Taylor wants to test Jackets' corners

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Virginia Tech senior quarterback Tyrod Taylor is having the best season of his career. He is completing 63.9 percent of his passes for 200.3 yards per game and 15 touchdowns -- all career-best numbers.

He has thrown just three interceptions -- and none in the past three-plus games, dating back to Tech's second drive at North Carolina State. Since then, he has completed 55 of 87 passes for 10 touchdowns.

Moreover, Taylor is averaging 9.7 yards per attempt (tied for fourth nationally), despite throwing 20.8 passes per game (tied for 94th nationally). Last season, he led the nation in yards per attempt (9.5) and was 100th in attempts per game (18.7).

Some of his gaudy stats are due to him dicing the Hokies' past two opponents, Wake Forest and Duke, for 292 and 280 yards, respectively -- his top two yardage performances of the season. Wake and Duke rank 85th and 88th of 120 teams nationally in yards allowed per game.

The Hokies' next three opponents -- Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Miami -- currently rank 32nd, 29th and seventh. But Taylor believes he sees chances for big passing plays in tomorrow night's home game against Georgia Tech.

Taylor said the Yellow Jackets' 3-4 scheme is unpredictable in the way it blitzes, and disguises those blitzes well before the snap. But Taylor thinks the Jackets' blitzing could leave their cornerbacks in vulnerable, one-on-one situations.

"You've got to take shots with a defense like this, especially with the way that they blitz," he said. "I feel that we can test their corners."




DT Graves holds no grudges from loss




Senior defensive tackle John Graves (Meadowbrook) remembers last season's 28-23 loss at Georgia Tech very well.

He had sprained his right ankle a month earlier against Nebraska. In the first quarter at Georgia Tech, Graves was engaged with one offensive lineman when another dove at his right leg, re-injuring his ankle and sidelining him for the rest of the game.

The ACC later said Georgia Tech should have been penalized for illegal blocks on four plays in the game, but did not specify which ones. Hokies coach Frank Beamer also objected to the high-low block on Graves, as well as instances in which he believed a Georgia Tech player blocked a Hokies defender from the side, below the waist, while running back toward the inside of the field. Beamer called such blocks "dangerous."

In the offseason, the ACC and NCAA clarified their rules language regarding these blocks. Beamer indicated yesterday that he has seen fewer illegal blocks, partly because high-low blocks, like the one on Graves, have "been watched pretty closely in this league."

Beamer said he "never said that they [Georgia Tech] were teaching that. I just think [with] their style of play, it came up. I think it's been clarified and emphasized to a degree. That's certainly not our concern Thursday night."

Blocking below the waist, from the front of an opposing player, is legal in most circumstances. Georgia Tech frequently uses such blocking, especially cut blocking by offensive linemen, as part of its option-based offense.

Graves said his ankle bothered him for the rest of the season after the Georgia Tech game, though he did not miss any games.

"Don't know if it was intentional or not," he said of the high-low block. "I guess that really doesn't matter. There isn't no grudge or anything like that."

Injury update


Inside linebacker Bruce Taylor (sprained left ankle) has been "getting around very well" in practice the past two days, Beamer said. But the coaches are prepared use Taylor's backup, redshirt freshman Jack Tyler, if they need to.

Because of Georgia Tech's run-oriented offense, "this is a game where you can't be three-quarters speed or ninth-tenths speed," said defensive coordinator Bud Foster.

In the Hokies' most recent game, Oct. 23 against Duke, tailback Ryan Williams got six carries while returning from a four-game absence caused by a slightly torn right hamstring. Williams said he won't go into tomorrow's game with a limit on his playing time, as he did before Duke. --

 

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Virgina Tech:

Score early and often: Virginia Tech has scored 40 or more points in four straight games for the first time since the Michael Vick era, and the Hokies would be wise to continue at that rate against Georgia Tech. One flaw in the Yellow Jackets' run-based option attack is that it doesn't lend itself to comebacks. In a 28-23 loss to Georgia Tech last season, the Hokies wasted great field position in the first half, something they can't repeat Thursday. "The offense has got to keep the ball or score," Coach Frank Beamer said. "I think there's a lot of difference in them trying to come from behind than being even.

Bruce Taylor's status: Sophomore middle linebacker Bruce Taylor has been a revelation for Virginia Tech's defense replacing the injured Barquell Rivers. But Taylor, the unit's leading tackler this season, suffered a high-ankle sprain against Duke on Oct. 23. He admitted this past weekend that his lateral movement is limited and he's only about "75 or 80 percent" healthy right now. That means Oakton native Jack Tyler, a redshirt freshman, could see significant action Thursday. Coaches have praised Tyler's run-stopping ability, but his only appearances on defense have come in garbage time of blowouts this year.
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Slow down Nesbitt: Since Coach Paul Johnson arrived from Navy three years ago, Georgia Tech has run his option-based offense. In years past, though, the Yellow Jackets had wide receiver Demaryius Thomas as a change of pace in the passing game. Now that Thomas plays for the Denver Broncos, the offense starts and finishes with quarterback Josh Nesbitt. The senior has completed just 38 percent of his passes this year, but at 217 pounds, he's a load to bring down in the running game. In Georgia Tech's three losses this season he's averaged just 43 yards on the ground. In four of the Yellow Jackets' five wins, he's rushed for more than 100 yards.

 

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Loss to Georgia Tech in 2009 sticks with Virginia Tech football



He was just three weeks removed from back surgery and doctors advised him not to do it. But the trip had already been planned, and more importantly, Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster still had the taste of defeat in his mouth.

So this spring, against all medical advice, Foster hopped on a plane to Iowa City to consult with Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz and his defensive staff. Though Foster's defense had finished ranked in the top 12 nationally for the sixth consecutive season in 2009, the Hawkeyes had accomplished something the Hokies had not: They shut down Georgia Tech's vaunted option attack during a 24-14 victory in the Orange Bowl.

Foster said his aching back made it difficult to even get out of bed those three days in Iowa, but figuring out how to stop the Yellow Jackets was more important. He'd been breaking down film of Georgia Tech since the Hokies' season ended.

"It set me back a couple weeks in my recovery," Foster said this week. "But they won the ACC last year. Obviously it's a big game and a unique offense, so it's just good to go see what other people do to have success."

On Thursday night when No. 20 Virginia Tech hosts the Yellow Jackets, all that work will be put to the test. But the Hokies will be thinking beyond the national television audience and the chance to widen their two-game lead in the ACC's Coastal Division. After what happened a year ago when these teams met, this game is about redemption.


Foster has been a part of 94 losses since coming to Virginia Tech along with Coach Frank Beamer in 1987, but even he admits Georgia Tech's 28-23 triumph in 2009 "sticks like a knife in my back."

In that game, the Hokies began three first-half drives inside Yellow Jackets territory and the defense held Georgia Tech to zero yards on its first five possessions. But the Hokies could only muster three points, and following a Georgia Tech touchdown moments before halftime, "everything just fell apart," linebacker Jeron Gouveia-Winslow said.

Led by quarterback Joshua Nesbitt, the Yellow Jackets' option offense began to methodically move the ball, picking up 16 first downs in the second half and finishing the game with 309 yards rushing.

Virginia Tech, meanwhile, had possession for less than eight minutes after halftime. The Hokies entered the game ranked No. 5 in the country and riding a five-game winning streak. They left Atlanta humiliated.

"To be honest, I think we got outplayed in the second half last year," defensive back Davon Morgan said.

Added linebacker Bruce Taylor: "It wasn't even like they were blowing us out or anything, but just that nagging three, four yards at a time. Getting into third and short, fourth and short and just not being able to stop them, it's frustrating as a defense."

The defeat eventually cost the Hokies a shot at the ACC title, but in the immediate aftermath Beamer complained about what he thought were illegal chop blocks by Georgia Tech's offensive line. Virginia Tech sent 11 plays to the ACC for review, and when the league's head of officials later confirmed that there were multiple illegal blocks that went uncalled, it created a stir. Georgia Tech Coach Paul Johnson called the review "a joke."
"They got out-schemed," he said. "So it's illegal to out-scheme them, I guess."

During the offseason, the ACC clarified its rules on chop blocks and made it a point of emphasis with officials. Whether it was in direct response to Beamer's complaints is unclear, but he emphasized this week that "I would never say [Georgia Tech] was teaching that. I just think with their style of play, it came up."

And though the Yellow Jackets have been flagged just twice for chop blocks this season, some bitterness still lingers. Hokies defensive tackle John Graves suffered an ankle injury while being blocked high by one Yellow Jackets lineman and low by another. He said this week he didn't return to full health until after the Hokies' bowl game. Safety Eddie Whitley even called some of Georgia Tech's tactics "dirty."

"Just the vibe that I've been getting from everybody, the different things that went on during the game and people telling stories," said running back Darren Evans, who missed last year's game with a knee injury. "It really does get us pumped up for the game."

Nobody, though, wants this win more than Foster. Virginia Tech could have taken its bye week after the season opener against Boise State, but chose to play James Madison on five days' rest so Foster's defense would have more time to prepare for Georgia Tech.

This week, the outspoken coordinator was more tight-lipped than usual about his defensive adjustments, declining to go into much detail about the specifics of his Iowa trip because "those guys don't need reading material. They read the papers. I don't want to give them anything."


All his players will say is that the defense needs to avoid missed assignments and tackle better this time around. One even refused to describe the drills Virginia Tech has used to simulate Georgia Tech's offense for fear of incurring Foster's wrath. It seems, though, the coach isn't the only one who's had this game circled on the calendar for more than a year.

"I know Bud, he was frustrated during the game, but it means the same to everybody, everybody got the same feeling right now," cornerback Jayron Hosley said. "We want to come back strong."

 

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The keys for Georgia Tech



3 storylines

Will the offensive line show improvement? Georgia Tech will need a much better performance than the one against Clemson if the Yellow Jackets are to have a chance to win and maintain hope of making it back to the ACC championship game. Unlike the Tigers? defensive line, which feature massive players across the front, the Hokies are mostly a smaller, quicker group. Improving communication and execution are paramount. The players said too frequently, at the most inopportune times, they have a breakdown which kills a play.

Will the special teams? errors continue? Tech?s special teams units are more athletic than they?ve been in the previous two seasons, but the younger players providing that athleticism are also making more mistakes. Virginia Tech ranks in the top five in all special-teams categories. The Yellow Jackets can?t give up any unnecessary points or yards because they aren?t focused in any of the special teams? areas.

Can the defense stop the Hokies? running attack? Virginia Tech is second in the ACC in rushing (214.8) and time of possession (31:38). That?s not a good combination for Georgia Tech, which has yet to show a quick-strike capability on offense, or an ability to create turnovers on defense. Andre Ellington?s performance (166 yards) against the Yellow Jackets may be a harbinger of things to come if Tech can?t get off blocks and meet the ball-carriers head on.

A Tech win would ?

* Keep alive its hopes of defending its ACC title. It needs to win its next three conference games, and hope the Hokies lose another.
* Make it bowl eligible for the 14th consecutive season.

A Virginia Tech win would ?

* Be its fifth in the past seven meetings against the Yellow Jackets.
* Be its seventh consecutive since losing to Boise State and James Madison to open the season.

Keep an eye on ?

For Tech: Quarterback Joshua Nesbitt needs 42 yards to become the most prolific rushing quarterback in ACC history. That really is an afterthought in this game, which has more important things at stake. Clemson crashed the interior of the line and held Nesbitt to 2 yards two weeks ago. Plus, they were still able to mostly contain Tech?s B-backs and outside rushing game. It will be interesting to see if the Hokies try a similar strategy. If so, Nesbitt must be able to accurately deliver passes to his receivers to open up running lanes again.

For Virginia Tech: Wide receiver Jarrett Boykin. Boykin is one of the top receivers in the ACC, averaging 64.6 yards per game and 16.7 yards per catch. Georgia Tech?s defense has given receivers big cushions and invited opponents to throw short passes underneath. Kansas, N.C. State and Clemson were patient enough to methodically move down the field. Will the Hokies be the same with Boykin?

The numbers game

0

Times in three seasons since Johnson took over that the Yellow Jackets have lost back-to-back games.


The bottom line

Georgia Tech must show some improvement in two areas that have been mostly disappointing this season if it hopes to defeat Virginia Tech: stopping the run and special teams. If the Jackets give up 160 yards on the ground, or commit drive-extending penalties on special teams, the Hokies will likely win. As has been said often this season, Georgia Tech has yet to play its best game this season. Now would be the time.

 

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Show Time


--Will Stewart, TechSideline



I'm sure you've noticed that Chris Coleman and I have been a little quiet this week. We usually like to provide a little something-something every day, be it a pay article or a freebie, but since posting the game preview Tuesday afternoon, neither of us have had anything to say. Sometimes, there isn't anything to say, and it's just time to play football.

In our preseason perfect-world scenario, Virginia Tech was going to beat Boise State, then stroll through the next seven games and enter November with an 8-0 record and national championship aspirations. That didn't happen.

Instead of games 2-8 being a long, slow climb up the rankings, perhaps to the #1 spot, it turned into a long, dull, tedious waiting game. It started with an unexpected gut-punch from JMU, and once that went down, things really turned into a grind.

If you're like me, you haven't enjoyed the last six games much at all. (But it's well documented that I take this stuff way too seriously.) There have been good moments, yes, but for the most part, it's been all about putting in the time. Just put in the time, work on your game, win them all, and wait for November.

The wait for November has been particularly painful at times, because while the Hokies were repairing their record, their ranking, and their collective psyche, we have had to endure endless talk about Boise State. Do the Broncos deserve to play in the national championship game? What do they have to do to impress the pollsters? Do they have a chance to make one of the top two spots in the BCS? Should there be a playoff? Who's better, Boise State, TCU, or Utah? Blah, blah, blah, BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAAAAHHH!!!!

All the while, the endless debate about Boise State is accompanied by highlights of the Broncos beating the Hokies at FedExField. Highlights of the blocked punt, highlights of the TD catch by their tight end, highlights of their long TD run, highlights of their winning TD pass. Highlights, highlights, highlights, one right after the other, of one of the most painful losses in VT football history. (Yeah, I said it. It was.) Those ultra-cool black uniforms the Hokies wore will forever be tainted with the stain of having lost that game.

It has, quite frankly, sucked. I've never been so miserable during a six-game winning streak. All I can keep thinking is, "That was supposed to be us." I'm sick of hearing about Boise State, and if the Hokies had just beaten them, I wouldn't be subjected to this endless, annoying, fingernails-on-a-blackboard argument about Boise State and the national championship. If the Hokies had just taken care of business, the 2010 BSU football team would have been relegated to the trash bin of history. Instead, they have been in the forefront of nearly every college football discussion in the last two months. Blech.

Um ... what? What's that you say? The Hokies have a football game tonight? And it's not against Boise State?

Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest. It has been simmering for two months now.

And yes, my Boise State rant is relevant to tonight's Thursday night showcase against Georgia Tech. Tonight's game in Lane Stadium is the first step of putting that miserable Boise State experience, and the subsequent two months of being jabbed with that Boise State needle constantly, into the rear view mirror. It's time to make this season about what comes next, instead of what happened on Monday, September 6th.

Tonight is all about shedding the past and looking to the future, and the loss to Boise State isn't the only part of the past that needs to be shed. The loss to Georgia Tech in Atlanta last season is another bad memory that needs to be flushed.

If you go back to October 17th, 2009, the Hokies entered that game feeling as if the ACC Championship was their birthright. VT had won 3 of 5 ACC Championships since entering the conference in 2004, including two in a row in 2007 and 2008, and there was no indication that things were going to be any different in 2009. The 28-23 loss that night changed all that. It was a shocker, and the hangover lingered into the next game, a 20-17 home loss on Thursday night to North Carolina, of all things.

So the ACC Championship went somewhere else last year. That's hard to stomach. It doesn't belong in Atlanta, for crying out loud. The trophy belongs in Blacksburg.

Tonight is all about redemption, redemption for last season and the first two games of this season. Tonight is about the future, a future that I hope will include a Coastal Division championship and a great ACC Championship game in Charlotte, followed by the ACC Championship trophy returning to Blacksburg.

It has been a long, hard frustrating wait to get to this crucial November stretch. So show up in Lane Stadium tonight and let it all out. Don't sit on your hands, and don't fret about being cold or wet. We only get a couple opportunities like this a year, so do your part to make it happen.

If you're in the area early enough, or you're tailgating in the lots in the afternoon, show up for the pre-game walk, which takes place on Spring Road around 5:30. Nothing gets football players fired up like fans lining the streets two hours before kickoff. Except for maybe running out of the tunnel to "Enter Sandman," but Hokie fans have got that part down pat.

The march to the 2010 ACC Championship starts tonight, folks. It's not going to be easy, and it's going to take just as much effort from the fans as it is the team. It all goes together, so be there, and give it everything you've got. It's been a long wait. Time to uncork.

 

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Hokies defense must be physical, tackle


As the kids say these days -- some of them, anyway -- "Don't get it twisted."

Tonight's game is not a referendum on Bud Foster's ability to coach defense. It's not a litmus test of his adaptation skills. When a defensive coordinator has done what he's done for 15 years, churning out top-10 unit after top-10 unit, you can start to assume a few things.

No. 1: That loss to Georgia Tech last year infuriated Foster to no end.

No. 2: The comments from Jackets coach Paul Johnson last fall -- "They got out-schemed. So it's illegal to out-scheme them, I guess" -- ticked him off even more.

No. 3: The trip to Iowa this past offseason to learn new ways to attack the option was productive.

No. 4: Tech's defense will be mentally prepared tonight.

But that doesn't mean the Hokies will win. Not necessarily.

What we sometimes forget about the Yellow Jackets is this: They don't have to trick you to beat you.

Johnson's unusual offensive system tends to distract everybody from the talent of the players. And Georgia Tech has talented players -- even a few not named Joshua Nesbitt.

That's why Anthony Allen -- and Virginia Tech's response to him -- is the key to tonight's game.

Casual fans might not know who Allen is, and Johnson probably prefers it that way. But Allen could be the most physical runner the Hokies encounter all season. At 6-foot-1, 230 pounds, he's built like Darren Evans. And he attacks the line with similar ferocity.

Allen erupted for 195 yards and three touchdowns against Virginia last month. He's averaging 100 yards per game in conference play and ranks third in the league in rushing overall.

"That's a big back," Tech defensive tackle John Graves said. "And he runs downhill."

In other words, he's the kind of player who can give the Hokies a lot of trouble -- particularly if the defensive minds are swimming in schematic cesspools. The most important thing to remember won't be positioning or reading keys as much as it'll be this: When you do find the ballcarrier, make sure you bring him down.

"The tackling doesn't change; it's still fundamentals," Graves said. "Get your head across, wrap up, run your feet."

Can Virginia Tech do that consistently tonight? We don't know. The Hokies have enjoyed spells of outstanding defense this year, but missed tackles have been a frequent issue.

The six-game winning streak they've compiled has been the quietest in program history, mainly because of the suspect caliber of competition and because of all that was thrown away against James Madison. Healing takes time. Re-energizing a fan base with BCS dreams requires persistence.

Tonight, that shouldn't be a problem. Tech's first night game since Boise State will be contested in front of an amped crowd and a national television audience. The chilly weather should suit the hosts.

The conditions are right. We'll see if the response is.

"We've just got to be physical, that's what it comes down to," Graves said. "We know they are. We know they're going to come downhill and they're going to come out and play their most physical game, as they do every week. We've just got to be able to match their physicality."

Graves is on target. Tonight isn't a referendum on Foster or systems or anything else.

It's a referendum on the toughness of the 2010 Virginia Tech defense.

 

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