teams have eight 100+ yard receivers, six multi-touchdown receivers and a lot of reliable depth on the bench.
Jarrett Boykin is Taylor’s favorite target and have linked up for 763 yards on 48 receptions with six touchdowns. Doug Baldwin, seen above, is top receiver for Luck and has 824 yards on 56 receptions with nine touchdowns.
Danny Coale and Marcus Davis are the other top receivers for the Hokies, while Ryan Whalen and Chris Owusu complete the triumvirate for the Cardinal.
If you haven’t seen these guys in action or just haven’t been paying attention, take the time to watch these guys on tape because they could easily play their way onto an NFL team. They aren’t the biggest name receivers but they get the job done in a big way.
Receiver/kick returner Dyrell Roberts will likely miss the Orange Bowl with compartment syndrome in his left thigh which should give a slight advantage towards Stanford but tight end Andre Smith has stepped up late in the season, especially in the red zone—he has five touchdowns on only 19 receptions. He’s a set of sure hands for small to medium gains and also a great blocker on the line.
The Defenses Are Good but Not Great
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Virginia Tech has a national reputation of being a defensive and special teams oriented football team, but the offense has really outshined the defense throughout the season, leading the Hokies to their first string of 40-plus point games since 2000, while the defense ranks an uncharacteristic 39th in total defense.
Stanford has reestablished itself as a player in the Pac-10 under Jim Harbaugh and has made a remarkable turnaround on defense, leaping from 85th to 24th in total defense. They’ve also notched three shutouts this season as opposed to one for the Hokies.
But the real story comes out when they play quality opponents. Against teams with eight or more wins, both teams have given up more than 30 points per game.
However, the game likely won’t be short on defensive highlights as well. Virginia Tech and Stanford rank first and third in turnover margin, respectfully. That is primary reason which accounts for why the teams are 17th and 11th in scoring defense, respectfully.
Virginia Tech is second in interceptions with 22 and cornerback Jayron Hosley is tied for first in interceptions with eight. Stanford isn’t too far behind with 17 interceptions but have also played one less game than the Hokies.
With the teams so evenly matched, the ESPN’s “Pickcenter Plus” has the Orange Bowl as one of only three games to be decided by less than a point.
The turnovers could become the key stat of the game.
Everyone will be at their best for the scouts but there may be some rust left over from the month-long gap between games.
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The Coaches Are Big Names and Hot Commodities
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Frank Beamer and Jim Harbaugh are two of the top coaches in college football, and they each have a run-first game plan. They also have two fantastic defensive coordinators in Bud Foster and Vic Fangio.
Fangio is new to the college football scene after a long stint rotating teams in the NFL, and he was recently voted the top defensive coordinator in the country.
Foster has established himself as a top assistant and, much to Hokie fans’ chagrin, is a common name linked to coaching vacancies from Pittsburgh to Vanderbilt. For now, he will still be in Blacksburg next season.
There’s also been a lot of talk surrounding Harbaugh and his possible departure to Michigan. It would be a tough job for the alumnus to turn down, but he won’t address those rumors until after the Orange Bowl. He’d also make a fantastic NFL coach.
Neither team would be playing in a BCS game without these coaches, plain and simple. They coach on and off the field and are two of the classiest and most well-respected people in the business, a welcome reprieve from Tech’s visit last season to Atlanta to play Lane Classless Kiffin.
Those of you making your way down for the game are going to be in for a treat because the programs mimic their coaches in tailgating atmosphere. The food and beer should be abundant, as will the camaraderie and team spirit.
Bowl Games Aren’t Either Team’s Specialty
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Virginia Tech has been to a bowl every season since 1992, but it took until last year for the Hokies to string together two bowl wins in a row.
Stanford hasn’t won a bowl game since 1996.
Suddenly the game doesn’t look too appetizing. But looking too into those statistics won't do you much, this game will live up to the hype and it’s all because of who’s starting under center.
Tyrod Taylor has consistently played his best football under the biggest spotlight, and it’s no coincidence he led to dominating wins against Cincinnati and Tennessee. Andrew Luck didn’t play last season against Oklahoma in the Sun Bowl and it was one of the big reasons why they were upset.
Luck didn’t fare too well against Oregon in the second half this season and only played one other team with eight or more wins i.e. USC and squeaked out of the game with a 37-35 victory. But give the kid some credit, he’s only a sophomore.
The experience edge has to go to the senior Taylor and that could be the difference in a close game late. Luck engineered a winning drive against USC, but he hasn’t faced a secondary like Virginia Tech’s. How he handles that pressure will either keep Stanford in the game or lose it for them.
Virginia Tech Has an Unfair Number of Running Threats
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The amount of talent rushing the football for the Hokies is nothing short of astounding. There are three running backs who will be playing on Sunday in the next few years, a dual-threat quarterback garnering comparisons to Michael Vick and a pair of bruising fullbacks.
Special teams continues the trend with a kick returner with two touchdowns and a punt returner with his own pair of touchdowns. And then, just for fun, there are a pair of receivers who run end arounds and screen passes as well as anyone in the country. Oh, almost forgot, there’s another receiver/returner who won’t play due to injury; all he did was return a kickoff for a touchdown against the national champions last season.
For those of you unfamiliar with the program, their names are Ryan Williams, Darren Evans, David Wilson, Tyrod Taylor, Josh Oglesby, Kenny Younger, Jayron Hosley, Jarrett Boykin, Marcus Davis and Dyrell Roberts. Feel free to pick your jaw up from the floor anytime now.
As the title states, it’s really unfair how many ways Virginia Tech can run the football. But seriously, any team not a member of a big six conference could only dream for the amount of talent the Hokies have at the skill positions.
And now they finally have an offensive coordinator that effectively uses all of the weapons. Bryan Stinespring is one of the most maligned coordinators in college football, but his performance against Florida State was took the biggest weight off of Hokie nation’s shoulders this season.
With all of the momentum, all of the determination from an 0-2 start and with an offensive coordinator who finally seems to understand his offensive and all of its weapons, the Hokies could run through, over and around Stanford.
Stanford’s Offensive Line Could Cause Nightmares for Virginia Tech
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But as Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast, my friend!” The loss of Toby Gerhart left a lot of things to be desired for Stanford at running back, but the Cardinal offensive line has been second to none.
They have only given up five sacks this entire season and made the transition from a Heisman finalist to a mop-up-duty running back seamlessly, and they are averaging 211 yards per game on the ground, which is better than Virginia Tech.
Stepfan Taylor isn’t very well known. He’s rushed for 1023 yards this season, but the credit has to go to the offensive line. They average 6’5” 301 lbs.
For whatever unfair advantage Tech has at the skill positions, Stanford compensates for it with their offensive line. And the advantage exploits the Hokies’ weakness this season in rush defense.
They came into the season inexperienced and gave up big play after big play. After a few weeks of getting it all together, the Hokies finally are a cohesive unit but will have to have the game of a lifetime in order to bottle up Stanford.
They then have to keep Andrew Luck from scrambling.
It’s a tall order for Bud Foster, especially with starter Lyndell Gibsen out for the Hokies, and it’s one that comes near solely from Stanford’s outstanding offensive line.
The Number of Players That Will Be Playing in the NFL May Be Second to None
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The Orange Bowl could have the most NFL talent of any bowl game this season.
The biggest name is obviously Andrew Luck, but there are five other names on Mel Kiper’s list from Stanford including do-it-all fullback Owen Marecic. The scariest part is only their center, Chase Beeler, is evaluated from Stanford’s dominant line.
The Hokies have plenty NFL talent on their roster as well, four on Kiper’s list, but there will be plenty more coming out of this team. Jayron Hosley, Eddie Whitley, Bruce Taylor, Blake DeChristopher, Darren Evans, David Wilson are givens and newcomers Atone Exum, Kyle Fuller and injured Barquell Rivers will all likely get their chance to play on Sunday.
From star power to solid route runners to linemen, this game will be bursting with NFL talent. How it all translates on the field can be argued for hours on end but get your autographs while you can because they’ll be worth a pretty penny soon enough.
Note: Stanford football isn’t my strong point, and I can’t seem to find free game footage anywhere (if someone could post some links, that’d be awesome!) so my prediction for the number of future NFL-ers is likely off. Tech has more than twice what Kiper/McShay featured. Feel free to correct me in the comments.
If You’re a Gambler, Take the over on Points
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Neither team has played a murderers row of opponents and each team lost to a then top five opponent. And as stated earlier, they let up 30-plus to every team with eight wins and up.
By that calculation alone, the total of the game should exceed 60 points, which is already above the 58 given by Vegas.
Stanford’s offensive line will open holes against the porous Tech run defense. Tech’s trio of backs will slice through the defense, just like Luck will slice Hokie defenders. Tyrod Taylor will shine as he always does in the spotlight.
And the high turnover margin on each team could easily turn into quick points.
If that’s not the formula for a high scoring game, I’m not sure what is.
But the best part of it all will be that it will all be because of good football. It won’t be a sloppy game that no team wants to win.
Stanford is a rightful three point favorite, after all, they didn’t lose to an FCS team. But one of the surest bets you can make this bowl season is take the over on the Orange Bowl.
The Orange Bowl Is, at the Very Worst, the Third Best Bowl This Season
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It will be hard-nosed, it will be hard-hitting, it will have finesse, there will be passing, there will be running, there will be forced turnovers and there won’t be many unforced errors.
Two teams coming from polar opposite directions to meet on the national stage with premier coaches on the sidelines.
Two defenses that are best at the other teams strong point.
Two all-everything quarterbacks and NFL talent at every position.
If the Rose Bowl wasn’t such a good matchup, the Orange Bowl would easily take its place as the second best bowl behind the national championship.
This game is almost guaranteed to come down to the fourth quarter and is almost guaranteed to be high scoring.
Some games will be incredibly exciting but it won’t be at this level and the Rose Bowl and National Championship could turn into blowouts. Granted, so could the Orange Bowl but history suggests otherwise.
But Ohio State is going to demolish Arkansas—that’s the second best bet this season—and a BCS matchup between these two evenly matched programs will be a sight for your lackadaisical, watch-because-nothing-else-is-on, fan and your avid, Kool-Aid drinking super fan.
So be sure to turn in on January 3rd to watch the Orange Bowl. But make double sure if the Rose Bowl is a bust. Because if the title game doesn’t fill its billing, you could miss the best bowl game this year.
For more college football and basketball coverage, in-depth analysis on Virginia Tech sports and more articles, follow me on Twitter @VT_CaceClosed.
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