HODGE PODGE

by Where's The Ice?

*** Georgia Tech ***

The battle of ACC's Tech's kept me on the edge of a Charleston, SC barstool screaming at a television as USC Gamecock fans gave me strange stares. But can you blame me? Most of this game kept me guessing that the Hokies would only nip at the heels of a Georgia Tech running game. The last ten minutes of the fourth quarter must have sent all diehard Hokie fans over the top in excitement.

Although the Virginia Tech Hokies rallied late to surge up to and then ahead of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, they made too many errors.

Georgia Tech did very well in taking advantage of those mistakes. This included three turnovers in the first quarter alone, and they could have had more if the Hokies had not recovered one of their own fumbles.

The Hokie offense became stagnant until their late game push. The Hokies have relied on passing to their tight ends Jared Mazzetta and Jeff King, but they utilized them to this effect very little. Also, Michael Imoh ran backwards at the one-yard line leading to a sack near
the ten-yard line. This cost the Hokies a touchdown they should have gained.

A second quarter touchdown made the outlook improve for the Hokies. Bryan Randall threw a magnificently placed thirty-four yard touchdown pass to David Clowney to get the Hokies on the board. However, the Hokie offense would only return to stagnant play until late in the
fourth quarter.

To get themselves back into the game, the Hokies capitalized on big mistakes made by Georgia Tech. First, Georgia Tech quarterback Reggie Ball ran himself into his own endzone chased by Chris Ellis giving the Hokies a safety. Then, quarterback Bryan Randall made an eighty yard
pass to an all too wide open Eddie Royal who then made a spectacular dash for the endzone. One Hokie possession later, Randall threw a fifty-one yard touchdown to a poorly covered Josh Morgan for the lead.

Given the sharp turn in momentum of this game for the Hokies, I want to mention the three most pivotal plays in my opinion that caused that turn of momentum.

1: Xavier Adibi (in his earlier than expected return) made a long sprint to sack Georgia Tech quarterback Reggie Ball. This greatly compromised Yellow Jacket field position well enough that they failed to score a game-clinching touchdown.

2: Chris Ellis chased Reggie Ball into a safety to put the Hokies within a one-possession scoring difference, a touchdown and two-point conversion.

3: Bryan Randall threw an eight-one yard touchdown pass to Eddie Royal. I also include Randall's two-point conversion pass in this play.

*** Hokie Wish List ***

Last week, TSF created a wish list for the Hokies, so this week's issue will tally the wishes granted, those denied, and those yet to come.

Wish #1: Miami over Virginia (Nov 13) & Wake Forest (Nov 20)
Result: yet to come

Wish #2: Pitt Panthers (Nov 25) or BC edge (Nov 13) out WVU.
Result: yet to come

Wish #3: Purdue loses to Northwestern (Oct 30), Iowa (Nov 6), or Ohio
State (Nov 13).
Result: Purdue 10, Northwestern 13

Wish #4: Mississippi over LSU (Nov 20)
Results: yet to come

Wish #5: Oklahoma over Oklahoma State (Oct 30)
Result: Oklahoma 38, Oklahoma State 35

Wish #6: California over Arizona State (Oct 30)
Result: California 27, Arizona State 0

Wish #7: Texas A&M over Texas (Nov 26) and Texas A&M loses to Oklahoma
(Nov 6)
Result: yet to come

Wish #8: Mississippi over LSU (Nov 20)
Result: yet to come

Wish #9: Northwestern over Michigan (Nov 13)
Result: yet to come

Wish #10: Georgia loses to Florida (Oct 30) and Auburn (Nov 13)
Result: Florida 24, Georgia 31

FSU 17, Maryland 20
TSF did not include the FSU vs. Maryland game on this list, but it still values mention because it will help the Hokies push for a higher place in the ACC standings. With this win Maryland earned their first ever against FSU.

Miami 28, UNC 31
Another game not included, Miami's fall to UNC affects Virginia Tech in two ways, one good and one not so good. It helps Virginia Tech in their hunt for a better ACC standing. It hurts the Hokies in their hunt for a higher national ranking. The BCS computer poll will not hold a victory against Miami, should the Hokies accomplish that, as significant because of Miami's loss to UNC.

A couple of firsts happened in this day of College football. This marked a day when all three major Florida football teams lost: Florida, Florida State, and Miami. This has not happened sin1978. Also, UNC earned its first ever victory against a top five ranked team.

*** Winning the ACC? ***

Who will win the ACC? Could the Hokies, originally thought by some to serve as the ACC's doormat, attain first place in the inaugural season in their new conference? They currently hold first place in the conference in a three-way tie with Virginia and Miami. I don't want to
become overly optimistic, but the Hokies have good shot.

Current ACC Standings
------------------------------
Conf Overall
Team W L W L
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Virginia 3 1 6 1
Miami 3 1 6 1
Virginia Tech 3 1 6 2
Florida State 4 2 6 2
North Carolina 3 2 4 4
Georgia Tech 3 3 4 3
N.C. State 3 3 4 4
Clemson 3 3 4 4
Maryland 2 3 4 4
Wake Forest 1 4 4 4
Duke 0 5 1 7

Virginia Tech has four opponents left on their schedule, all ACC teams: UNC, Maryland, UVA, and Miami. They could potentially afford one loss in the quest depending on how other games unfold, but running the table would ensure a first place in the ACC.

Next game, the Hokies face the UNC Tarheels. The Tarheels kept Miami from making the late game push that they did against Louisville for a win.

Chad Scott, UNC's running back found holes in the Miami defense, but I don't think the Hokie defense will prove as vulnerable to that as did the Hurricanes. Nonetheless, Virginia Tech will have no easy task in stopping him.

When it comes to offence, if the Hokies can take advantage of mistakes the way they did in the fourth quarter against Georgia Tech, they'll have opportunities to get into the endzone, but waiting until the last six minutes of the game could fail unlike this week.