The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Sports

June 27, 2009

Hokies present challenge

By Gary Fauber

For the second straight season, Marshall will go from the FCS to the BCS in one week.

Last year, the Thundering Herd followed up a season-opening win over Illinois State with a trip to Big 12 power Wisconsin. In September, a visit to Huntington by Southern Illinois will precede Marshall’s trek to defending ACC champion Virginia Tech.

The Sept. 12 game will be the Herd’s third in Blacksburg, Va., since 2002. It will kick off at 1:30 p.m. and be broadcast on ESPN360.com.

The Hokies should easily land in the top 10 of The Associated Press preseason rankings when they are released in August. Veteran coach Frank Beamer’s team defeated Boston College in the ACC title game, then beat Big East champ Cincinnati 20-7 in the Orange Bowl.

Virginia Tech returns 17 starters from that team, including talented but oft-injured quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The dual-threat junior was 99-of-173 for 1,036 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw seven interceptions.

On the ground, where the Hokies inflicted most of their offensive damage, Taylor ran for 738 yards and seven TDs.

Taylor was the team’s second-leading rusher, behind freshman Darren Evans’ 1,265 yards and 11 scores.

Tech also returns its top three receivers from ’08. Wideouts Danny Coale (36 receptions, 408 yards) and Jarrett Boykin (30-441, 2 TDs) are back, as is tight end Greg Boone (22-278, 2).

Three starters are back on the offensive line — tackles Ed Wang (6-foot-5, 301 pounds) and Blake DeChristopher (6-5, 303), and left guard Sergio Render (6-3, 319).

It’s never a surprise when big things are expected out of the Hokie defense. Tech is usually among the top 10 in total defense by season’s end.

The line returns three starters in John Graves, Cordarrow Thompson and Jason Worilds. Graves will move from tackle to end, where he spent the bulk of spring drills.

Linebacker depth is a concern at Marshall, and the same is true for the Hokies. Only 6-1, 215-pound senior Cam Martin (51 tackles, 5 1/2 for loss) is back.

But there is experience. Senior Cody Grimm had 14 tackles for losses and 7 1/2 sacks last year and was third on the team with 71 tackles despite starting only one game.

In the secondary, senior cornerback Stephan Virgil had six interceptions last season. Senior Kam Chancellor had 52 stops and a pair of picks in his first season at free safety.

— E-mail: gfauber@

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