BC Game Guide

Virginia Tech at Boston College

Time: 8 p.m.
Date: Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008
Place: Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
TV: ESPN2

Last Meeting: The Hokies beat the Eagles, 30-16 on Dec. 1, 2007, in Jacksonville, Fla., to capture the 2007 ACC Championship Game. Sean Glennon was named MVP after throwing for 174 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers.

Trends: The Hokies have won five consecutive games and are 2-0 on the road...the Eagles have won their last three games and are 2-1 at home...the Hokies are 16-1 on the road in ACC play...however, the lone loss came at BC in 2006...the Hokies are 5-2 after a bye since joining the ACC with the last two losses coming against BC.

What to Expect: The Hokies have had their struggles running against BC in teams' last three games. In 2005, the Hokies ran wild on their way to a 30-10 win over the Eagles, gaining 212 yards on 53 carries (4.0 YPC). However, in the last three games, the Hokies have 247 yards on 125 carries (2.0 YPC).

Unfortunately, I think this will continue this weekend. BC's front seven is just too good for the Hokies to expect a lot from the running backs. DTs Ron Brace and BJ Raji are the best DT combination in the league if not the nation. Add to them a good linebacking corps led by Brian Toal and the Eagles should have no problem slowing Virginia Tech's running game.

However, the Hokies do have Tyrod Taylor. His ability to scramble and break big plays with his feet out of the pocket give the Hokies a chance to crack the century mark in rushing yards. I think you'll have to see Tyrod scramble for a few first downs on third down situations this weekend. If he's successful and can extend drives with his feet, the Hokies have a very good chance.

On defense, the Hokies will have to deal with a BC offense that is improving. The run game carried the team for the first few weeks of the season as younger players such as Josh Haden and Montel Harris blossomed quickly. The QB position was big question mark until last week when Chris Crane took the team on his shoulders on the way to a win at NC State.

In that game, Crane had 428 yards passing. He had 461 yards passing through his first four games.

Crane is a poor man's Scott Frost and is deceptively quick, which means he's a fast white guy. He will be able to escape the pocket as well and turn big losses into no gains and positive yards. However, the Eagles have turned the ball over 10 times this season, including three times against NC State.

If Crane turns into a pumpkin again on Saturday, you could see QB Dominique Davis, who is made from the Tyrod Taylor mold. Davis' isn't a very good passes, but can kill you with his feet.

The Eagles return most of their receivers, but none of them are deep threats. This is good for the Hokies since their kryptonite has been deep passes over the middle.

The Hokies win if: They are able to establish the run against BC's formidable front seven and they get consistent pressure on QB Chris Crane.

The Eagles win if: They don't turn the ball over and stop the run, both conventional and on scrambles by Tyrod Taylor.

Dot-dot-dots: The last time the Hokies played at BC on a Saturday was 2000 when they won, 48-34...the Hokies played in BC on Thursdays in 2002 and 2006...this is the first time any VT-BC regular season game has been on Saturday since 2003 when the Eagles won 34-27 in Blacksburg...Virginia Tech LB Dylan McGreevy is a distant nephew of Nuf Ced McGreevy, the famous Boston bar owner and founder of the Royal Rooters...if you're a Red Sox fan like I am, you know McGreevy's story, made famous by the Dropkick Murphy's version of "Tessie"...RB Darren Evans has scored a touchdown in his first six career games...CB Macho Harris has an interception in three consecutive games...K Dustin Keys has made 11 consecutive field goals.


Go Hokies. Go Sox.

Where Was Macho Harris Saturday?

I'm glad Macho didn't play Saturday against ECU. I hope he doesn't play against Furman, either, so his ankle can heal in time for two mission critical games against Georgia Tech and North Carolina. But why wasn't Macho in Charlotte Saturday with his team?

Isn't he supposed to be one of the leaders of the defense? The fact he wasn't there says a lot in my opinion. With inexperienced players at both cornerback positions, he should have been there in street clothes. He could have been encouraging the defense, letting them know what they were doing wrong and acting as another coach on the sideline.

Sometimes constructive criticism from a peer, especially a senior like Macho, sinks in better than criticism from a coach. Why wasn't Macho there? Maybe he's not a leader on defense.

However, he's still the best player the Hokies have on D and could have made a difference on Saturday in such a closely-contested game. He needs to get healthy if the Hokies want to content for an ACC crown. Right now, he's in my doghouse, but we're going to need him.

Macho might not play vs. ECU

This game just can't get here fast enough.

The Hokies may have suffered another setback. Kyle Tucker of the Virginian-Pilot reports senior cornerback Macho Harris is doubtful for Saturday's game with ECU due to a sprained left foot.

Harris suffered the injury in Friday's scrimmage, the last of the summer. Harris tied for the team lead in interceptions last year and is the starter at boundary corner and punt and kick return. He was also expected to play 10-15 snaps at wide receiver Saturday to make the offense more dynamic.

If Harris doesn't play, the likely starter would be sophomore Rashard Carmichael, who is behind him on the depth chart. The Hokies would then only one returning starter in the secondary, Kam Chancellor, who moves from rover to free safety.

How important is Harris to the Hokies' defense this year? I'm not sure you can measure it. With him in the lineup, the defense looks solid as long as you force the opponent to throw the ball. Without him, you're inviting the opposing offense to test two new corners.

As boundary corner, Harris is also crucial in supplying support to stop the run.

My vote is to sit him. The Hokies have enough talent and enough depth that they should be able to win another close game with the Pirates. Also, sit him for the Furman game, giving him two full weeks to recover before the ACC opener with Georgia Tech. He has to be healthy for that game. Don't risk making the injury worse.