Hokie Hotline Notes, sponsored by Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech

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Bud Foster

• The players did a great job of preparing, and their effort was outstanding. They have been outstanding down the stretch. The rover and whip spots are now solidified, and that's key for the entire defense.
• Rover and whip are two critical positions for the Hokies. Tech brings a lot of pressure with them. With Martin and Chancellor playing well, it makes Tech very tough defensively.
• Chris Ellis is playing at a very high level. Carlton Powell and Barry Booker have seen a lot of snaps. They are playing great. Backups like Jason Worilds are getting better each week.
• Charley Wiles does a great job with that front. He is the best defensive line coach in America.
• Tech has been very sound against the run. Nobody has been able to have any success running on the Hokies recently.
• Kyle Wright played a good game for Miami on Saturday.
• Success in football is week-to-week. Foster loves his players' intensity and focus right now, but it's week-to-week. They have to play well again on Saturday.
• Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi are great football players and great people. Foster is really going to miss them.
• UVA has always featured the tight ends. Tech has to do a good job mixing up the coverages. They don't throw it down the field a lot.
• UVA's offensive front reminds Foster of BC's line. They are big guys and athletic.
• Virginia Tech has done a great job at sniffing out screens this year. Part of that goes back to experience.
• The team looked sharp on Monday, but Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the biggest days of the week.
• The defense is very healthy right now. It's great to get Vince Hall back.
• Rashad Carmichael saw a lot of time against Miami in the nickel package. The Hokies are using that package more against 4-wide sets.
• Sewell is a good pocket quarterback. He can get outside, but he can also make plays from the pocket. He is taller than Hagans was, so he can see over the line.
• Foster doesn't know if Brandon Flowers will be back. He played post grad ball after Hargrave, then red shirted at Tech. He's a junior, but he's a very experienced junior.
• Foster got his lunch pail tattoo because of a challenge from his son. It hurt at lot, Foster joked.

• Weaver is really impressed with this team. They have overcome a lot of key injuries. They have made things happen.
• The men's soccer team is the #11 overall team in the NCAA tournament. They get a first round bye, and a second round home game against either UC-Davis or Cal. That game will be played on November 28 at 7pm.
• BC and Wake are the top two seeds in the men's soccer tournament. If you win the ACC, you can win it all.
• The Fiesta Bowl was in Blacksburg for the Miami game, and the Sugar Bowl was in town for the FSU game. The Hokies would still have a chance for an at-large bid. If Tech beats UVA, but loses the ACC Championship Game, they would have that chance.
• If the Hokies lose to Virginia, we're looking at the Gator Bowl, or possibly a return to the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
• The game with the Yankees next spring will be played at English Field. They have not determined a ticket plan yet. It's also possible the game could be televised.
• Saturday's game means more than any other Tech-UVA game in the past.

• Miami challenged Tech in the third quarter, and the Hokies answered the bell. Beamer is proud of the coaches and players.
• Field position in the second quarter flipped, and that's how the Canes were able to get back in the game.
• The offense has averaged 411 yards per game over the last three games. They are coming on strong.
• Branden Ore is feeling better than he has at any other point this season. He looked like the 2006 Ore against Miami.
• The receivers are stepping up and making catches. Josh Hyman and Justin Harper made great plays against Miami. Eddie Royal is the ACC's All-Time leading punt returner.
• The Hokies are playing their best football at the end of the year, and that's the way it should be. The team understands that Virginia is a good team.
• The UVA offensive line is big and strong, especially the left side. Mikell Simpson has really given them a spark at tailback.
• UVA's defense really feeds off Chris Long. He's an athletic, relentless football player.
• UVA really plays hard, and they are good down the stretch in games. Chris Long is a great leader, and the coaches are putting them in a position to win.
• Tech's four senior receivers are helping themselves when it comes to their possible futures in the NFL. Eddie Royal's return ability is helping him. Justin Harper has steadily improved, and he's gotten more explosive. Josh Morgan has to be more consistent. Hyman is very tough, but he's not as fast as the others.
• A lot of the players on each side know each other from high school. Saturday's game should be a good, competitive environment.
• The result of the game doesn't mean much to recruiting. Beamer has never had a recruit tell him that he chose VT because they beat UVA, or the other way around.
• Beamer said it would be very tough to beat Clemson twice, so he is glad BC won. But right now, all Tech needs to worry about is UVA.
• Beamer was pleased to see the offense do so well in the third quarter. Miami made it a game, but Tech's offense took over.

Monday was Day 1,080 of Virginia Tech's continuous possession of the Commonwealth Cup.