A Look Ahead: Virginia Tech vs. Marshall

By Justin Cates

Call me a broken record if you like, bu Marshall will be another tough test for the Hokies.

That's not even coach speak. Frank Beamer has made a habit over the years of making even the most average teams seem like world-beaters, but in this case he's entirely correct.

East Carolina proved to be just as difficult as I expected. Tech's 15-10 win in Greenville was in doubt most of the day but it could have been a lot easier with some made field goals—more on that later.

The biggest thing to come out of that game is that the Hokie defense is real, and they're spectacular.

Currently ranked the number two overall defense in the nation, Tech gave talnted Pirate quarterback Shane Carden all kinds of trouble. Carden was sacked seven times and intercepted on three passes, two from true freshman corner Brandon Facyson.

As good as the secondary is, the line is playing outstanding football too.

Defensive tackle J.R. Collins is playing at a very high level. Saturday he had five tackles including two sacks and a QB hurry.

Fellow lineman defensive end James Gayle (pictured up top) also had an interesting day.

Early in the game, his left shoulder popped out and the trainers popped it back in. He kept playing and finished the day with two sacks—one of which stripped the ball in the endzone and forced a safety—and two more quarterback hurries en route to being named the ACC's defensive lineman of the week.

That's some extreme toughness, something the entire team seems to have in abundance this season likely thanks to a very tough summer camp. It's a stark contrast to last year's campaign already in that department.

Freshman Brandon Facyson is proving to be a terror in the defensive backfield.

The Hokie offense struggled but took some steps forward. ECU stacked the line and sold out all day to stop the run with great success allowing just 53 yards on 34 carries.

That's what teams will do the rest of the season until Logan Thomas shows he can beat teams through the air, and there were positive signs there.

Logan still missed a couple of easy passes but made much better reads throwing the football and was very good on third downs. The receivers are also starting to step up.

Demtri Knowles had a big day with eight catches for 99 yards and a touchdown. Willie Byrn—nicknamed 'The Paperboy' by Scot Loeffler because he always delivers and looks like the coordinators paperboy—is becoming a reliable target after seven catches for 67 yards and a lot of nice yards after the catch.

D.J. Coles caught a touchdown for the second straight game but his snaps will be limited going forward due to the health of his knee.

For the second game in a row, the Tech defense will be tested by a strong passing attack.

Marshall quarterback Rakeem Cato was the leading passer in the FBS last year and is off to a fast start this season. Through three games so far, Cato is 68-of-108 for 849 yards and seven touchdowns.

The Thundering Herd passing offense currently ranks 21st in the nation and they're 12th in scoring with the 5th ranked total defense. Those numbers are certainly inflated based on competition, but the offense played well against a good Ohio team, nearly leading the comeback.

Rakeem Cato and the Herd hope to pull an upset in Blacksburg.

 The defense just needs to keep doing what it's doing and the offense needs continue taking steps forward. Running the ball won't get any easier as J.C. Coleman has once again been ruled out against Marshall.

The good news is that Chris Mangus has shown some nice things as the backup to Trey Edmunds. Tech will need to find some creative ways to run the ball facing another defense that will likely load the box with eight guys almost every play.

I'd like to see a couple of reverses and some outside runs that utilize Edmunds' speed.

As for the Hokie kicker Cody Journell, well he had a miserable day in Greenville.

He missed an extra point, then overcompensated and missed a field goal and then another field goal. He missed one more but it was negated by a roughing the kicker penalty.

Kicking is a bizarre mental game as much as it is the physical striking of the ball. The last thing you want a kicker doing is thinking. Hopefully, Tech can get him a field goal attempt early and he can make it and put everything behind him.

Over his career, Journell has proven to be very reliable—on the field at least—and there's no reason to start doubting him now. I felt much better after hearing he received a phone call from Shayne Graham after the game. I'm sure the Hokies' greatest kicker had some good advice for a reeling protégé.

For fun, here's the biggest kick in school history. Few things make me happier than seeing ery very sad West Virginia Mountaineers.




So as the air turns crisp and the Hokies don yet another "interesting" uniform for military appreciation day, Tech sits at 2-1 and in good position for a home victory. It will be tough, but there won't be a single easy game the rest of the way.

The Hokies take on Marshall Saturday at NOON on ESPNU.

A Look Ahead: Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina

By Justin Cates

Editor's Note: J.C. Coleman will not travel with the team after tweaking his ankle against Western Carolina. 

People will think I'm nuts, but East Carolina's offense will test the Hokies more than Alabama's did.

The Crimson Tide were breaking in new starters on the offensive line and Tech largely dominated. 'Bama also runs the ball most of the time, waiting to burn you with play-action passes later on.

East Carolina passes, a lot.

Quarterback Shane Carden is off to an absolutely amazing start. In two games, the junior has completed 63-of-79 passes for 638 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions.

You read that correctly, he's completing 80 percent of his passes (technically 79.7).

They run a very high-tempo offense and throw the ball around to everyone. The Pirates will spread the defense and hope to get Tech on it's heels in the Hokies' first true road game of the season.

Shane Carden hopes to continue his hot start against the Hokies.

It's similar to what Oregon and now the Philadelphia Eagles try to do. They get one-on-one match ups in space and force the defense to make difficult open field tackles.

ECU won't run things quite as fast, but they'll push the tempo as much as they can.

"To be honest, I don't like to go down there to play them, just because it's so hot and is so high-tempo," defensive end James Gayle said this week.

The weather will be milder than normal this week, but it's clear the memories of Tech's narrow 17-10 victory on the last trip to Greenville persist.

ECU almost always gives Tech trouble and this time will be no different.

The Hokie offense has to keep getting better. Against Western Carolina, there were spurts of great execution but then the same inconsistencies would crop up.

Things are still a work in progress, but the young receivers are starting to step up, particularly in the form of Joshua Stanford.

True freshman Kalvin Cline had four catches for 46 yards against the Catamounts, but he did drop a fairly routine touchdown.

Cline is extremely raw, but he's vaulted to the top of the tight end rotation due to his pass catching ability.

Yes, Kalvin Cline knows the thing about his name.

It gives Logan Thomas another option and hopefully gives offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler the ability to use some of his tight end plays that were largely scrapped when Ryan Malleck was lost for the season. 

Tech needs to keep making progress in the passing game against the Pirates and keep running the football effectively.

Shane Beamer and Loeffler will look to begin establishing the specific roles of each running back now that the top four are likely available.

J.C. Coleman's status is still unclear after getting banged up in his first action against Western Carolina. I'll update after we see how he's listed on Thursday's injury report. 

This game will likely be very close unless the Hokie offense takes a giant leap forward. More likely, expect a positive step in the right direction with occasional moments of sloppiness.

Or, exactly what you would expect at this point with a brand new offensive system.

The defense will be challenged in the air but will look to stop the run as they've done twice this season.

Look for a fun and surprisingly interesting game NOON Saturday in Tech's first game on Fox Sports 1.

“To be honest, I don’t like going down there to play them, just because it’s hot and is so high-tempo,” - See more at: http://blogs.roanoke.com/andybittervirginiatechfootball/#sthash.6uTS1MX9.dpuf

Frank Beamer Wins 200th as Hokies Edge East Carolina 17-10

Virginia Tech survived its first road game of the season Saturday, outlasting the Pirates 17-10 a game dominated by defense.

The win marked Frank Beamer's 200th at Virginia Tech and 242nd for his career. Beamer becomes just the tenth coach in FBS history to win at least 200 games at one school.

Tech quarterback Logan Thomas was somewhat inconsistent his first career road start completing just 8 of 20 passes for 91 yards and an interception, but he had several key passes dropped by receivers.

Thomas added 66 yards on the ground and proved once again that he's an imposing physical runner, plowing head-on over defenders on several carries fully utilizing his 6-6 frame.

David Wilson continued the quietest Heisman campaign you'll come across with 26 carries for 138 yards as Tech ground out 241 yards on the ground.

Josh Oglesby also had an excellent effort posting 43 yards on nine carries and scoring both of the Hokies' touchdowns.

The Hokie defense was in midseason form Saturday, holding the explosive Pirate offense to just 112 total yards including -15 yards rushing.

Corner Kyle Fuller interception a pass and the Hokie defense sacked ECU quarterback Dominique Davis five times.

The Techmen return to Blacksburg this weekend for a non-conference tilt with Arkansas State. The Red Wolves are 1-1 on the season and are coming off a 47-3 thumping of Memphis.

Under Frank Beamer, the Hokies are 118-31-1 in Blacksburg and 3-0 all-time against Arkansas State.

Virginia Tech Football: Welcome To 1998?

Six days, two Hokie losses.

If your brain can’t fully wrap itself around that, fear not, you aren’t alone.

In less than a week, the Hokies went from being a team many saw as a legitimate national championship contender to not receiving any votes in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll after heartbreaking 33-30 loss to Boise State last Monday, and a head-scratching upset loss at home to James Madison 21-16 Saturday.

An elaborate ploy to ruin Boise State’s strength of schedule? Perhaps.

More likely, this Hokie team is young on defense and left searching for answers.

Tech now sits at 0-2 for the first time since 1995, a season that ended in a Sugar Bowl victory over Texas.

While few saw that turnaround coming, it’s hard to find any optimism in Blacksburg these days.

The Hokies have played roughly three quarters of good offense through two games and a whole bunch of mediocre defense.

Tech fans knew this defense had to replace seven of the starters. They would be a young unit, but Bud Foster always gets the most out of his group right?

The Hokies were thin up the middle to start, with depth issues at linebacker and all along the defensive line. Add a season-ending injury to defensive tackle Kwamaine Battle and things get even thinner.

An inexperienced defense is one thing, but Tech can’t even tackle consistently right now as evidenced on a 77-yard touchdown pass Saturday.

“What adjective you want me to use? Pathetic? Unacceptable?” Foster said Monday.

To me, it’s inexcusable. And we’re going to get that correct. If not, we’re going to find guys that want to get out here and play, and play the way we’ve done it.”

Tying this back to the title, the loss to JMU marks almost certainly the worst loss in Tech history. The only comparable game was No. 10 Virginia Tech’s 1998 loss to the lowly Temple Owls 28-24 in Lane Stadium.

Up until this weekend, any mention of that game brought blank stares and pure denial about the existence of such a game.

That Tech team vaulted high in the rankings after starting 5-0 but they struggled to finish games down the stretch, losing heartbreakers to Syracuse and Virginia following the Temple debacle.
1998 was a largely forgettable season, especially in light of the following year’s run to the national championship game.

So will 2010 be like ’95 or ’98?

The ACC doesn’t appear to be particularly strong this season so a BCS bowl berth is still amazingly a possibility.

At this point however, it’s fair to say Tech could win or lose every game remaining on the schedule starting with East Carolina Saturday.

The Pirates are 2-0 under new coach Ruffin McNeill who brought Mike Leach’s “Air Raid” offense with him from Texas Tech. ECU has averaged 50 points per game in their two outings and rank 18th in the nation in total offense.

Needless to say, 2010 is going to be an interesting year.

College Football Quick Picks: Week 3

I've got a strange feeling about this weekend. Things are too quiet. I sense turmoil brewing, probably because No. 19 Nebraska at No. 13 Virginia Tech will only be viewed by about 16% of the country. We aren't getting the weekend's only top 25 match up here in New York, so we had to order ESPN GamePlan. Bastards. Something's afoot though, we'll see if it's reflected in my picks.


No. 14 Georgia Tech @ No. 20 Miami

Georgia Tech ran for a crazy amount of yards on the 'Canes last season, and I don't really see any reason why they can't repeat that. Miami is much improved, but I'm not putting too much stock in their Labor Day win over Florida State, because FSU sucks (more on that later). Look for the option to run wild in Miami, no doubt the least important "home field advantage" in sports. Miami fans are terrible and often fail to show up. I've seen it first hand.

Georgia Tech Wins


East Carolina @ No. 24 North Carolina

I thought UNC would be much improved this season, but after what I saw from them in their 12-10 win over UConn, I'm not sold. I had the Pirates in an upset over WVU which didn't pan out, but I've got a better feeling this time around.

East Carolina Wins


Louisville @ Kentucky

I don't think either of these teams are particularly good despite being 1-0. But of course it's a rivalry game so it should be close and hard-fought. Kentucky shut out a Miami (OH) team that has yet to score on offense this season and Louisville only beat Indiana State by 20 points.

Kentucky Wins


Virginia @ Southern Miss



I feel like this one is kind of cheating, but it's too tempting to pass up and I wanted an excuse to post that video. Virginia is just awful. I'm not just saying this as a Hokie. Watching part of the UVA-TCU debacle showed me that the 'Hoos just don't have much going in their favor. The spread offense appears to be a disaster and the only real question in Charlottesville is does Al Groh get fired now or at the end of the season?

Southern Miss Wins


Arizona @ Iowa

Iowa has had their share of adversity early in the season, losing running backs to injury and nearly losing their opener to FCS opponent Northern Iowa. Ricky Stanzi is a good quarterback though and he gives the Hawkeyes a chance. Arizona has posted some good early season stats and beat a good Central Michigan team in the opener.

Arizona Wins


Florida State @ No. 7 BYU

Florida State couldn't stop Miami if they wanted to on Labor Day, and they struggled to stop Jacksonville State in their last outing. FSU just isn't very good at all and now there are reports trickling out of Tallahassee saying there is unrest among the players, with some negative feelings directed at the coaching staff. The 'Noles are going to get embarrassed in this one, at home no less.

BYU Wins


Navy @ Pittsburgh

It's no secret to frequent readers that I like Navy and their offense. Pitt looked good against Buffalo, but I'm not sure how they'll defend the tricky offense of the Midshipmen.

Navy Wins


Northwestern @ Syracuse

This is it folks. This is the week that Syracuse breaks into the win column. The Orange probably should have won their opener, and didn't fare too badly last week against Penn State in Happy Valley. I think Greg Paulus will have a break out game and 'Cuse will scratch one out against the Wildcats.

Syracuse Wins

Tyrod Taylor Burns Red Shirt...Again

In a situation almost identical to last season, following an ineffective season opener against East Carolina sophomore Tyrod Taylor's red shirt will once again be removed and he will return to action Saturday in Lane Stadium against Furman.

Both Taylor and the much maligned Sean Glennon will play Saturday head football coach Frank Beamer announced Tuesday, but there's no word yet on who will start.

Work Left To Do In Blacksburg

Coming into its season opener the Virginia Tech football team had many questions to answer, and after losing to East Carolina 27-22 Saturday in Charlotte, most of those questions remain unanswered.

Sean Glennon looked mediocre, completing 14 of 23 passes for 139 yards with two interceptions and no touchdowns. The offensive lines protection wasn't very good either, leaving big questions while others were partly answered.

Kenny Lewis Jr. led Tech's rushers with 11 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown. Darren Evans added 12 carries for 37 yards and another touchdown. The Hokies were still out rushed by ECU 158-104, but the two eased some minds concerned with the tailback position.

True freshman Dyrell Roberts may have had the play of the day on offense for the Hokies, hauling in an impressive 62 yard pass from Sean Glennon on which he blew by the defender and was wide open for a beautifully thrown ball by Glennon.

I would like to point out that I called the play- Eric can attest to that- right before it happened. Roberts was isolated one-on-one and the Hokies hadn't called a pass downfield yet. In fact, that play would turn out to be the only real success Tech had on longer passes all afternoon.

The defense didn't look very impressive, lots and lots of arm tackles. Kam Chancellor seemed to be off and lacked the killer instinct and ability to finish tackles as did most of the defense. They were of course without starter Macho Harris at corner. His return from an ankle injury will really help the energy level on defense and hopefully provide some leadership on a very young, but talented unit. Stephan Virgil showed he has loads of ability and will be a big player for Tech this season at the other corner spot.

By the end of the season, Bud Foster will have yet another excellent defense on his hands.

In the mean time, it's back to the drawing board for Frank Beamer and Co. and time to move on to next week's special white out game against the Furman Paladins. More to come throughout the week.

Hokies Name Starting Quarterback

The quarterback controvery is over in Blacksburg, at least for now as head football coach Frank Beamer named redshirt senior Sean Glennon the starter and said the team planned to redshirt sophomore quarterback Tyrod Taylor who burst onto the college football scene last fall and led to the Hokies using a two QB rotation much of the season.

The move to start Glennon and redshirt Taylor has led to an uproar among the fanbase, but really if it works out, the move will be great down the line for the Tech program.

With no proven receivers, either quarterback could struggle finding reliable targets so the Hokies look to run the ball a lot with a stable of young running backs and the prospect of bruising tight end Greg Boone both catching passes and rushing the ball in certain situations.

Next season, Taylor will have a more seasoned receving corps to work with in his first full season as the uncontested starter. Brandon Dillard will return and the youngin's won't be so green anymore more.

Of course if Glennon struggles during the first few weeks of the season, we could see the whole plan unravel and watch Tyrod lose the redshirt and come back to be a major contibutor (like last season).

Either way it proves as an interesting lead in to what should be a decent match up in the season opener in Charlotte against East Carolina this Saturday at Noon on ESPN.