SB Nation - T.J. Yates

Mike Paulus Joins the Paulus Exodus

T.H. — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:03:47 -0000

It's being reported that Mike Paulus is transferring to William & Mary to finish out his remaining two years. His career at UNC as nasty, brutish, and short, first coming into prominence replacing an injured T.J. Yates last season against Virginia Tech only to lose the game and his spot on the depth chart to Cam Sexton. His final statistical line? 4-13 for 33 yards and two interceptions.

Paulus, of course, was recruited by Bunting at the expense of Russell Wilson. Ironically, State fans were attempting at the time to poach Paulus away with their own coach hiring, also one presumes, at the expense of Russell Wilson.

Headlines: Tar Heels 31, Eagles 13

Brian @ BCI — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:05:18 -0000

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Montel Harris was put in this unfamiliar position several times on Saturday ... trying to tackle a UNC defensive back. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

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Jeff: This is the only game we both attended and then also watched a replay of the game this season. It was a game that left us with plenty to talk about. Well, plenty to talk about aside from the postseason. Boston College is not heading back to Tampa and will now will almost certainly be selected last of all bowl eligible ACC schools which leaves little excitement left for next Saturday or the following Selection Sunday. To talk about the game, let's start with Shinskie and his turnovers. Is there any way to sugarcoat 5 turnovers?

Brian: I don't think there is any way to sugarcoat a 5 turnover performance. Shinskie threw some poor passes and the North Carolina defense had a field day on Saturday. As the game wore on, you could make the case that Shinskie outplayed UNC quarterback T.J. Yates, but you can't spot a good team like North Carolina 21 points and expect to win.

That being said, the five turnovers weren't all on Shinskie. The offensive line played well in run blocking but didn't give Shinskie much (if any) time in the passing game, as the North Carolina front four consistently got pressure on Shinskie. That's when his immaturity shone through the most - holding onto the ball too long, trying to force passes down field, and not throwing the ball away early when he felt the pressure. The trick play reverse is a perfect example of this when Shinskie had Justin Jarvis wide open down the field and held onto the ball for too long.

Also, Shinskie doesn't throw the best passes, but some of his interceptions hit his receivers hands. You have to come down with the ball or at least bat it down. The interceptions that hit his receivers hands and the blatant drops are as much on the wide receivers as they are on Shinskie.

Jeff: You are right that Shinskie never had any time to scan the field and throw. Montel Harris was able to get the corner on several running plays, but when it mattered most, like on 3rd and 1 inside the 10 yard line, the offensive line broke down and Harris lost 3 yards. In the passing game, the Eagles blocking was not very good and overall for the day the offensive line played poorly. North Carolina might have a really good defensive line, but our O-Line is supposed to be able to match up with anyone.

On the reverse play, Jarvis was wide open but it seemed poorly designed or Shinskie didn't run it correctly. When he got the ball, he had no room to step up and throw. Something went wrong on that play and it's unfortunate because that might have been the play we needed to tie the game up.

We were also reminded Saturday that we have a head coach that is too conservative to take us back to the ACC Championship Game unless we have superior talent on the field. Over the last two seasons we saw Jagodzinski and Logan call for fake punts and fake field goals when we needed scores to keep us in games or put games away. We also routinely went for it on fourth down once we were past midfield. Spaziani saw all of that happen and we went from a team that was always a win away from a BCS game or a conference championship to playing in the ACC Championship game the past two years under Jagodzinski. Now, in a year when we were once again were just one win away from an ACC Championship Game appearance, we went the entire season with no fakes on special teams and never going for it on fourth down unless we absolutely had no other choice. We saw this yesterday when we could've gone for touchdowns twice instead of settling for field goals when BC trailed by a large margin early. It all started in the loss at Clemson early in the season when Spaz was still punting from midfield in the second half while BC was down and desperately needed points. The data set is still very small but I am worried that Jags had the right gameday coaching style to win at BC and Spaziani is a little too conservative to take us back to the title game. What are your thoughts?

Brian: The offensive play calling was very suspect on Saturday. For one thing, does Gary Tranquill not have a screen pass play in his entire playbook? Montel Harris is a decent receiver out of the backfield and I can't remember one attempted screen pass all season. Defenses know we are going to play to this team's strengths and run the ball with Harris. Mixing in a few screen passes here and there keeps the defense honest.

As you mentioned, you have to come away with 6 points when you have the ball first and goal from the 2 yard line. With the Eagles down 21-3 at the time, you can't expect to win settling for 20 yard field goal chip shots. You also aren't going to win the game when you go 0-for-13 on third downs and 0-for-0 on fourth downs. The entire day the Eagles were down by at least one score and sometimes two and the Eagles never went for it on fourth down? That's ridiculous. Tranquill also didn't put the offense in a position to convert on third downs, electing to call short passes on 3rd and short instead of running the ball. For the second straight game, we got away from the running game in the third quarter and struggled moving the ball.

How about Spaziani's decision to bench David Shinskie late in the fourth quarter? I understand benching your starter to avoid injury but Marscovetra hadn't thrown a pass in over a month and it showed, as the UNC defense picked off his first pass and returned it 18 yards. I think the call was more than curious. The game wasn't necessarily out of reach at the time and my opinion is if you are going to win with Shinskie, you are going to lose with Shinskie. Why rattle the already-fragile confidence of your starting quarterback going into the final regular season game? Agree with the call to bench Shinskie?

Jeff: I disagree with benching Shinskie but we were down by 15 with 4:39 to go in the game so I am not going to jump on Spaziani too much for that one. Spaz needed to start coaching to win long before that moment. I hope if the Eagles are winning next week, Spaz takes chances to extend our lead. If we are trailing, he needs to coach to score touchdowns. We want to finish this season winning the final two games ... not on a three game losing streak.

There's Still Football to Be Played: Miami

T.H. — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:40:58 -0000

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So while we've been obsessing over the play of the freshmen basketball players and the plans for next year's freshmen basketball players, there's still a football season going on. I know, it's a little strange for me, too. It doesn't help that the Senior Day game is so early in November and against a team UNC has never played this late in the conference season; it's all a little discombobulating. But Miami is coming into Chapel Hill tomorrow, with an outside chance to win the division. Also, I've heard rumors they have a history with the Carolina coach.

Miami has probably the most balanced offense UNC has faced this season. The Heels are familiar with half of it, the running tandem of Graig Cooper and Javarris James. The duo has totaled 214 yards in their last two meetings with the Heels. Actually, it was mostly Cooper, as James was injured last season (and is coming off another injury this season). They've added a few other backs as well, resulting in three 150+ rushers in last week's game UVa game. The running game is strong and even against the Heels' defense is usually good for at least one touchdown series.

The passing game is a surprise however. After losing three quarterbacks to transfer before the season, I was expecting weakness there, but Jacory Harris has come in and become the 4th best passer in the conference as well as leading two fourth quarter game-winning drives over FSU and Wake. (The opponents were more impressive at the time.) He is tied with T.J. Yates in interceptions thrown, however, and the team is second only to Virginia in allowing sacks.

The Hurricanes' defense has been plagued by injuries, but is the middle of the road in most defensive categories. They will be able to put more pressure on the offensive line than Duke or Virginia Tech did, but aren't prone to picking the ball off, which may be a bit of a consolation. To be honest, I don't know what to expect when UNC has the ball. The rushing game is now Draughn-less, most of the offensive line has returned to health, and their playing a team that's given up 30+ points three times this season. UNC has been good for roughly twenty points a game since the Virginia debacle, and that'll probably be enough to win here - but will the offense that faced GT or UVa come back for Senior Day as well?

UNC 19, Duke 6

T.H. — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:32:36 -0000

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Give it up for the defense.

This was shaping up to be just like one of the many low-scoring affairs of the Butch Davis era, where UNC could manage the occasional drive but never get more than field goals from them, and the opposing team hung in there just long enough to get a late score to seal it. Admit it, you were waiting for Cutcliffe to find some hole in the defense, for there to be a momentary lapse to cost the Heels the game. It was Maryland or Virginia last year, all over again.

But the lapse never came, and the hole never revealed itself. Instead, the defense held them to 43 yards in the second half (just slightly more than the 35 UNC gave the Blue Devils in penalties) and never let the Duke offense across the fifty. And the only time Duke did sniff the end zone, on a series that began with an interception on the Heels' 37, the defense snatched the ball right back in three plays with an interception of their own. The Blue Devils never had the opportunity to get a series going until late in the fourth, by which time Carolina had already put the game away.

And they did so primarily on the back of Ryan Houston, who with Draughn out with an injury on his first play had the most carries for his career, and did the most with them, grinding out 164 yards in 37 attempts, including carries on 10 of the 12 plays of UNC's only touchdown drive to go up 10 in the fourth. T.J. Yates added 119 yard through the air, surpssing 5,000 for his career and moving to second on UNC's career passing totals. Which, by the way, says something about how late the Heels came around to the idea of the forward pass. But this was the defense's day, with Deunta Williams and Charles Brown both grabbing interceptions and most of the team contributing to UNC's eight tackles for losses and three sacks; they pushed the Blue Devils back a full length of the football field over the course of the game.

The Coastal Division is rapidly coalescing into two levels of performance, with Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Miami at one tier, and Virginia and Duke on the other. UNC remains in the middle, with a poor loss to UVa and a stellar win over Virginia Tech sending mixed messages. How they manage next week's final home game, against a Hurricane team that just handed the Cavaliers their worst loss in over a year, with bowl eligibility on the line. It's an interesting week ahead.

North Carolina 20, Virginia Tech 17: What They're Saying

furrer4heisman — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:00:40 -0000

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Everyone shares in this loss. From Bryan Stinespring to Bud Foster to even Frank Beamer for allowing the chop talk to permeate through the week, there isn't a single Hokie player or coach that doesn't share the blame for losing to North Carolina.

The offensive line didn't give Tyrod Taylor enough time to throw. Taylor missed open receivers when he had the chance. Team MVP Ryan Williams fumbled deep in his own territory late in a tied game. The defense couldn't get a third-down stop to save its families. The middle of the field was open all day for T.J. Yates. The list is never ending after a stunning and heartbreaking loss like that.

As CGB has said on last week's Gobbler Balls Podcast with VT beat writer Kyle Tucker, our fan base loves a scapegoat. But there isn't one this time. This loss was a team effort. But hey, at least we've starting losing as a team instead of being able to blame one unit or coach or player. Now, on to the links after the jump.

National Media and Bloggers

Tar Heels stun Hokies (Annette)
"The only thing left for Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams to do was sit on the Hokies' bench and bury his face in his hands. Unlike a week ago, when North Carolina quarterback T.J. Yates threw a costly interception, this time it was Virginia Tech with the untimely turnover, as Williams' fourth-quarter fumble led to UNC's game-winning field goal for the 20-17 upset in Lane Stadium."

And that happened (EDSBS)
"With five minutes and change left and trailing 17-14, Davis changed the code against Virginia Tech and went for it on 4th and 7 from the VT 36. Yates, 19 yard completion to Greg Little, and the game-tying field goal. Butch Davis is a machine that learns, and after a forced fumble on Hokie RB Ryan Williams UNC took their leisurely time in running down the clock (SHOOP!) and kicking the winning field goal to beat VT by the default ACC score of 20-17. Williams looked in need of specific electronic diversion on the sidelines after the fumble."

Hokies are alpha dogs no more (Dr. Saturday)
"Virginia Tech is as close as this league has had to a sure thing from the moment it entered in 2004 -- four division titles in five years, three conference titles and the highest final poll finish in the conference five years in a row. Right now, though, the Hokies are just one of the rabble, a half-game ahead of Miami for fourth place in the Coastal Division, sitting behind Virginia and Duke going into the weekend (and since Virginia and Duke play Saturday, coming out of the weekend, too)."

Heels Egg Hokies’ House Before Halloween (Joe Ovies)
"It’s amazing what successful offensive drives can do for the defense. There is a direct correlation to having 3 drives of nearly 80 yards, which took up serious time, and a fresh Heels’ defense that vexed the likes of Ryan Williams and Tyrod Taylor. The Hokies were held to 246 yards, 6-of-16 on third down, and two turnovers. Taylor, who had completed nearly 75% of his passes in the last three games, was a pedestrian 11 for 23 against North Carolina. Williams had 6 carries from inside the 1-yard-line and zero touchdowns to show for it."

Virginia Tech Beat Writers and Columnists

No excuses for Hokies' latest loss (Aaron McFarling)
"So now North Carolina has done it. This wasn't Alabama. This wasn't Georgia Tech. This didn't happen on the road, or even at a neutral site. This happened in Blacksburg, on a Thursday night, against a team that arrived here winless in the ACC. Excuses? There aren't any. There can't be. No need to send any game tapes to the league offices after this one. No need to wonder what might change when the team gains some experience."

Williams now moving on after costly fumble (Randy King)
"Nobody's perfect. Just ask Virginia Tech standout tailback Ryan Williams. Williams, who was beating himself up severely after losing a late-game fumble that led to UNC's 20-17 upset of Virginia Tech last Thursday at Lane Stadium, said Sunday that he's moving forward in the wake of the miscue."

Field goal after costly fumble all but dashes Hokies’ title hopes (Kyle Tucker)
"Virginia Tech said there would be no Georgia Tech hangover, but it certainly looked like it Thursday night as the Hokies stumbled, fumbled and fell flat against North Carolina. The headache will be far worse this morning for the No. 14 Hokies – national title contenders two weeks ago – when they ponder a 20-17 loss to the Tar Heels, who had yet to win an ACC game."

Tech play breakdown and play-calling in UNC game (Norm Wood)
"It certainly wouldn't be stunning for any offensive coordinator to lean on a player producing at such a consistently high level. Of course, much of this conversation goes back to UNC's pass rush, which made it difficult for Taylor to get comfortable in the pocket early on many drives."

Hokies shift goals (Mark Viera)
"After Virginia Tech defeated Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl in January, it was clear to see the Hokies’ potential in the 2009 season. With the core of the team intact, the Hokies were a top-10 team in the preseason poll and expectations ran high in Blacksburg. Oh, how the outlook has changed. With their national title hopes dashed and their chance at an Atlantic Coast Conference championship slim, the Hokies are playing for pride."

Gibson replaces Johnson in starting lineup (Darryl Slater)
"The move isn’t exactly surprising, because Rivers has been getting more snaps of late. Johnson, who is in his first season as a starter, played mostly on special teams last year. The Hokies had two senior linebackers, Brett Warren and Purnell Sturdivant, who they needed to replace coming into this season. In addition to Johnson, Foster, who also coaches inside linebackers, turned to sophomore Barquell Rivers at the other spot."

Tar Heels' defense plays up to Beamer's hype (Nathan Warters)
"The Tar Heels’ front seven caused all kinds of problems for Tech in the first half of Thursday night’s nationally televised game at Lane Stadium. UNC sacked Hokies quarterback Tyrod Taylor three times before the break. Because of that pressure, the Heels were able to neutralize Tech’s offense, holding it to 108 yards and only four first downs."

Virginia Tech Bloggers

Tar Heels Upset Hokies in Blacksburg (Tech Sideline)
"Virginia Tech led this game 17-14 in the fourth quarter, but UNC established their dominance at the line of scrimmage over the final minutes. Trailing by three, they went on 16 play, 78 yard drive that took 8:59 off the clock and resulted in a field goal to tie the game. UNC was aided by a pass interference call on cornerback Rashad Carmichael, and they also converted a fourth and seven play with a 19 yard pass to wide receiver Greg Little."

Thoughts on the North Carolina Loss (College Game Balls)
"What really miffs me is our lack of focus. We still had an outside chance at the ACC Championship, a respectable bowl game, another ten win season, etc, etc. We were playing a team, at night, at home, who had very little to play for, who had their hearts ripped out a week ago and they were flat out hungrier and wanted it more. We could have had Urban Meyer relaying plays to Bill Walsh and we would have still lost."

Ruh-Roh (Beer Control Offense)
"That sucks but having seen the D get shredded all season, not that surprised. That sorta sucks, not being surprised. This actually diminishes GiT a lil. If UNC can run on tech..."

Welcome Back 2003 Hokies (Fight for Old DC)
"As mentioned before, this looks like the '03 squad that choked on their own jockstraps (and media clippings) en route to a 2-5 finish. A few big wins, but a team that's still a little immature in important spots. If they can't take an average UNC team seriously at home, I don't see a bright future against Maryland, ECU and UVA on the road. All of those teams will have a shot at taking down the former champs. If we see an effort/coaching level like tonight, this team that's been sub-par on the road will lose 1-2 more games. Right now, I'm writing out of frustration, but it wasn't pretty at all. Here's hoping Beamer and Co. can stop the bleeding in Greenville."

That Just Happened (The North End Zone)
"Some might say that it is our defense that failed us again (just like last game), but I submit a different culprit. How about our offense? We have now scored a mind boggling 3 whole points TOTAL in the first half of each of the last two games. THREE FUCKING POINTS! In each case, had we scored any more points in either of those halves, we would have won the game. One of them being AT HOME ON A THURDAY NIGHT."

North Carolina Bloggers

UNC 20, Virginia Tech 17 (Carolina March)
"I fully expect most of the coverage of this game to be similar to last week, where all the focus is on FSU and the only reference to UNC is in the fact that by definition, there was another team on the field. There will be articles about what it means for Tech, and the other Tech, and the ACC, and I'm sure the word roulette will be tossed around tonight. But right now, this is Carolina's win, not Virginia Tech's loss. And it's a great feeling."

UNC 20, Virginia Tech 17 (Tar Heel Fan)
"This game was perfect redemption after the way the Heels fell last week. Of course now last week’s loss sticks in the craw a bit but given that FSU was winnable and this was considered a sure loss, UNC is exactly where they would have been anyway had it come according to expectation. Now the Heels only need to get two more wins to qualify for a bowl game."

UNC 20, Virginia Tech 17 (Tar Heel Mania)
"Frankly, Virginia Tech, we’re just as surprised as you are. After the horrible month that the Heels had, there was almost nothing to indicate that we would be able to execute well enough to beat perhaps our toughest opponent of the season on the road. There were only three indications that we stood a chance."

UNC 20, Virginia Tech 17

T.H. — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:29:44 -0000

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Let's talk about T.J. Yates.

Yates has taken a lot of grief this season. Coming into this game he had as many interceptions as touchdowns, hadn't broken 250 yards passing in a game this season, and suffered under a collapsing offensive line and an increasingly dire season. He hit a low against Florida State last week, managing only 64 yards and throwing a critical interception early in the second half that brought FSU back into a game at exactly the wrong time.

But this game, on national TV, in Blacksburg was going well. The defense was playing spectacular. Against all odds, the running game had taken hold, with an incredbile mixture of sweeps, end-arounds, and Ryan Houston occasionally powering it right up the middle. Yates even had two touchdowns, on nicely placed passes to the left corner in the red zone. And now, in the fourth quarter, he just had to continue piloting the ship, letting UNC grind out the clock and protect a three point lead.

And on the first play from the line of scrimmage, he throws an interception into the backfield on his own five yard line.

Virginia Tech lives for turnovers, and UNC had done a great job up until that point of denying them. But this was a game killer. The defense put up another great goal line stand, but the Hokies slipped in to take a three point lead and all the momentum. And now it was left to Yates, never a great late game quarterback, to take the team down the field and rescue the season.

Oh, and the offensive line is going to false start twice on third down.

I've seen this before. I saw this last week. This was another Carolina late-game failure, another depressing Thursday evening, another long week in October. And yet, it wasn't. Three successful third down conversions, and one success on 4th and seven. Five completions, none over twenty yards, all on short passes, and then a series of rushes to get Casey Barth and easy field goal. Tie game. Not much more you can ask for.

OK, you can ask for a Virginia tech fumble inside their own thirty and then Ryan Houston grinding away the rest of the clock to set up a winning Barth kick. And hey, Carolina fans got that too! But this was Yates' day, coming back from one of the dumbest passes of the year to put the ball exactly where it needed to be against a Virginia Tech defense they strangely pulled everyone back into coverage. (Even the failed third down touchdown attempt that would have given the Heels the lead was well-placed; Greg Little just misjudged it.) The turnover will remain epically stupid, but the game won't be remembered for it. In an offense not designed for passing - Yates was only 18/28 for a meager 131 yards - he did enough in the clutch to get UNC, ~~0-4~~ 0-3 in conference coming in, a Top-15 win.

Of course, it wouldn't have been possible without some incredible defensive play. The defense held the Hokies to 256 total yards, and 6-15 on third down conversions. Without the excellent field position from the interception, they'd never have been able to take the lead, and even then the Heels almost stopped them at the one. And then there was Shops play calling, learning from the rare successes of the FSU game and building a running attack that could frustrate Virginia Tech's big defensive line. If you had told me before the game the Heels would get 181 yards on the ground, I wouldn't have believed it. I may have even said something to that effect. But after two drives of rush-rush-sack-punt, they changed things up, eschewing the straight Draughn runs for early uses of Houston, wide reciever sweeps, and the occasional Draughn trickery. And it worked.

I fully expect most of the coverage of this game to be similar to last week, where all the focus is on FSU and the only reference to UNC is in the fact that by definition, there was another team on the field. There will be articles about what it means for Tech, and the other Tech, and the ACC, and I'm sure the word roulette will be tossed around tonight. But right now, this is Carolina's win, not Virginia Tech's loss. And it's a great feeling.

NCAA10 Sim: Hokies 38, Tar Heels 24

Hokie20 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:00:35 -0000

Ryan Williams turned on some late game heroics to help lead Virginia Tech come back in the fourth quarter to beat North Carolina 38-24 on a clear Thursday night in Blacksburg.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Tar Heels laid a 21 spot before the break thanks to a Tyrod Taylor interception deep in Virginia Tech territory. With the Heels up 14-0, Tech moved the ball down the field to pull within a touchdown with just 1:22 left in the half. Carolina's T.J. Yates picked apart the Hokie secondary in only four passes. The touchdown pass to tailback Ryan Houston.

The Hokies came out for the second half with a chip on their shoulders to not allow another North Carolina touchdown the rest of the game. Tech cornerback Rashad Carmichael led the charge early in the third quarter with a forced fumble from T.J. Yates. Four straight runs from Ryan Williams put the Hokies back within a touchdown. After another three and out by North Carolina, Taylor led the Hokies for another scoring drive, capped off with a five yard touchdown pass to Jarrett Boykin.

In another clutch situation, Tech stepped up again with another forced fumble, this time by senior free safety Kam Chancellor. Just like the first forced fumble's result, Ryan Williams again ran the ball four straight times for a touchdown, this time putting the Hokies up for good.

UNC 0 21 3 0 -24
VT 0 7 14 17 -38

Scoring Summary
2nd Quarter
UNC:TD 4:20 R. Houston, 1 Yd run (C. Barth Kick)
UNC:TD 3:26 D. Jones, 13 Yd pass from T. Yates (C. Barth Kick)
VT:TD 1:21 J. Oglesby, 2 Yd run (M. Waldron Kick)
UNC:TD 0:29 R. Houston, 10 Yd pass from T. Yates (C. Barth Kick)
3rd Quarter
VT:TD 4:06 R. Williams, 1 Yd run (M. Waldron Kick)
UNC:FG 1:45 C. Barth, 22 Yd FG
VT:TD 0:03 J. Boykin, 5 Yd pass from T. Taylor (M. Waldron Kick)
4th Quarter
VT:TD 3:37 R. Williams, 3 Yd run (M. Waldron Kick)
VT:TD 1:48 R. Williams, 3 Yd run (M. Waldron Kick)
VT:FG 0:18 M. Waldron, 27 Yd FG

Significant Stats
First downs UNC: 16 VT: 20
Total Offense UNC:338 VT: 382
Turnovers UNC: 2 FUM, 2 INT VT: 1 FUM, 1 INT

North Carolina Top Player Stats
Passing: T. Taylor 17-28 for 233 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: R. Williams 23-for-78 yds, 1 TD
Receiving: J. Boykin 6-for-125 yds
Defense: J. Worilds 6 TAK, 3 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 FF

Virginia Tech Top Player Stats
Passing: T. Taylor 18-33 for 201 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: R. Williams 36-for-178 yds, 3 TD
Receiving: D. Roberts 5-for-85 yds
Defense: K. Chancellor 5 TAK, 1 FF, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 INT

2009 Virginia Tech Football: What to Watch vs. North Carolina

furrer4heisman — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:20 -0000

by Gerry Broome - AP

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The Team

The Hokies may not go to the ACCCG because of their loss to Georgia Tech. But that doesn't mean the team has nothing to play for this season. It's important for the Hokies to play well in these final five games to transition into 2010. And if they get some lucky bounces, they could still end up in Tampa.
This will be my only trip to Blacksburg this year. I have faith that the crowd won't disappoint. The Thursday night crowd in Lane Stadium is always my favorite.

Virginia Tech Offense vs. North Carolina Defense

The North Carolina defense is nearly a carbon copy of Virginia Tech's. The Tar Heels have a solid front seven that has played well against the run. However, they were prone to big pass plays in the second half against Florida State when they weren't able to get pressure on the quarterback.
In three conference games, the Tar Heels are allowing 5.1 yards per play, fifth in the ACC.
I think the Tar Heels are going to have success stopping the Hokies' traditional run game. However, if Tyrod Taylor can avoid pressure and break containment, he could have a big day on the ground.
I also look for Taylor to have success throwing the ball against the Tar Heels. The shorter routes to guys like Danny Coale may not be open in this game, but guys like Jarrett Boykin and Dyrell Roberts should be able to get open down field. I like the matchup when the 6-2 Boykin and 6-4 Xavier Boyce are going against 5-9 Kendric Burney and 5-10 Charles Brown.
North Carolina has a -6 turnover margin in three league games, last in the ACC. The Heels have forced one turnover (a recovered fumble vs. FSU). Things could get ugly if they don't force a couple of turnovers against the Hokies.
Conversely, the Hokies need to hang on to the ball. They lost a fumble in each of their first three conference games before Tyrod threw two interceptions against Georgia Tech.
The penalties also need to stop. We're the third-most penalized team in the conference by yards at over 55 yards per game. It's even worse in league games at 59 yards per game.

Virginia Tech Defense vs. North Carolina Offense

Greg Little keyed last week's game for the Tar Heels. He made plays both as a wide receiver and on carries that ignited the North Carolina offense.
Look for Little to be in motion when the ball is snapped on a lot of plays. This is not only to give him the ball on end arounds, but to set up a bevy of other plays. Out of the same look, the Tar Heels will give the ball to Shaun Droughn and throw the ball on play-action.
A lot of times, it will be like facing another triple-option offense. If the Hokies can key in on these plays and not let any of them break for big yards, they'll be in good shape.
Like a lot of quarterbacks, T.J. Yates isn't very good when he's being pressured. The Tar Heels have allowed 17 sacks this year, 6 in their three conference games. Late in the FSU game the Tar Heels were trying to make a comeback, but a good pass rush from the Seminoles kept North Carolina from having any chance at winning. The Hokies have to get pressure from Jason Worilds and Nekos Brown to disrupt the passing game.
If Yates has time to get the ball away, he has receivers that are capable of making big plays. Little has been outstanding of late and freshman Erik Highsmith is coming along.
The key battle to watch is Nekos Brown against left tackle Kyle Jolly. The Tar Heels are going to focus on Worilds. While Brown isn't having a bad season, I think he can play a lot better than he has been. He needs to get to the quarterback and take pressure of Worilds in this game.
In three conference games, the Tar Heels have three touchdowns and two field goals in seven trips to the red zone. That's not getting the job done. The Hokies have been average in red zone defense, but should be able to have success against the Tar Heels when down by the goal line because of North Carolina's struggles with the run game.

Outcome

The Hokies shouldn't have any trouble stopping the Tar Heel rush attack. If they can do that, they can force T.J. Yates into obvious passing downs and then just pin their ears back. I don't think North Carolina will be able to do enough on offense to win this game.
I know I'm usually a pessimist, but I think we win this one comfortably. Unless T.J. Yates has a Kyle Wright moment and suddenly becomes Joe Montana for a game.

Watch the Box Score For:

North Carolina rush yards
North Carolina sacks
VT first down yards
Tyrod Taylor passing stats

Virginia Tech Players to Watch:

5 - Tyrod Taylor, Jr., QB
81 - Jarrett Boykin, So., WR
47 - Nekos Brown, Sr., DE
17 - Kam Chancellor, Sr., FS

North Carolina Players to Watch:

8 - Greg Little, Jr., WR
72 - Kyle Jolly, Sr., OL
52 - Quan Sturdivant, Jr., LB
92 - E.J. Wilson, Sr., DE

Final Score

Virginia Tech 29, North Carolina 10

Poll

Who will win Thursday?

Hokies by less than seven

11 votes

Hokies by seven or more

125 votes

Tar Heels by less than seven

19 votes

Tar Heels by seven or more

4 votes

159 votes | Poll has closed

Virginia Tech vs. North Carolina: Q&A with Tar Heel Fan

furrer4heisman — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:00:18 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

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Tar Heel Fan blog is here to answer some questions about North Carolina to help us prepare for Thursday's game.

GC: When he was healthy last season, T.J. Yates had a passer rating of over 150. This year he's toward the bottom of the league in passer rating. What factors have contributed to that this year?

THF: Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Tate left. It has become increasingly clear that Yates was a by-product of great receivers. That, more than anything, explains why we never saw much of a drop off when Cam Sexton spelled Yates. This season Yates cannot hit the broadside of a barn with a sawed off shotgun and when he does happen to get it right, like the 81 yard TD pass against FSU, someone commits a hold.

GC: Tell us a little bit about Greg Little, who had a whale of a game against FSU. Do you think Butch Davis will continue to invent ways to get the ball in his hands as often as possible?

THF: Most UNC fans are saying "About time!" Little has been a bit of an enigma. He came in with some hype that was partly derived from the fact he first committed to Notre Dame. Prior to the FSU game he had not been that effective to the point I called ESPN.com's Heather Dinich out for naming him the offensive MVP. Little then comes up with a huge game which might be more about the FSU defense than Little. At any rate, it would be nice to see Little get the ball more especially on the reverse or even a direct snap here and there. Given the state of the offensive line, UNC's best bet is to hope their athletes can simply get the corner at the edges since running up the middle is like driving through northern Virginia at 5 PM on a Friday.

GC: Were your rushing numbers against FSU the product of facing a bad defense or the result of an improving offensive line and running back?

THF: I am inclined to believe the bad defense theory. All of the major rushing yards UNC accumulated came from running around the ends using either Shaun Draughn or Johnny White. This is why Ryan Houston saw limited touches since they were looking to get the ball in the hands of backs who could turn the corner with speed. Draughn did this quite well and White also had an outstanding game. This won't happen against Bud Foster's defense and since the offensive line is still atrocious(giving up sacks against only three defensive linemen) I am expecting the offense to look about like Boston College's did when they went to Lane Stadium.

GC: The Tar Heel defense had only allowed one passing touchdown going into the second half against FSU. What changed in that 30 minutes for your secondary?

THF: I am not sure it was so much the secondary as much as it was the lack of pressure on Christian Ponder. FSU made the choice to stop running the ball except for spots and established better protection in the pocket. The result was Ponder getting plenty of time to find a receiver and he usually did. FSU also had Ponder make quicker passes which negated any hope of actually getting pressure on him. The secondary played a decent game with the big glaring excepting being Charles Brown biting on a hitch and go that resulted in the disastrous 98 yard touchdown pass from Ponder.

GC: What do the Heels need to do well to come away with a win Thursday?

THF: Channeling Jim Mora: Win on Thursday? You talking about winning on Thursday? Are you kidding me?

UNC's only hope is they shutdown the Hokie offense in totality, force a turnover, get a defensive score. In other words, play Beamer Ball better than the guys who invented it. Not sure if that will happen but we can always hope right?

2009 Virginia Tech Football: North Carolina Game Guide

furrer4heisman — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:00:30 -0000

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Virginia Tech Hokies (5-2, 3-1) vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (4-3, 0-3)

Time: 7:30 p.m. EDT (Last EDT of the year. Remember to fall back, folks.)
Date: Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009
Place: Lane Stadium/Worsham Field (66,233), Blacksburg, Va.
TV: ESPN (DirecTV 206)

North Carolina: The Tar Heels lost an 18-point lead last week in their 30-27 loss to Florida State ... they are 4-0 against non-conference opponents (The Citadel, at UConn, ECU, Georgia Southern) and 0-3 against ACC teams (at GT, UVa, FSU) this season ... going into last week's game, the Tar Heels were averaging 1.4 yards per carry and 28.0 rushing yards per conference game ... however, after 238 rush yards on 41 carries (5.8 ypc) against FSU, they now average 3.6 yards per carry and 98.0 yards per conference game ... UNC is allowing 5.1 ypp and 336.0 ypg in three league games.

Trends: Virginia Tech lost its last game against Georgia Tech after winning five consecutive games ... North Carolina has lost three of its last four games after winning its first three ... Virginia Tech has won 12 consecutive home games ... its last home loss came Oct. 25, 2007 against BC ... the Tar Heels have lost five of their last six league games ... under Butch Davis, UNC is 2-7 on the road in the ACC ... since ACC expansion in 2004, the Tar Heels are 1-13 in league road games outside of the state of North Carolina (they won at Miami last year) ... Virginia Tech is 18-4 at home since joining the ACC.

History Lesson: The Hokies are 16-9-6 all-time against the Tar Heels and 5-1 against them under Frank Beamer ... Tech has won the last five meetings between the two teams ... the last time UNC beat Tech was 42-3 in the 1998 Gator Bowl ... prior to that Gator Bowl, the teams hadn't met since 1946 ... before UNC's conference game in Blacksburg in 2005, the two teams hadn't met in Blacksburg since 1930 ... 19 of the first 26 meetings between the Tar Heels and Hokies came on a neutral field (2 in Blacksburg, 5 in Chapel Hill).

What to Expect:

Expect the Hokies to need a big game from Tyrod Taylor. The Tar Heels have a solid defensive front and play well against the run (2.9 ypc vs. I-A teams). However, Christian Ponder was able to run for key first downs last week and throw for nearly 400 yards.
Expect the Hokies to shut down North Carolina's run game. Tech prefers to give up its big plays through the air, thank you very much.
Expect this game to give us a good idea how the rest of the season will go for the Hokies.
Expect me to have to apologize to the people seated around me at the game. I'm going to enjoy my one trip to Blacksburg of the season.

Hokies win if: Tyrod goes off and the Hokies exploit the Heels' weak offensive line.

Tar Heels win if: They force turnovers and keep TJ Yates off his back.

Dot-dot-dots: In its five Thursday night home games since joining the ACC, the Hokies are 4-1 ... in those games, they have allowed 183 rushing yards on 115 carries ... that's 36.6 yards per game and 1.6 yards per carry ... Clemson's 80 rushing yards in 2006 is the most in one game in that span ... Thursday is Orange Effect in Lane Stadium ... last year the team wore Orange jerseys in honor of Orange Effect.

North Carolina Links

Carolina March
Tar Heel Fan
Tar Heel Mania
Joe Ovies