Bring the Noise
October 19, 2003 04:55 PM | General
October 19, 2003
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – While West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez doesn’t believe his 2-4 football team has to play a perfect game to upset No. 3-ranked Virginia Tech Wednesday, it is still going to have to have one of its best efforts of the year to do so.
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| West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez is hoping for an enthusiastic crowd Wednesday night against Virginia Tech. (All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks) |
“When you’re playing a team as good as Virginia Tech you just try and win the next play,” said West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez. “Tech’s got a lot of guys who we think are going to be playing on Sundays. So let’s not get hung up on the last play but try and win the next one and compete.”
The coach is hopeful that a large and spirited crowd Wednesday night will make things difficult for the visiting Hokies, playing their last game at Mountaineer Field as Big East members.
“Hopefully our fans will be in the game and we can make it tough for them from a communication standpoint … make it tough for them to do any checkoffs or audibles when they have the ball,” he said.
Although Rodriguez doesn’t see any signs of weakness in the Hokies, having a flaw doesn’t necessarily mean it can be attacked, either.
“Sometimes you might know their weakness and they’re not strong in a certain area but you’re not strong in an area that can attack it,” he said. “The thing that makes Virginia Tech so good is that they’re not truly weak in any area. With Tech if you say let’s stop the run then they can throw the ball. Obviously they’re very sound in special teams and on defense and that’s what makes them a top five team.”
The highly-rated Hokies (6-0) come into Morgantown having won all six of their games by an average score of 46-15.
Tech shows wins over Central Florida, James Madison, Texas A&M, Connecticut, Rutgers and Syracuse. And while Virginia Tech has played the weakest schedule of any team rated in the Top 10, the Hokies’ 51-7 pasting of Syracuse in Blacksburg last week is certainly something to pay attention to.
In that game Virginia Tech once again used “Beamer Ball” to produce its most complete performance of the season. DeAngelo Hall returned two punts for touchdowns in the first quarter to help the Hokies build up a 27-0 halftime lead.
Virginia Tech ran for 337 yards and held the Big East’s top rusher, Walter Reyes, to just 40 yards on 16 carries. Syracuse could muster just six first downs for the entire game and finished with 172 yards of offense.
The Virginia Tech defense has experience at almost every position with either a junior or senior starting in all but two positions. Just sophomore defensive tackle Jonathan Lewis (6-1, 299, So.) and sophomore free safety Jimmy Williams (6-3, 217, So.) are starting underclassmen.
Tech’s big playmaker on defense has been senior rover Michael Crawford (5-11, 202, Sr.), who has overcome serious health issues last season to lead this year’s team in tackles with 56. Crawford had a career-high 18 tackles against Texas A&M and contributed nine in the win against Syracuse.
Crawford is one part of an active Hokie secondary that includes junior corner DeAngelo Hall (5-11, 195, Jr.), senior corner Garnell Wilds (6-0, 200, Sr.), and sophomore free safety Williams.
This group has helped the Hokies pick off eight passes and limit opposing quarterbacks to an average of 190.5 yards per game.
Giving the secondary some freedom to gamble is an aggressive front four that compares favorably to any West Virginia will face this year.
Defensive ends Nathanial Adibi (6-3, 263, Sr.) and Cols Colas (6-0, 241, Sr.) each have almost four years worth of experience and have combined for eight tackles for losses and six sacks this season.
Tackles Kevin Lewis (6-1, 292, Jr.) and Jonathan Lewis have produced an additional four tackles for losses.
The linebacking corps has always been the heart and soul of Bud Foster’s defense and this year’s group is no different. Junior Mikal Baaqee (5-11, 240, Jr.) ranks second on the team with 44 tackles, three ahead of fellow linebacker Vegas Robinson (6-0, 250, Sr.). Junior Brandon Manning (6-0, 214, Jr.) has produced 33 stops including 10 and a TFL in the win at Rutgers.
No one has successfully been able to run on Virginia Tech this season; the Hokies are giving up an average of just 88.2 yards per game on the ground.
On the flip side, running the football has not been a problem at all for Tech.
Junior Kevin Jones (6-0, 221, Jr.) has rushed 121 times for 682 yards and nine touchdowns for an average of 5.6 yards per carry and 113.7 yards per game. He has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the last four games.
Backup Cedric Humes (6-1, 232, So.) has gained 324 yards and is averaging 6.5 yards per carry. Tech is averaging 249.5 yards per game and 5.8 yards per carry on the ground.
Having an effective rushing attack has opened up the airways for junior quarterback Bryan Randall (6-0, 221, Jr.), who is completing 64.9 percent of his pass attempts for 896 yards and nine touchdowns.
Randall threw for a season-high 278 yards and three touchdowns against Central Florida and also threw for 250 yards and four TDs against Rutgers. If his receivers are covered Randall is also a threat to run the ball, having gained 296 yards on 34 carries for an average of 8.7 yards per tote.
“He’s the guy you need to focus on for them,” said Rodriguez of Randall.
Ernest Wilford (6-4, 220, Sr.) is Tech’s top receiving target with 24 catches for 317 yards and a touchdown. Justin Hamilton (6-3, 217, So.) has caught 12 balls for 144 yards and a TD. DeAngelo Hall is also a threat on offense as a two-way player.
Hokie tight end Keith Willis (6-5, 261, Sr.) has not been used much in the passing game, but has caught four passes for 66 yards. He joins an improving offensive line anchored by center Jake Grove (6-3, 300, Sr.). A senior, Grove joins left tackle Jimmy Martin (6-5, 291, So.) and right guard Jacob Gibson (6-4, 299, Sr.) as Tech linemen who have started all six games this season. Right tackle Jon Dunn (6-7, 343, Jr.) has started the last five games and left guard Will Montgomery (6-3, 298, So.) has started three games.
Fullback Doug Eastlick (5-11, 238, Sr.) is used mainly as a blocker in the I, but also shows seven catches for 80 yards coming out of the backfield.
Place kicker Carter Warley (5-11, 195, Sr.) is Tech’s all-time leader in PATs and is eight of 10 in field goal attempts this season.
Punter Vinnie Burns (5-11, 199, Jr.) is averaging 42.3 yards per punt.
West Virginia claimed last year’s game in Blacksburg by a 21-18 score and leads the overall series 27-20-1. Virginia Tech is just 8-15 against the Mountaineers in Morgantown, though the Hokies are 5-4 under coach Frank Beamer.
“What we need to do is not panic if they make plays early and just try and play our game,” said Rodriguez. “I don’t think we need to do something that we’re not good at. Yet at the same time we’ve got to throw in a new wrinkle or two for somebody that may give you a big play.”
Tickets for Wednesday night’s game still remain and can be ordered by calling the Mountaineer Ticket Office toll-free at 1-800-WVU GAME or by logging onto www.WVUGAME.com.
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“I’m talking BCS-level I-A players and that was more than Ohio and more than Pennsylvania, which was shocking because you’d think Ohio and Pennsylvania would have more,” he added. “Virginia Tech and UVa have done a great job of keeping the majority of them in-state. If you look at Tech’s recruiting class last year maybe all of them but two or three came from Virginia, which obviously bodes well for them in the future. I think the population growth in the Northern Virginia area and the Virginia Beach area has really helped them.
“We’re still recruiting there, too, but we’re an out-of-stater coming in and that makes it a little bit tougher.”
