Quick Take with Leon Mackey December 2, 2008 Hargrave Military Academy held its annual Winter Workout - an event for its football players to show off their skills in front of college coaches - yesterday, but prior to the event TechSideline.com caught up with 6-5, 255-pound defensive end recruit Leon Mackey for the latest on his recruitment. more
Big-Time DL Picks Hokies December 1, 2008 DeAntre Rhodes has been one of the most productive players in the state of Virginia each of the past two seasons, earning second-team all-state honors on offense and defense as a junior and turning in an even more impressive senior season according to Varina (VA) coaches. The 6-3, 280-pound senior, a projected defensive lineman on the college level, has decided to take his talents to Virginia Tech next season. more
2008 Monday Thoughts: Virginia December 1, 2008 What a strange game. It's unusual to see a team dominate play like the Hokies did, turn it over just once, and yet win by just three points in a contest where the outcome was in doubt with less than three minutes to go. It was one of VT's better offensive efforts of the season, but failures in the red zone and some crafty coaching by the Virginia staff kept it close. In the end, Tech got what they needed, and for the fourth time in five years, the Hokies will play a single game for the ACC championship. more
2008 Football Game Recap: Hokies Beat Hoos, Win Coastal Division November 29, 2008 Blacksburg, VA - A fourth quarter field goal from Dustin Keys gave the Hokies a 17-14 win over Virginia, and sent Virginia Tech back to the ACC Championship Game for the third time in four years. Tech finished the regular season 8-4 overall and 5-3 in the ACC. They'll face Boston College next Saturday in Tampa. Virginia finished 5-7 and will not go bowling. more
2008 Keys to the Game, Matchups to Watch and Game Prediction: Virginia November 28, 2008 Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia meet for the 90th time in a game with much more than the Commonwealth Cup on the line. The Hokies need to beat UVA to win the Coastal Division and travel to Tampa next week to face either Boston College or Florida State for the ACC Championship. The Wahoos need to win to become bowl eligible, as well as spoil VT's season. A great deal of pride within the Commonwealth is at stake, so what should we expect from these up-and-down teams? more
VT Commits Enjoy Playoff Success November 28, 2008 In a rematch of last season's Group AAA, Division 5 semifinals, Stone Bridge (Ashburn, VA) will take on Phoebus (Hampton, VA). This time, the Bulldogs (with VT commit David Wang), which captured last year's contest en route to winning the state title, will travel to Hampton to face the Phantoms in a match-up of undefeated programs.
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ACC Weekend Football Preview: Week 14 November 28, 2008 This is a big weekend for the ACC. Obviously, the games this weekend will decide who plays for the ACC Championship on December 6. However, there are also some important out-of-conference games that can get the ACC some respect if they are victorious. more
2008 Football Game Preview: Virginia Tech vs. Virginia November 26, 2008 For the second straight year, the Battle for the Commonwealth Cup means something. If Virginia Tech wins, they'll head to the ACC Championship Game for the third time in the past four seasons. Virginia needs to win to qualify for a bowl. Both teams have a lot to play for in what should be a physical, hard hitting, defensive football game on Saturday. more
Bolling in No Hurry to Decide November 26, 2008 Brookville (Lynchburg, VA) offensive tackle Devin Bolling initially told Virginia Tech primary recruiter Bryan Stinespring last week that he just needed a few weeks before he'd be ready to make a decision. The Virginia Tech offensive coordinator indicated that the 6-5, 270-pound senior could take his time, something Bolling now appears intent on doing. more
2010 Class Profile: LB/RB Forbes Making Visits November 26, 2008 Thomas Johnson (Frederick, MD) linebacker/running back Nick Forbes, one of the top junior prospects in the state of Maryland's 2010 class, would like to be able to make a college commitment prior to the beginning of his senior season. Football will be a factor in this important decision, but Forbes, who carries a 3.6 GPA, will be looking first and foremost on the academic front. more
2008 Duke Game Analysis: Hokies Win Frigid Chess Match November 25, 2008 It wasn't pretty, but the Hokies got the win they needed to set themselves up for another run at the ACC title. In the end, that was the most important aspect of this game against Duke. As they say, it's better to win ugly than to lose pretty ... or something like that. But what I am asked to do here is to analyze the game in detail and unfortunately that involves breaking down some of the ugliness that continues to infect the Tech offense. So, take a deep breath and read on. more
Hargrave Star May Be at Tech in January November 25, 2008 The recruitment of Hargrave Military Academy star defensive end Leon Mackey has certainly been interesting, but there is no question that the Virginia Tech staff would love to have the 6-5, 260-pound prospect in Blacksburg by the beginning of next year. Mackey being enrolled at Virginia Tech now seems much more realistic, with the talented athlete saying he has done what he needed to do to gain admission to the ACC school. more
2008 Monday Thoughts: Duke November 24, 2008 This game was miserable, in more ways than one. It was frigid, it was against Duke, and the Virginia Tech offense turned the ball over five times on its first six possessions. There's lots to grumble about after beating Duke by the narrow margin of 14-3, but I'm with the coaches on this one: Let's just scratch this one up in the win column and move on. The big showdown with Virginia is just five days away, and a trip to Tampa is on the line, so as long as this one isn't a loss, the world hasn't caved in. more
Robinson Notes: Updates on Stanton, Laiti November 24, 2008 Robinson (Fairfax, VA) senior defensive end Jordan Stanton's first year of organized football may have only been last year as a junior, but he has shown talent and potential in these past two years. The 6-4, 240-pound senior was a unanimous first-team all-district selection this season, an impressive accomplishment considering his lack of experience. He has also been performing well in the classroom, something that could help him earn a Division 1A scholarship offer. more
2008 Around the ACC: Week 13 November 24, 2008 Finally, the ACC situation has cleared up. Two teams from each division remain alive in the quest for the ACC Championship, and two games this Saturday will decide who plays in Tampa on December 6. more
2008 Football Game Recap: Tough Defense Gets Hokies Past Duke 14-3 November 23, 2008 Blacksburg, VA - Thanks to a stingy defense and the first touchdown of the season by a wide receiver, Virginia Tech knocked off Duke 14-3 in Lane Stadium on Saturday night. The win moves the Hokies to 7-4 overall and 4-3 in the ACC. A win next Saturday against UVA will send Tech to Tampa for the ACC Championship Game on December 6. more
2008 Keys to the Game, Matchups to Watch and Game Prediction: Duke November 21, 2008 Thank you Georgia Tech!! After the Yellow Jackets knocked off the Miami Hurricanes, the door reopens for the Hokies, and Virginia Tech once again has control of its own destiny in the wild and wacky ACC. If VT takes care of business in the next two weeks at home, then the Hokies will earn a trip to Tampa for the ACC championship. However, the vastly improved Duke Blue Devils will have a great incentive in this week's game as well. Duke needs to win their next two games to become bowl eligible. So, what are the keys to this now critical contest? more
ACC Weekend Football Preview: Week 13 November 21, 2008 The ACC is a jumbled mess right now. Four teams are still in contention for the Atlantic Division crown, while five teams still have aspirations of representing the Coastal Division in the ACC Championship Game. However, there are three teams that control their own destiny: Maryland, Boston College and Virginia Tech. more
Star OL to Visit VT November 20, 2008 At 6-7, 315 pounds, Bertie (Windsor, N.C.) star senior Travis Bond shouldn't be hard to spot when he attends Virginia Tech's home football game against Duke this weekend. The offensive tackle/defensive lineman prospect plans to be in Blacksburg on an official visit, which will be his first ever experience at Virginia Tech. more
2008 Football Game Preview: Virginia Tech vs. Duke November 19, 2008 Virginia Tech returns home to face Duke in the second and final night game of the year in Lane Stadium. The Hokies need a win to get back on track before facing in-state rival Virginia. Meanwhile, Duke needs two wins to become bowl eligible, so VT will get the Devils' best shot. more
Bolling Earns VT Offer November 19, 2008 Brookville (Lynchburg, VA) offensive lineman Devin Bolling knew something was up yesterday. He said his friend and teammate, Logan Thomas, was "smiling all day long." He could tell the coaches knew something. He was right, and yesterday afternoon he was clued in that Virginia Tech had offered a full scholarship. more
2008 Miami Game Analysis: Offense Takes a Step Back November 18, 2008 Now that it has been a few days, it's easier to analyze this game without the emotion and frustration getting in the way. On the one hand, it was a game where all the breaks and funny bounces went in favor of the Hurricanes. On the other hand, it was a game where a disturbing trend of offensive futility returned in a dismal second half performance by the Hokies. Either way it was a gut-wrenching loss for a Virginia Tech team that is no longer in control of its own destiny. In order to get back into the Coastal race, the Hokies now have to depend on the ACC's "other Tech" to take care of business with the hated Canes. more
Deep Run Notes: Jr. OL Garnering Attention November 18, 2008 Deep Run (Glen Allen, VA) turned in a fantastic 2008 season with nine wins to just one loss, led by top senior prospects Antone Exum, Jordan Love and Jake Snyder. Head coach Greg Kendall would have a tough time finding three prospects as talented as those three in next year's class, but he knows he has at least one likely 1A recruit. more
2008 Monday Thoughts: Miami November 17, 2008 I felt very good heading into this one. I liked the matchup of VT's newly rejuvenated (or so I thought) offensive line against Miami's defensive line, and I really liked the matchup of Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster against Miami's rotating freshman quarterbacks. Alas, Miami's offense refused to play into Bud's hands, and VT's offensive line put in a putrid performance. Combine that with some curious offensive game-planning and play calling, and it added up to a Hokie loss ... remarkably, by just two points. more
2008 Around the ACC: Week 12 November 17, 2008 This week, we'll break down the Coastal Division tiebreaker scenarios. Yes, the Hokies still have a chance to make it to Tampa. However, VT must win out, and Georgia Tech must beat Miami on Thursday night. more
Hargrave Military Academy held its annual Winter Workout - an event for its football players to show off their skills in front of college coaches - yesterday, but prior to the event TechSideline.com caught up with 6-5, 255-pound defensive end recruit Leon Mackey for the latest on his recruitment.
DeAntre Rhodes has been one of the most productive players in the state of Virginia each of the past two seasons, earning second-team all-state honors on offense and defense as a junior and turning in an even more impressive senior season according to Varina (VA) coaches. The 6-3, 280-pound senior, a projected defensive lineman on the college level, has decided to take his talents to Virginia Tech next season.
What a strange game. It's unusual to see a team dominate play like the Hokies did, turn it over just once, and yet win by just three points in a contest where the outcome was in doubt with less than three minutes to go. It was one of VT's better offensive efforts of the season, but failures in the red zone and some crafty coaching by the Virginia staff kept it close. In the end, Tech got what they needed, and for the fourth time in five years, the Hokies will play a single game for the ACC championship.
Blacksburg, VA - A fourth quarter field goal from Dustin Keys gave the Hokies a 17-14 win over Virginia, and sent Virginia Tech back to the ACC Championship Game for the third time in four years. Tech finished the regular season 8-4 overall and 5-3 in the ACC. They'll face Boston College next Saturday in Tampa. Virginia finished 5-7 and will not go bowling.
Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia meet for the 90th time in a game with much more than the Commonwealth Cup on the line. The Hokies need to beat UVA to win the Coastal Division and travel to Tampa next week to face either Boston College or Florida State for the ACC Championship. The Wahoos need to win to become bowl eligible, as well as spoil VT's season. A great deal of pride within the Commonwealth is at stake, so what should we expect from these up-and-down teams?
This is a big weekend for the ACC. Obviously, the games this weekend will decide who plays for the ACC Championship on December 6. However, there are also some important out-of-conference games that can get the ACC some respect if they are victorious.
Brookville (Lynchburg, VA) offensive tackle Devin Bolling initially told Virginia Tech primary recruiter Bryan Stinespring last week that he just needed a few weeks before he'd be ready to make a decision. The Virginia Tech offensive coordinator indicated that the 6-5, 270-pound senior could take his time, something Bolling now appears intent on doing.
It wasn't pretty, but the Hokies got the win they needed to set themselves up for another run at the ACC title. In the end, that was the most important aspect of this game against Duke. As they say, it's better to win ugly than to lose pretty ... or something like that. But what I am asked to do here is to analyze the game in detail and unfortunately that involves breaking down some of the ugliness that continues to infect the Tech offense. So, take a deep breath and read on.
This game was miserable, in more ways than one. It was frigid, it was against Duke, and the Virginia Tech offense turned the ball over five times on its first six possessions. There's lots to grumble about after beating Duke by the narrow margin of 14-3, but I'm with the coaches on this one: Let's just scratch this one up in the win column and move on. The big showdown with Virginia is just five days away, and a trip to Tampa is on the line, so as long as this one isn't a loss, the world hasn't caved in.
Blacksburg, VA - Thanks to a stingy defense and the first touchdown of the season by a wide receiver, Virginia Tech knocked off Duke 14-3 in Lane Stadium on Saturday night. The win moves the Hokies to 7-4 overall and 4-3 in the ACC. A win next Saturday against UVA will send Tech to Tampa for the ACC Championship Game on December 6.
Thank you Georgia Tech!! After the Yellow Jackets knocked off the Miami Hurricanes, the door reopens for the Hokies, and Virginia Tech once again has control of its own destiny in the wild and wacky ACC. If VT takes care of business in the next two weeks at home, then the Hokies will earn a trip to Tampa for the ACC championship. However, the vastly improved Duke Blue Devils will have a great incentive in this week's game as well. Duke needs to win their next two games to become bowl eligible. So, what are the keys to this now critical contest?
Now that it has been a few days, it's easier to analyze this game without the emotion and frustration getting in the way. On the one hand, it was a game where all the breaks and funny bounces went in favor of the Hurricanes. On the other hand, it was a game where a disturbing trend of offensive futility returned in a dismal second half performance by the Hokies. Either way it was a gut-wrenching loss for a Virginia Tech team that is no longer in control of its own destiny. In order to get back into the Coastal race, the Hokies now have to depend on the ACC's "other Tech" to take care of business with the hated Canes.
I felt very good heading into this one. I liked the matchup of VT's newly rejuvenated (or so I thought) offensive line against Miami's defensive line, and I really liked the matchup of Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster against Miami's rotating freshman quarterbacks. Alas, Miami's offense refused to play into Bud's hands, and VT's offensive line put in a putrid performance. Combine that with some curious offensive game-planning and play calling, and it added up to a Hokie loss ... remarkably, by just two points.
