In the final Virginia Tech sports broadcast of the century, the biggest news Friday night was a foot injury sustained in practice by Ricky Hall.

The coaches and broadcasters were awaiting further word about x-rays from the team physician and there were no details by the show's end.  The description of the injury was vague, just that Hall somehow had bruised the foot when it was stepped on in a drill. Coach Rickey Bustle said Hall is "very questionable" for the Sugar Bowl. (Note from Will:  Hall broke a bone in his foot and is "very doubtful" to play in the game -- see VT Hokie News articles for more details).

It was noted that the other top player at the position, Emmett Johnson, also was injured in the past week when he split open his finger and exposed the bone while catching a pass. Bustle said he thinks Johnson will be OK for the game.

Another question is who would step into the punt return role for the Hokies. Hall was first team All Big East as punt returner. Bustle said that Ronyell Whitaker and Ike Charlton were making the returns in practice Friday.

Both teams made long media day appearances at the Superdome Friday and Bill Roth said that much was made of Corey Moore's "expletive filled" display. What that was, he didn't say, but Roanoke television Friday night showed Moore saying "I don't give a damn about New Year's" or New Orleans or the cameras in his face, or some such (Note from Will: again, see VT Hokie News and its archives for more details).

Some in the Florida State camp were saying this was a sign that Moore had snapped under the pressure, according to Roth.

Bustle reviewed the weeks of preparation, and said he feels good about the practices and that the team is where it should be.

In the first practice back in Blacksburg after a three-week layoff, Bustle thought the passing offense was excellent. He attributed this to the QB's and receivers working on pass route skeletons during the exams period.

VT has continued with the same schedule and approach leading up to a bowl game that it has always used, Bustle said. He and Coach Stinespring agreed that they liked heading right off to practice Monday after landing in New Orleans.

The coaches mentioned several times how much the offense is helped by going up against the Tech defense in practice, and the Tech D is playing well right now, Stinespring said.

Bustle openly tried to put to rest any thought that Tech won't be ready for FSU's speed. "Their speed won't shock us" after going against the Tech defense, Bustle said. He repeated the point.

Stinespring said the offense has been getting progressively better in practices after working the kinks out on the first day back.

Roth said that many believe the game will be decided by which offensive line plays better and protects better.

"I agree," said OL coach Stinespring, "and we aren't going to shy away from that fact."

The FSU front four is the best the Hokies have faced this year, and is relentless, he said. The coaches said the front is most similar to Miami's, among 1999 opponents.

Who does Florida State remind you of, someone asked. "Florida State," said Bustle. His biggest concern: the FSU front seven is very good and active, and the starting 11 is the best VT has played. He has concerns about some matchups, yet there are others that he likes. He didn't elaborate.

Somebody asked Bustle how many passes Andre Davis will catch in the game. "I don't know how many he's gonna catch, but we're gonna give him some opportunities."

FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews told the VT broadcasters Friday that it was tough preparing for the Tech option attack. He said that much of the game tape received on the Hokies was "worthless" because Tech jumped to early leads often and didn't really show that much.

Roth mentioned that Bustle once was an understudy to Andrews as a graduate assistant coach at Clemson. Mike Burnop said Andrews' intensity reminds him of former VT coordinator Phil Elmassian.

A caller said he doesn't view Vick so much as a redshirt freshman anymore after playing a full season, then asked Bustle how he thinks Vick will fare in the spotlight. The coach seemed at ease about it, and said they talked on Thursday about how to approach the game. He said Vick is handling the media just fine.

The offensive coordinator said he will mix it all up on offense against the Seminoles, with bootlegs, option, etc. In what seemed to be a hint, he noted that VT ran the option more against BC in the final game than in any other, due to Vick being "dinged up all year."

He agreed that it will be a chess match Tuesday night, trying to sense when FSU will blitz, when they will take a chance and put Andre Davis in single coverage, etc.

FSU has skilled athletes at DB and they play a lot of tight man to man (led the nation with 22 interceptions). They don't blitz the middle linebacker often. Bustle said FSU will try some blitzes against Vick while changing some tendencies.

A caller noted Virginia's bowl loss by 42 points (sniff), and Tech's presence in the national championship game, and wondered how it will affect recruiting this year.

Bustle said that in itself won't affect the outcome that much. Stinespring said recruiting is much more an ongoing process in which the first impression is important in the sophomore/junior year and then builds.

Recruiting is going well, Stinespring said, and is getting down to making the right decisions about the remaining scholarship slots.

They reviewed generalities about commitments so far, without naming names, and said they are waiting on decisions from one running back and one receiver, among others.

Only two true freshmen played in 1999 and the redshirting receivers Provitt, Harrison and Wilford were mentioned for their play potential.

A caller told Bustle he hopes he will stick with the VT program. "You betcha," Bustle replied before explaining the consideration he gave to the Eastern Michigan job a month ago.

While Bustle said he wants to be a head coach someday, "timing is everything" and he had questions about moving to Michigan. "I'd be happy in Michigan about two days," he said.

"I preach commitment every day," and it would have been tough to say that to the Tech players during bowl preparations and then walk away from them, he said.

And wouldn't it be difficult to walk away from #7 at this point, Roth asked Bustle. "You're not kidding."

The possibility was discussed with Vick when Eastern Michigan approached him. Bustle said, apparently half-seriously, that when he decided against Eastern Michigan that he made Vick promise not to leave early for the NFL after two more years. "We made a deal." (Get it in writing!)

Beat writer David Teel from the Newport News newspaper was a guest. Teel sees the key to the game as whether FSU can run on Tech. He said he doesn't think they can, and that a one-dimensional offense cannot beat the Hokies.

Roth asked Teel how the national media view Tech. Teel said VT became legitimized as the season went on, made the cover of Sports Illustrated and Michael Vick fared well and represented himself well in the Heisman picture.

Teel brought up one of the first things that Coach Beamer said about the national championship game in the news conference after the BC game: "Fellas, we expect to be here again."

• The Friday radio show was off the air for 7-8 minutes about midway through.
• A Sugar Bowl record 1,100 media credentials were issued.
• Special Hokie Hotline bowl shows will be aired Saturday, Sunday and Monday at 7 p.m. Coach Beamer will be on the air Saturday night.
• RC Cola is producing commemorative bottles about the 1999 season that list scores of all the games, Roth said. (No word yet on commemorative Moon Pies.)
• Virginia Tech ended 1999 at 97 days in possession of the Commonwealth Cup.

On a personal note, I'll be heading out to New Orleans on Saturday, so this will be my last Hokie Hotline report this football season. Seems like the first show on Aug. 28 was just yesterday. It's been a blast! Go Hokies!