2010 Football Schedule Gets Shuffled

Ok, well maybe not shuffled but the Hokies Athletic Director Jim Weaver agreed to move the Western Michigan game from 2010 to 2016 in order to allow WMU to play Notre Dame in 2010.

Tech was set to play Western Michigan in Blacksburg on September 11th but will now have to try and find another team to play in 2010.  Odds are the Hokies will have to fill that void with an FCS opponent much to the fan base's dismay but with only a few months to schedule the game, there's not a whole lot Weaver can do.

Tech will play Central Michigan, East Carolina, and Boise State next year in out of conference play and will hopefully be able to find another D1 team to fill the current hole in our schedule. 

Tuesday Thoughts: The Future Cometh

I went into this past Saturday’s game knowing that the Hokies winning streak may be in jeopardy and for that these past few days have been a little easier on me than most.  As the fanbase recovers and cancels their Orbitz.com trips to Pasadena, the team still knows that there’s more football to play.

Sure the national title hopes are gone, but the ACC Championship hopes are still there.  Georgia Tech owns the tie-breaker but with one slip-up, the Hokies are penciled right back as the Coastal Division Champions.  Right now, that’s the only thing the Hokies can shoot for (editors note: GT has not won in Charlottesville since 1990, they play at UVA this weekend). 

I’m trying to keep this article relatively the same week to week but for some reason I really don’t feel like going back and watching the film on this one.  Watching a game that VT loses on live TV is hard enough, going back and having to watch it again… well it’s not for the feint of heart.

So, this week’s “Tuesday Thoughts” article will mainly be focused on the future including the next five weeks and beyond.

Yellow Jackets Sting Hokies 28-23 in Atlanta

A small night cap here for you guys, not really going to break anything down or go in-depth on anything.  I'll save most of my thoughts for Tuesday and I'll let Daniel give you the game recap when he gets that posted early on this week. 

However, I have to admit that I really saw all of this coming.  The Hokies have struggled with these kind of games in the past and well, most teams struggle with these kinds of games.  It's hard for a top five team to head on the road and walk away with a victory.  It just is.  The home crowd, the home team giving you your best shot, and the fact that most of these games are played under a night sky cause these games to never work out well for the ones ranked in the top five.

The Hokies had plenty of golden opportunities in this game and failed to convert on any of them...especially the one's in the first quarter.  Three straight trips into GT territory resulted in zero points.  That folks, will not win you a football game. 

So just like that, the Hokies left Atlanta for the second time this season, hanging their heads in defeat. 

Even though the national title hopes are gone and the ACC Coastal race is hanging by a thread, Tech still has five games left on their schedule with all five being very winnable games. 

This bye week couldn't come at a better time for the dinged up and now emotionally injured Hokies.  Tech will enjoy their first Saturday off since the last weekend in July, which was almost three months ago now. 

The good news for Tech fans is that if the Hokies can win out and if Georgia Tech finds a way to lose to UVA, Duke, or Wake Forst, your beloved Hokies will make the long journey back down to Tampa with a chance to claim their third straight ACC Championship. 

And for some reason, I feel like that's going to happen.  Maybe I'm psychic (failed to win the Mega Millions this past week so I doubt it)  but I have a good feeling about how the rest of the season is going to go. 

All I know for certain is, I would absolutely hate being UNC next Thursday night. 

Virginia Tech vs Georgia Tech Preview

By Daniel Smithey

It’s that time again - half way through the ACC season - and from here on out every game is a big one, but none will be tougher than Saturday evening's match up between the 19th ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and your 4th ranked Virginia Tech Hokies.   If the Hokies can leave Atlanta with a win the stage will be set for them to go straight to the ACC championship  ....  and with some help to the national championship game.  

Rewatch The 2008 VT vs GT game

Click Here to rewatch last years Georgia Tech vs Virginia Tech game. 

Or you can visit Attila's Hokies blog by going to www.techturf.net

Daily Discussion: Midseason Heisman Report

The ESPN poll I posted a couple of days ago got me thinking, how would I vote for the Heisman if I did indeed get a chance to vote?  Well, I've been doing some soul searching and I've decided to list my top 10 candidates for this years 2009 Heisman Award.

Note that the Heisman goes to the year's most outstanding football player.  It doesn't say offense or defense, nor does it say most talented or most valuable.  It's the most outstanding football player, the player that was the best and most consistent player all year long. 

So because of that, my rankings may disagree some with the talking heads at ESPN who tend to vote for whoever they hype up the most (Tebow).

2011 Recruiting Class: Names You Need to Know

It's never to early to look towards the future when it comes to college football.  For some teams, that's about the only thing they have to look at.  However, for the Hokies, the future keeps getting brighter and brighter as the Tech coaching staff keeps rolling in top recruiting classes one right after another.

The 2011 class will be a smaller class, around 12 to 15 depending on attrition and whether or not anybody leaves early.  But, the good news for Tech is they have a large amount of in-state talent to pull from, including several who will be guarenteed four or five stars come this time next year.

So without further adieu, let's take a look at some of the prospects that the Hokies will be eying for the 2011 recruiting class.

Taylor, Williams Receives Heisman Votes on ESPN

It's been a long time since the word "Heisman" has buzzed around Blacksburg but for the next two years at least, the Hokies will have a big contender in the Heisman race in either Tyrod Taylor or Ryan Williams.

If Taylor and Williams keep playing like their playing, there's a good chance at least one of them could end up in New York this December.

Tuesday Thoughts: Week 6 Edition

Ask any coach today and they'll tell you that when you can get your team to peak around the middle of the season, good things will happen for you down the stretch. At the midway point in the season, the Hokies just played their best and most complete football game of the season as they beat Boston College 48-14 in Lane Stadium.

The Virginia Tech offense was dominant in the win with Ryan Williams slashing through the BC defense along with Tyrod's effectiveness through the air. If Coach Beamer wanted to, Tech's offense could have easily put up 600 yards of total offense against the outmatched Eagles defense. But, after surviving a close scare against Duke last week, the coaches needed to get some of the backups some game time and did just that.

There's not much that Bud Foster's defense can do these days that surprises me but I have to admit I was a little surprised that our defense played as well as it did on Saturday. Tech's D gave up just 3 total yards of offense heading into halftime. On top of that, Boston College had negative yards for the majority of the first half. Combine that with the Hokies first defensive touchdown of the year, and you have yourself a pretty flawless day.

Virginia Tech vs Boston College Highlights

A Look Towards the Future: DT Nick Acree

Nick Acree
Defensive Tackle/Offensive Tackle
6’6”, 295, 5.01
Fork Union Military Academy – Fork Union, VA
Offers: Virginia Tech (committed), Florida State, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, UCLA, USC, and West Virginia. 

VT weeks 1-4 Recap

Gobbler Country's VT vs BC Game Guide

Virginia Tech Hokies (4-1, 2-0) vs. Boston College Eagles (4-1, 2-1)
Time: Noon EDT
Date: Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009
Place: Lane Stadium at Worsham Field, Blacksburg, Va.
TV: Raycom Sports

Check out what the guys over at Gobbler Country have to say about this Matchup between the Eagles and the Hokies. 

Article Here

3 Questions From a Boston College Blog

How will Shinskie react on the road
Shinskie's brief appearances on the road in Clemson were a disaster. It will be interesting to see how he plays this week in another hostile environment. He has made quantum leaps these past two weeks and has really stepped into his role nicely but can he continue his solid play in Lane Stadium?

Read More of this Article Here

Daily Discussion: An Improved Hokie Offense

Just a short blog here as I'm going to let the stats (or facts) do most of the talking.

When a coach says stats don't matter, he's lying. Although stats can be deceiving and are misinterpreted most of the time, they still give you at least an outline of how the team is performing. But when you decide to glance at your favorite teams state page, you have to keep everything in context and remember that the Hokies are not the Houston Cougars.

Virginia Tech vs Duke Highlights

ESPN.com VT vs Duke Recap.

This review is brought to you buy ESPN.

DURHAM, N.C. -- With No. 6 Virginia Tech not at its best, Tyrod Taylor needed to be. He certainly was.

Taylor threw for a career-high 327 yards with two long touchdown passes to help the sometimes-sloppy Hokies dodge a letdown and beat Duke 34-26 Saturday.

Taylor was 17 for 22 with TD tosses of 36 yards to Danny Coale and 28 yards to Jarrett Boykin, and Josh Oglesby had two late touchdown runs once the rushing game opened up for Virginia Tech (4-1, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference).

"I know we have a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball," Taylor said. "It's just my job to get the ball to them."

Playing one week after dominating then-No. 9 Miami, the Hokies were nowhere near that crisp this time. But they were good enough to claim their ninth straight victory against Duke.

"I don't think that's the old Duke football team," Tech coach Frank Beamer said.

Thaddeus Lewis was 22 for 40 for 359 yards with two touchdown passes, including a 4-yarder to Austin Kelly with 25 seconds left. But Lewis said the pesky Blue Devils (2-3, 0-1) too often settled for field goals, with Will Snyderline kicking four, including a 43-yarder that pulled the Blue Devils to 27-19 with 7 minutes left.

"We needed to get seven points, and we didn't do that," Lewis said. "But three points is better than no points."

The Blue Devils, 17-point underdogs, kept this one tight throughout, but were denied their first win over a top-10 opponent in two decades. Before last year's 14-3 loss in Blacksburg, Duke hadn't come within 24 points of the Hokies since they joined the ACC in 2004.

"We got close enough in the fourth quarter to go beat a great team," Duke coach David Cutcliffe said. "Once you taste that, you like it. I wouldn't say we spit it out -- it wasn't a choke -- but we just didn't finish."

Indeed, Tech spent much of this one looking ripe for an upset after routing the Hurricanes 31-7 to vault back into the top 10. By halftime, the Hokies had matched their season highs with seven penalties for 55 yards, and they finished with 12 flags for 105 yards.

"Too many penalties and too many long plays," Beamer said. "We weren't as sharp as we would like, but I don't think it was lack of effort. Part of it was Duke, and part of it was us. ... Sometimes I think you've just got to win some games that's not real pretty on the road, and this is probably one of those."

Ryan Williams, the nation's No. 6 rusher, was held to 83 yards on the ground, 40 fewer than his average. But he had 41 yards and a pair of third-down conversions during the drive that ended when Oglesby's 12-yard touchdown run made it 27-16 with 9 1/2 minutes left. Oglesby added a 19-yard score 7 minutes later that made it 34-19.

For much of the way, Duke keyed on stopping the ground game, and Taylor took advantage.

"When we needed to run the football, and we did, and got points, that was critical to this ball game," Beamer said. "They were going to take the run away, so you've got to be able to throw the ball."

Taylor led the Hokies to 17 points in a 9-minute stretch of the first half, then made just enough plays down the stretch to preserve their early lead. He directed three straight scoring drives to help the Hokies rally from an early 7-0 deficit, countering Duke's first touchdown pass with his touchdown to Coale.

Then, one series after Matt Waldron's 40-yard field goal put Tech ahead to stay, Taylor put the Hokies up 17-7 with his scoring pass to Boykin -- who wrestled Duke's Leon Wright for the ball and came down with it near the sideline in the end zone.

Later, Taylor connected with Boykin for 64 yards on third-and-34 to keep alive a drive that ended with a 33-yard field goal by Waldron to put Tech up 20-13.

"He told me, 'Just get the ball down the field, and if the guy makes an interception, you tell your wide receiver to make the tackle,'" Taylor said. "Jarrett kept the play alive, he went down there and I found him down the field and he made a great catch."

Taylor went on to surpass his previous best of 287 yards set two years ago in his first college start against Ohio.

Duke's only lead came late in the first quarter when Lewis faked a handoff and hit wide-open Brandon King in stride down the left side for a 48-yard score. Snyderwine added field goals of 29, 25 and 47 yards for Duke.

A Look Towards The Future: Nick Dew

Nick Dew
Safety
6'2", 200 lbs, 4.45
First Colonial High School - Virginia Beach, VA
Offers: Virginia Tech (committed), Arkansas, ECU, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Purdue, Syracuse, UVA, and West Virginia.

Rankings
Rivals.com: 3 star, 49th best defensive back, 18th best in-state
ESPN.com: 4 star, 49th best player in the nation, ESPN 150 member, 7th best Safety
Scout.com: 2 star, 131st best defensive back.

ESPN Bio and Analysis

Dew is the entire package and a major sleeper. He has a great blend of speed, quickness, size and athletic ability. A tall drink of water that has good overall size and is an intimidating player both sides of the ball. As a defensive player could line up at safety, outside linebacker or defensive end. A real threat coming off the edge as a pass rusher or blitzer. Times his get off the ball well and shows a real burst when coming on the blitz; runs by blockers or uses his hands and long arms to defeat pass protectors.

Uses hands to control the blockers pads and works the edge of the offensive man to win the one on one battle. Gives exceptional effort and will not be denied getting to the quarterback. Often deflects the pass with long arms while on the blitz or pass rush once the quarterback releases the ball. A rangy athlete that is a long strider and can cover a lot of territory within just a few strides. Shows a real burst getting to the football in order to make the play. Can change direction quickly and is always in control of his body; never off balance. Exceptional jumping ability and gets way into the air to break up passes on defense and to catch the ball as a wide receiver on offense.

As a receiver runs good routes and is a real threat due to speed and vertical ability. Few receivers are more dangerous running the fade or takeoff. Dew has tremendous athletic talent and has all the tools to standout at the next level. He can line up at several positions and with his speed and athleticism can be a major producer on special teams as a punt or field goal blocker.

Lemming's Notes

A fast rising FS who shows a smooth backpedal, he's quick in transition, and does a good job in pass defense. He also proves to be very reliable in run support. An explosive ball player with good anticipation and timing, he's able to break down in the open field and make plays. He's also known for his sure hands on defense. Grades–His GPA is over a 2.5. Benches 310 and has 37" vertical jump. Favorite Schools– Committed to Virginia Tech.

Hampton Road's Recruiting Summary

One recruiting service ranks him the No. 9 prospect in the state and the No. 29 safety in the country. Purdue likes him as a receiver because of his fearlessness to go up and get the ball. Virginia Tech sees him as a rover/linebacker, but most schools like him as a defensive back.

“He’s strong enough to play linebacker but also quick enough to cover someone out of the backfield,” Patriots coach Bill McTyre said. “He’s a unique individual.”

Others call him “the total package.” He has a great blend of speed, quickness, size and athletic ability. He’s a great open-field tackler and his long arms and jumping ability on the blitz make him a nightmare for quarterbacks. He can bench 275 pounds, has a 36-inch vertical and runs 4.4 in the 40.

He also might be playing with a chip on his shoulder after he received just one vote for All-Beach District. Instead of complaining, he worked harder.

“I just shook my head because I knew what he could do,” McTyre said. Now everyone else will find out what Dew can do. He has been chosen to play in the 2010 Under Armour All-American game Jan. 2 in Orlando.

Not surprisingly he’s getting a lot of interest. He has got many offers, including from Virginia Tech, Purdue, Virginia, Syracuse, West Virginia, Maryland, Louisville and Arkansas. He’s getting interest from Alabama, Duke, Michigan State, North Carolina and Tennessee.

Justin's Assessment

I very rarely agree with anything ESPN says but in this case, their 4 star ranking of Nick Dew is by far the most accurate I've seen. It's easy to see that something about the Virginia Beach native has caught the eye of the Scouts and needless to say, he caught the eye of defensive coordinator Bud Foster and offensive line coach Curt Newsome, who was his lead recruiter.

Dew has the ability to play several different positions at Tech including Rover, Free Safety, and WHIP Linebacker. With Tech having 4 senior at those positions, It wouldn't surprise me to see Dew sneak his way into the two deep by this time next year. It's going to be awfully hard to keep a player of his ability off the field, even if it is best to let him redshirt and adjust to the college game.

Nick is fully qualified and will enroll in the second summer session next July.

Videos

You can view Nick Dew's Hampton Roads.com recruiting profile, which includes his highlight film, here.

Articles

Nick Dew Commits to Virginia Tech - HamptonRoads.com

A Look Towards The Future: Ricardo Young

Ricardo Young
Duel-Threat Quarterback
6’1”, 175 lbs, 4.5
H.D. Woodson High School – Washington D.C.
Offers: Virginia Tech (committed), Cincy, UCONN, ECU, Louisville, Maryland, USF, Syracuse, UVA, and WVU

Rankings
Rivals.com: 3 star prospect, 5.5 rating overall
ESPN.com: 3 star prospect, 76 rating overall
Scout.com: 3 star prospect, 48th best QB


ESPN.com Bio and Analysis:

Young has a lot of traits to him that are strong as an undersized, athletic passer that should probably be in the spread working from the shotgun, but he is not. As a result though, he is a guy that is very comfortable dropping from center in the three and five step passing game and has a nice feel for timing.

He has just marginal height and a lean, muscular frame that is built like a wide receiver. He is a good enough athlete to move to another position if need be, but in the right offense should stay at QB. He is very similar to both Detchauz Wray and Malik Stokes in terms of size, ability level and methods. Young has adequate-to-good arm strength and shows very good zip in the short and intermediate ranges of the field. In fact, this is where he is most accurate and efficient and he displays the drop speed, feet and balance in the pocket to provide good timing and get the ball out.

Shows a live arm and quick, whip-like release. He can be a bit robotic and isn't as smooth in his overall delivery as Stokes, but his mechanics are very consistent and he is capable of getting rid of the ball in a hurry. Gets set and can plant and throw on the fifth step without re-setting on timing routes which is becoming rare at the high school level with kids that are always in the shotgun as opposed to under center. Shows very good touch on the deep ball and can lay it in over coverage to the outside shoulder when on time.

His arm has its limits vertically, but it is all about timing for him. He is very athletic and can evade the rush and make plays on the move when things break down. Throws very well on the run when outside of the pocket and can definitely keep a play alive with his feet. When you watch Young you do not see a physically imposing player with a rocket arm, but more of a Pat White-type passer. He is a good prospect, but we are not sure he is a possible great prospect in terms of size and physical tools. We feel the school he picks needs to have some spread elements to the offense to enhance his strengths and mask his weaknesses because we are not convinced he would be a true pocket passer at the next level against top level competition.

Lemming Notes:

The most athletic QB in the region, this guy can get the job done with his arm and his feet. It might be stretching to say he is 6-1 but it not stretching it to say he has the ability to take Virginia tech to an ACC title. On Film–I was impressed with his accuracy, his dominance in short to medium range passes, shows a quick release, and a much stronger arm than I was aware of. He can make all the throws including throwing the deep out with authority. He is a leader on the field, makes very good decisions, is cool under pressure, and can get the job done when it is most needed. Stats–He earned D.C. All-Area honors after throwing for 3,100 yds and 31 TDs. Grades–His GPA is perfect 4.0. He has a 30" VJ. Favorite Schools–Committed to VIRGINIA TECH.

Stats:

2008 season: Threw for 3,089 yards and 31 touchdowns and added 780 yards on the ground to go with 11 rushing TD’s

2009 season: Follow his senior season here: Washington Post - High School Sports


Justin’s Assessment:

There's a reason why I'm starting this "Look Towards the Future" series with Ricardo Young. In my mind, he's easily the Hokies most underrated and most under valued recruit. He has all the tools to be a success in the Hokies current offensive scheme and when you watch him on film, he even reminds me a bit of a high school version of Tyrod Taylor.

Obviously, Ricardo does have a few weaknesses right now. Arm strength is a bit of a concern but can be fixed, more on that later. Also, his max bench press is at 205 heading into his senior year and while that seems like a lot, that would put him close to last place if you compared that to our freshman testing numbers this July. The good news is that Young will enroll early here in a few months (January of 2010) and will get a jump on the rest of the class by participating in spring practice next April. This will really help as Young will more than likely redshirt next fall giving him a full year and a half in the weight room before he challenges JuJu and Logan Thomas in 2011 for the starting job.

If you ask anybody around H.D. Woodson, one of the more redeeming qualities Young possesses is his ability and knowledge of how to examine and break down film. Ricardo spends almost two hours a day in the film room, looking for that extra advantage against the opposing team. Some times its the little things, more so than the physical things, that make a player great.


Videos:

You can see a lot of videos of Ricardo Young in action here