All the talk is almost over, with Virginia Tech and Oklahoma State's Camping World Bowl showdown approaching. Time to break down the matchups.
Here's my game advance in Thursday's paper on how the Hokies will need a total team effort to win this game.
Since this is not an ACC game, there is no official injury report for the game from Virginia Tech, though it does not appear left tackle Yosuah Nijman (leg) will play again. Receiver Cam Phillips (sports hernia) is out as well, in addition to players previously lost for the season. Kicker Joey Slye, safety Mook Reynolds and receiver Sean Savoy all look good to go after missing the UVa game.
Senior linebacker Andrew Motuapuaka will get the No. 25 for the second time in three weeks.
Key matchups
Oklahoma State's receivers vs. Virginia Tech's cornerbacks: This is the pairing everyone's been talking about. How is the Hokies' DBU going to match up against a Cowboys receiving corps that ranks among the best in the country? Well, Tech won't go in timid. The Hokies have two seniors starters at cornerback in Greg Stroman and Brandon Facyson, with junior Adonis Alexander coming off the bench to provide another big, physical player for opponents to deal with. That's as formidable of a cornerback crew as Oklahoma State has faced all year, with the Hokies holding opponents to a 46.9 completion percentage, tops in the country. On the flip side, Tech probably hasn't faced a receiving group this talented all year either. James Washington is the headliner, as he should be after leading the nation with 1,423 yards, but Marcell Ateman (54 catches, 1,049 yards, 8 TDs) is a 6-foot-4, 220-pound matchup nightmare as well. Jalen McCleskey and Dillon Stoner have more than 40 catches each as the third- and fourth-leading receivers. There'll be far more than just one receiver for Tech to worry about.
Virginia Tech's offensive line vs. Oklahoma State's defensive front: It's been said the Hokies need to control the clock in order to keep the Cowboys' offense in check. Well, as much as everyone wants to talk about running backs, that starts with the offensive line. Tech will still likely be without Yosuah Nijman at left tackle, although the Hokies haven't had him for a while and still had an encouraging result up front against Virginia, rushing 53 times for 202 yards (a 4.31-yard average if you remove a kneeldown and a 16-yard loss on an errant snap) and controlling the clock for 37 minutes. It was the first time since the Old Dominion game in September that Tech topped the 200-yard mark on the ground. A similar showing Thursday would go a long way in giving the Hokies a chance. Oklahoma State's defense is not very well-regarded, but the Cowboys have some talented players up front. DeQuinton Osborne and Jordan Brailford were All-Big 12 performers on the d-line who combined for 10 sacks and 21 tackles for a loss. OSU's 28 sacks were third-most in the Big 12 and its 92 tackles for a loss led the league. That figure is actually only one TFL off the pace of Virginia Tech this year. This front could be a handful.
Quarterback clash
Virginia Tech's Josh Jackson vs. Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph: It hasn't been the smoothest sailing in the second half of the season for Jackson, who threw 17 touchdowns and only four picks the first eight games but has just two touchdown passes and four interceptions in the last four. (He has two rushing touchdowns in that time too.) You can't blame Jackson for everything that's gone wrong. The competition's gotten tougher and his supporting cast has been severely thinned out, reaching its max in this game, with Cam Phillips sidelined after having surgery for a sports hernia he's been playing through all year. The coaches have still been impressed with how Jackson has handled himself. "I thought he had a really good freshman year,? offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen said. ?That?s a big jump from high school to college at that position in particular at this level. The thing we knew offensively going into the season was that we were going to be young and inexperienced. If we could take care of the ball and continue to get better that we were going to have a chance to win a lot of games. We knew our defense was experienced and strong. And that was the best thing he did was he was able to execute the system, get people lined up, do what he was supposed to, make the plays when they were there and take care of the ball."
As for Rudolph, I wrote in a little bit more detail about the nation's leading passer in Wednesday's paper.
Hokies in the spotlight
Andrew Motuapuaka, linebacker: He's getting the coveted No. 25 jersey for his final game, with head coach Justin Fuente saying he embodies the kind of team effort that he thinks it's going to take to win this game. This offense will be a challenge for Motuapuaka, who has 326 tackles in his career but hasn't been quite as efficient when he has to operate in a lot of space. Oklahoma State will test that, for sure, stretching the field horizontally and vertically to give its athletes room to maneuver. Motuapuaka will need to have a sound tackling day for the Hokies' defense to limit the Cowboys from running wild.
Eric Kumah and Sean Savoy, receivers: Phillips is out, which the duo handled just fine against Boston College earlier this year when the senior suffered a foot sprain, combining for 13 catches, 192 yards and a touchdown. BC was a lower bar to clear in terms of points. The question is: can these receivers produce enough in a game when the Hokies have to put up a big number?
Steven Peoples, Deshawn McClease and Jalen Holston, running backs: There'll be no Travon McMillian, who opted to skip the bowl game as he pursues a transfer. He didn't really have a big role the last couple weeks anyway. Peoples and McClease both ran for 71 yards against UVa. Holston had a larger role down the stretch. All three will need to produce for Tech to control the clock.
Ricky Walker, defensive tackle: You can only cover receivers for so long, even with the best secondary, which is why it'll be critical for Walker and the d-line to get pressure on Rudolph and force him into bad decisions. Walker was an All-ACC snub, only earning an honorable mention. Perhaps he takes some of that frustration out on the Cowboys.
Cowboys in the spotlight
James Washington, receiver: Let's count the ways that Washington is a tremendous receiver. 1. He won the Biletnikoff Award, given to the country's top receiver. 2. He led the FBS with 117.6 yards per game. 3. He was a unanimous All-American. 4. He's second on OSU's career list with 4,346 yards, needing 69 to pass Rashaun Woods. 5. He's the FBS active leader in career receiving touchdowns (38). 6. He's tied for first in Oklahoma State history with 20 career 100-yard games, including eight this season in three in the last four games. Needless to say, Tech's going to have its hands full with this guy.
Justice Hill, running back: Think Oklahoma State just throws the ball? Guess again. The 5-foot-10, 185-pounder led the Big 12 with 1,347 rushing yards, the only player in the league to average more than 100 yards a game. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry and ran for 14 touchdowns, with 20 scores on the ground in his career.
Brad Lundblade, center: The senior was a first-team All-Big 12 pick, one of two linemen on the first team along with right tackle Zachary Crabtree. Lundblade's a smart one, a finalist for the Campbell Trophy (aka, the Academic Heisman). The former walk-on was put on scholarship prior to the 2015 season.
Tre Flowers, safety: The Cowboys give up 268.5 passing yards a game, which ranks 118th nationally, so there's not a lot to write about in the secondary. But Flowers was a first-team All-Big 12 pick and a second-team All-American by the AFCA. He leads the team with 267 tackles the last two years. His uncle, Erik Flowers, played in the NFL for seven seasons.
By the numbers
10 -- Number of wins both teams are seeking this season. The Hokies won 10 last year but are trying to do it in back-to-back years for the first time since an eight-year run fo 10-win seasons from 2004-11 under Frank Beamer. Mike Gundy is seeking his third straight 10-win season at Oklahoma State and his sixth overall.
6 -- Oklahoma State was ranked as high as No. 6 this year. The highest Virginia Tech got was 12th, prior to the Clemson loss.
Here's my game advance in Thursday's paper on how the Hokies will need a total team effort to win this game.
Since this is not an ACC game, there is no official injury report for the game from Virginia Tech, though it does not appear left tackle Yosuah Nijman (leg) will play again. Receiver Cam Phillips (sports hernia) is out as well, in addition to players previously lost for the season. Kicker Joey Slye, safety Mook Reynolds and receiver Sean Savoy all look good to go after missing the UVa game.
Senior linebacker Andrew Motuapuaka will get the No. 25 for the second time in three weeks.
Key matchups
Oklahoma State's receivers vs. Virginia Tech's cornerbacks: This is the pairing everyone's been talking about. How is the Hokies' DBU going to match up against a Cowboys receiving corps that ranks among the best in the country? Well, Tech won't go in timid. The Hokies have two seniors starters at cornerback in Greg Stroman and Brandon Facyson, with junior Adonis Alexander coming off the bench to provide another big, physical player for opponents to deal with. That's as formidable of a cornerback crew as Oklahoma State has faced all year, with the Hokies holding opponents to a 46.9 completion percentage, tops in the country. On the flip side, Tech probably hasn't faced a receiving group this talented all year either. James Washington is the headliner, as he should be after leading the nation with 1,423 yards, but Marcell Ateman (54 catches, 1,049 yards, 8 TDs) is a 6-foot-4, 220-pound matchup nightmare as well. Jalen McCleskey and Dillon Stoner have more than 40 catches each as the third- and fourth-leading receivers. There'll be far more than just one receiver for Tech to worry about.
Virginia Tech's offensive line vs. Oklahoma State's defensive front: It's been said the Hokies need to control the clock in order to keep the Cowboys' offense in check. Well, as much as everyone wants to talk about running backs, that starts with the offensive line. Tech will still likely be without Yosuah Nijman at left tackle, although the Hokies haven't had him for a while and still had an encouraging result up front against Virginia, rushing 53 times for 202 yards (a 4.31-yard average if you remove a kneeldown and a 16-yard loss on an errant snap) and controlling the clock for 37 minutes. It was the first time since the Old Dominion game in September that Tech topped the 200-yard mark on the ground. A similar showing Thursday would go a long way in giving the Hokies a chance. Oklahoma State's defense is not very well-regarded, but the Cowboys have some talented players up front. DeQuinton Osborne and Jordan Brailford were All-Big 12 performers on the d-line who combined for 10 sacks and 21 tackles for a loss. OSU's 28 sacks were third-most in the Big 12 and its 92 tackles for a loss led the league. That figure is actually only one TFL off the pace of Virginia Tech this year. This front could be a handful.
Quarterback clash
Virginia Tech's Josh Jackson vs. Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph: It hasn't been the smoothest sailing in the second half of the season for Jackson, who threw 17 touchdowns and only four picks the first eight games but has just two touchdown passes and four interceptions in the last four. (He has two rushing touchdowns in that time too.) You can't blame Jackson for everything that's gone wrong. The competition's gotten tougher and his supporting cast has been severely thinned out, reaching its max in this game, with Cam Phillips sidelined after having surgery for a sports hernia he's been playing through all year. The coaches have still been impressed with how Jackson has handled himself. "I thought he had a really good freshman year,? offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen said. ?That?s a big jump from high school to college at that position in particular at this level. The thing we knew offensively going into the season was that we were going to be young and inexperienced. If we could take care of the ball and continue to get better that we were going to have a chance to win a lot of games. We knew our defense was experienced and strong. And that was the best thing he did was he was able to execute the system, get people lined up, do what he was supposed to, make the plays when they were there and take care of the ball."
As for Rudolph, I wrote in a little bit more detail about the nation's leading passer in Wednesday's paper.
Hokies in the spotlight
Andrew Motuapuaka, linebacker: He's getting the coveted No. 25 jersey for his final game, with head coach Justin Fuente saying he embodies the kind of team effort that he thinks it's going to take to win this game. This offense will be a challenge for Motuapuaka, who has 326 tackles in his career but hasn't been quite as efficient when he has to operate in a lot of space. Oklahoma State will test that, for sure, stretching the field horizontally and vertically to give its athletes room to maneuver. Motuapuaka will need to have a sound tackling day for the Hokies' defense to limit the Cowboys from running wild.
Eric Kumah and Sean Savoy, receivers: Phillips is out, which the duo handled just fine against Boston College earlier this year when the senior suffered a foot sprain, combining for 13 catches, 192 yards and a touchdown. BC was a lower bar to clear in terms of points. The question is: can these receivers produce enough in a game when the Hokies have to put up a big number?
Steven Peoples, Deshawn McClease and Jalen Holston, running backs: There'll be no Travon McMillian, who opted to skip the bowl game as he pursues a transfer. He didn't really have a big role the last couple weeks anyway. Peoples and McClease both ran for 71 yards against UVa. Holston had a larger role down the stretch. All three will need to produce for Tech to control the clock.
Ricky Walker, defensive tackle: You can only cover receivers for so long, even with the best secondary, which is why it'll be critical for Walker and the d-line to get pressure on Rudolph and force him into bad decisions. Walker was an All-ACC snub, only earning an honorable mention. Perhaps he takes some of that frustration out on the Cowboys.
Cowboys in the spotlight
James Washington, receiver: Let's count the ways that Washington is a tremendous receiver. 1. He won the Biletnikoff Award, given to the country's top receiver. 2. He led the FBS with 117.6 yards per game. 3. He was a unanimous All-American. 4. He's second on OSU's career list with 4,346 yards, needing 69 to pass Rashaun Woods. 5. He's the FBS active leader in career receiving touchdowns (38). 6. He's tied for first in Oklahoma State history with 20 career 100-yard games, including eight this season in three in the last four games. Needless to say, Tech's going to have its hands full with this guy.
Justice Hill, running back: Think Oklahoma State just throws the ball? Guess again. The 5-foot-10, 185-pounder led the Big 12 with 1,347 rushing yards, the only player in the league to average more than 100 yards a game. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry and ran for 14 touchdowns, with 20 scores on the ground in his career.
Brad Lundblade, center: The senior was a first-team All-Big 12 pick, one of two linemen on the first team along with right tackle Zachary Crabtree. Lundblade's a smart one, a finalist for the Campbell Trophy (aka, the Academic Heisman). The former walk-on was put on scholarship prior to the 2015 season.
Tre Flowers, safety: The Cowboys give up 268.5 passing yards a game, which ranks 118th nationally, so there's not a lot to write about in the secondary. But Flowers was a first-team All-Big 12 pick and a second-team All-American by the AFCA. He leads the team with 267 tackles the last two years. His uncle, Erik Flowers, played in the NFL for seven seasons.
By the numbers
10 -- Number of wins both teams are seeking this season. The Hokies won 10 last year but are trying to do it in back-to-back years for the first time since an eight-year run fo 10-win seasons from 2004-11 under Frank Beamer. Mike Gundy is seeking his third straight 10-win season at Oklahoma State and his sixth overall.
6 -- Oklahoma State was ranked as high as No. 6 this year. The highest Virginia Tech got was 12th, prior to the Clemson loss.
