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  TSLMail #381- May 15, 2009    
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 Tech Sports News

ACC Returns Talented Runners in 2009
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com

Last month, we pointed out in TSLMail that the ACC returns nine starting quarterbacks for the 2009 season. A number of talented running backs also return, and the vast majority are only sophomores or juniors. There is a lot of young running talent in the league, and if they can get some decent blocking from their offensive lines, the offensive numbers in the ACC should be on the upswing.

Three ACC running backs gained over 1,000 yards on the ground last season, and all of them have at least two years of eligibility remaining.

ACC Returning Rushing Leaders
Team Player Year Yards

Georgia Tech

Jonathan Dwyer

Jr. 1,395

Virginia Tech

Darren Evans

So. 1,265

Maryland

Da'Rel Scott

Jr. 1,133

Boston College

Montel Harris

So. 900

North Carolina

Shaun Draughn

Jr. 866

Miami

Graig Cooper

Jr. 841

Clemson

C.J. Spiller

Sr. 629

Wake Forst

Brandon Pendergrass

So. 528

Florida State

Jermaine Thomas

So. 482

NC State

Jamelle Eugene

Sr. 442

Duke

Jay Hollingsworth

So. 399

Virginia

Mikell Simpson

Sr. 262

 

Jonathan Dwyer, Darren Evans and Da'Rel Scott all enjoyed a lot of success last season, and the fact that they were all freshmen or sophomores makes it even more impressive.

A total of four ACC running backs led their team in rushing as freshmen last season. Darren Evans, Montel Harris, Brandon Pendergrass and Jay Hollingsworth all paced their respective teams in rushing. While Florida State's Jermaine Thomas did not lead his team in rushing, he did average seven yards per carry, and he has the potential to have a big sophomore season.

The list above does not include a number of very talented backs who were not their team's leading rusher a year ago. At Virginia Tech, the Hokies have Ryan Williams, who redshirted a year ago. During spring practice, he looked like Tech's best running back. At Maryland, Davin Meggett ran for 457 yards as a freshman. He'll be sharing time with Da'Rel Scott, but he's a very effective back.

Graig Cooper led Miami in rushing last season, but he will still be sharing time with Javarris James, who was injured for much of last season. Brandon Pendergrass will split carries with Josh Adams at Wake Forest. Adams was the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2007. NC State returns Toney Baker, arguably their most talented runner. Baker missed the 2008 season with an injury. Duke also brings back Re'Quan Boyette, their most talented runner who also missed 2008 with an injury.

The ACC has been a poor offensive conference for the last few seasons, but with so many talented running backs, and nine returning starters at the quarterback position, things look like they could be getting better in 2009. If the offensive lines in the conference can improve, we could see a big jump forward in overall offensive production.

Baseball Breaks Losing Streak to UVA

Austin Wates' walk-off homerun in the bottom of the 10th inning gave Virginia Tech a 5-4 win over #10 UVA on Thursday night. The Hokies had lost their previous 12 games against their in-state rivals. The last time Tech beat UVA in baseball before Thursday was all the way back on April 16, 2003. VT knocked off the Hoos 5-3 that day, and it took them over six years to do it again.

The teams will play two more games as part of a three-game series to end the regular season. The games will take place at English Field in Blacksburg, and they will begin at 5:30pm on Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16.

To qualify for the ACC Tournament, the Hokies (31-20, 11-16 ACC) must sweep Virginia (38-11-1, 15-10-1 ACC), and they must depend on a Georgia Tech sweep of the Duke Blue Devils. The chances of that happening aren't good, but it's hard to ignore the progress the baseball team has made this year.

The Hokies have won 30 games for the first time since 2003, and their 11 ACC wins is just two fewer than they had in the previous two seasons combined. They also hold a 13-10 record on the road. Tech has not had a winning road record since 2003.

The good news is that most of this team will return for the 2010 season. The Hokies have just five seniors, only three of which get serious playing time. The Hokies have young talent playing the field, including sophomore Austin Wates, as well as on the mound in left-handed sophomore starter Justin Wright.

 

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   TechSideline.com Updates From the Past Week
Checking in with Top DE Alfy Hill
May 15, 2009
West Brunswick (Shallotte, N.C.) defensive end Alfy Hill has become one of the most highly recruited rising senior prospects in the Tar Heel state. The 6-4, 245-pound prospect now boasts somewhere between 25 and 30 Division 1A scholarship offers, with the most recent offer coming from the University of Michigan. Virginia Tech offered Hill back in March and no doubt hopes to get him on campus at some point.
more

TSL Audio: The Jerry Miller Show, 5/12/09
May 15, 2009

On Tuesday, Chris Coleman was a guest on The Jerry Miller Show, where he and Miller discussed Hank Thorns leaving the program, as well as Allan Chaney transferring into the program. They also talked about Lane Kiffin and the job he is doing at Tennessee, and if he's the type of coach a fanbase should want leading their program.
The Jerry Miller Show appears on The Sports Addict Radio Network every afternoon from 2:00-4:00 pm in Blacksburg (1430 AM), Charlottesville (840 AM), and Bluefield (1050 AM), and from 2:00-4:00 in Martinsville (1160 AM).
more

In Hard Times, Weaver's Sound Financial Management is a Boon to Tech Athletics
May 14, 2009
Randy Jones turned in another outstanding financial review of the Tech athletic department, and one thing is clear from looking over the numbers: in bad economic times such as these, the fiscal conservatism shown by Athletic Director Jim Weaver serves the Tech athletic department very, very well.
more

VT Eyes 2011 G Bishop Daniels
May 14, 2009
Word of God (Raleigh, N.C.) standout Bishop Daniels, a combo guard who'll likely be a point guard on the college level, is on Virginia Tech's radar for the 2011 recruiting class. A 6-2, 170-pound prospect, Daniels claims three ACC offers for sure and believes Tech has offered as well.
more

2007-08 Financial Report: Hokies Still in the Black
May 14, 2009
TechSideline.com brings you our fourth annual report on the state of Virginia Tech athletics finances. This year's report covers the 2007-08 academic year (2008 fiscal year), including the 2007 football season and the 2007-08 men's basketball season. Profit took a dip from the 2007 fiscal year's record-setting level, but the Hokies were still safely in the black for this fiscal year.
more

Offer Profile: Georgia FS/WR Jake Skole
May 13, 2009
Virginia Tech is one of four official scholarship offers for Jake Skole, a talented athlete out of Blessed Trinity Catholic in Roswell, Georgia. The 6-1, 188-pound rising senior, a free safety and wide receiver on the gridiron, sparked Tech's interest early on in the recruiting process.
more

Catching Up With Caleb Hurd
May 13, 2009
Caleb Hurd is the best. He has the ring, the trophy and the check to prove it. His hope is that he can continue with the bragging rights beyond this week. The best what, you ask? The best gas man in NASCAR's Sprint Cup series, that's what. It's an honor that brings great pride to Hurd, the former Virginia Tech special teams standout.
more

A Look Ahead to Alabama: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
May 12, 2009
Alabama's offensive philosophy is similar to Virginia Tech's. They like to establish a running game, and then hit big plays in the passing game off the playaction pass. Alabama has never been known for their wide receivers, though Julio Jones is one of the best in college football. They also have a solid group of tight ends, including a transfer from an ACC school.
more

Top CB Louis Young to Begin College Visits
May 12, 2009
6-0 1/2, 195-pound Louis Young turned in a fantastic junior season, tallying 34 tackles, 14 pass break-ups and five interceptions on the year. The Good Counsel rising senior, one of the most highly recruited cornerback prospects in the East, looks to his sophomore season as the time when he began ascending at the cornerback position.
more

Thorns Out, Chaney In
May 12, 2009
Virginia Tech has announced that rising junior point guard Hank Thorns has requested a release from his scholarship so he can transfer to another school. Seth Greenberg has granted the request. Thorns' transfer destination is unknown at this point. In more positive news, forward Allan Chaney has announced that he will transfer from Florida to Virginia Tech.
more

Q&A with QB Commit Ricardo Young
May 11, 2009
After accepting the Big-Time Football Showcase quarterback MVP award last Thursday night, H.D. Woodson (Washington, D.C.) rising senior quarterback Ricardo Young announced publicly that he had committed to Virginia Tech. Young, a 6-1, 170-pound prospect, chose Tech over numerous offers including Connecticut, Maryland, South Florida, Syracuse and West Virginia. He spoke at length with TechSideline.com, discussing his decision, his performance at the Elite Combine, the commitment of Mark Leal and more.
more
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