Second Verse Same as the First

A quick Monday preview of the East Carolina game.

This game two of our 2,317-year contract with East Carolina. Last year, the teams met in Blacksburg with the Hokies winning an emotion-filled game, 17-7. ECU led early in the 2nd quarter until a Pick-6 by Macho Harris gave the Hokies a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

This year's game will be played in Charlotte and I expect a very similar game. The Hokies have too many new faces to just go in and blow the Pirates out, even if they lost speedy running back Chris Johnson. It's a good thing he's gone, too. Johnson would have made our defensive tackles look like Wily E. Coyote.

Ultimately, ECU's quarterbacks, Pat Pinkney and Rob Kass will have to throw to beat Tech, which is good for the Hokies. The key to Virginia Tech's season will be stopping the run and forcing teams to throw against our secondary.

[Former ECU RB Chris Johnson]

Last year, the Pirates serves as a good litmus test for our offensive line. They will do the same this year with our defensive line. The Pirates were able to completely shut down our offense last year, a harbinger of things to come the next week against LSU.

We'll find out this Saturday where we stand with our front seven and how worried we should be about it.

Our offense will be fine. At least that's what I'm telling myself. Nope, no need to worry about how the quarterbacks will be uses, who's going to redshirt, who's going to carry the ball or who's going to catch it. No, no problem at all. We'll be an offensive juggernaut.

A juggernaut, I tell you!

[I'm the Virginia Tech Hokies, bitch.]

Final score prediction: VT 28, ECU 21.

I'm looking forward to one more year of bragging rights against my uncle. Next year the Hokies continue their series with the Pirates in their first trip to Greenville since 2000. Future sites for the Series That Won't End include Salem, Va., Wilmington, NC, and Des Moines, Iowa. And don't think for a second the tickets to Des Moines won't be included in your season ticket package.