Hokies, Red Wolves Have Had Lopsided Meetings
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com,
TSLMail #502, September 16, 2011
Virginia Tech will
be facing one of the most experienced teams in the country when Arkansas
State comes to town on Saturday. The Red Wolves have 32 juniors and
seniors in their two-deep, while the Hokies will be relying on younger
players at many positions.
For an experience
comparison, we looked at all the players listed in the two-deep on offense
and defense for both teams. Note that some players are tied for certain
spots on each depth chart, so a total of 46 players are listed for each
team.
Experience
Comparison, Two-Deep |
Year |
VT |
ASU |
Seniors |
11 |
18 |
Juniors |
14 |
14 |
Sophomores |
12 |
9 |
Freshmen |
9 |
5 |
21 of Virginia Tech's 46 players are freshmen or sophomores. Meanwhile, 32
of Arkansas State's top 46 are juniors or seniors. The Red Wolves will
have a significant experience advantage, though many of their older
players are JUCO transfers.
When looking at the
two starting defenses, there is a definite edge in experience to Arkansas
State. The Red Wolves start 10 seniors on the defensive side of the ball,
including all four defensive linemen and all four defensive backs.
Meanwhile, the Hokies start five sophomores on defense, and just one
senior. Bud Foster's defense is obviously good, and they are going to get
even better over the next couple of years.
Experienced or not,
the Hokies do have more talent than Arkansas State. The teams have played
three times since 1994, with the Hokies winning 34-7, 50-0 and 63-7.
VT
vs. Arkansas State |
Category |
VT |
ASU |
Total
Yardage (Avg.) |
422 |
190.7 |
PPG |
49 |
4.7 |
Sacks per
game |
3.33 |
1 |
The Hokies beat up on the Red Wolves by an average of over six touchdowns
per game. Arkansas State has scored exactly one touchdown against Tech's
starting defense during those three meetings. They just haven't had much
talent in the past, though it is much improved now.
Out of all the
Arkansas State players the Hokies have faced in the past, probably the
only names you might recognize are Cleo Lemon, James Hickenbotham and
Corey Williams.
Lemon started eight
games in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins in 2006 and 2007, and he is
currently the starter for the Toronto Argonauts. Against Virginia Tech in
1997, he was 2-of-8 for 65 yards with one interception, and he was sacked
four times.
Hickenbotham was
Arkansas State's top receiver in 2002. The only reason you might remember
him is because he is a from Roanoke, VA, where he was a rival of Lee Suggs
during high school. He faced off against Suggs in Lane Stadium to open the
2002, but caught just two passes for 39 yards.
Williams started at
defensive tackle for Arkansas State against the Hokies in 2002. He made
four tackles, and had a tackle for loss. He became a sixth round draft
pick of the Green Bay Packers, where he played from 2004 through 2007. He
played for the Browns in 2008 and 2009, and he is currently a member of
the Detroit Lions. He has been a starter for most of his NFL career.
Arkansas State
certainly doesn't have much of a football history. Since moving to 1-A in
1990, the Red Wolves have had just one winning record, finishing 6-5 in
1995. They have appeared in just one bowl game, dropping the 2005 New
Orleans Bowl to Southern Miss. Since 1995, ASU has an overall record of
77-162-2. They have been an independent, competed in the Big West, and
they are currently in the Sun Belt.
The Red Wolves have
a much better team than they've fielded in the past, and they certainly
have a lot of experience. However, they still lack the overall talent to
beat the Hokies without a lot of help.
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Friday
Q&A: September 16th, 2011
September 16, 2011
Today
we'll discuss the nickel package, and how it could possibly delay
the development of the whip linebackers. We also compare Bruce
Taylor and Tariq Edwards to another excellent linebacker duo - Vince
Hall and Xavier Adibi.
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2013
Report: Michael Parker Scores Sixth Offer
September 15, 2011
Kettle
Run's (Nokesville, VA) Michael Parker earned major FBS
scholarship offer number six last Friday, following what Cougars
head coach Jeff Lloyd called the best game of the 6'4",
210-pound junior's varsity career. Parker, in his second season on
the varsity level, played a different position defensively last week
and responded well.
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Around
the ACC: September 15, 2011
September 15, 2011
The
first two weekends of ACC football were uneventful, for the most
part. That will change this weekend, when ACC teams host four huge
non-conference games. We'll have a much better idea about the
quality of the ACC after this weekend's games.
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Vying For Visit From Big-Time Athlete
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Longtime
track and football coach David Pratt, in his fourth year at Hanahan
High School (S.C.), calls senior Chris Brown the best athlete
he has ever coached. This includes former Notre Dame quarterback
Tony Rice, who led the Irish to a national championship in 1988. So
certainly, the 6'2", 170-pound Hanahan standout is in good
company
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TSL
Audio: Chris Coleman on ESPN Radio Blacksburg, September 14th, 2011
September 14, 2011
On
this week's edition of the Sean Bielawski Show, TSL's Chris Coleman
talks about the ECU win, Logan Thomas, and Arkansas State.
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2011
Football Game Preview: Virginia Tech vs. Arkansas State
September 14, 2011
Arkansas
State is a team that many of us are not familiar with, myself
included. The Red Wolves (Indians until the NCAA made them change
their name in 2008) are 1-1 on the season, with a 31-16 loss to
Illinois and a 47-3 victory over Memphis. They are coming off a 4-8
season, though they were very close to being much better than that.
The Red Wolves lost five games by a touchdown or less and were in
just about every game they played, with the exception of the season
opener against Auburn.
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Tech
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Raleigh
Hokie checks in with thoughts on the Tech defense, Kyle Fuller,
Logan Thomas, the punting situation and more.
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Touted
Miller School Guard To Start Officials
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Miller
School (Charlottesville, VA) senior Andrew White III has
become one of the most coveted two-guards in the country, scoring
offers from Kansas and Texas, among others, within the past few
months alone. The blitz of scholarship activity is settling down,
and the 6'6", 210-pound wing guard/forward is now turning his
attention towards figuring out his college future.
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Tech
Talk Live Notes for 9-12-11
September 13, 2011
Jim
Weaver and Frank Beamer were guests on Monday night's show, as
usual. Shane Beamer made his first appearance, while Jarrett Boykin
and Cris Hill were the player guests.
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J.C.
Coleman Continues Big Success At Oscar Smith
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Thirty-six
carries, 301 yards, and a school record five touchdowns...that was
the night Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, VA) senior J.C. Coleman
produced in last week's 48-20 win over Great Bridge. "He was
tremendous," Tigers head coach Rich Morgan said of his
5'7", 170-pound tailback. "He showed why he is the best
running back in the state. He took the game over."
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Monday
Thoughts: Hokies Grind Out a Road Win
September 12, 2011
It
was apparent early in Saturday's game that the Hokies weren't going
to have their best day at the office. Racking up penalties, turning
the ball over and struggling in the passing game, the Hokies gutted
it out. Frank Beamer did one of the things he does best: nurse an
underperforming team to an ugly win. It helps when you can
smash-mouth the other team, and it's also a lot easier when your
defense is playing lights-out.
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Despite
Sloppy Play, Positives Emerge for Hokies
September 11, 2011
There
were plenty of things to dislike in yesterday's 17-10 victory over
East Carolina. Tech was called for 12 penalties, they had two
turnovers deep in Pirate territory, they missed a short field goal
and in general they just weren't sharp offensively. If you dig a
little deeper though, there were plenty of things to be happy about
in this game, and that's what we're going to focus on today.
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