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Thursday, November 6th, 2008, 7:30

TV: ESPN

Forecast (from WeatherBug.com):
Click the "Blacksburg Weather" link to the right.
Game time forecast, as of 2:00 pm Tuesday: Partly cloudy, temperature in the mid-high 50s. Winds 6 mph, chance of rain 10%.

Click here for TechSideline.com's VT/MD roster card

Game Preview: Virginia Tech (5-3, 2-2 ACC) vs. Maryland (6-2, 3-1)
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com

After playing four of their last five games on the road, Virginia Tech returns to Lane Stadium for a huge Thursday night showdown with Maryland. This should be strong medicine for a wounded Tech team that has lost two games in a row. On the other hand, how well can the Hokies play if they have to go with third string quarterback Cory Holt?

There are many unknowns heading into this game. Who will start at quarterback for the Hokies? Will Maryland tailback Da'Rel Scott play? Or linebacker Dave Philistin? What we do know is that this is the beginning of a four game season that will determine whether or not the Hokies play in the ACC Championship Game.

Thursday night, the Hokies will face one of the most balanced offensive teams they have played this season. The Terps have one of the best offensive lines in the ACC, a talented running back, and a good wide receiving corps. A much-improved Chris Turner at quarterback has helped quite a bit.

Chris Turner (6-4, 210, r-Jr.) has completed 59.1% of his passes for 1,428 yards, with eight touchdowns and six interceptions. He's not a flashy quarterback, but he has limited his mistakes this year and he is capable of hooking up with some of Maryland's playmakers at receiver for big gains. Turner isn't very mobile, so the Hokies would ideally like to force him to leave the pocket.

Turner and the passing game will feed off the running game. In the backfield, the Terps have Da'Rel Scott (5-11, 192, r-So.). Scott is averaging 102.6 yards per game, which is tops in the ACC. However, he is suffering from a shoulder injury and may not play on Thursday against the Hokies. Maryland would miss his 5.5 yards per carry. They'll need all their weapons to go up against a stout VT defense.

If Scott can't go, the starter will be Davin Meggett (5-8, 210, Fr.). Meggett is a true freshman and the son of former NFL running back Dave Meggett. For the season, he has rushed for 266 yards on 50 carries, an average of 5.3 yards per carry. Meggett looks like he has a bright future at Maryland.

The Tech secondary will have to go up against a solid group of wide receivers. They are led by future NFL receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (6-3, 206, r-Jr.). Heyward-Bey is a big target with the speed to make big plays in the passing game. For the season, he has just 25 catches, but he is averaging 16 yards per catch, including one for 80 yards. The Terps will also use him in the running game. He has 202 yards on the ground, including a 76 yard touchdown on a reverse.

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Danny Oquendo (6-0, 190, Sr.) is the #2 receiver. He has 15 catches for 223 yards and a touchdown. Other threats at receiver include Ronnie Tyler (5-10, 190, r-Fr.), Torrey Smith (6-1, 200, r-Fr.) and Isaiah Williams (6-3, 200, r-Sr.). Although this group doesn't wow you with stats, the Terps do a good job of spreading the ball around. Also keep in mind that Maryland's offense is dependent on establishing the run first and foremost. The wide receivers are actually more talented than their stats indicate, as has been the case at Virginia Tech for many years.

Another favorite target for Chris Turner is huge tight end Dan Gronkowski (6-6, 255, r-Sr.). Gronkowski has 22 catches on the season, which is second on the team. He also has three touchdowns.

The offensive line makes the offense go. This is a big, experienced group.

The line is anchored by three fifth-year seniors and a fourth-year junior. Center Edwin Williams is perhaps the best center in the ACC. This is a physical offensive line that will punch you in the mouth. They aren't like Boston College, Georgia Tech and UNC. Those teams rely on leverage, positioning and angles. Maryland will go right after you, so Tech's front seven needs to be ready to play a very physical football game.

Bud Foster's first priority each week is stopping the running game. That will be very important this week. If the Terps can manage to run the ball on the Hokies, they could open up their passing game. Balanced offenses are tough to stop, and Tech will want to keep Maryland one-dimensional.

Maryland's defense is very experienced, particularly in the front seven, but this is far from a dominant group. In fact, this defense ranks near the bottom of the ACC in most major statistical categories.

The Terp defense isn't physically tough up front. To make matters worse, the secondary isn't particularly talented, and they have lost top cornerback Kevin Barnes for the season due to an injury.

Maryland runs a combo 3-4/4-3 defense. Trey Covington (6-3, 240, r-Sr.) plays the LEO position, which is a combo defensive end/outside linebacker. Sometimes he'll have his hand on the ground, and sometimes he'll align as a linebacker. He's not much of a playmaker for the Terps, with just two tackles for loss and one sack this year. However Covington's backup, Rick Costa (6-1, 225, r-Sr.), has had a productive season with six tackles for loss and two sacks. Between these two players, the Terps have solid production from the LEO spot this season.

Jared Harrell (6-5, 265, r-Jr.) is the other starter at defensive end. He has four tackles for loss and one sack on the year. Despite being a fourth year junior, Harrell has never lettered before this season. He'll team up with Dean Muhtadi (6-3, 295, r-Sr.), who is a transfer from D-III Christopher Newport. Muhtadi wasn't dominant at Christopher Newport, though he's doing well at Maryland considering his talent level.

The Terps start two senior defensive tackles. Jeremy Navarre (6-3, 285, Sr.) has been starting since he was a true freshman. He has four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. The other starter is Olugbemi Otulaja (6-0, 285, r-Sr.), a transfer from Marist. He has just 0.5 tackles for loss on the year.

Maryland's defensive line has experience, but two of their seniors are transfers from lower level programs. The talent level up front for the Terps isn't up to par with most of the rest of the ACC. Tech needs to pound this group right in the mouth.

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The linebackers are a different story. The Terps have good players at this position, as well as experience. Middle linebacker Alex Wujciak (6-3, 255, r-So.) is the least experienced of the trio, but he might also be the best. He leads the team and ranks second in the ACC with 80 tackles. He also has 4.5 tackles for loss.

Strongside linebacker Moise Fokou (6-2, 225, r-Sr.) is the top playmaker at linebacker. He has 45 tackles, along with a team-high 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. He is a former walk-on who transferred from Frostburg State. The weakside backer is Dave Philistin (6-2, 231, Sr.), who has 58 tackles on the year.

Philistin may not play on Thursday because of a shoulder injury. That would promote Chase Bullock (6-2, 234, r-Sr.) to the starting lineup. Bullock is already part of the playing rotation, with 33 tackles on the season.

Maryland's secondary is nothing to write home about. The Terps were struggling with top cornerback Kevin Barnes in the lineup, and now he is out for the season. Anthony Wiseman (5-10, 185, r-Jr.) and Jamari McCollough (5-11, 195, r-Jr.) split time at one corner spot. Wiseman has started all eight games, but has no interceptions. McCollough actually leads the team with three interceptions.

Replacing Kevin Barnes at the other corner spot is Nolan Carroll (6-1, 202, r-Jr.). Carroll has played in five games this year and started one. He has 17 tackles and six passes defended.

The free safety is Terrell Skinner (6-3, 214, r-Jr.), and Jeff Allen (6-1, 190, Sr.) starts at strong safety. Both players are first-year starters, just like Maryland's cornerbacks. Overall, this is an inexperienced secondary when it comes to career starts. Maryland ranks 11th in the ACC in pass defense, and 10th in efficiency defense.

The Hokies will be facing the Maryland defense with either a third string quarterback, a quarterback who isn't healthy, or perhaps both. Tech should be able to have some success on the ground against the Terps, and they'll likely try to work in some simple playaction passes for Cory Holt (assuming he starts). This will be a conservative offensive gameplan for Tech, but one that could be effective. The Maryland defense doesn't have the overall talent of the four ACC teams VT has played thus far.

Maryland has solid special teams play. Before we get into individuals, let's take a look at the following table.

The Terps have a terrific punt team. Travis Baltz (6-2, 200, So.) is averaging 42.2 yards per punt, and Maryland's net punting mark ranks 11th nationally. Their punt return defense allows just 2.9 yards per return, which ranks fourth nationally.

Maryland doesn't do much in punt returns, though Danny Oquendo is more capable than his 4.5 yards per return average indicates. Torrey Smith is averaging 24.7 yards per kick return, so the Hokies will have to be wary of him.

Obi Egekeze (6-2, 210, r-Sr.) is Maryland's placekicker. He is 11-of-17 on his field goal attempts this year, with a long of 47. He has solid leg strength, but he is somewhat inconsistent with his accuracy.

I've been a little back and forth on this one. Who will play quarterback for the Hokies? I don't know. The scuttlebutt says it will either be Sean Glennon or Cory Holt. If it's Holt, can the Hokies win with a third string quarterback? Normally, I'd have my doubts. However, this Tech team is like a wounded animal that has been backed up against a wall. It's dangerous. It has no other option but to strike out at you.

The last time the Hokies were unranked in a Thursday night home game was two years ago when #10 Clemson came to town. We know what happened that night. Tech took the Tigers apart on national television. This time it's #23 Maryland. The Terps aren't a very talented defensive team, but they are a team that knows how to win football games.

These teams are fairly similar. Both teams will look to establish the running game between the tackles. It could be that the team that best establishes the running game and limits mistakes in the passing game will come out on top.

I'm not going to try and break this game down too much. There are too many unknowns. We don't know which Tech quarterback will start. We don't know if Maryland's 100 yards per game rusher will play.

I'll just take pure emotion in this one. A Thursday night game is exactly what this Tech team needs right now, and I'll pick them to come out with a narrow win. It's been awhile since we've had a 20-17 game, so ...

Will Stewart's Take: Today's newspaper articles are making reference to the Hokies' 1998 Thursday night win at Boston College, because that's the last time the Hokies started their third-string quarterback. Nick Sorensen, who saw action in five games as the backup QB in the 1997 season, was switched to safety for the 1998 season. When Al Clark and backup Dave Meyer were both injured, Sorensen was switched back over to quarterback, and he started the BC game in heavy rain on a Thursday night.

It did not go well for the Tech offense.

The Hokies won 17-0 in Chestnut Hill, but the storyline of the game reads like Frank Beamer's football fantasy (not fantasy football, mind you -- "football fantasy," in other words, how Frank dreams about the game being). The Hokies scored on an 85-yard interception return by Pierson Prioleau and set up their other 10 points with two blocked punts. The Hokie defense had a goal line stand, stopping BC on five straight plays from inside the two yard line.

The defensive and special teams plays helped overcome a 72-yard passing effort by the Hokies, but Tech ran the ball fairly well: 164 yards on 47 carries (3.5 ypc).

That's all straight from the Frank Beamer Football Manual (as told to Frank by Jerry Claiborne, available for $19.95 from Amazon.com and other fine online retailers). One thing that does NOT sound Frank Beamer-like from the game is that Tech, due to two INTs and three lost fumbles by Sorensen, turned the ball over six times. But Tech's D got four of them back.

Fast forward to ten years later, and the Hokies are facing Maryland on a Thursday night, again with the prospect of Tech having to start their third-string QB. This time it's Cory Holt, and the similarities are eerie. Sorensen went into the BC game with 24 career passing attempts. Holt enters this game with 25 career attempts. Sorensen had played QB in seven games; Holt has played in nine. The two QBs are similar in size and athleticism. Sorensen had started a game, but Holt has not. Yet.

There are two big differences between the two: Holt is a redshirt senior, whereas Sorensen was just a redshirt sophomore in 1998, and Holt is a better passer, with a stronger arm and a better spiral than Sorensen.

Comparisons aside, starting your third string QB is never a good thing, and the Hokies are going to have to step up on special teams and defense. I would be very surprised if VT starts Cory Holt and wins a conventional type game, with nothing but offensive scores. It might take the kind of effort the Hokies had in Chestnut Hill in 1998 to pull off the win.

If Sean Glennon starts at QB (I don't look for Tyrod Taylor to play at all in this one), I like VT's chances to produce some offensive scores, but a lot of that will depend upon how much Glennon is able to do on his bum ankle. He might start, be too gimpy to be effective, and give way to Holt.

There are a ton of variables in this one, but I like Tech's chances to somehow put the win together in a Lane Stadium Thursday nighter. The defense will have to have perhaps its best game of the season against Maryland's stout offensive line, and even if they do, a special teams or defensive score might be necessary.