Tag Archive | "Frank Beamer"

Shane Beamer Named as a Candidate for the Murray State Job


Shane Beamer may follow in his dad’s coaching footsteps as the head coach at Murray State. The former Virginia Tech football player and current South Carolina assistant coach was named as a candidate for the job in an Examiner.com article posted yesterday.

Beamer, 32, has made a name for himself in the coaching circles since graduating from Tech in 1999. This year he was named one of 34 semi-finalist for the Frank Broyles award, which goes to the nation’s top assistant coach. Current Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster won the award in 2006.

In 2009, Beamer’s unit (cornerbacks and strong safeties) was one of the most productive on the field as his squad was part of a defense that finished the regular season ranked 12th in the nation in pass defense and 15th in total defense. In 2008, the pass defense was ranked 2nd in the nation and 13th in total defense.

From Shane’s Official USC Bio:

Beamer joined the Carolina staff after spending the previous three seasons at Mississippi State University. He was hired by Sylvester Croom in January 2004 to coach the Bulldog cornerbacks under defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson. In his first two seasons at MSU he guided three defensive backs to Freshman All-SEC accolades. He made the move to running backs coach in the spring of 2006. He also served as the program’s recruiting coordinator.

Beamer came to MSU from the University of Tennessee where he spent three seasons as a graduate assistant football coach on the defensive side of the ball. In that capacity, he assisted with the development of the Volunteer defensive backs, was directly responsible for coaching the placekickers, punters and long snappers, and assisted in all special teams areas. He also oversaw game opponent scouting while at UT.

During his three seasons in Knoxville, the Volunteers played in one SEC Championship game (2001) and went to three straight bowl games. While at UT, Beamer earned a master’s degree in sport science in December, 2003.

Prior to joining the staff at Tennessee, Beamer worked one season as an offensive graduate assistant at Georgia Tech. He assisted with the Yellow Jacket quarterbacks and wide receivers in his one season at the Atlantic Coast Conference school. That squad finished the season with a 9-3 mark and a berth in the 2000 Peach Bowl.

Beamer earned his bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech in 1999 and was the Hokies’ starting long snapper for three seasons. He also contributed in the wide receiver corps. He played on four bowl teams and three Big East Conference championship squads. He concluded his college playing career by helping the `99 Hokies to a No. 2 final regular season ranking and a berth in the Sugar Bowl.

Born March 31, 1977 in Charleston, S.C., Beamer is the son of longtime Virginia Tech head football coach Frank Beamer. He is married to the former Emily Gladney, a Starkville, Miss., native.

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Hokies get big games from Williams, Grimm and Boykin in 38-10 win over N.C. State


Box Score | Highlights

Blacksburg, VA — The 15th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies (5-2, 8-3) forced four turnovers to win their third straight game following a decisive 38-10 victory over N.C. State (1-6, 4-7). On senior day in Blacksburg, Va., the Hokies got career performances from senior linebacker Cody Grimm, redshirt freshman running back Ryan Williams and sophomore wide receiver Jarrett Boykin.

Grimm tied an NCAA record with three forced fumbles in his first four defensive plays while Williams scored a career-high four touchdowns and broke Tech’s and the ACC’s freshman single-season rushing record with 1,355 yards.

Williams still has one more regular season game and presumably a bowl game to add to his totals. The Virginia Tech single-season rushing record (1,647 by Kevin Jones in 2003) is still within reach for Williams.

Boykin also had a career game with six receptions for 164 yards and a touchdown catch. He becomes the first Tech wide receiver to have three games with more than 100 yards receiving in a season since Andre Davis did it in 2001.

The Hokies got off to an encouraging start before the opening kickoff. For the first time all season, Tech won a coin toss and it paid off. On the Wolfpack’s first play of the game, Grimm got to N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson from the backside and stripped the ball out of his hands. Grimm recovered the loose ball and the Hokies settled for a field goal to take the early lead, 3-0.

Grimm went right back to work on the second play of State’s next possession. Wilson completed a pass to Darrell Davis along the sideline, but Grimm was there to strip the ball loose again. Tech senior cornerback Stephan Virgil recovered the fumble and returned it three yards to State’s 25.

“We work on it [forcing fumbles] in practice,” Grimm said. “If you’re the second person there, try to rip the ball out, but if you’re the first, then concentrate on getting him down.”

Grimm leads the nation in forced fumbles with seven.

Williams capped a six-play, 25-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown to give the Hokies a 10-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

After two fumbles in their first three offensive plays, it would make sense that N.C. State would have gone out of its way to protect the ball on their third series. However, Grimm forced another fumble on the Pack’s fourth offensive play. This time, however, State was able to recover it, and then marched 81 yards to score its first points of the game on a Wilson pass to Owen Spencer, cutting Tech’s lead to 10-7.

But the night belonged to the Hokies. On the ensuing kickoff, freshman running back and return manDavid Wilson ran the kick back 40 yards, giving Tech’s offense a short field at the State 49. Tech eventually scored on another short TD run by Williams, pushing the Hokies’ lead to 17-7.

State added a field goal in the second quarter, but the Hokies answered with a 74-yard drive capped by another Williams TD run, his third of the game, and the Hokies took 24-10 lead into the half.

Williams scored his fourth and final TD on the Hokies’ opening possession of the second half. The freshman, who has been named the ACC Rookie of the Week six times this season, literally dragged an N.C. State defender — clinging to Williams’ jersey — 10 yards into the end zone.

Williams, who had 120 yards in the game, now has eight 100-yard games this season, one shy of Kevin Jones’ record of nine, set in 2003.

Williams tied Tech’s freshman record for touchdowns scored in a game (4). “Touchdown” Tommy Edwards scored four against Pittsburgh in 1993. Williams also tied the ACC’s record for touchdowns in a season by a freshman with 16.

“He is strong, quick and powerful,” Tech head coach Frank Beamer said of Williams. “I think he’s a complete back.”

Boykin, who had racked up impressive receiving yards finally got in the end zone in the third quarter, scoring Tech’s final TD of the game and securing a 38-10 win for the Hokies.

While Taylor, Williams and Boykin stole the show on offense, Bud Foster’s defense deserves a great deal of credit for shutting down the ACC’s second best offense. The Hokies held the Pack to just 14 rushing yards and 259 total yards of offense.

The defense set the tone early thanks to Grimm’s incredible performance.

“That was big,” Beamer said. “You need to get up on those guys [N.C. State] because they can score in a hurry.”

N.C. State came into the game averaging 32.6 points per game, second in the ACC.

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Despite struggles, Maryland Terrapins expected to keep Ralph Friedgen as coach


Blacksburg, VA — There has been talk among Virginia Tech Hokie fans about Frank Beamer possibly hiring Ralph Friedgen as offensive coordinator should Maryland fire him after what has been a disappointing season.

This scenario assumes that Maryland could afford to buy out the remainder of Friedgen’s contract, but given Maryland’s financial woes, it appears very unlikely the university can afford such a move.

Keep in mind that following last season Maryland named James Franklin, offensive coordinator, the successor to Friedgen once the Fridge’s contract ends following the 2011 season.

If the Terps want to make an earlier-than-expected change at head coach, they will need to buy out the remaining two years of Friedgen’s contract, valued at $4.5 million. Given the tough economic situation facing the state of Maryland, it would be hard for the university to justify spending that kind of money on a football coach, so expect the Terps to ride out the final two years of Friedgen’s contract.

Attendance and season ticket sales have been on the decline for the last five seasons at College Park. Unless the Terps (1-4, 2-7) can turn things around in the next two seasons, expect the Fridge to be out in two years. If he’s not, Maryland owes Franklin a cool $1 million per the “successor” contract given to him earlier this year.

Even if the Terps can the Fridge, there is still the issue of Beamer’s loyalty to embattled offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring.

Many Hokie fans are calling for offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring’s ousting in the wake of another statistically abysmal year. The offense touts a great deal of talent and experience, yet the Hokies rank 70th in total offense, thanks in large part to phenom freshman running back Ryan Williams, who is on pace to break every major freshman rushing record at the school.

During the past four seasons, the Hokies’ offense has hovered around 100th out of 120 teams in Division I-A. During those season, while the offense struggled at times, Tech’s defense generally helped out enough to push the team to consistent 10-win seasons. This year, however, the defense is struggling and the lack of offense is much more noticeable as evidenced by three losses.

Beamer and his team still have a shot at a sixth straight 10-win season if they can win their remaining three regular season games and then a bowl game.

If the Hokies tank their last three game and finish 6-6, expect there to be a lot of pressure on Beamer to sack or demote Stinespring and bring in a new offensive coordinator. If the Hokies win out and finish 10-3, don’t expect any changes on the coaching staff. Not many programs in the country can boast five straight 10-win seasons.

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Posted in 2009, Around the ACC, The SeasonComments (1)

Looking back at the history between Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech football


No. 4 Hokies look for sixth straight win in Atlanta

Blacksburg, VA — The fourth-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies (3-0, 5-1) take their hopes for a national championship on the road this weekend against ACC Coastal Division rival Georgia Tech (3-1, 5-1).

The Hokies have won five straight games since their season-opening loss to No. 2 Alabama and hope to make it six on Saturday in Atlanta. Virginia Tech leads the series against the Yellow Jackets, 4-2, and are 4-1 since joining the ACC.

Let’s take a look back at the short series between the two schools.

1990 – Two Techs Collide

The first meeting between the two Techs was on Nov. 10, 1990. The Hokies were 5-4 heading into their second-to-last game of the season. The undefeated Jackets were ranked No. 7 and the Hokies gave them all they could handle in Atlanta. Georgia Tech won the game, 6-3, and went on to finish 11-0-1 and earned a share of the National Championship with Colorado. The Hokies finished 6-5.

[Updated: I did not originally include the 2000 game that was never played, because, well, they never played it. But, I had some people tell me that I forgot it, which I didn't, but decided to throw it in anyway.]

2000 – The Game That Wasn’t

The infamous lightning game. Who could forget. It was supposed to be the season-opener for both teams. The Hokies were fresh off their 1999 undefeated (11-0) regular season and a trip to the National Championship game – a 29-46 loss to Florida State. Michael Vick was back for his second season as the starter and expectations were sky high. But, Mother Nature had other plans.

A severe lightning storm rolled through Blacksburg and struck ESPN analyst Lee Corso’s rental car parked outside the stadium. Corso picked Georgia Tech to win the game just before his car was smote. The game was nevery made up and the Hokies went on to finish the season 11-1 and whipped No. 16 Clemson, 41-20, in the Gator Bowl.

2004 – New ACC Rivals

The teams didn’t meat again until the Hokies joined the ACC in 2004. Georgia Tech jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead and led 20-12 with less than six minutes to play in the game. That’s when Virginia Tech exploded for three touchdowns in just four minutes and 32 seconds.

Trailing 20-12, Hokies’ quarterback Bryan Randall hit Eddie Royal for an 80-yard touchdown on first down. A two-point conversion tied the game at 20. The Hokies got the ball back a mere 90 seconds later and used a three-play drive to get into the endzone again. This time it was Randall to Josh Morgan for a 51-yard strike putting good Tech up 27-20.

Roland Minor sealed the come-from-behind victory with a 64-yard interception return for a touchdown, giving the Hokies a 34-20 win. Tech finished the season 10-3.

2005 – Going Coastal

No suspense here. This remains the only blowout of the short series between the two schools. The Hokies came in at 3-0 (2-0 ACC) and ranked No. 4. The Jackets were No. 15. The game was never close or in doubt as the Hokies jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead.

Defensive end Chris Ellis and linebacker Xavier Adibi both returned interceptions for touchdowns in the fourth quarter to put GT out of its misery. Hokies romped to a 51-7 win at Lane Stadium and went on to finish the season 11-2.

2006 – Tech Wins One

The only Virginia Tech loss to the Georgia Tech in ACC play came in 2006 in Blacksburg. The 24th-ranked Yellow Jackets beat the 11th-ranked Hokies 38-27, handing Virginia Tech its first loss of the season and dropping Frank Beamer’s team to No. 22.

VT lost its next game against Boston College, a loss that knocked the Hokies out of the top 25 completely. Tech rebounded to win its final six games, giving up a combined 19 points in the six wins, which included a pair of shutouts. The Hokies finished the 2006 regular season with a 10-2 record before losing a heart-breaker to Georgia in the Chick Fil A Bowl, 24-31.

The 2006 loss to the Ramblin’ Wreck marked the last time a Virginia Tech quarterback had thrown for more than 300 yards in a game – Sean Glennon threw for 339 yards. That changed this season when Tyrod Taylor threw for 327 yards against Duke in a 34-26 win in Durham.

2007 – The Infamous Missing Jerseys

Who doesn’t remember this game? It was a Thursday night, nationally televised ESPN game and when the coverage of the game began, we learned that four Virginia Tech jerseys had mysteriously vanished. Among them, both quarterbacks – Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon. The two had to wear old Georgia Tech practice jerseys with black marker used to write in their names and numbers.

It worked, though. The 6-2 Hokies fell behind 3-0 midway through the first quarter, but that’s all Georgia Tech would get. Virginia Tech scored the next 27 points in a dominating 27-3 win. Hokie fans everywhere started asking if Glennon, who completed 22 of 32 passes for 296 yards and two TDs, could wear the GT practice jersey the rest of the season. No dice, said the ACC.

The Hokies finished the season 11-3, including another heartbreaking loss to Kansas in the Orange Bowl, 24-21.

Watch highlights of the 2007 game.

2008 – The Costly Personal Foul

The Yellow Jackets came into Blacksburg last season with their new triple option offense that was going to wreak havoc on defensive coordinators. It was only the third game of the season for both teams, so the Hokies didn’t have much game film of the new Paul Johnson offense.

And truth be told, the Yellow Jackets probably should have won this game, but they didn’t. They put up 387 yards to the Hokies’ 247, but fumbled the ball twice and threw an interception. The Hokies didn’t turn the ball over at all.

Georgia Tech was playing better for the most part, but the Hokies were the more disciplined team that day. The Jackets committed eight penalties for 61 yards, none more costly than the 15-yard personal foul call in the fourth quarter, with the game tied at 17.

On third down and 7 from Tech’s 23, Tyrod Taylor sprinted toward his own sideline, well short of the first down marker. The Hokies were going to have to punt, but out of nowhere came Georgia Tech’s Cooper Taylor with a late hit on Tyrod. The penalty gave the Hokies an automatic first down and 15 more yards, which they used to march down the field and kick the game-winning field goal.

Watch highlights of the 2008 game.

That brings us to this year’s game. The Jackets are much improved and have perfected the triple option. They lead ACC teams in total offense and rushing offense and have two running backs, as well as a quarterback, who can bust open a big play at any moment.

What the Jackets lack is solid defense. Last week, they gave up 44 points to a bad Florida State team. If they don’t make significant improvements from last week to this week, it may not make any difference how many points their offense can put up.

The Virginia Tech offense has reeled off three straight impressive performances. In wins against No. 9 Miami, Duke and Boston College, the Hokies are averaging 38 points and 429 yards a game (219 rushing / 210 passing).

Georgia Tech is a running team, plain and simple. They are dead last in passing offense in the ACC and the only team in the conference to have fewer than 100 pass attempts (75). However, when they do pass, they are highly efficient. In fact, they lead the ACC in passing efficiency with a rating of 169. The Hokies are second with a rating of 164.

If Frank Beamer and the Hokies are going to win this game, defensive coordinator Bud Foster must figure out how to stop the triple option and still be prepared to defend the pass. Should the Hokies’s offense come out and play like they have in the last three games, I think the Hokies win this game, especially if Georgia Tech’s defense can’t get its act together.

Kickoff: 6 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Announcers: Mark Jones (play-by-play), Bob Davie (color analyst)

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Hokies destroy Boston College 48-14 in Key ACC Win


Blacksburg, VA — Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer was unusually hard on his team in practice the week leading up to today’s game against Boston College.

He was tired of losing to the Eagles in the regular season and wasn’t about to allow Boston College to win its fourth straight against his Hokies. And they didn’t.

Not only did the Hokies win the game, they dominated the Eagles from the opening drive in a 48-14 win.

“I thought we had them disrupted a little bit,” Tech head coach Frank Beamer said. “I know that kid [Shinskie, Boston College's quarterback] had made some nice throws the past couple of weeks. They were having trouble running the football on us, and any time you can make them one-dimensional, I think that really helps you and we had that going. We got them into passing situations and we had them disrupted in the passing game. That’s what really pleased me.”

This was supposed to be a tough game for the No. 5 Hokies, who had lost three of their last four games against the Eagles.

Everything went right for Virginia Tech in this game. The running game that stalled last week against Duke kicked into high gear and the ACC’s leading rusher Ryan Williams led the Hokies with 182 total yards – 159 rushing, 23 passing – and a touchdown.

Williams has nine touchdowns on the season, just two shy of Tech’s freshman record of 11 set by Darren Evans last season. Evans tore his ACL in the preseason and will miss all of 2009.

Junior quarterback Tyrod Taylor had another solid passing game completing 7 of 10 passes for 126 yards and two touchdown passes. Taylor has thrown eight TDs to one interception this season. Last year, he threw two TDs to seven interceptions.

Virginia Tech scored on its first four possessions in the first half to sprint out to a 24-0 lead. Boston College was never in the game. Tech made it 31-0 when Rashad “Rock” Carmichael returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown. The Hokies added a second quarter field goal to take a 34-0 lead into the half.

Bud Foster’s defense, which has been inconsistent this season, stepped up and took out its collective frustration on Boston College. The Eagles managed just three yards in the first half. At one point in the second quarter, they had -7 yards.

Boston College’s two touchdowns came in the fourth quarter against Tech’s second and third team defenders.

Redshirt freshman backup quarterback Ju-Ju Clayton threw his first career touchdown pass, an 80-yard bomb to Marcus Davis who picked up his first college touchdown.

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Virginia Tech opens up passing game behind career days for Taylor, Boykin and Coale


Virginia Tech head football coach Frank Beamer has never been known for having a pass-first offense. You wouldn’t have known that watching the Hokies methodically pick apart Duke’s secondary today, while at the same time watching their running game struggle.

Junior quarterback Tyrod Taylor set a career high for passing yards with 327. It was the first time a Tech QB had passed for more than 300 yards in a game since Sean Glennon threw for 339 in a 38-27 loss to Georgia Tech in 2006.

Taylor wasn’t the only player having a career day. Sophomore wide receiver Jarrett Boykin caught a career-high 144 yards on six catches and a touchdown. It was the first time a Tech wideout had more than 100 yards receiving in a game since Eddie Royal had 147 yards in a 33-21 win over Virginia in 2007.

Why the sudden success in the passing game? Another well-called game by offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring. The word is out about Tech redshirt freshman running back Ryan Williams – he’s the nation’s sixth leading rusher and three-time ACC Rookie of the Week. So, Duke’s game plan was clear – stuff eight and nine men in the box and force the Hokies to beat the Blue Devils through the air.

“They were loading the box, bringing their linebackers up,” said Taylor after the game. “They were rotating the safeties. Coach [Bryan Stinespring] did a good job of stretching the ball [down the field] instead of running the power. That open things up and we were able execute it. This builds confidence for our offense and for the passing game.”

The first two offensive possessions did not amount to much, just 27 yards. Tech tried to establish a running game, but Duke crowded the line of scrimmage and denied any running room for the Hokies.

On Tech’s third possession however, Stinespring decided to take to the air. Duke had just scored a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead, but on the ensuing kickoff, the ball went out of bounds giving the Hokies excellent field position at their own 40.

The first play was a 3-yard run by Taylor. Second down was a 17-yard pass to tight end Andre Smith for a first down inside Duke territory. On first down, the Hokies went back to the run for a 4-yard gain by Williams. Then, on second and 6 from the Duke 36, Taylor found Danny Coale over the middle in the endzone for the equalizer. It was Coale’s first career touchdown. He also had a career-high 94 yards on three receptions.

Taylor threw for two touchdowns against the Blue Devils; the first to Coale and the other a controversial play in the end zone involving Boykin. With Tech leading 10-7 midway through the second quarter, Taylor threw to Boykin in the right side of the end zone where Boykin and a Duke defensive back both went up for the pass. It appeared that Duke had an interception, but Boykin ripped it from his hands on the way down and the official ruled it a Virginia Tech touchdown. After a lengthy review, the play was upheld and the Hokies led 17-10.

“The play they [the coaches] called and the coverage that they [Duke] gave us, I knew it was going to be a jump ball situation,” said Boykin. “As we were coming down, we were both fighting for it, and I guess he gave up on it at the end. I was still fighting for it and I ripped it out. I couldn’t let him take it from me.”

While the Hokies struggled early on the ground, the success of the passing game eventually set up the running game. Williams finished with 83 yards and second stringer Josh Oglesby, a redshirt sophomore, had 59 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Williams picked up the majority of his yards in the fourth quarter as well.

Box Score from Virginia Tech’s 34-26 win over Duke.

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Virginia Tech Hokies move up to No. 5 in the polls, highest ranked one-loss team


Apparently, those who vote in the college football polls do pay close attention. At first glance, Virginia Tech’s 34-26 road win over the Duke Blue Devils (0-1, 2-3) does not look very impressive. But if you look at the game itself, you’ll see a role reversal in which the Hokies’ offense bailed out the defense for a change.

Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer has never been known to have a pass-oriented offense, but instead used it primarily to set up the power running game. Against, Duke however, it was the other way around.

The Blue Devils, under second-year head coach David Cutcliffe, dared the Hokies to beat them with the passing game by crowding the line of scrimmage with eight defensive players. And it worked for the first two series of the game, but Hokies’ offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring appeared to have a plan in place. On Tech’s third series, they needed only four plays to get into the endzone with 36-yard pass from junior quarterback Tyrod Taylor to Danny Coale. From that point on, Virginia Tech had great success passing the ball and Duke couldn’t stop them.

The Hokies piled up 327 yards passing and on the arm of Taylor, who set a career-high in passing yards. It was the first time in three years a Virginia Tech QB has broken the 300-yard mark.

Tech’s offense put up 34 points all by itself. No defensive touchdowns or blocked punts for touchdowns. And that is likely the reason the Hokies moved up a spot — from No.6 to No. 5 — in both the Associated Press and USA Today polls.

Virginia Tech remains the highest ranked one-loss team in Division I-A college football. The Hokies return to Blacksburg on Saturday, Oct. 10, to host Boston College (2-1, 4-1), fresh off it’s 28-21 win over Florida State.

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Posted in 2009, The SeasonComments (0)

Duke Blue Devils to host No. 6 ranked Virginia Tech Hokies


First year Duke head football coach David Cutcliffe promised to field a more competitive football team this season and so far, they’re not doing too badly. The Blue Devils are 2-2 with impressive wins over Army and North Carolina Central.

Their two losses are to Richmond – the reigning Division I-A (Football Championship Subdivision) champions – and Kansas, a respectable Big 12 team.

So, you’d think that with a .500 record and the No. 6 team in the country coming to town in the form of the Virginia Tech Hokies, Duke fans would be clamoring to get tickets for this game. Apparently not. Duke’s athletics department issued a statement today announcing there were still plenty of tickets for sale to the game this Saturday, Oct. 3, against the Hokies. Subsequently, Virginia Tech’s athletics department posted an announcement on its site – hokiesports.com – letting its fans know that they could get tickets to the game.

Since joining the ACC in 2004, the Hokies are 5-0 against the Blue Devils. Tech averages 38.5 points a game and only gives up 6.8, including a pair of shutouts. Those stats alone would likely deter the casual Duke fan from showing up on Saturday but let’s not forget that last year’s team went into Blacksburg against the eventual ACC champs and held the Hokies to just 14 points; and only seven of those came from the Hokies’ offense. Tech won 14-3 despite five turnovers, but Duke had the ball late in the game, trailing 7-3, until Tech cornerback Victor Macho Harris intercepted a pass at the Duke 23 yard line and returned it for a touchdown to seal the victory.

Undoubtedly, there will be college football “experts” that will pick the Hokies in a romp, but Duke has a solid team that has matured through the first four games of the season. They are better coached, at home and it won’t come as a surprise if they give the Hokies a serious fight. This is far from a “gimme” game for Virginia Tech and the players on last year’s squad know that – they nearly lost that game.

If Frank Beamer and his team come out ready to play as they did in their 31-7 upset of then No. 9 ranked Miami, then Duke will have a tough time stopping Tech’s juggernaut of a running game led by an improved offensive line and the ACC’s leading rushers and scorer, redshirt freshman Ryan Williams.

If you are interested in tickets for the game, here is the information provided by HokieSports.com:

The Duke University Athletics Ticket Office still has tickets available for Hokie fans traveling to Durham as Virginia Tech makes its only visit to the Triangle area this season. The Hokies and Blue Devils will clash this Saturday in an ACC Coastal Division match-up at noon and tickets are only $40. To purchase your tickets, call the Duke University Athletics Ticket Office at 877-375-3853 or order online at GoDuke.com.

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Hokie Hotline Changes Name, Format and Location


Mike Burnop was the featured speaker at the 21st annual Roanoke Hokies Alumni Chapter golf tournament on Friday, Aug. 7. During his 20-minutes presentation, he talked at length about the upcoming football season.

He also discussed changes to Frank Beamer’s radio show, formerly called “Hokie Hotline.” The show is now called “Tech Talk Live,” but they will not be taking live questions on the air. Also, the show will no longer be hosted at Awful Arthur’s. Watch the above video for an explanation of the changes and let us know what you think? Good? Bad? Indifferent?

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Game Recap | Hokies (6-3, 3-2) 23, Terps (6-3, 3-2) 13 | 11.06.2008


Highlights | Box Score

Blacksburg, VA – Redshirt freshman running back Darren Evans set a new Virginia Tech single game rushing record and led the Hokies to an impressive 23-13 win over the No. 23 ranked Maryland Terrapins Thursday night. Evans piled up 253 yards on 32 carries and scored a touchdown. The 253 yards breaks Mike Imoh’s record of 243 yards set in 2004 against North Carolina.

The Hokies turned in their best offensive performance of the season, racking up 400 yards – 273 rushing, 127 passing. Evans had all but 20 of Tech’s rushing yards. Credit the Virginia Tech offensive line for some great up-front blocking and creating cavernous holes allowing Evans to pick up big chunks of yards. Also, give credit to Bryan Stinespring, Tech’s offensive coordinator, for calling a good game and throwing in some unexpected wrinkles that kept Maryland on their heels all game.

Tech’s offense did most of its damage in the first half posting two touchdowns and a field goal en route to a 17-3 halftime lead. Tech still managed some impressive and time consuming drives in the second half, but only put up two field goals. Glennon finished with a respectable 14 of 20 for 127 yards and one TD.

Read the full story

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2010-2011 Schedule

09/06 vs. Boise State (8pm ESPN)
09/11 vs. JMU
09/18 vs. ECU
09/25 @ Boston College
10/02 @ NC State
10/09 vs. Central Michigan
10/16 vs. Wake Forest
10/23 vs. Duke
11/04 vs. Georgia Tech (7:30pm, ESPN)
11/13 @ North Carolina
11/20 @ Miami
11/27 vs. Virginia
12/04 ACC Championship Game

Photos on flickr

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