Nov05-Contest2_theco..

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Friday, November 18, 2005
Collegiate Times
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The Commonwealth Ball
VICK PHOTO BY TED MARTELLO/SPPS FILE PHOTO, HAGANS PHOTO BY ANDREW FULLER/SPPS FILE PHOTO, CUTOUTS AND STATE MAP BY SETH PETERSEN
Hokies and Cavaliers meet for annual rivalry showdown
by Clark Ruhland
Senior Staff Writer
Rivalries are the glue that hold college football
together. The entire Commonwealth of Virginia will
have its eyes glued to the annual Virginia Tech and
University of Virginia match-up tomorrow.
The No. 7 Hokies (8-1,5-1) are coming off of their
worst home loss in 13 years after losing to the Miami Hurricanes 27-7 on Nov. 5. Avoiding a slump is
at the top of the priority list for Tech, who has had
two weeks to think about the loss after a bye week.
“The bye week came at the right time and we got
it out of our system,” said Tech tight end Jeff King.
“We lost two early games last year and we were
conscious of what happened. We have been there
before, and we don’t want to go down that road
again.”
Last week, King, Darryl Tapp and several other
Tech seniors let the coaching staff know that the
loss to Miami is not something that has ruined the
season.
“The loss was a gift and a curse,” Tapp said. “We
are refocused and the entire senior class does not
want to take away a bad ending from this season.
The season is nowhere being lost. Time is running
out and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
The final road game for the Hokies is a trip to
Charlottesville in the rivalry game against an unranked Virginia team who just became bowl eligible after defeating then No. 24 Georgia Tech last
weekend at home.
Virginia (6-3, 3-3) is returning previously suspended safety Tony Franklin, nose tackle Kwakou
Robinson and wide receiver Ottowa Anderson who
were among a group of four, including defensive
end Vince Redd, who did not play against Georgia
Tech due to “a violation of team rules.” Their return
will strengthen the Cavaliers.
“I think we’re getting Virginia at their very best,”
said Tech head coach Frank Beamer. “This is a football team that has gotten better over the course of
the season. Their record at home speaks for itself.”
The Cavaliers are almost unbeatable at home by
winning 21 of their last 23 games in the friendly
confines of Scott Stadium. This season, Virginia has
not lost at home, something that Justin Hamilton
and the Hokies look to change.
“They play great at home and we play great on the
road,” Hamilton said. “Something has to give.”
The focus for both teams will be the play of their
quarterbacks. Marcus Vick is coming off of a six
turnover performance against Miami two weeks
ago. Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans is on
a roll after passing for 205 yards and a touchdown
against Georgia Tech. However, Hagans makes
just as many plays with his feet as he does with his
arm.
“Hagans is just a really good football player,”
1. Virginia Tech's running game 2. Bouncing back
4
THINGS
THINGS
to watch on
Saturday
UVa boasts one of the best linebacking corps in the
country but has had some problems stopping the
run, ranking seventh of 12 teams in the Atlantic
Coast Conference. If the Hokies are able to keep
their per-carry average above four yards, they give
themselves an excellent chance of keeping the
Virginia offense off of the field and putting points
on the board. The key is for the Tech offensive
linemen and lead blockers to occupy the 'Hoo
linebackers long enough for Cedric Humes and
Branden Ore to find holes. Controlling time of
possession and tempo is key in a rivalry game,
especially when a potential BCS bid (for Tech) and
bowl positioning (for UVa) are on the line.
The story surrounding this game is
whether Tech will regroup and be
stronger after a loss like in 2004 or if
the Hokies will collapse after its first
loss like in 2001-2003. The seniors
swear this team is different but it
will not be easy. UVa has won 21 of
its last 23 games at home, although
Tech has won two of its last three in
Charlottesville. The Hokies are no
pushover on the road, though,
winning their last eight in hostile
environments dating back to the
24-10 game against UVa in 2003.
Beamer said. “He makes his better plays when he
scrambles around. I have a lot of respect for him.”
Hagans is the Cavaliers’ Renaissance man. In
2003, he played various positions including backup
quarterback, punt returner and was the team’s sixth
leading wide receiver and third leading rusher. His
mobility is something the Hokies are hoping to
contain.
“He’s a great mobile quarterback,” said Tech
linebacker James Anderson. “He makes great plays
outside of the pocket, so we need to try to keep him
boxed in the pocket and force him to make bad
plays.”
The Virginia defense is led by junior linebacker
Kai Parham, who averages 8.2 tackles per game. He
reaps the benefits of the 3-4 defense set which runs
three down linemen and four linebackers.
“The scheme that they play is very good,” King
See RIVALRY, page 7
3. Virginia's Hagans
4. Vick vs. UVa secondary
Cavs’ quarterback Marques Hagans is
fifth in the ACC in total offense with
226 yards per game, one slot ahead
of Tech's Marcus Vick. Hagans has
added an element of passing
accuracy to his flashy scrambleoriented game and poses a threat to
the Hokie defense if they are not able
to keep him in the pocket. Hagans
does his best work when on the run,
so the ability of Tech's defensive ends
to keep contained on the outside will
be key to negating Hagan's big play
aspirations.
UVa has zero senior starters in the
secondary and has been very vulnerable
against the passing attack season. The Cavs
have allowed over 300 yards in the air
three times. Sophomore Chris Gorham and
5’9” freshman Mike Brown will split time at
one corner position and you can bet Vick
will be looking to the athletic Tech
receivers in that direction. If the running
game is working, look for the Hokies to use
play action to take shots down the field
taking advantage of safety Jamaal Jackson,
starting for the injured Nate Lyles.
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