————————

Another preseason thought: Either the Women’s DIII News is mistaken, or the ODAC’s coaches are mistaken. The Women’s DIII news has chosen R-MC post player Molly Ariail as the national preseason player of the year. The ODAC’s coaches have chosen Roanoke (10 first-place votes) as the runaway favorite to win the league title in 2010. R-MC, the reigning champion, placed second with one first-place vote.

——-

Just wondering: Are squirrels the dumbest residents of the animal kingdom? Shouldn’t they have learned by now that stopping, pausing and changing direction beneath the wheels of a moving automobile is a bad idea?

No, the Hokies have not. They are 0 for 9. What are the odds of losing nine straight coin flips? I have absolutely no idea of how to figure that out. I don’t even try to balance my checkbook.

But according to ESPN Blacksburg radio host Sean Bielawski, an economics major whose number-crunching I trust more than my own for such questions, the answer is one in 512.

In another coin-flip related item, a recent study concluded that the coin clip might not have 50/50 odds after all. This really throws off the M.O. of Anton Chigurh, the character portrayed by Javier Bardem in the awesome move “No Country for Old Men.“

Where: Land Shark Stadium (74,916), Miami Gardens, Fla.

When: Noon

On the air: TV — Raycom (Fox); radio —WRVA (1140), 11:30 a.m.

Records: Virginia 2-2 ACC, 3-5; Miami 3-2, 6-2

Players to watch: Virginia — FB Rashawn Jackson, 56 carries, 289 yards, 1 TD, QB Jameel Sewell, 1,347 yards, 6 TDs, 6 INTs, 53.3 completion percentage, PR Chase Minnifield, 20 returns, 88 yards, 0 TDs. Miami — QB Jacory Harris, 2,104 yards this season, 16 TDs, 11 INTs, 61.2 completion percentage, DL Allen Bailey, 22 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, WR Travis Benjamin 412 yards, 22 receptions, 4 TDs.

Notable: Miami leads the all-time series 4-2. ¤.¤. Two years, ago, Virginia defeated Miami 48-0 in the final game the school played at the Orange Bowl. ¤.¤. U.Va. is 0-3 all time in Land Shark Stadium (formerly Dolphins Stadium), with all three appearances coming in bowl games. ¤.¤.  Last week Miami rallied with an 82-yard touchdown drive led by QB Jacory Harris, and defeated Wake Forest 28-27 when the Demon Deacons missed a 60-yard field goal. ¤.¤. QB Jameel Sewell is 12 yards from passing Marques Hagans for fifth place on the U.Va. career passing yardage list. ¤.¤. Five of the six games between these teams have been decided by 10 points or fewer. ¤.¤. U.Va. has given up just four passing touchdowns this season — the low nationally is three.

Three keys to U.Va. victory:

1) Rattle Jacory Harris: Last week the Hoos defense sacked Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis six times, then he brushed that off and led the game-winning drive. It was a super-human performance, and certainly not one every quarterback is capable of making. If Virginia can put that level of pressure on the Miami sophomore, there’s a good chance they’ll be able to keep him from making plays in crunch time.

2) Finish strong: The fourth quarter is the only frame this year where U.Va. is being outscored by opponents — a 69-41 margin. The Cavs have got to find a way to preserve leads in the game’s final 15 minutes, which is going to involve keeping the offense on the field more in the first 45 minutes. If the defense is consistently asked to play overtime, lack of depth on the unit will mean fatigue late in games.

3) Find the hot hand: Coach Al Groh has split carries between fullback Rashawn Jackson and tailback Mikell Simpson, with the bulk going to whoever he feels has the “hot hand” that day. He’s got to discover that early, and get one of the backs heavily involved in the game to help take some of the pressure off Jameel Sewell and the pass game. Virginia’s wins this season have all had a common theme — a potent rushing attack.  

Prediction: Miami 10, U.Va. 7

—————-

GAME STORY ...

BY DARRYL SLATER
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

GREENVILLE, N.C. – At times, Virginia Tech looked sloppy, failing to cash in scoring opportunities. At times, it looked fortunate, when East Carolina did the same. But as the Hokies looked at the scoreboard after last night’s game at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, they saw a 16-3 victory, something that mattered, at least for one night, more than how dazzling they appeared while achieving it.

Twenty-six days had passed since the No. 22 Hokies last won, 48-14 over Boston College – an afternoon at Lane Stadium when everything worked for them and the enthusiasm surrounding their season crested. But between then and last night, losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina redefined their season. No longer were they chasing a national championship, or even in control of their own pursuit of a third consecutive ACC title.

They were just trying to win, trying to avoid their first three-game losing streak since 2003 and just their fourth since their streak of bowl-game appearances began in 1993. “We don’t want the season to go down the drain,“ said redshirt freshman linebacker Lyndell Gibson.

They had to win last night in the most rabid road environment of the season, with Gibson starting for the first time and without their regular center, junior Beau Warren, who stayed in Blacksburg after spraining his left knee against North Carolina.

His replacement, redshirt freshman Michael Via, made his maiden start and committed no glaring errors – an encouraging development for Tech should Warren need more time to recover.

So, too, was the performance of a more-visible redshirt freshman, tailback Ryan Williams. His fumble with 2:02 left against North Carolina gave the Tar Heels the ball at Tech’s 24-yard line and led to the field goal that won them the game, 20-17. Last night, Williams carried 26 times for a season-best 179 yards, surpassing 1,000 for the season by halftime and finishing with 1,109.

“That fumble did something to me mentally last week,“ Williams said. “I think the only person that was gonna be able to overcome what happened last week was myself.“

And coordinator Bud Foster’s defense? Well, it looked more like a Foster defense. Georgia Tech and North Carolina made it appear like flimsier version, as they converted 11 of 16 first downs in the second half. Last night, Foster’s bunch did a bit of everything while holding East Carolina to 277 yards. Whip linebacker Cody Grimm forced and recovered a fumble in the second quarter. Cornerback Rashad Carmichael intercepted a pass in the fourth.

Yet the Hokies (6-3) also did enough to leave their coaches and fans shaking their heads. Eight of their drives advanced into East Carolina territory. They got three field goals and a touchdown on four and came up empty on the other four, after advancing to the Pirates’ 1, 28, 39 and 42.

The Pirates (5-4) hurt themselves, too. Trailing 13-3 on their second drive of the second half, they had first down and 10 at Tech’s 18. But running back Giavanni Ruffin took the handoff from Patrick Pinkney on the play and immediately fumbled the ball away, before anybody could touch him. With 17 seconds left in the third quarter, East Carolina strong safety Levin Neal nearly picked off Tyrod Taylor’s screen pass at the Hokies’ 26, but the ball bounced off his hands as he dove for it.

The Hokies finished with 379 yards, including 252 in the first half, but had little to show for it as they jogged to the locker room. This continued a troubling trend from the past two games, when 10 of their first 14 drives crossed midfield, yet resulted in just one field goal. Last night, three of their first four drives got into East Carolina territory. They produced two field goals and a fumble by Taylor at the Pirates’ goal line.

But if only for last night, before the shortcomings and successes can be dissected, the Hokies ended up just where they had to.

“Sloppy or not sloppy,“ Taylor said, “I think a win was good for this team.“

***

QUICK KICKS

No. 22 Virginia Tech 16, East Carolina 3

For starters: The Hokies continued a troubling trend to start the game. They got into East Carolina territory on three of their first four drives and came away with two field goals. They finally broke through on their sixth drive, marching 79 yards in 12 plays and 5:27 for a touchdown.

Turning point: It had to be that 79-yard touchdown drive, from which the Pirates were never able to come back. Of course, Tech’s defense helped by holding them to 95 yards in the second half.

Star of the game: Ryan Williams. Virginia Tech’s redshirt freshman tailback bounced back from a fumble that helped North Carolina win last week by running for a season-best 179 yards.

Big picture: The Hokies can still win 10 games for the sixth consecutive season, if they win their final three regular-season games and their bowl game.

Go figure: 2 – Number of Virginia Tech redshirt freshmen who made their first career starts last night. Center Michael Via started in place of Beau Warren (sprained left knee). Linebacker Lyndell Gibson started in place of Jake Johnson, who had been ineffective.

Next: The Hokies return to ACC action when they play next Saturday at Maryland (1-3 ACC, 2-6). The game will begin at 1 p.m. and air on ESPN360.com. The Terrapins have lost three straight heading into tomorrow’s 1 p.m. game at North Carolina State.

***

GRADING THE THREE KEYS

RYAN WILLIAMS RECOVERING: Virginia Tech’s redshirt freshman tailback bounced back in a big way, carrying 26 times for 179 yards – his most in a game this season. He also became the 11th Tech tailback to rush for 1,000 yards and now has 1,109 for the season. In the Hokies’ previous game, a 20-17 loss to North Carolina, Williams lost a fumble on his final carry, on Tech’s 24-yard line with 2:02 left. The turnover set up Carolina’s game-winning field goal.

GRADE: A+

CLEAN SNAPS: Redshirt freshman center Michael Via started for the first time, in place of injured junior Beau Warren, whose sprained left knee, suffered against North Carolina, prevented him from making the trip to East Carolina. Via appeared to handle things well, as he committed no glaring errors on snaps, which is all the Hokies can really ask for at this point.

GRADE: A

STOP ALLOWING LONG RUNS: East Carolina’s longest carry was 18 yards by running back Dominique Lindsay. Overall, the Pirates ran 31 times for 110 yards. Through their first eight games, the Hokies allowed 14 runs of 20 yards or longer – the same number they allowed in 14 games last season and three more than they allowed in 14 games in 2007.

GRADE: A-

   
    “I was very pleased overall with our effort tonight. Obviously, we’ve got a lot of things to work on and keep getting better at. I think we got positive contributions from every member of our team, which is something you’re always looking for.”

      “We didn’t shoot the ball particularly well from the outside, but I’m not overly concerned with that because we’ve got guys who have shown they can step in and make shots.

    “I thought Union was scrappy. They wouldn’t go away. [Gregg Redford, 14 points] was a thorn in our side all night, just the way that he played, the energy he played with. I thought our guys did a good job overall taking away some of the things we knew they would do coming into the game.”

      On his emotions before the game:
 
      “I was excited, looking forward to getting out there with these guys for the first time. I expected our players to come out with the same level of excitement, and they did.”

      On whether getting the ball up and down the court quickly is the identity he wants:
      “No question. I want to get the ball out as quickly as we possibly can. We have a rule when the ball goes in, the closest big, whether it’s the 4 or the 5, needs to take the ball out as quickly as possible and get it to the point guard. I think we had a couple of layups very early in the game because we got the ball out quickly and we ran the floor.

      “As game wore on we got a little bit tired, those outlets weren’t as quick, and our wings didn’t run quite as hard. That’s something we’ve got to get better at. Our guys are in pretty good shape, but not the type of shape we need to be in to play like that for 40 minutes yet.”

      On making 16 of 21 free throws:

      “When I was at Clemson, we worked on free throws about ten times as much as we do here. We just didn’t have as many good foul shooters … Our guys are doing a good job of stepping up and knocking them down, and we’ve done that since the start of practice. We stat every free throw that we shoot in practice. The percentages have been very good, and that bore out tonight.”

      On the press:

      “We used a few different presses. I thought it was effective at times. I thought it wore them down to some extent. They did a good job of making some shots at the back end of the press early. They also exploited us for some layups against the press. There are some areas we need to get better. I thought we did a good job turning them over in the press. We had 21 turnovers in the game. That’s one of our goals, for the opponent to be over 18 turnovers in a game.

      “Definitely a lot to learn from. It’s a very valuable tape. Can’t wait to get back up to the office and watch it.”

      On point guard Joey Rodriguez (11 points, 6 assists and 3 turnovers):

      “I thought Joey was very good at the point. He pushed the ball and made some good decisions. He had six assists. He probably could have had six more if we had shot the ball a little bit better from outside. I thought he made some really good plays with the ball. Any time the assist-to-turnover ratio can be 2-to-1, that’s where we want it to be.

      “Defensively, I think he can be a real pest when he really wants to. But he’s got to extend himself and get after it even more.”

      On taking a timeout after consecutive turnovers early in the second half and chewing on some ears:

      “One of our goals is to win the first five minutes of the second half. I think if you look back at college basketball games, the team that does that comes out on top. For this team as well as many others, there’s the danger of having a little lull when you’re up at halftime. You start feeling good about yourself. I thought that happened a little bit when we came out of the half. We called timeout to refocus ourselves, rededicate to the defensive end.

      “When Ed Nixon got into the game, I thought the level of our defensive energy was raised. Right now I would say he’s the poster child for what we’re trying to do. We need more of that. He was terrific tonight.”
 

      Larry Sanders (22 points, 14 rebounds, 6 blocked shots), on the pace of play:

      “Very fast. I think fatigue hit us pretty good. Our mentality is, ‘We’ve got to go.’ Coach Smart has been telling us since Day One that we’ve got to play faster and press more.”

      Brandon Rozzell (14 points, 4 of 6 on 3-pointers), on the style of play:

      “We’re a fast team, and all of us like to run. We’ve got scorers at all positions, so it’s hard for teams to match up with us out of transition. … Today I was just the lucky guy to be open and knock them down.

      “I love it. It reminds me of being back at Highland Springs.”

    Virginia Union coach Willard Coker:

    “I felt like tonight VCU showed why they were one of the top teams in their conference last year. They came out and they just overwhelmed us early, and it was hard for us to get any momentum to try to catch them.”

   
      On missing opportunities to attack the press:

      “We haven’t been at it too long. We have a few new guys that we’re trying to put into our system. They’re not real sure what they’re doing yet. A little bit later on, they should have the hang of it. We did miss a lot of opportunities to attack. That’s what the coaches were talking about on the bench.”
 
 

She had a succinct message for him yesterday when they talked for the final time before the game. “Do your thing, Ru,“ she said, referring to her son by the nickname he’s had since he was a boy. “That’s all I needed to hear,“ Williams would say later.

With ESPN’s cameras focusing on the cheering Johnson in the stands at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, Williams carries 26 times for 179 yards, bettering his season high by 15 yards. This, after his fumble with 2:02 left a week ago against North Carolina gave the ball at Tech’s 24-yard line and led to the Tar Heels’ game-winning field goal at the buzzer.

But you already knew that. How about this: Williams now has 1,109 yards this season—11th on Tech’s single-season list. He is closing in on Darren Evans’ 1,265 from last season—No. 4 on Tech’s list and the most in Tech and ACC history by a freshman. Barring disaster in the final three regular-season games and the bowl game, Williams will break Evans’ record.

Another interesting tidbit: Tech is now just the third school in Division I-AA history to produce back-to-back 1,000-yard freshman rushers. Of course, it takes an odd circumstance for this to happen, like Evans’ season-ending knee injury, because why would a 1,000-yard freshman rusher get limited action the next season?

Here are the players who did it ... 

Nevada—Chance Kretschmer (1,732 in 2001) and Matt Milton (1,108 in 2002)
Texas Christian—Lonta Hobbs (1,029 in 2002) and Robert Merrill (1,107 in 2003)
Virginia Tech—Darren Evans (1,265 in 2008) and Ryan Williams (1,109 in 2009)

***

Not that we should ignore the performance Tech’s defense tonight. East Carolina had 277 yards and just 95 on 31 plays in the second half, during which they crossed midfield on just one of seven possessions.

(A quick side note before I get to some numbers: sophomore inside linebacker Jake Johnson did not play here tonight, according to the guy who replaced him in the starting lineup, redshirt freshman Lyndell Gibson. Defensive coordinator Bud Foster said earlier this week that even though Gibson was starting, he was still going to rotate Johnson into the game. But obviously plans can change. Will be interesting to see how much time Johnson gets the rest of the way.)

OK, now a look at the Pirates’ drives and their results ...

4 plays, minus-1 yard—punt
5 plays, 18 yards—punt
9 plays, 43 yards—fumble
3 plays, minus-1 yard—punt
3 plays, 5 yards—punt
12 plays, 73 yards—field goal
3 plays, 5 yards—punt
6 plays, 48 yards—fumble
6 plays, 13 yards—punt
3 plays, minus-2 yards—punt
5 plays, 16 yards—punt
4 plays, 11 yards—interception
4 plays, 4 yards—downs

So of 13 drives, five went three or four plays and out, three ended in turnovers and the other four, besides that field-goal drive, consisted of four, five, five and six plays. Not too shabby, especially since the Hokies’ past two opponents, Georgia Tech and North Carolina, combined to convert 11 of 16 third downs in the second half. The Pirates were four of 14 overall tonight and two of eight in the second half.

    “If it’s your shot,” VCU guard Brandon Rozzell, “we want it to go up.”

    The Rams played fast and pressured the ball constantly under former coach Anthony Grant. They’re playing at warp speed and pressuring the ball at every opportunity under Smart.

    That much was evident after Smart put the new style on display for the first time in an often chaotic, sometimes ragged 85-55 victory over Division II Virginia Union last night before a large but unannounced crowd at the Siegel Center.

    On back-to-back possessions after Union scored in the first half, VCU scored within five seconds.

    “It was hectic,” Union coach Willard Coker said. “When we scored, it was almost like it was an opportunity for them to run a fast break.

    “We did a terrible job of getting back, and you have to take your hat off to VCU. They’re well conditioned and they push the ball down your throat, I mean right down your throat.”

    That is the identity Smart wants for his team.

    “We’ve got a word for it: havoc,” Rams forward Larry Sanders said. “We want to get the opposition in a state of mind where they don’t know what’s going on.”

    It seems to agree with Sanders. The 6-11 junior, a potential first-round draft pick in the NBA, had 22 points, 14 rebounds and six blocked shots against the smaller Panthers.

    Sanders was 9 of 12 for the floor. He scored several baskets following up missed shots but also made a short hook shot, a fadeaway 12-footer and a monstrous dunk.

    “Larry was terrific,” Smart said. “That’s the way he’s played since we started practice. One of the best things about tonight was he had zero fouls. If we can do that on a nightly basis, we’ll be in good shape.”

      Rozzell hit 4 of 6 3-pointers and added 14 points. Point guard Joey Rodriguez had 11 points and six assists.

      Union, with nine newcomers, coughed up 21 turnovers against the Rams’ constant pressure. Gregg Redford (14 points) was the only player in double figures for the Panthers, who shot 36.8 percent.

      Still, Smart found plenty of areas that need improvement before the Rams open their season next Friday against Bethune Cookman.  VCU gave up some easy baskets, was just 7 of 25 on 3-pointers, had 15 turnovers and tired some in the second half.

      “I’ve learned that we can be a very, very good team if we shore some things up,” Smart said. “We’ve got some great pieces. … When things are going well, it’s a terrific dynamic. I learned that our press can be very effective.

      “On the flip side, I think we’ve got to get way better in terms of playing hard. We’ve got to dive on the floor for balls. We’ve got to do a better job of blocking out. Our halfcourt defense needs to be better. We need to pressure the ball. I could keep going, but I’ll stop there.”

      Union begins its season Nov. 16 at Shaw.

      “I think we’ll be better than what we showed tonight,” said Coker, whose team was picked to finish first in the CIAA Eastern Division. “It’s early.”

Virginia Union     27   28 — 55
VCU               46   39 — 85
    Virginia Union – Bran. Byerson 8, McDonald 4, Brax. Byerson 6, Redford 14, Ramsey 6, Wilson 2, Simmons 4, Ford 8, Dupuy 1, King 0, Garba 2. Totals 21 10-13   55. 3-point goals: Brax. Byerson 2, Ford.     
    VCU – Gavin 4, Sanders 22, Rodriguez 11, Burgess 9, Gwynn 6, Grayson 2, Theus 1, Pishchalnikov 1, Daniels 3, Rozzell 14, Hinton 4, Nixon 8. Totals 31 16-21 85. 3-point goals: Rozzell 4, Rodriguez, Daniels, Nixon.

    Gregg Redford led Union with 14 points. The Panthers committed 21 turnovers against the Rams’ fullcourt pressure.

    VCU opens its season next Friday against Bethune Cookman at the Siegel Center. Union begins its season Nov. 16 at Shaw.

    Forward Larry Sanders had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocked shots.

    Guard Brandon Rozzel has hit 4 of 5 3-pointers and has 14 points.

    Gregg Redford has six points for Union, which has committed 11 turnovers.