VT Effect Blogs

Wang hopes to play; Newsome praises Arkema

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 21:34:39 -0400

BLACKSBURG, Va. – David Wang limped through Monday’s practice, but the Virginia Tech starting left guard said he had a much easier time working out Tuesday. And Wang, who sprained his left ankle in the loss to Pittsburgh and sat out the Bowling Green game, expects to play this weekend against Cincinnati at FedEx Field.

“I plan on playing this week,” Wang said after practice Tuesday. “I think the coaches respect me enough to trust my judgment, at least a little bit. As long as I can perform in practice, I feel like they’ll let me play.”

Offensive line coach Curt Newsome said no decision has been made yet on Wang’s status.

“We’ll see where he is,” Newsome said.

Wang said he spent plenty of time around the football facility last week getting treatment on his injured ankle. But Friday, he and the rest of the players not dressing for the game, enjoyed a day off.

Wang spent it hanging out at his apartment. And despite his well-publicized love of video games, Wang said he used his day off to study for an exam in his market research class on Tuesday. Wang took the exam before Tuesday’s practice.

“I hope it went well,” Wang said.

Wang tried to study his replacement at left guard during Saturday’s win over Bowling Green. Wang tried to keep a watchful eye on sophomore Matt Arkema from his seat in the stands at Lane Stadium, near the 35-yard line by the Hokies’ offensive bench.

“I tried to pay attention as much as I could,” Wang said. “It’s hard because you want to follow the football when you’re in the stands.”

Wang knows. He sat in the stands last year for a game after breaking his foot.

“It’s fun to be able to watch a game and not worry, but you still worry because you want to be on the field,” Wang said. “It’s hard to sit there. I was right behind the bench. I could hear what the coaches were telling them. I kind of felt like I wanted to get up and go to the sideline.”

Arkema played most of the game at left guard, with starting right guard Michael Via sliding over to the left spot every three series. When Via, a senior, moved to left guard, sophomore Brent Benedict played right guard.

Newsome said he started Arkema because he believed Arkema had put in the work and was prepared to play.

“I trust Matt,” Newsome said. “I think Matt has put a lot of time and effort in it. He’s a guy that cares and he’s a guy that competes. He’s been the left guard backup and we lost the left guard. That called his number and he handled it.”

The blues: Junior tailback Tony Gregory (knee) joined Wang in the limited contact blue jerseys Tuesday. About 15 minutes into practice, Gregory – who has suffered three ACL tears in the past five years – jogged off the field and headed to the trainers room. But Gregory said after practice he was just getting a protective sleeve for his knee because rain had made the grass slick.

“He’s got a history of some knee injuries,” Tech running backs coach Shane Beamer said. “So it’s a long season. We’re just trying to rest him a little bit, just rest that knee. No major issues. Plus with the wet grass, today wasn’t a great day to be running around for him.”

Seeing red: Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said the program is looking into getting redshirt years for true freshmen Deon Clarke (a linebacker from L.C. Bird High School) and Joshua Stanford (wide receiver). Both have seen limited action in the first four ballgames.

Stanford has dealt with a minor knee injury in the past week. Clarke doesn’t have any injuries that I’m aware of. Not sure what grounds there would be to redshirt guys who have played, if they’re healthy.

Edwards working his way back, D-line improved

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 20:51:54 -0400

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Tariq Edwards may have gotten back on the field for the Virginia Tech football team Saturday, but defensive coordinator Bud Foster said the linebacker is still a week or two away from really being ready to contribute and challenge for a starting roll.

“He’s probably 85 percent I’m guessing right now,” Foster said of Edwards, who underwent two surgeries this offseason to fix a stress fracture in his left leg. “Hopefully he just continues to improve and get better. Where he is right now, I’d say it’s hard for him. He can give us good solid depth right now. I still think he’s a couple weeks away form being where we’d like him to be and where he’d like to be.”

Edwards made one tackle in his 12 plays against Bowling Green, during the Hokies’ 37-0 shutout on Saturday.

It was Edwards’s first action of the year.

“It’s getting better, a lot better,” Edwards said. “It’s not 100 percent yet, but it feels 100 percent better without that screw. It’s getting there. It’s not there yet, but it’s getting there.”

Better effort from D-line: Defensive line coach Charley Wiles said he still saw a few “loafs” from Luther Maddy and Derek Hopkins in Saturday’s win, but overall, was happy with the way his group performed.

“I talked to them this morning and I thought it was just a solid performance,” Wiles said. “The effort was better, played with more emotion. I think we had two loafs, Luther had two. And Derek had one. Two times when they threw these little dink passes that we could be running to the football, kind of looked and then run. Just pointing that out to them. But I’d give it a solid performance. I think we can play a lot better, a lot faster and we’re going to have to continue to get better.”

The play of the line impressed Cincinnati coach Butch Jones, whose team faces Tech on Saturday at FedEx Field.

“Obviously Virginia Tech comes in with one of the best defensive lines in the country,” Jones said Monday during the Big East’s weekly teleconference. “I think they got back to playing Virginia Tech football this week.”

Upon Further Review: The Bowling Green game

Sun, 23 Sep 2012 14:00:00 -0400

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Saturday’s win over Bowling Green was an impressive bounce-back effort by the Virginia Tech football team, but the bevy of emails and tweets I received last night handing the Hokies a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s championship game after Georgia Tech’s loss to Miami, may be a bit premature.

I still contend last week’s road loss at Pittsburgh won’t look like such a bad loss by the time the season ends. The Panthers, under a new coach, are rounding into a very respectable team.

By the same token, Bowling Green is, well, Bowling Green.

So what should you take from Saturday’s 37-0 win over the Falcons? That the Hokies, if nothing else, have rekindled their passion for competing this season.

First down: The defense bounced back.

Tech’s defensive players and coaches made no secret of their displeasure with their play and effort in the loss at Pittsburgh. So Saturday it was little surprise the Hokies came out amped and ready to play. Still, they were either go to rebound or play poorly again. So rebounding was the better choice.

“Just going back and watching the film form the Pittsburgh game and seeing how much we really did get pushed around, we thought it was bad after the game still up there,” senior linebacker Bruce Taylor said. “But once we got back and watched the film on Monday we saw how bad it actually was. That was just motivation because that’s not us. That’s not how we play defense.”

The players said that, with the advancement of offenses, shutouts aren’t easy to come by and that they never discussed posting a donut as a goal. Still, cornerback Antone Exum admitted he was a bit anxious in the fourth quarter when the backups were in, hoping they’d be able to finish off the job, especially after they gave up a 47-yard run.

“I was like, ‘Oh man here it comes. They might get a field or something,’” Exum said. “But we were able to get it together.”

Second down: The Hokies pounded the ball on the ground.

Who knew Tony Gregory would be the answer? Virginia Tech opened with redshirt freshman Michael Holmes at tailback but quickly went to, and got a spark from, Gregory, the junior who is coming off an ACL injury last season.

“We’ve been cycling all of us at practice all through the week,” Gregory said. “We’re taught to practice like you’re a starter so it could be any one of us.”

And while Tech coach Frank Beamer had praise for Gregory’s play, he wasn’t ready to anoint him the team’s new featured back. Instead, it appears the Hokies will continue to use Holmes, Gregory, J.C. Coleman and Martin Scales in a rotation.

“We’re going to see,” Beamer said. “Look at the video, see how we practice this week. But I did think Tony gave us a spark in there. And Michael Holmes had a nice run. All of them had their moments. Martin Scales had a tough run there. They all have a place, we have to keep on figuring it out.”

Third down: Virginia Tech still can’t seem to get going offensively right from kickoff.

Quarterback Logan Thomas and right tackle Vinston Painter attributed the Hokies’ latest slow offensive start to some changes in the Bowling Green defense that the team hadn’t prepared for during the week.

Wide receiver Dyrell Roberts said it was just “jitters.”

“When you come out, you kind of have some jitters and things like that, you really want to settle in,” Roberts said. “I know, from my standpoint, the game really don’t feel it gets started until I touch the ball one time. You get banged around a little bit and are able to go out there and settle down.”

Cornerback Antone Exum? He said the defense wasn’t surprised to see the offense struggle in the first quarter or play well after that.

“That’s really nothing new,” Exum said. “They’ve kind of been starting slow since the beginning of the season here. But we never lose confidence in those guys. We know they’ll get it together and they did today and put a lot of points on the board.”

Fourth down: The rebuilt (again) offensive line was effective.

Granted, it came against a MAC opponent, but for a week at least, Tech made it through without injured left guard David Wang (ankle). It’s unclear when Wang will return. Sophomore Matt Arkema took Wang’s spot Saturday.

“I feel like the o-line really stepped up today,” Coleman said. “There were a lot of open holes out there.”

Senior Michael Via started at right guard, where sophomore Brent Benedict also worked in.

Right tackle Vinston Painter said the line was dedicated to playing better than it did in Saturday’s loss at Pittsburgh.

“We pretty much hated the way that film looked,” Painter said. “Coach didn’t like it and it doesn’t feel good sitting there having your coaches tell you, ‘You guys got pushed around.’ We’re a bunch of 300 pound men up there. For someone to say, ‘This guy is slapping you around,’ it doesn’t feel very good in your stomach. Coming into this game, we told ourselves we’re going to be the most physical team, today. And we went out and did that.”

Extra points: Tech played an eighth true freshman when it used Brooks Abbott as its kickoff man Saturday. … Cornerback Kyle Fuller played with his bruised right shoulder heavily wrapped but said he’s getting closer to being 100 percent. “It’s still not where I want it o be but I was able to go,” Fuller said. … Game-time for Saturday’s meeting with Cincinnati at FedEx Field has been set for 3:30 p.m. … Tech’s romp over Bowling Green wasn’t enough to get back into the AP Top 25, but did the Hokies did return to the Top 25 in the coaches poll, tying for 25th with Rutgers (my alma mater).

Game Day: Bowling Green at Virginia Tech

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 23:17:00 -0400

Game Day: Bowling Green at Virginia Tech

BLACKSBURG, Va. –

Who: Bowling Green at Virginia Tech

What: The Hokies’ annual military appreciation game.

When: Noon

Where: Lane Stadium

Why: The Hokies look to bounce back from an embarrassing 35-17 loss at Pittsburgh, that saw their vaunted defense pushed around by the Panthers.

Four things to watch for

First down: Will the defense shrug off Saturday’s pitiful performance against Pitt?

It’s not often that a Virginia Tech defense gets pushed around, but that’s what happened Saturday at Heinz Field. The Panthers racked up over 500 yards of total offense, freshman tailback Rushel Shell ran for 154 yards and Ray Graham added 94 rushing yards and a pair of scores. Shell became the second straight back to hit the century mark against a Hokies’ defense that had aspirations of being the top unit in the nation.

Bowling Green should be a team that Tech’s defensive line can dominate. Now, will it be?

Second down: Can Tech get its running game going?

The duo of redshirt freshman Michael Holmes and true freshman J.C. Coleman have done some good things early this season, but haven’t been able to consistently churn out yards or break any long runs.

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said this week the team is considering changing up the tailback rotation, which could mean more carries for junior Tony Gregory and senior Martin Scales.

Third down: How will the offensive line perform with guard David Wang out of the lineup?

The problem for whoever plays tailback, and for quarterback Logan Thomas, is that the already questionable offensive line, which struggled mightily at Pittsburgh, will be without starting left guard David Wang, who suffered a sprained ankle in the loss to the Panthers. Beamer said Friday that sophomore Matt Arkema will start in Wang’s place. Sophomore Brent Benedict will start at right guard and senior Michael Via, who had been rotating with Benedict, will be the backup at both spots and should team at both.

Fourth down: Will the Hokies’ injured defenders be able to contribute?

Junior cornerback Kyle Fuller, who suffered a shoulder injury in the loss to Pittsburgh, practiced this week and was listed as probable for today’s game. But Fuller said the pain in his shoulder made it hard for him to get his shoulder pads over his head on Saturday. It remains to be seen how healthy he is.

And linebacker Tariq Edwards, who will dress for the first time this season after two offseason leg surgeries to correct a stress fracture, took part in some contact drills this week. Beamer said it hasn’t been decided if Edwards will play any against Bowling Green.

Tech coaches, teammates defend QB Thomas

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 21:33:00 -0400

BLACKSBURG, Va. – There’s plenty of blame to go around for Saturday’s offensive ineptitude in a road loss at previously-winless Pittsburgh. But Virginia Tech’s players and coaches spent Monday saying not to put too much of it on junior quarterback Logan Thomas.

“It wasn’t all Logan,” said senior right tackle Vinston Painter, instead pointing a finger at himself and his fellow offensive linemen. “I take the blame for the unit. We should have protected him a bit better. Let him feel more comfortable, more confident in the pocket. Definitely that wasn’t his fault at all.”

Thomas finished 14 for 31 for 265 yards with three interceptions and one touchdown in the Hokies’ 35-17 loss at Pittsburgh, a defeat that dropped No. 13 Tech from the AP Top 25 for the first time in 24 games.

Senior wide receiver Marcus Davis, who defended Thomas to reporters outside the visiting lockerroom at Heinz Field immediately after the loss, continued that way Monday.

“I would never blame the game on the quarterback because it’s more than that,” Davis said Monday. “It’s a team game. I still think Logan handled his job. A few bad passes, a few bad balls here and there. But you can’t really put that on him.”

Davis said he blames himself for the first of three Thomas interceptions in the first half. The ball hit Davis in the hands and was tipped to a Pittsburgh defensive back.

Davis said after the game and repeated Monday that the play should have drawn a pass interference call, but still said he needed to do more to make sure the ball wasn’t picked off.

“It’s my job to either knock the ball down or catch it,” Davis said. “I put that on me. I told Logan I don’t blame him at all for that. I have to make a better effort to either knock the ball down or catch it.”

Virginia Tech quarterback coach Mike O’Cain said only one of the three interceptions was a bad decision by Thomas. That was the second pick, a ball he floated deep over the middle of the field.

“He made one bonehead play,” O’Cain said. “The second interception was just a ball he shouldn’t have thrown. Shouldn’t have thrown it in the first place and where he threw it was even worse. Can’t throw a ball away down the middle of the field. So that was a bad play.”

Offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring said Thomas was looking to get the ball to one of two receivers heading to the deep middle, but both were jammed at the line of scrimmage and never got to their spot.

On the other two interceptions, a strong Pittsburgh pass rush prevented Thomas from following through on his throws, causing the ball to sail high.

“He made one poor decision,” Stinespring said. “The other two he threw it where he wanted it, he knew where he was going with the ball. He just wasn’t able to follow through because he got hit.”

Wang to miss Bowling Green game: Left guard David Wang (ankle) won’t play Saturday against Bowling Green, Stinespring said. Wang injured his left ankle in the second half of the loss at Pittsburgh. X-rays were negative but Wang did not practice Monday.

Stinespring said Matt Arkema and Michael Via would compete for the starting spot in Wang’s absence. Arkema filled in for Wang on Saturday while Via, a senior, has been rotating at right guard with sophomore Brent Benedict.

Sitting in the fourth: Davis said he doesn’t know why he didn’t play much in the fourth quarter, but said he experienced pain in his knee and had told trainers that. He speculated that could have been the reason.

Stinespring said Davis didn’t get many plays in the fourth quarter because he was fatigued from running the no-huddle package Tech used in the second and third quarter.

Upon Further Review: The Pittsburgh game

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 10:38:45 -0400

BLACKSBURG, Va. – There was so much that went wrong for Virginia Tech on Saturday at Heinz Field against Pittsburgh, that four downs worth of review hardly seems like enough.

The Hokies lost their fourth straight game in an NFL stadium and had their school-record 13-game road winning streak snapped on a day when the offense looked inept and the defense seemed overmatched.

The good news? I think by the end of the year, Pittsburgh will prove to be a decent team. It’s a cliché to say they were better than their 0-2 record indicated, but I think that’s true. It took them those two games to find their identity under new coach Paul Chryst.

That being said, Virginia Tech looked much worse than it’s 2-0 record going into the game would have suggested.

First down: The defense was bad.

When was the last time you could really say that about a Virginia Tech, Bud Foster-coached defense? Not bad for a key play. Not bad for a quarter or a half. The Hokies were bad all game long, giving up a whopping 537 total yards. It’s the first time Tech has given up over 500 yards of offense in a game since beating Miami 38-35 on Oct. 8 last season.

A week after giving up over 100 yards rushing to FCS Austin Peay tailback Wesley Kitts, the Hokies nearly saw two opposing backs break the century mark. Freshman Rushel Shell went for 157 yards on 23 carries and Ray Graham, obviously fully back from last year’s knee injury, added 94 yards and two touchdowns on the ground on 24 attempts. And Graham also had an 18-yard touchdown reception.

Virginia Tech’s secondary had its worst game in years and the Hokies missed tackles all over the field. Yes, senior linebacker Bruce Taylor (ankle) and sophomore safety Detrick Bonner (leg) were playing hurt. And yes junior cornerback Kyle Fuller left the game with a right shoulder contusion. None of that explains why Pittsburgh was able to out-muscle, out-scheme and simply out-play the Hokies right from the start.

Second down: Another slow start for the offense.

Three interceptions, a fumble, a punt and a field goal. That was the whole of Virginia Tech’s offensive production in the first half Saturday. The Hokies managed 174 yards and three points on six first-half possessions and have now have scored just 14 points in the first quarter this season through three games.

Obviously the turnovers were the biggest issue, starting with Logan Thomas’s three first-half interceptions, a career high.

But it might have been the Michael Holmes fumble that was the biggest back breaker. A week after true freshman J.C. Coleman fumbled his first touch of the game against Austin Peay, Holmes coughed up the ball the play after a missed Pittsburgh field goal.

Third down: What’s wrong with Logan Thomas?

Thomas’s first throw Saturday went for a 44-yard completion to senior wide receiver Dyrell Roberts. That’s the good news. But if Thomas hadn’t underthrown Roberts on the play, it might have gone for a 66-yard touchdown.

Instead, it was the sign of things to come.

All three of Thomas’s first-half interceptions came for different reasons.

One tipped off the hands of his receiver. One Thomas called a bad read, though it appeared his receivers collided and fell down on the play. And one saw Thomas’s throwing arm hit by a defender because of a lack of protection.

Still, he had chances to redeem himself in the second half. None was bigger than a first down play in the third quarter when Thomas just couldn’t hit a wide open Marcus Davis, who would have scored a 64-yard touchdown to cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 21-17.

Fourth down: Is this defensive line not as a good as advertised?

You have to wonder, after seeing Pittsburgh gash the Hokies’ front for 4.6 yards a carry. Tech now ranks ninth in the 12-team Atlantic Coast Conference in rushing defense, giving up 201.7 yards per game on the ground. That’s a sobering statistic when you consider Tech still has dates upcoming with the league’s top three rushers, Clemson’s Andre Ellington, Florida State’s Chris Thompson and Miami’s Duke Johnson.

Tech is tied for eighth in sacks, with four in three games. (Florida State and North Carolina State are tied for the league-lead with 11.)

Florida State lost its top defensive end (Brandon Jenkins) to a season-ending foot injury, but junior Bjoern Werner and senior Cornelius Carradine, lead the ACC in sacks with 6.5 and 3.5 respectively.

Meanwhile, Tech’s touted duo of juniors James Gayle and J.R. Collins have totaled just two sacks this season, both by Gayle.

Extra points: Initial x-rays on injured left guard David Wang were negative Saturday. No update yet on his condition, or that of Fuller (shoulder). … The Hokies dropped from No. 13 to out of the AP Top 25, ending their streak of 24 straight games played as a ranked team.

Halftime: Pittsburgh 21, Virginia Tech 3

Sat, 15 Sep 2012 13:34:00 -0400

PITTSBURGH – Pittsburgh took advantage of another slow start by Virginia Tech to take their first lead of the 2012 football season. The winless Panthers (0-2) jumped out to a 21-3 lead in the first half Saturday at Heinz Field, forcing four turnovers by the visiting Hokies (2-0).

The biggest deficit Virginia Tech has rallied from under coach Frank Beamer was 17 points against North Carolina State in 2010. Tailback Ray Graham scored on a 12-yard run and quarterback Tino Sunseri hit wide receiver Devin Street for a 13-yard score as Pittsburgh jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

Kevin Harper missed a 35-yard field goal but on the next play, tailback Michael Holmes lost a fumble that Pittsburgh recovered at the 10-yard line. Two plays later, Graham crashed in from 5 yards out for his second touchdown, putting the Panthers up 21-0 with 13:03 left in the half.

Harper missed a second field goal, from 33 yards out, on the final play of the first half.

Pittsburgh, which hadn’t led yet this season, out-gained Virginia Tech 305-159 in the first half. The Panthers forced four first-half turnovers by the Hokies, including a career-high three interceptions from quarterback Logan Thomas. The first came on a ball that deflected off the hands off senior wide receiver Marcus Davis, but the next two were balls Thomas floated high and directly into the arms of defenders.

Graham rushed for 65 yards and the two scores on 13 carries, and Rushel Shell added 52 on 10 attempts. Sunseri was 10-for-14 for 185 yards and the touchdown.

Thomas was 8-for-15 for 117 yards and three interceptions. He was sacked twice. Tech rushed for just 42 yards in the first half.

Game Day: Virginia Tech at Pittsburgh

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:30:39 -0400

BLACKSBURG, Va. –

Who: Virginia Tech at Pittsburgh

What: The Hokies first road game of the year, a non-conference date.

When: Noon

Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh

Why: The Panthers will be joining the ACC next year, but for now, this is a non-league game against a Big East school for Virginia Tech. The Hokies are 2-0 and looking to improve on their offensive play.

Four things to watch for

First down: Will Virginia Tech shrug off its tendency for sluggish offensive starts and jump on the Panthers?

The Hokies offense has looked strong in the second half and exceptional in its two-minute, hurry-up phase. But in the first quarters of games, Virginia Tech and Logan Thomas have been mediocre.

With Pittsburgh reeling at 0-2, a big start would go a long way to giving the Hokies control of the game.

“We’re playing, like, a wounded animal,” Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster said. “They’re going to be backed up in a corner. They’re playing at home. They’re playing a quality opponent in us. They’re going to play their tail off. We expect that.”

Second down: Can the Hokies control the line of scrimmage?

Anytime you play Pittsburgh, even an 0-2 version that lost to FCS Youngstown State in its opener, you have to match the Panthers’ physical style of play, especially up front. Defensively, that shouldn’t be a problem for the Hokies. Their much-ballyhooed defense is built on a strong and athletic defensive line.

“They’re physical up front, they want to establish the run,” Tech senior linebacker Bruce Taylor said this week. “It’s power football. They’re big up front. They’ve got two good, probably great, running backs.”

On the offensive side of things, one of the reasons Virginia Tech has been rotating sophomore Brent Benedict in at right guard is that he’s more of a physical presence than senior Michael Via.

Third Down: Does the running game have a big play in it?

Offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring this week praised the play of his rookie tailbacks, noting that both redshirt freshman Michael Holmes and true freshman J.C. Coleman have impressive yards-per-carry averages (Holmes is getting 4.3 yards per rush, while Coleman is at 5.4).

But no one is denying the Hokies could really use some long runs. Holmes has the longest rush by a tailback this season at 19 yards. Virginia Tech’s best running play was a 26-yard gain by wide receiver Marcus Davis on an end around.

“We need to get more explosive plays out of the running game,” Stinespring said.

Fourth Down: How healthy is Pitt’s star running back, Ray Graham?

Graham is coming off a knee injury that cut short his 2011 season. At the time he was hurt, Graham was leading the Big East in rushing. Now, he’s back. And through two games he’s been effective if not spectacular.

Graham has rushed for 174 yards on 33 carries, ripping off a 50-yarder already this year and averaging 5.3 yards per carry. But he hasn’t found the end zone yet.

“Graham, he looked good in the Cincy game,” Taylor said, “but I feel like he’s still nursing that knee a little bit.”

Last game, the Hokies gave up over 100 yards rushing to Austin Peay’s Wesley Kitts.

Extra points: Virginia Tech’s injury report Thursday listed center Andrew Miller (ankle), linebacker Bruce Taylor (ankle) and safety Detrick Bonner (leg) all as probable for the Pittsburgh game.

Weaver likes Notre Dame addition

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:33:40 -0400

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Growing up in Harrisburg, Pa., long before he played for Joe Paterno at Penn State, Jim Weaver said one name stood above all the rest in college football.

“There’s only one Notre Dame,” Weaver, the 67-year-old athletic director at Virginia Tech, said Wednesday. “I remember as a kid in the early ’50s watching Notre Dame football on Sundays.” When we played football in the alley as a kid, everybody wanted to be Notre Dame.”

Wednesday, Notre Dame and the Atlantic Coast Conference announced the Irish would be joining the league, no later than 2014, for all sports except football. In football, the Irish are committed to playing five ACC opponents a year.

“I think it’s a win-win,” Weaver said. “I think it’s an exciting day for the Atlantic Coast Conference and the member institutions. We’re getting a quality academic institution joining the conference.”

His coaches agreed.

“I think it’s great for the ACC and great for Notre Dame,” Tech football coach Frank Beamer said. “I think both of us benefit.”

First-year basketball coach James Johnson echoed that sentiment.

“I think the addition of Notre Dame to the ACC is a great move. This strengthens the best basketball league in the country even more,” Johnson said. “I think this benefits both the ACC and Notre Dame; a true ‘Win-Win’ situation.”

On the women’s basketball side, Notre Dame has played in the last two national championship games under longtime coach Muffet McGraw.

“You’re making a very tough league significantly harder,” Tech coach Dennis Wolff said. “But at the end of the day, I think that’s a good thing for women’s basketball.

And, Wolff said, it continued to fortify the ACC’s reputation as a basketball league.

“If you look at the men’s side, with the addition of Pittsburgh, Syracuse and now Notre Dame, it makes it one of if not the elite conference,” Wolfe said. “And I think you could say the exact same thing on the women’s side.”

Notre Dame will become the league’s 15th member overall, including Pittsburgh and Syracuse, which leave the Big East for the ACC next season.

“This is the best athletic conference in the country and we will only make it better,” Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said.

The addition of the Fighting Irish also paved the way for the ACC presidents to approve a $50 million exit fee from league, a move designed to bring stability to the conference.

Weaver likes Notre Dame addition

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:18:20 -0400

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Growing up in Harrisburg, Pa., long before he played for Joe Paterno at Penn State, Jim Weaver said one name stood above all the rest in college football.

His coaches agreed.

“I think it’s great for the ACC and great for Notre Dame,” Tech football coach Frank Beamer said. “I think both of us benefit.”

First-year basketball coach James Johnson echoed that sentiment.

Notre Dame will become the league’s 15th member overall, including Pittsburgh and Syracuse, which leave the Big East for the ACC next season.

“This is the best athletic conference in the country and we will only make it better,” Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said.

The addition of the Fighting Irish also paved the way for the ACC presidents to approve a $50 million exit fee from league, a move designed to bring stability to the conference.

LB Taylor expects to play Saturday for Hokies

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 20:40:20 -0400

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer isn’t sure if senior linebacker Bruce Taylor will play Saturday against Pittsburgh. Defensive coordinator Bud Foster said he hopes to have Taylor on the field, despite an ankle injury he suffered in the season opener against Georgia Tech.

But Taylor, who missed Saturday’s win over Austin Peay, didn’t leave much doubt.

“Yes,” Taylor said. “I will be playing.”

Foster is optimistic Taylor is correct.

“Bruce practiced today and looked pretty good,” Foster said.

Foster said linebacker Tariq Edwards (knee) is another week or two away from returning to action. He practiced some Monday.

“I don’t think he’ll be ready for this game,” Foster said. “But hopefully another week down the road we’ll get him back, or two weeks. We’ll just see how he progresses.”

Defensive end James Gayle showed up to the post-practice interviews Monday with his left shoulder wrapped.

But Gayle insisted his injury is minor and won’t affect him Saturday against the Panthers. He said he hurt the shoulder during the Austin Peay game.

“I fell on it. It’s alright though,” Gayle said. “There’s nothing wrong it. It’s sore. I just fell on it wrong when I hit the quarterback.”

Upon Further Review: The Austin Peay game

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 12:06:28 -0400

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Admittedly, it’s hard to learn much from a mismatch like Saturday’s game against Austin Peay. But the Governors did enough, especially defensively in the first half of their 42-7 loss at Lane Stadium, to reveal some things about the Hokies.

Tech’s defense forced Austin Peay three-and-out on all five of its first down possessions. The special teams are starting to look special again.

But for the second straight week, Tech got off to a sluggish offensive start and didn’t really get rolling until they were in a hurry-up, two-minute drill situation.

First down: Less “garbage” from Logan Thomas?

The Hokies’ junior quarterback was highly critical of his play against Georgia Tech on Monday night. So how did he evaluate his performance Saturday?

“Better,” Thomas said after flipping an empty bag of chips into a nearby trash can after Saturday’s win. “Still a long way to go, but better.”

Thomas finished the game 15-for-23 for 212 yards and two touchdowns. But he opened by completing just two of his first five passes and put up points on just one of the Hokies’ first five drives.

“I saw a lot of good plays out of our offense, a lot of good plays out of our offense,” Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said. “We’ve just got to put them together. That’s the deal. We’ve got to put it together. The second half, we had some nice drives there.”

Second down: Not as much garbage time for backups

The slow start offensively meant Tech couldn’t really empty its bench until the fourth quarter.

True freshmen Donaldven Manning, a cornerback, and Joshua Stanford, a wide receiver, both burned their redshirts playing in the second half.

Also, Griffin Hite, Dadi Nicolas, Justin Taylor and Greg Gadell all played in their first college games Saturday.

Redshirt freshman defensive end Dadi Nicolas, who was reinstated last week after a suspension for an arrest, played in the second half. This came after defensive line coach Charley Wiles said the Hokies would have to be “grenaded by injuries” for Nicholas to see the field because of how far behind his teammates he was after missing most of the preseason.

Nicolas finished with three tackles, including one and half for losses, and a quarterback hurry.

“You notice his athletic ability out there,” Tech coach Frank Beamer said. “He’s a very athletic guy that’s just kind of learning to be a good player, but there’s nothing wrong with his effort and there’s nothing wrong with his athletic ability. Now we’ve just got to channel that into our defense.”

Third down: Wideouts running wild

Virginia Tech’s young tailbacks are still coming along. True freshman J.C. Coleman lost a fumble on the Hokies’ first play Saturday. But Tech got some rushing yards out of its wide receivers.

Senior wide receiver Marcus Davis finished as the team’s leading rusher against Austin Peay, taking two carries for 48 yards, a 26-yarder and a 22-yarder.

Redshirt freshman Demitri Knowles had a 15-yard run and a 6-yarder.

Fourth down: Showing some leg

Kickoff specialist Michael Branthover drilled four of his seven kicks into the end zone for touchbacks and averaged 62.3 yards per kickoff.

Freshman punter A.J. Hughes continued his solid play. Aside from a costly dropped snap in the season opener, Hughes has impressed. Saturday, he punted five times, dropping two inside the 20 and averaging 44 yards per punt.

“I thought our punting game was good,” Beamer said. “The coverage was pretty good for the most part, so I think we took a step forward with our kicking game today. We’ll look at it [Sunday] morning and see, but I really think we took a step forward.”

Game Day: Austin Peay at Virginia Tech

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:46:59 -0400

BLACKSBURG, Va. - As I mentioned, I will post my weekly Game Day blog the day before games, so you can enjoy all this wonderful material without interrupting your pre-game tailgating. This week, Virginia Tech faces that dreaded Saturday versus an FCS team just five days after a big Monday game.

But while there has been a ton of talk this week about 2010 and the Hokie losses to Boise State then JMU, there are more differences than similarities this time around.

First, Austin Peay is less than a decade into giving scholarships.

“We’re not on James Madison’s level,” Austin Peay coach Rick Christophel said this week.

Also, as Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer noted, the Hokies played at home this year on Monday. In 2010, they lost more time due to travel. The Boise State game was at FedEx Field.

Who: Virginia Tech versus Austin Peay

What: Tech paid a $318,750 guarantee for this game versus an FCS opponent

When: 1:30 p.m.

Where: Lane Stadium

Why: After opening with a conference and division game against Georgia Tech on Monday night, the Hokies have a quick turnaround. Luckily, they’re playing a team that’s given out scholarships for less than a decade.

Four things to watch for

First down: Will the Hokies even let their banged up defensive players take the field?

All preseason, we’ve written about how deep the Virginia Tech defensive line is. This week, defensive tackles Antoine Hopkins and Luther Maddy and linebacker Bruce Taylor are all listed as questionable with ankle injuries suffered during the win over Georgia Tech.

Saturday, against what should be a severely overmatched Governors’ team, Tech should be able to get by without any of those three.

If the Hokies play it safe and let those three rest their ankles, look for redshirt freshman defensive tackle Kris Harley, sophomore linebacker Chase Williams and true freshman linebacker Deon Clarke to get a shot to see the field.

Junior defensive end James Gayle played Monday against the Yellow Jackets despite a sore ankle. Gayle didn’t start that game but he does expect to start Saturday against Austin Peay.

But looking back, Gayle said he didn’t hate the way defensive line coach Charley Wiles split up playing time.

“I’m not going to lie,” Gayle said. “At first, I was kind of mad about the whole decision. I wanted to play the whole game. As time went on, every time I went in, I was fresh. I’m glad our defensive line is so deep.”

Second down: Has Logan Thomas taken out the garbage?

Thomas, the Hokies’ junior quarterback, told reporters after Monday night’s game he thought he played like “garbage.”

After watching film of the game, Thomas only backed off slightly from his self-criticism.

“Looking at it, I don’t think I played as bad as I thought I did at the time, but I still played pretty bad,” Thomas said. “It’s something I can build on, learn from my mistakes so I can get better just through.”

Asked about his quarterback’s self-assessment, QB coach and play-caller Mike O’Cain offered this response.

“He didn’t play well,” O’Cain said after practice Wednesday. “He probably had about 7-8 passes you’d like to have back. Normally in the course of a game, 3 or 4. So it was about twice as many as you’d normally have. But he still hit 21 and a couple big ones down the stretch. He did not play particularly well, but when he had to make some plays he made them.”

Austin Peay should give Thomas, and backup Mark Leal, ample opportunity to work on things. And to feel good about themselves after the game.

Third down: Will we see the right guard rotation that never happened Monday night?

Going into Monday night’s game, senior Michael Via and sophomore Brent Benedict were expected to rotate. But with Georgia Tech’s defense jumping between a 3-4 and 4-3 look, offensive line coach Curt Newsome decided to stick with the more experienced Via for the entire game.

“I didn’t know how Brent would deal with it,” Newsome said. “There was a lot going on for a guy who’s never played under the lights.”

This week in practice, Newsome said the two would rotate with the first team and split time in Saturday’s game, rotating offensive series.

“We’re going to play more guys this week,” Newsome said. “We need to. We need to get more depth up there.”

Fourth down: Will the Hokies’ wide receivers, like Corey Fuller and Demitri Knowles, build on their Monday night success?

Thursday, Tech officially announced that senior wide receiver D.J. Coles will miss the season because of a right knee injury. Fuller turned in a monster game Monday night against Georgia Tech. He had five catches for 82 yards, recovered a Marcus Davis fumble that set up Knowles’ 42-yard touchdown and had the 23-yard reception that set up Cody Journell’s game-tying field goal at the end of regulation.

Knowles is a burner who can stretch the defense. His touchdown catch was the first reception of his college career.

If, as expected, the Hokies jump all over Austin Peay, it will give Tech the chance to give true freshman Joshua Stanford and

Extra points: Linebacker Tariq Edwards (leg) will miss the game. … Former Virginia Tech wide receiver Marcus Gildersleeve is on the Governors’ coaching staff. … Safety Boye Aromire left the Hokies’ program this week for personal reasons and won’t rejoin the team.

Hokies WR D.J. Coles shut down for the season

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 10:37:15 -0400

Virginia Tech senior wide receiver D.J. Coles has been shut down for the season after he suffered another setback in his recovery from offseason knee surgery.

Coles, who spent most of the preseason rehabbing his surgically-repaired right knee, injured the knee again in the first quarter of Monday’s season opener against Georgia Tech. He did not return to the game and has been unable to practice this week.

The 6-foot-3, 216-pound Coles, who is scheduled to undergo an MRI, is eligible to apply for a medical hardship waiver at the conclusion of the season.

Hokies head athletic trainer Mike Goforth said in a written statement that he is almost certain Coles, a former Goochland High standout, will be granted the waiver and will return for a fifth season next year.

Coles has 39 career catches for 507 yards and three touchdowns. His absence this season will open the door for more playing time for senior wide receiver Corey Fuller, who had five catches for 82 yards in the opener, and redshirt freshman wideout Demitri Knowles, who had one catch for a 42-yard touchdown in his collegiate debut Monday.

Coles to redshirt, Aromire leaves Tech team

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 10:27:00 -0400

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Former Goochland High School star D.J. Coles will miss the 2012 football season after suffering a right knee injury in the first quarter of Monday’s overtime win against Georgia Tech. He plans to redshirt this year.

Coles, a senior who was coming off PCL surgery in the same knee, was injured being tackled near the sidline in the first quarter of the Hokies’ 20-17 overtime win Monday night.

“Well, he’s a guy that we really were hoping could come along and help us at that wide receiver position,” Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said Wednesday of Coles. “His knee was swollen yesterday. We are just going to have to step up.”

Coles is scheduled to undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the damage to his knee. During the game, Tech announced the injury was not related to his offseason surgery.

Virginia Tech expects Coles to be granted a medical hardship waiver, since he played in well less than 30 percent of this season, allowing him to redshirt.

In his Hokies’ career, Coles has 39 receptions for 507 yards and three touchdowns. He started three games, including Monday night’s opener.

“Our plan is I think [Demitri] Knowles needs to be more involved,” Beamer said. “We got to get him more reps and make sure he’s getting the right thing done in practice, get him into the game more. [Joshua] Stanford, a true freshman, although he didn’t play the other night, get him involved. [Kevin] Asante has to keep coming along. We have some guys that are going to have to step up.”

Also, sophomore safety Boye Aromire has “returned home for personal reasons” and is not expected to rejoin the team, Virginia Tech football director of operations John Ballein said Thursday.

Aromire had fallen to third on the depth chart in the Hokies’ thin, inexperienced secondary.

Press conference notes: Taylor way off on Austin Peay

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 16:16:17 -0400

BLACKSBURG – No. 15 Virginia Tech’s opponent Saturday, Austin Peay, is significantly less recognizable than its first, Georgia Tech.

In fact, Hokies linebacker Bruce Taylor was completely off base with his first impressions of the small school in Clarksville, Tenn., named after the 32^nd governor of Tennessee.

“To be honest, somebody told me that Austin Peay was in Texas. You know how we’re Virginia Tech and Tech stands for Polytechnic University? Uhh, I was thinking that it was Austin, Texas, and the ‘P’ was for something like that,” Taylor said.

“But I found out today that Austin Peay was a guy, and … I’m gonna have to read up on that. That’s all I know.”

The Hokies (1-0), who beat Georgia Tech 20-17 in overtime Monday night, were in the process of familiarizing themselves with the Governors on Wednesday and getting ready for their next game on only five days’ rest.

Austin Peay (0-1) is a Football Bowl Subdivision team from the Ohio Valley Conference. It returned to scholarship football in 2006, but it hasn’t had much luck against upper division opponents.

The Governors managed only 164 total yards (11 yards passing) in their 49-10 season-opening loss at Western Kentucky on Saturday.

In its last two games against BCS conference opponents, Austin Peay lost to Wisconsin 70-3 in 2010 and to Cincinnati 72-10 last season.

Injury update

Hokies coach Frank Beamer said wide receiver D.J. Coles (knee), Taylor (ankle) and defensive tackles Luther Maddy and Antoine Hopkins were to practice in blue (limited contact) jerseys Wednesday, but all four are expected to play against Austin Peay.

Taylor said his ankle was a cut-block casualty during the Georgia Tech game, and he was limited at the end of the contest, though not limited enough to prevent him from forcing the bad Tevin Washington throw that cornerback Kyle Fuller intercepted in the end zone in overtime.

Beamer said senior wide receiver Marcus Davis (shoulder) would practice full contact Wednesday and be ready to go for Saturday’s game.

Thomas still critical

Hokies junior quarterback Logan Thomas struggled throwing the ball in the first three quarters Monday before leading the team to a comeback victory. He was critical of himself after the win, but was slightly less displeased of his performance after watching the replay.

Thomas said he wasn’t happy with his footwork during the game. He threw off-balance, which messed with his accuracy.

“Looking at it, I don’t think I played as bad as I thought I did at the time, but I still played pretty bad,” said Thomas, who passed for 230 yards and two touchdowns. “It’s something I can build on, learn from my mistakes so I can get better just through practice and going out there and working as hard as I can and paying attention to more detail.”

Offensive line coming together

The Hokies’ inexperienced offensive line showed promise in the season-opening win over the Yellow Jackets.

Three of the linemen made their starting debuts and all five played every snap. Tackles Nick Becton and Vinston Painter also played five special teams snaps, making for a very busy day. Painter said he was up for the hefty workload, and he was pleased with the way he and his line mates played.

“We have definitely made some great strides since the spring, playing together as a unit, picking up blitzes faster, recognizing things that defenses are doing faster as far as fronts and blitz giveaways and whatnot. We’ve definitely made great strides there,” Painter said.

Thomas was pleased with the offensive line’s play. He was sacked twice, but he otherwise had plenty of time to throw.

“I thought they did a great job. I couldn’t ask for more. They gave me time pretty much every play, other than the one busted one in the third quarter, but they gave me time on every play and created big holes,” Thomas said.

Extra points

Virginia Tech has 15 graduates on its roster, the most in the country. … Beamer said the misplayed snap by punter A.J. Hughes in the first quarter Monday was a combination of a wide snap and Hughes taking his eye off the ball for a split second. … Painter cut off his dreadlocks of three years before Monday’s game. He said they were making his head hot and he wanted to save money on haircuts. He also said he wants to look more like a father. He has a 1-year old daughter in Norfolk.

Tech talks Austin Peay, JMU and haircuts

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 15:47:00 -0400

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Among the highlights of today’s press conference, senior right tackle Vinston Painter talked about cutting off his dreads, senior linebacker Bruce Taylor admitted how little he knows about Austin Peay and everyone talked about being upset by James Madison two years ago, the last time the Hokies played a Saturday game after a Monday opener.

“We learned that we can’t take your opponent lightly in any situation, no matter who you’re playing, what week it is,” Taylor said of the 2010 loss to JMU. “We learned a valuable lesson that you can’t take your opponent lightly at all. We just got to come out and work hard like we’re playing Florida State or any other big school. We’ve got to treat it that way and approach it that way and things will work out for us.”

What memory stands out from that upset loss?

“I guess the embarrassment at the end of the game when they were all on the field so excited,” Taylor said. “That should’ve been us. But honestly, it didn’t hurt as bad as the Boise loss. I felt like the Boise loss kind of numbed me up to the losing feeling, but it definitely still hurt. It probably hurt more in the later days after seeing the media and stuff like that.”

So, what does Taylor know about this year’s FCS foe, Austin Peay, a small school in Clarksville, Tenn.?

“To be honest, somebody told me that Austin Peay was in Texas,” Taylor said. “You know how we’re Virginia Tech and Tech stands for Polytechnic University. Uhh, I was thinking that it was Austin Texas and the ‘P’ was for something like that. But I found out today that Austin Peay was a guy, and … I’m gonna have to read up on that. That’s all I know.”

As for Painter’s new haircut?

“It was starting to be a hassle to me,” he said of the dreadlocks. “It was starting to get a little hot at the end of camp. It was just, as far as cost, it’s easy to get a haircut, $15 compared to $40, so it was a pretty easy decision.”

Painter, who has a 1-year-old daughter back in Norfolk, said he also wanted to look more like a father.

“I figured it was time to start looking the part,” Painter said.

Hokies land '13 center Thompson

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 21:09:00 -0400

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Trevor Thompson, a 6-foot-11, 215-pound center from Delafield (Wisc.) St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy and 2013 recruit, verbally committed to Virginia Tech this weekend after a visit that included taking in the Hokies’ Monday night overtime win over Georgia Tech in football.

“I got to go on the field and stuff and saw the crowd. It was amazing,” Thompson said Tuesday night. “It was everything. The facilities, the coaches, how the team was together. I just liked everything about it. And my family loved it.”

Joining the Hokies brings Thompson back to Virginia. He went to South Lakes High School in Reston to Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis after his freshman year.

Thompson said he was joined on his visit by mother and her husband, his father and his wife, and his four brothers and sisters.

Thompson said he liked what he heard when first-year Hokies coach James Johnson described the style of basketball Tech will be playing.

“He said just pushing it, he wants to run,” Thompson said. “That’s good with me. I’m a big man who likes to run the floor a lot. He basically said he’s going to run it down their throats.”

Thompson’s AAU coach said that suits Thompson.

“He runs the floor very well,” coach Matt Green, who had Thompson on his Eric Gordon All-Stars team this past year, said. “For that size, I kind of compare him to the Zellers. Not as skilled as those guys. He’s just got to get his body right.”

That comparison, to the Zeller brothers, Tyler (who played at North Carolina) and Cody (Indiana), should please Johnson.

Green said Thompson had offers from Miami of Ohio and Ball State and had drawn interest from Arizona State and Xavier. Indiana and Purdue had also seen him play, Green said.

Green was surprised Thompson jumped so quickly at the Tech offer, but said the Hokies should be a good fit with the Hokies.

“It kind of surprised me,” Green said. “I knew he was going out there for a visit. I haven’t talked to him to see exactly what made him pull the trigger.”

Thompson said he planned to visit five schools, including Arizona State and Purdue, but said he was convinced Tech was the place for him during his visit.

“I was planning on committing later,” Thompson said. “I was going to go on five visits and see how they all the y went. But when I got there, it was over.”

Upon Further Review: The Georgia Tech game

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 14:37:25 -0400

BLACKSBURG, Va. – After a wild, furious finish to Monday night’s Virginia Tech-Georgia Tech game, getting to watch the replay on ESPN in the early morning would have been extremely useful. But I fell asleep.

Still, a number of things stood out that didn’t find their way into the game story from the Hokies’ 20-17 overtime win.

Virginia Tech had an unusual rotation with the tailbacks.

Redshirt freshman Michael Holmes played the first two series. True freshman J.C. Coleman came in for the third series, before Holmes got the rest of the work through the end of the third quarter.

But in the fourth, Tech went exclusively with Coleman before turning to Holmes for the overtime.

The Hokies never rotated any of their offensive linemen, even though sophomore Brent Benedict was expected to see time at right guard in relief of starter senior Michael Via.

For the second straight year, linebacker Jack Tyler was the leading tackler for Tech against the Yellow Jackets. Tyler recorded 17 stops Monday night.

The Hokies played five true freshmen, but cornerback Donaldven Manning, who enrolled in the spring, wasn’t among them. That was a bit of a surprise, though Georgia Tech isn’t really an opponent that stretches your secondary.

First down: The special teams, Cody Journell’s big kicks aside, weren’t very special.

From a special-teams standpoint, obviously the story was the return of Journell. Suspended before last season’s Sugar Bowl after being arrested for breaking and entering, Journell was reinstated this preseason. His charges were reduced to trespassing, a felony.

But he missed his first attempt, a 38-yarder he pushed wide left.

Also, the Yellow Jackets’ first touchdown was set up by a special teams miscue. Freshman punter A.J. Hughes let a snap slip through his hands late in the first quarter.

“I really believe that our kicking and punting game is going to be OK,” Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said. “We had a malfunction there that really cost us. But I think that it is going to be OK.”

Three of Hughes’s punts were downed inside the 20, but that was overshadowed by his dropped snap.

J.C. Coleman had a 34-yard kickoff return and Demitri Knowles ran one back 20 yards, solid efforts.

Second down: Virginia Tech’s rebuilt offensive line was effective.

At no point did the Hokies’ new-look line appear to be dominating the line of scrimmage, but never was it a liability either. For a unit breaking in four new starters around junior center Andrew Miller, that’s an encouraging result.

The Hokies, using a pair of untested tailbacks, gained an average of 2.7 yards per carry, respectable though not amazing. Quarterback Logan Thomas was sacked twice and didn’t face tremendous pressure during the game.

It was surprising, based on offensive line coach Curt Newsome’s comments during the week, that Benedict didn’t rotate with Via, but Tech apparently like what it saw from the line of Miller, Via, David Wang at left guard, Nick Becton at left tackle and Vinston Painter at right tackle.

Tuesday, Tech announced all five linemen graded out over 80 percent: Becton (90%), Wang (81%), Miller (90%, 6 KDs), Via (83%), Painter (84%). Painter, in his first college start, had six knockdowns.

Third down: Virginia Tech’s vaunted defense showed signs it may be as good as advertised.

For the most part, the Hokies defended the triple-option about as well as you can defend. The unit looked dominating in the first half. Georgia Tech’s only score was setup by the fumbled snap on the punt, which gave the Yellow Jackets a short field at the 24-yard line.

Virginia Tech was fairly effective in avoiding big plays, although Tevin Washington’s fourth-down conversion that setup the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter was a big-time whiff. The Hokies had pressure on Washington and three defenders chasing the receiver who made the catch.

“Defense, I thought we played great,” Beamer said. “The drive on the touchdown I’d have liked to get them stopped on the fourth down play and made this thing al ittle bit easier. But things have a way of working out.”

Fourth down: With D.J. Coles and Marcus Davis injured, Tech had some wide receivers step up.

Senior Corey Fuller posted a huge game, catching five passes for 82 yards. He recovered a fumble on the play Davis was injured on that kept the ball for Tech at the 42-yard line. On the next play, Logan Thomas hit Demitri Knowles for a 42-yard touchdown.

And it was Fuller’s 23-yard grab, after which he dragged tacklers for a few yards, that set up Journell’s game-tying field goal.

“It meant a lot,” Fuller said. “I knew I had it in me. I just had to step up. D.J. went down. Marcus went down for a little bit. I just had to step up and make plays. I knew I could make those big plays. I just went and let loose.”

Coles is expected to practice tomorrow in a blue limited-contact jersey. He injured his right knee. The injury was not related to his torn PCL he missed spring with.

Via to start at right guard for Hokies

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 17:58:22 -0400

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech will start senior Michael Via at right guard Monday night in the football season opener against Georgia Tech, Hokies coach Frank Beamer said Sunday afternoon after the team’s walk-through.

Via moved to guard from right tackle last week and beat out Georgia transfer Brent Benedict for the starting job. Both players are expected to see time Monday night against the Yellow Jackets.

Via is coming off knee surgery that kept him out of spring practice. Experienced at every position on the offensive line, he opened the preseason at right tackle, competing with senior Vinston Painter.

But Painter practiced well and solidified the position. Via moved to right guard last week to compete with Benedict, who redshirted his first year at Georgia and sat out last year after transferring to Tech.

“They’ll both play,” offensive line coach Curt Newsome said Wednesday. “One brings something to the table that the other one doesn’t. Brent just hasn’t been out there. He’s a physical guy,” Newsome said. “Michael’s played the position a lot of snaps a lot of years ago.”

Newsome said Via has added 15 pounds since last season and is more suited to play an interior line position like right guard. But the Hokies started the fall with him at tackle to make sure they had fortified that position.

“I’m definitely stronger and bigger than I’ve been,” Via said last week. “I know I’ll be able to get in there on a close d-tackle and push them around.”

Benedict said last week he was just looking forward to getting back on the field.

“It’s been a long road with injuries and transferring and redshirting and so on and so forth,” Benedict said. “I’m very excited, very excited to get out there and play.”