eoltmer Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 It's the end of the week gents/gals so it’s time for another installment of Let's Look Ahead! Ah week 3, the jitters are out and it's test time across the country. NU will take the show on the road to hostile, Blacksburg VA. The weather will be fair and the crowds will be restless. What is sure to be a national TV broadcast, (Thanks AFN) look for another slobber knocker like last year...maybe even better. Virginia Tech (Hokies) 10-4, (5-3) National Stats: #103 in Total Offense #90 in Scoring Offense #112 in Passing Offense #35 in Rushing Offense #7 in Total Defense #9 in Scoring Defense #16 in Pass Defense #14 in Rush Defense Atlantic Coast Conference Stats (per game): #11 in Total Offense: 303.4 #8 in Scoring Offense: 22.1 #11 in Passing Offense: 129.1 #3 in Rushing Offense: 174.36 #2 in Total Defense: 279.4 #1 in Scoring Defense: 16.7 #5 in Pass Defense: 175.0 #2 in Rushing Defense: 104.43 Most embarrassing loss: 27-22 vs. East Carolina (ECU has a hell of a year but flopped in there Conf. ) Most embarrassing win: 24-7 vs. Furman (Furman...Seriously only 24 on FURMAN!!! ) Most impressive win: 35-30 vs. Nebraska (In a season of close games this one stands out the most...tried not to be biased as a NU fan. ) Most heart breaking loss: 16-14 vs. Miami Fl. (After dropping to BC and FSU earlier this loss almost cost them the Conf. ) Key Offensive returning player: QB Tyrod Taylor (Junior) 2008 Off stats: 99 comp, 137 Att, 57.2 Comp %, 1036 yards, (Edit: 2 TD's, 7 Int's, FAIL! thanks NativeVAHokie) 738 yards rushing, 5.02 avg, 7 TD's. Arguably Taylor is the top returning threat for this team’s offense. Taylor’s ability to stretch a play and open up the field for his receivers to get open will be his main attribute. If the Hokies intend to improve on last year’s dismal offensive numbers Taylor will be key. Now I did say arguably, the only other top returning threat they have on offense is RB Darren Evans. Evans is one of only three returning 1k yard rushers in the ACC and as a freshman he is the second Hokie to rush for 1k yards in 6 years. This season will determine if Evans numbers are inflated from D's focusing on Taylor. Key Defensive returning player: LB Cody Grimm (Senior) 2008 Def stats: 45 Solo, 26 Assisted, 71 Total Tackles, 14 TFL, 7.5 sacks, 2 Int, 1 pass breakup, 3 QB hurries, 2 Forced Fumbles. Cody is the top returning tackler and is only 1/2 sack behind last year’s sack leader DL Jason Worilds (Jr.). It was hard for me to choose between DB Stephan Virgil (Senior) and Cody but when your linebacker is putting up the same numbers as your D-linemen then something is working right and creating opportunities for the secondary. Stephan deserves an honorable mention as his 6 Int's was tied for first on team last year on top of his superb special team's play. In 2008, the Hokies took the field and stumbled out of the gate in losing to East Carolina in the opener. After rebounding with wins, including tough ones at North Carolina and Nebraska and one at home against Georgia Tech, the Hokies dropped consecutive games at Boston College and Florida State before falling at Miami three weeks later. The team won its last two games to again reach the ACC Championship game and again avenge a loss to Boston College. Tech had some unfinished business left in the form of winning an Orange Bowl. This time, the Hokies came out from the get-go and took care of things, beating 12th-ranked Cincinnati 20-7 to cap off a 10-4 season. In 3 out of 4 losses was decided by 5 points or less, this could have easily been a 13-1 team here folks. Tech has won 10 or more games five years in a row and is one of just three programs (Southern Cal and Texas) currently on such a streak. Virginia Tech is also one of just three schools (Florida and Florida State) to go to 16 straight bowl games. This goes to show that Tech doesn't rebuild, they reload. With the athletes that are currently signed to Techs '08 recruiting class we should see yet another sound special team’s display. This year we will learn a lot about Tech's defense early thanks to them playing Alabama in the first week. Facing perhaps the best defense NU will face all year, this will be the proving grounds for the QB. If NU cannot get a solid ground game going early this game could look eerily familiar. The play calling from Watson is going to have to be spot on, and technical/mistake free football will be another key. Tech likes to bring a good mixture of blitz packages and zone defense. I suspect that NU will be able to move the ball via rush to open up a few homerun threats. This has all the makings of whichever team has the better defense will win. Quote Link to comment
skersRmyteam Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 blackshirts won't fold on the road, not in first away game.. kids will be fired up national tv, night game... we're going to beat the piss out of them physically and take a close game. we'll be hungry Quote Link to comment
eoltmer Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 blackshirts won't fold on the road, not in first away game.. kids will be fired up national tv, night game... we're going to beat the piss out of them physically and take a close game. we'll be hungry So will this be the signature win for Pelini and staff? Quote Link to comment
huskerswrkhavoc Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 blackshirts won't fold on the road, not in first away game.. kids will be fired up national tv, night game... we're going to beat the piss out of them physically and take a close game. we'll be hungry So will this be the signature win for Pelini and staff? I think clemson is "the" 1st signature win.... as far as biggest win, yea this would be THE biggest win so far obviously.. that is until we beat OU at home later that year, then win the big 12 title game, and of course, the MNC next year. Quote Link to comment
redout22 Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 This will be a tough battle Quote Link to comment
skersRmyteam Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 blackshirts won't fold on the road, not in first away game.. kids will be fired up national tv, night game... we're going to beat the piss out of them physically and take a close game. we'll be hungry So will this be the signature win for Pelini and staff? I think clemson is "the" 1st signature win.... as far as biggest win, yea this would be THE biggest win so far obviously.. that is until we beat OU at home later that year, then win the big 12 title game, and of course, the MNC next year. haha AGREED! but for real I think this game is going to throw us back in to the national spotlight. this is probably going to be the longest summer of my life. Quote Link to comment
HuskerTrucker Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 blackshirts won't fold on the road, not in first away game.. kids will be fired up national tv, night game... we're going to beat the piss out of them physically and take a close game. we'll be hungry So will this be the signature win for Pelini and staff? Come on...look at the numbers...you call beating a team with those numbers a signature win? When we beat Oklahoma, that is a signature win, do it during the season and then again in the Big 12 Championship, you attain Tom Osborne status...then win the BCS Championship on top of that, your going to have Bob Devaney Status, and will never get to leave Nebraska...nor will you want to, because recruits will be begging for scholarships. Quote Link to comment
hskrfan4life Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 blackshirts won't fold on the road, not in first away game.. kids will be fired up national tv, night game... we're going to beat the piss out of them physically and take a close game. we'll be hungry So will this be the signature win for Pelini and staff? Come on...look at the numbers...you call beating a team with those numbers a signature win? When we beat Oklahoma, that is a signature win, do it during the season and then again in the Big 12 Championship, you attain Tom Osborne status...then win the BCS Championship on top of that, your going to have Bob Devaney Status, and will never get to leave Nebraska...nor will you want to, because recruits will be begging for scholarships. Yea i agree with you, at Virginia Tech won't be a signature win. It would be a signature win if we beat OU at home, man thats giving me chills even thinking about that game. Quote Link to comment
eoltmer Posted February 7, 2009 Author Share Posted February 7, 2009 blackshirts won't fold on the road, not in first away game.. kids will be fired up national tv, night game... we're going to beat the piss out of them physically and take a close game. we'll be hungry So will this be the signature win for Pelini and staff? Come on...look at the numbers...you call beating a team with those numbers a signature win? When we beat Oklahoma, that is a signature win, do it during the season and then again in the Big 12 Championship, you attain Tom Osborne status...then win the BCS Championship on top of that, your going to have Bob Devaney Status, and will never get to leave Nebraska...nor will you want to, because recruits will be begging for scholarships. Yea i agree with you, at Virginia Tech won't be a signature win. It would be a signature win if we beat OU at home, man thats giving me chills even thinking about that game. Ok signature....maybe too strong of a word. Stepping stone I would say yeah, if/when we win we will accomplish something we havn't in a long time. Quote Link to comment
huskerswrkhavoc Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 are you guys joking???? how would this NOT be a signature win? First HUGE road win against potentially a TOP TEN team?? anyone who says this wouldn't be a signature win needs to step back and take a real look at this. Quote Link to comment
AR Husker Fan Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 A "signature" win only comes about when you beat a highly ranked team that you were not expected to beat - and you follow that up with more of them. In other words, a single "signature" win is something of a misnomer - and can only be determined in retrospect. Take the Alamo Bowl win over Michigan. A ranked team that we were not supposed to beat. Could have been a signature win - had the Huskers then gone on to beat some teams they weren't supposed to beat the following year, and the year after that, etc. Otherwise, it was simply a great win - but only a single great win. Virginia Tech would be the same, if thereafter we don't have some more wins over teams we weren't supposed to beat. If that's the case, it will simply be a great win. But if we follow it up with, say, an upset of Oklahoma, and beat the teams we should beat, it could become Bo's "signature" win. Quote Link to comment
eoltmer Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 A "signature" win only comes about when you beat a highly ranked team that you were not expected to beat - and you follow that up with more of them. In other words, a single "signature" win is something of a misnomer - and can only be determined in retrospect. Take the Alamo Bowl win over Michigan. A ranked team that we were not supposed to beat. Could have been a signature win - had the Huskers then gone on to beat some teams they weren't supposed to beat the following year, and the year after that, etc. Otherwise, it was simply a great win - but only a single great win. Virginia Tech would be the same, if thereafter we don't have some more wins over teams we weren't supposed to beat. If that's the case, it will simply be a great win. But if we follow it up with, say, an upset of Oklahoma, and beat the teams we should beat, it could become Bo's "signature" win. so basicly the season will determine if this will be a signature win... Quote Link to comment
huzkerbob Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 are you guys joking???? how would this NOT be a signature win? First HUGE road win against potentially a TOP TEN team?? anyone who says this wouldn't be a signature win needs to step back and take a real look at this. Any writer who puts Tech in their top 10 is out of their f'n minds!!! But beating any ranked (or near ranked) team on nat. T.V. will be huge in building momentum in recruiting, and more importantly for the start of our conference schedule. Last years meltdown still makes me gag! Can't wait to return the favor to those chicken hawks in their house! Quote Link to comment
Hokieluv Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 are you guys joking???? how would this NOT be a signature win? First HUGE road win against potentially a TOP TEN team?? anyone who says this wouldn't be a signature win needs to step back and take a real look at this. Any writer who puts Tech in their top 10 is out of their f'n minds!!! But beating any ranked (or near ranked) team on nat. T.V. will be huge in building momentum in recruiting, and more importantly for the start of our conference schedule. Last years meltdown still makes me gag! Can't wait to return the favor to those chicken hawks in their house! HAHA. Chicken Hawks!!!! I have no idea how many Huskers asked us what a Hokie is when we were in Lincoln last year. At least you are on the right track with the chicken comment, although I sense it being a little derogatory... That's OK. I can not wait to have you all come to Blacksburg. Nothing more exciting than good rivals in town. Pretty sure that both teams will improve greatly and that it will be one heck of a game. Hopefully the game will be at night. Nothing like Lane Stadium at night and plenty of time to eat and drink before the game. Regarding rankings: for us it will all depend on how we deal with Bama in Atlanta. If we win that one we will probably be ranked fairly high. Scout ranks you guys higher than us in their preseason poll. Gosh, spring and summer can't go by fast enough. Quote Link to comment
HUSKER 37 Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 A "signature" win only comes about when you beat a highly ranked team that you were not expected to beat - and you follow that up with more of them. In other words, a single "signature" win is something of a misnomer - and can only be determined in retrospect... I thought a Signature win was only something accomplished by autograph seekers. But really..I'm less confident in a win at VT than I was this past season at home..'Specially with a new QB that close to the beginning of the season. We may have a better overall team next season, but probably struggle to have a better record. I don't see VT having three down years in a row. Quote Link to comment
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