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• Date: Saturday, September 19th, 2009
• Time: 3:30
• TV: ESPN on ABC

For weather information and a roster card link, see the Info Center to the right.

TechSideline.com is pleased to welcome Kent Square Condominiums s as our game preview sponsors for the 2009-10 football and basketball seasons. Visit Kent Square Condominiums, 1, 2, and 3-bedroom units located in the heart of Blacksburg! Click here for more information.

Open House this Saturday at Kent Square Condominiums, Noon to 1:30 pm

Just two weeks after playing Alabama, Virginia Tech will get the privilege of hosting another of the college football traditional powers: Nebraska. The Cornhuskers dropped off during the middle of this decade, but they are getting better under second year head coach Bo Pelini and find themselves ranked in the Top 25. In one of the biggest college football games of the weekend, the Hokies have a chance to gain some momentum before they enter conference play.

Nebraska started 3-3 last year, but they got better as the season went along, winning six of their last seven, including a 26-21 win in the Gator Bowl over Clemson. They come into this year with high expectations and they have a good chance to win the Big 12 North.

The Cornhuskers are off to a 2-0 start, which includes a 49-3 win over Florida Atlantic and a 38-9 victory against Arkansas State.

The Cornhuskers are averaging 492 yards per game following two games against Florida Atlantic and Arkansas State. Nebraska is a balanced offense, with a bit of a lean towards the passing game thus far.

Zac Lee (6-2, 215, r-Jr.) is Nebraska's starting quarterback. He played in just two games as a r-sophomore, and he is a transfer from the City College of San Francisco. Many scouting services rated him the #1 JUCO quarterback in the country when he signed with Nebraska.

Lee has been impressive in his first two starts. He is 42-of-57 (73.7%) for 553 yards, with six touchdowns and just one interception. 14 players have caught at least one pass this season, so Lee has plenty of targets to work with. He has a solid group of wide receivers and an extremely deep group of tight ends. Lee can throw the football, and if he's allowed to get in a rhythm, he is capable of having a big game.

Nebraska must be balanced to beat Virginia Tech. The Hokies generally don't lose to one-dimensional teams. The Cornhuskers will depend on the running of Roy Helu, Jr. (6-0, 215, Jr.), who plays the fabled I-back position at Nebraska. Helu has enjoyed a nice career at Nebraska so far, but he should be in the middle of his breakout season. He is finally the primary back.

Helu ran for 803 yards on just 125 carries last year, an average of 6.4 yards per carry. So far this year, he has 30 carries for 212 yards, an average of 7.1 yards per carry. He has not been tackled for a loss this season.

Last year Helu had four carries for 21 yards against Virginia Tech, and he was the only Cornhusker to get anything accomplished in the running game.

Backing up Helu is Rex Burkhead (5-11, 200, Fr.). Burkhead has 12 carries for 57 yards on the year, but no other tailback has more than one carry. Helu is going to see the vast majority of the reps against Virginia Tech.

Nebraska can't afford to wear out Helu early because they don't have any other backs who will be effective against Tech. They'll likely throw the ball a lot to keep him fresh, especially in the first half.

Zac Lee will have plenty of targets. The top two wide receivers for Nebraska are Menelik Holt (6-4, 220, Sr.) and Niles Paul (6-1, 215, Jr.). Menelik is a big receiver who caught 30 passes as a part-time starter in 2008. He's not a deep threat, as his longest reception was just 25 yards last year. Paul is also a solid player who started four games last year, catching 23 passes. However, he averaged 10 yards per reception.

It's easy to look at Holt and Paul and wonder where the big play will come from for Nebraska. One possibility is Curenski Gilleylen (6-0, 215, r-So.). So far this year, he has provided the big play threat with five catches for 135 yards.

Nebraska's tight ends are major threats in the passing game, as we saw last year in their game against Virginia Tech. Mike McNeill (6-4, 240, r-Jr.) finished with three catches for 66 yards against the Hokies last year, including a long touchdown pass. So far in 2009, he is tied for the team lead in receptions with eight, and he is second in receiving yards with 108. His two receiving touchdowns lead the team.

The tight end position has been productive for Nebraska this year, not just McNeill.

Tech's weakness on defense is the coverage of the linebackers and the deep middle of the defense. Nebraska could potentially exploit that. However, Marshall's Cody Slate, probably the most productive tight end in the country, had just three catches for 18 yards last week.

Regardless, when you consider that Tech's tight ends have zero catches this year with Greg Boone out, the Cornhuskers have an advantage at this position.

Of course, offense will depend on the offensive line blocking against Bud Foster's front seven. Here's a look at the offensive line the Hokies will be facing on Saturday.

Starting center Jacob Hickman is regarded as Nebraska's best lineman. He has been an Honorable Mention Big 12 performer for the last two seasons, and he's on the watch list for the Rimington Trophy this year.

As you can see, Nebraska has some depth, particularly on the interior line. This is also a smart offensive line. Five of the seven players listed above have earned some type of academic award since enrolling at Nebraska. They've allowed only two sacks so far this year, and just 21 all of last season.

Depth at tackle is pretty thin. If something happened to left tackle Mike Smith, starting right tackle Marcel Jones would switch to the left side and D.J. Jones (6-5, 315, r-Jr.) would come in at right tackle. However, most college teams have depth issues somewhere along the offensive line. Thanks to their guard depth, Nebraska is better off than most teams.

Last season the Hokies whipped Nebraska at the point of attack. Nebraska had played Western Michigan, San Jose State and New Mexico State before playing the Hokies. Tech had played East Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia Tech. Tech was ready for the Cornhuskers, and they punched the offensive line right in the mouth, holding them to just 55 rushing yards on 25 carries.

Frank Beamer says Nebraska has gotten more athletic on the offensive line since last season, but like last year, they haven't played anyone yet. Florida Atlantic and Arkansas State didn't hit them like the Hokies will hit them.

There are two keys for the Virginia Tech defense this week: stop the run and generate a pass rush. One-dimensional teams don't beat the Hokies. If they shut down the run and make Nebraska throw on just about every play, Tech should win. They can take an extra step by getting pressure on the quarterback. The Hokies don't need a lot of sacks, but they need to take Zac Lee out of his rhythm and mess with his footwork.

Nebraska's defense improved steadily as the year went along last year. However, the Hokies were able to control the line of scrimmage against them last season in one of Tech's best offensive performances of the season. That was more of a reflection of Nebraska's talent level on defense than the Virginia Tech offense, as you'll see in the following table.

The Hokies put up 377 yards against the Cornhuskers last year. Considering Tech struggled to move the ball against every other opponent in September and October, including 1-AA Furman, that's like a regular offensive team putting up 600 yards. That's how bad the Nebraska defense was a year ago.

Nebraska does have some of those same players back on defense this year. However, they also bring back their best player in defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (6-4, 300, r-Sr.). Suh had a great year in 2008, finishing with 19 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He is the perfect disruptor for a 4-3 defensive scheme.

Suh gave Virginia Tech all kinds of trouble last year. The Hokies successfully blocked the rest of Nebraska's front seven, but Sergio Render struggled with Suh all night. James Brooks will get to matchup against Suh for much of the game on Saturday. Suh will probably be the first defensive tackle taken in the 2010 NFL Draft, and he will be a tremendous challenge for Tech's offensive line.

The rest of the defensive line is solid, but not spectacular. Defensive end Barry Turner (6-3, 265, r-Sr.) is a former Virginia Tech recruiting target. He missed last season with a broken leg and took a medical redshirt. He was a Freshman All-American in 2005, but his career has gone downhill since.

Pierre Allen (6-5, 265, r-Jr.) is the other starting defensive end. He started 11 games in 2008, finishing with 10 tackles for loss and five sacks. Cameron Meredith (6-4, 260, r-Fr.) and Josh Williams (6-4, 245, r-Fr.) are the primary backups at defensive end. With their inexperience, the Hokies could be attacking the perimeter when they are in the game.

Jared Crick (6-6, 285, r-So.) played in nine games as a freshman last season. He has two tackles for loss this season, and should be a solid complement to Suh on the inside in 2009.

Nebraska's linebackers leave something to be desired. Blake Lawrence (6-3, 225, Jr.) is starting at WILL after performing well down the stretch at that position last year. He leads all linebackers with 10 tackles on the year. He is backed up by Matthew May (6-1, 215, r-So.), a former walk-on safety.

Open House This Saturday, Noon to 1:30!

A pair of freshmen start at MIKE and BUCK for Nebraska. Will Compton (6-2, 225, r-Fr.) is the starter at MIKE, and he is a former Super Prep All-American. He has eight tackles through the first two games of the season. Sean Fisher (6-6, 230, r-Fr.) starts at BUCK, and he also has eight tackles. He was also a SuperPrep All-American. Backing up Fisher at BUCK are two more freshmen, Eric Martin (6-2, 215, Fr.) and Micah Kreikemeier (6-3, 220, r-Fr.). This is a very inexperienced position.

Former starter Phillip Dillard (6-1, 240, Sr.) has missed the first two games of this season, though the Nebraska coaching staff hasn't said why. He was spotted working at the WILL position earlier this week, and there is speculation that he could return to the lineup this week. His return would help, as he is Nebraska's best and most experienced linebacker. However, he has just four career tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks in 33 career games. If he is Nebraska's best linebacker, then this unit still needs some work.

Despite the presence of Suh on the inside, Nebraska has proved to be susceptible to the running game in the first two weeks of the season. Tailbacks from Florida Atlantic and Arkansas State were able to find running room.

This just in: those FAU and Arkansas State backs aren't as good as Tech's trio of Ryan Williams, Josh Oglesby and David Wilson, who have combined to run for 476 yards on just 59 carries, an average of 8.07 yards per carry. Nebraska faced Kenny Lewis and Darren Evans last year. They'll be surprised by the explosiveness the Hokies possess in the backfield this season.

When the Hokies and Cornhuskers played last year, Virginia Tech was able to exploit Nebraska's safety, which was their biggest weakness on defense last year. Virginia native Larry Asante (6-1, 215, Sr.) is in his third season as Nebraska's starting strong safety. He is one of the most experienced players on the team, and he was an Honorable Mention All-Big 12 pick last year.

Nebraska uses two players at free safety. Matt O'Hanlon (5-11, 200, r-Fr.) is a former walk-on and the regular starter, and Rickey Thenarse (6-0, 205, Sr.) plays quite a bit as well. Thenarse is better up around the line of scrimmage.

Last year Virginia Tech beat Nebraska's safeties deep over the middle with the tight end, they were late recognizing other passing plays, and they didn't always take good angles in the running game.

Nebraska's cornerbacks are solid, with right cornerback Anthony West (6-0, 200, r-Jr.) returning as the starter. Prince Amukamara (6-1, 200, Jr.) is the starter at left cornerback, and he has been a playmaker so far this season, with a sack, an interception and two passes defended.

Considering the success that two Sun Belt teams have had running the football on Nebraska, expect the Hokies to try and pound it on Saturday. They will continue to attack the edges of the defense, and force the defense to try and take good angles on Ryan Williams. So far, most defensive backs and linebackers haven't figured it out. The Hokies will have three tailbacks to throw at the Cornhuskers, and it's easy to see them all being productive.

The passing game has a chance to be productive as well. Tyrod Taylor was 9-of-15 for 171 yards last year. He averaged nearly 20 yards per completion. The big play was available down the field, thanks to the poor play of the Nebraska safeties. The 171 yards passing was Taylor's third best performance of his career, despite the Hokies going with three freshmen wide receivers.

Alex Henery (6-2, 175, Jr.) is Nebraska's placekicker and punter. He was a very good kicker in 2008 for the Cornhuskers. Henery was Second Team All-Big 12 while making 18-of-21 field goal attempts, with a long of 57 yards. For his career, Henery is 27-of-31 on his field goal attempts, and he's only missed once from inside 50 yards. He's a major weapon for Nebraska. If they get in field goal range, Henery is nearly automatic. He is the nation's most accurate returning placekicker.

Henery is also doubling as the team's punter this year. He is averaging 40.9 yards per punt on five attempts this year, though he has had one attempt blocked. If there was any time for the Hokies to come after the punter, this would be the game. Nebraska's longsnapper will either be P.J. Mangieri (6-4, 250, Fr.) or Sam Meginnis (6-2, 225, r-Fr.). Neither has played in a road game before, and for their first experience they'll be in Lane Stadium. There is a possibility of some snap difficulties.

Nebraska's holder for field goals is also a freshman, Sam Maher (6-0, 170, r-Fr.). While all of the specialists for Alabama and Marshall were very experienced, there is some inexperience with Nebraska that could be exploited.

Niles Paul (6-1, 215, Jr.) replaces Nate Swift as punt returner. Swift returned a punt for a touchdown against the Hokies last year. Paul is averaging 5.7 yards per return. As we saw earlier with his yards per catch average, he doesn't appear to be a big play threat. He is doing better on kickoff returns, averaging 25.5 yards per return on four attempts.

The Hokies have already returned a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns this year, and they are facing some freshman specialists who are making their first road start. On paper, it appears that Tech has a better chance of making a big special teams play than Nebraska does.

Nebraska is a good football team. They proved that last year by improving as the season progressed, and then winning the Gator Bowl. They are well-coached by Bo Pelini, and their recruiting is getting better. Their fan base is one of the best in the country, and their tradition and history has no equal.

Open House This Saturday at Kent Square Condominiums, Noon to 1:30!

All of that being said, I think Virginia Tech is the most talented team, by more than a little bit. I think the Hokies have a lot of playmakers on offense, and I don't think Nebraska quite has the athletes to prevent Tech from hitting some big plays that will be the difference in the game. As Pelini gets more time to bring in his own players, they will get more athletic. But for now, there is either average talent on defense, or youth.

I think the Hokies will be able to exploit both on Saturday. I see the Tech running game working well for the third week in a row, and I think we'll see Tyrod Taylor continue to improve. I'll be interested to see how Nebraska elects to defend Taylor. Here's what Pelini said about Taylor before last year's game:

"You can't change your whole package just based on him," Pelini said. "Regardless, he's a good football player. He's going to get outside. He's going to break contain, and he's going to get on the loose every now and then. He's that good of an athlete. But you can't let him scare you out of running your system."

Taylor finished with a big game. We already mentioned that he averaged almost 20 yards per completion, but he also ran for 87 yards on just 15 carries. If he's able to have a big game again and complement what appears to be a very strong running back corps, then Nebraska is very unlikely to leave Lane Stadium with a win.

The Nebraska offense does scare me. Zac Lee appears to be a very good signal caller, Roy Helu, Jr. has put up impressive numbers in the past, and the offensive line seems to have improved from last season. This offense is pretty efficient. I'm concerned about the field corner position. If Stephan Virgil can't play, then either Cris Hill or Eddie Whitley will man the field corner spot, and Nebraska will try to take advantage.

They will also try to exploit Tech's new inside linebackers, Barquell Rivers and Jake Johnson, in coverage. I see them moving the ball on Tech's defense and scoring some points, though they won't dominate by any stretch.

I don't see Nebraska as a Top 20 team at this point. Their offense is dangerous, but they need more talent and experience on defense. They have a nice schedule, and they'll have a good record as a result, but I don't think they'd be nearly as good in the Big 12 South.

If you look at last season, their record isn't as impressive if you dig deeper. Their nine wins came against teams that combined to go 49-62 last year. That includes a win over a 9-win Western Michigan team. Their four losses came to teams who combined for a 43-12 record: Virginia Tech, Missouri, Texas Tech and Oklahoma. Whenever they faced somebody decent, the talent disparity showed up. The Hokies beat them on the road with a bunch of freshmen and sophomores in the starting lineup.

In the end, I think the Tech defense will stop the Nebraska running game and force the offense to be one-dimensional. Lee will have a good game, but he won't be able to do it all by himself. Offensively, I think the Hokies will be able to run the ball on the Cornhuskers, and they'll gradually pull away for the win.

Will Stewart's Take: First of all, let me encourage Virginia Tech fans to be very gracious and classy to Nebraska fans who are in Blacksburg Saturday. Tech fans who went to Lincoln last year were blown away by the hospitality they received, so let's return the favor.

And you know I'm not a knee-jerk Hokies Respect campaigner. The last time I said something like that was 2003, when a Texas A&M crew that had been very gracious in College Station in 2002 made the trek to Blacksburg for the Hurricane Isabel game. I suggested that Hokie fans treat their visitors with great respect that night, and I'm making it a point of emphasis again for this game, six years later.

Turning to the game: As I noted in Monday Thoughts, I'm very curious about the Hokies' offensive game plan against the Huskers. All signs point to "run the football," because the Hokies passing game is inconsistent, but the running game has been good. Not having seen Nebraska's first two games, I can only evaluate their run defense based on statistics, and the statistics through two games don't look good for the Husker run-stoppers.

I'm looking for a steady diet of Tech tailbacks carrying the football, and for the Hokies to go with the old school "run to set up the pass" philosophy. Watch how often the Hokies pass the ball on first down, because statistically, Tech's first-down passing game was very poor against Marshall (2-for-7, 42 yards, 1 INT, 1 sack), so you would think the Hokies would tend towards the running game on early downs.

Flipping to the other side of the ball, I can see Nebraska having success with the passing game by exploiting Virginia Tech's young linebackers and a cornerback crew that will probably still be missing Stephan Virgil. I am not going to predict a Hokie shutdown of the Huskers by a long shot. I think Nebraska will put up some yards and points, because the Hokie defense is still getting its feet under itself.

Nebraska's passing game is going to make Frank Beamer want to control the clock and keep the Huskers off the field, so that's yet another sign that points to the Hokies using the rushing game.

Lastly, Virginia Tech will try to press what they feel is a special teams advantage. Nebraska has a very good placekicker, so that's a wash, but the Hokies are strong in all phases of special teams so far this year, not just placekicking.

Run the football, control the clock, win special teams, and limit the damage defensively. That's how I see Virginia Tech's game plan unfolding, and I see it being successful. The score in this one might wind up close, but I think the Hokies will be in control, much like last year.