Virginia Tech @ Western Michigan !!!!!!!!!

[hellah10]

I dont know what the spread is for another 6 hours or so, BUT I have never EVER seen a MAC school promote a game as much as Western Michigan is doing. I seriously hope Western is getting like 28....

Game Promotion "Blackout Saturday" Wear black or pick up a black shirt at the bookstore at a discounted price.

Fifth Third Bank Giveaway Item First 5,000 fans receive a Bronco Thunder Stick

A sold out Waldo Stadium - if I didnt have class on Saturday I would make the drive to Kalamazoo. This game just might have some value if Western is getting 4 TDs or maybe even 3 - hard to say...but I think opening line will be Western +21

Still no computer - but I will be in the labs alot this week to do some C++ work, so I will have full write-ups on the MAC this week

 

[hellah10]

I just read somewhere that Marcus Vick might get some playing time against Western.

My question to that is...why would you waste his redshirt season on that game?!

 

[gridman]

CRIS has it VT -21.5 Should I jump on it?? Looks like a step up in class for the broncos. But didn't they play Michigan and Purdue tough? What is your take on the game?

GM

 

[hellah10]

I locked in at +22. Western always plays out of conf. games tough. This isnt my strongest play....but 3 TDs at home is certainly a gift to me.

 

[gridman]

Does this mean that Toledo is your strongest play? If not, what is it. Love playing the MAC teams and you da man! Love your insights. Oh, besides, Toledo, Bowling Green took me to eden!

GM

 

[hellah10]

Ball St is my strongest play since Marshall played Miami(OH) last year

 

[hellah10]

yea this line opened up at 20....betting against the smart money.

 

[hellah10]

Hey its not Kylefield...but it can bring some noise...

 

[hellah10]

Starting Quarterback to Miss 3 days of Practice

Starting Quarterback to Miss 3 days of Practice

Randall, Baaqee To Miss Practice Time
Both to be in a protective boot until at least Wednesday
September 23, 2002

BLACKSBURG - Bryan Randall and Mikal Baaqee of the Virginia Tech football team will be severely limited until at least Wednesday and could miss up to three days of practice, as released Monday by head athletic trainer Mike Goforth.


According to Goforth, Randall has a grade 1 foot sprain. He is and will continue to be in a boot for the next three days.


"This is precautionary and we expect him to play on Saturday," Goforth said. "X-rays were negative and what little swelling he had is gone."


Goforth also said that Baaqee has a grade 1+ lateral ankle sprain with a slight high ankle involvement. He is and will also remain in a boot for the next three days. This move also is precautionary and Baaqee is expected to play on Saturday. X-rays were negative and he finished the game.


"Mikal is experiencing residual swelling, which we hope to get out over the course of his treatments the next couple of days," Goforth said.


Virginia Tech, ranked fifth in both major polls, will take on Western Michigan at Kalamazoo on Saturday. Game time is noon.

 

[hellah10]

yea Waldo Stadium will be going nuts...never seen a line like this for a MAC OOC game

yea Waldo Stadium will be going nuts...never seen a line like this for a MAC OOC game

 

[hellah10]

VT Football
Tuesday, September 24, 2002

Virginia Tech QB has sprained left ankle

Injured Randall expected to play Saturday


By RANDY KING
THE ROANOKE TIMES

Virginia Tech quarterback Bryan Randall was held out of practice Monday and will likely miss today's workout because of a sprained left ankle he sustained during the late stages of the Hokies' 13-3 victory at Texas A&M last Saturday.
Randall, who completed 10 of 11 passes for 119 yards against A&M, will wear a protective boot as a precautionary measure the next couple days.

Tech trainer Mike Goforth said the slight swelling present in Randall's ankle following Saturday's game had subsided by Monday morning. Goforth said that with treatment and the rest the next couple of days, Randall should be able to play Saturday at Western Michigan.

Hokies starting linebacker Mikal Baaqee also sprained his left ankle against A&M. Baaqee also has been placed in a protective boot and will be severely limited until at least Wednesday. Baaqee has experienced some residual swelling in the ankle, but Goforth said he expects that to dissipate with treatment. Goforth said he expects Baaqee to play Saturday.

The fifth-ranked Hokies were listed Monday as a 21-point favorite over the Broncos in the noon game in Waldo Stadium. The game will televised by WFXR.

 

[TIME TO MAKE $$$]

take a pic of that girl who stiffed you, i have an idea!!

 

[Joe De]

I see you're working overtime...Western Mich -21 or more is a solid play ....V.T is strong but don't see them blowing away this good team...this is another game i'll play tonite ..good luck...Oh! by the way....I show Buffalo winning straight up...but a little skeptical..don't follow MAC ....do you know if there are any injuries..on either team??????????

 

[hellah10]

Broncos want to be rude hosts

Tuesday, September 24, 2002

BY JOHN BLOCK
KALAMAZOO CENTRAL


Kalamazoo's a nice place to visit, according to Western Michigan football coach Gary Darnell, and he'd like to give Saturday's visitors something to remember.

The Broncos host No. 5-ranked Virginia Tech Saturday and Darnell is hoping the home fans give the Hokies a noisy reception.

The game is the second of a home-and-home three-game set with two of the games being played in Blacksburg, Va. Western was soundly thrashed by Tech last year, 31-0, and the Broncos would love to return the insult.

With its lofty national ranking, Virginia Tech becomes the highest ranked football team to ever play in a Mid-American Conference venue.

Darnell was asked how Western could lure such a team to Kalamazoo.

"We're a viable trip," the WMU coach answered. "We're a quality trip. You can fly right in here, stay at quality hotels.

"You should see some of the places that I've been to. If you play at Oklahoma State, you have to fly into Oklahoma City and then bus 70 miles."

There are a lot of trips such as that. For instance, teams playing West Virginia fly into Pittsburgh, spend the night there and then bus to Morgantown for the game the next morning.

"We've created a quality situation here," Darnell said. "Teams come here and play a good team in a good stadium.

"We'll have between 30,000 and 40,000 in the stands Saturday. Virginia Tech will play four or five games after they play us where they won't draw that many fans."

All that being said, it doesn't matter what airline one flies, what hotel is used or what bus service brings the team to the stadium. What happens on the football field between the lines is all that counts.

And the Broncos are hoping to make this a showcase event for themselves, Kalamazoo and the MAC.

"Saturday will be a special day. We have a team coming in that's one of the quality programs in the country. It's similar to playing Michigan. Virginia Tech is a team capable of playing for the national championship," Darnell said.

Western is suggesting that its fans dress in black for the game and present a sea of black in the stands. Darnell likes that idea.

"I think it's great. It adds to the college spirit and shows unity. If we fill the stadium, the atmosphere will be just as raucous and noisy as it is in a lot of other places."

"That crowd can help us," said WMU center Jake Gasaway. "For once we won't have to worry about the noise. I hope the crowd is quiet when we're on offense and loud when we're on defense."

The Bronco players and coaches all profess admiration and respect for Virginia Tech, but they are all looking forward to the opportunity of playing the Hokies, especially on their home field.

"We're excited, but we want to protect our turf," said linebacker Jason Malloy.

"There's no secret to what we have to do," Darnell said. "We have to stop the run and when they go to play-action passes, we have to make the tackles.

"We must connect with our passes and we must protect the passer to get them launched."

Asked what kind of message he'd like to send home with Virginia Tech, Darnell was quick to reply: "Don't mess with the MAC."

 

[hellah10]

Could Saturday be day WMU plays giant killer?

Tuesday, September 24, 2002


The noise is certain.


When Virginia Tech brings its fifth-ranked football team to Kalamazoo on Saturday, the noise will build from the lower portions of Western Michigan University's Waldo Stadium and rattle around the place like it never has before.

The roars will bounce off the still-under-construction Seelye Athletic Center behind the east end zone and back toward the field.

WMU's marching band will bring its "A" game.

There'll be enough adrenaline and testosterone pumping through the Broncos themselves to power, what, a hundred football teams?

WMU president Elson Floyd will look down from his perch on the press-box side of the stadium and say to himself: "Can't we bottle this energy?"

You will not be able to hear yourself think, never mind talk to your buddy sitting next to you.

"If we have 35,000 people at the game," said WMU head coach Gary Darnell, "it'll be the same kind of atmosphere as you would have at a bigger stadium, simply because of the way the stadium is configured."

And that was done on purpose.

For a game like Saturday.

But can the Broncos win?

Can they pull off the most improbable of improbable games, plaster themselves all over ESPN and thump their chests for all of the nation to hear: "We are the Broncos."

Can WMU be the perfect storm? For, surely, against a team like Tech, which has soared to the No. 5 ranking with a rush defense that is ranked No. 2 in the country (only because Arkansas, the No. 1 rush defense, hasn't played Virginia Tech), perfect is the only answer.

In winning their first four games, the last three have come against ranked teams. Texas A&M's 29-game home winning streak vs. non-league foes came to an abrupt end Saturday in a 13-3 loss to Tech. The Aggies gained 38 yards on the ground, a mere four more than Western had in a 31-0 loss to Tech last year at Blacksburg, Va.

"We've got to cash in," Darnell said, "and no gifts."

No, Tech does not need gifts. Remember last year? The Broncos virtually silenced a Lane Stadium crowd of 53,662 when they stopped the vaunted Tech running game not once, but twice, at the WMU 1-yard line on the Hokies' opening drive. Then, Tech took the game over with a blocked punt and interception.

That is what Tech does.

"If there's a fumble, an interception, a ball on the ground, we have to make sure that we recover it," Darnell said.

There is the lightning-quick defense that has just one senior in the starting lineup and some college football experts claim is too young to contend for a national title just yet. Yeah, right. There is the running game led by tailbacks Lee Suggs (5.8 yards per carry) and Kevin Jones (5.6 ypc), who have combined for 11 rushing touchdowns.

There is the offensive line that Darnell characterizes as "powerful and massive."

This is not a Michigan State team waiting for those Jeff Smoker to Charles Rogers big plays or a Florida depending on its quarterbacks or a Florida State depending on its receivers. This is a team highly skilled along the lines, where its defensive linemen run like linebackers and its linebackers run like cornerbacks.

It is what Western would love to become.

Gee, it's what any team would love to become, outside of Miami, Fla., that is.

Did you see what the Hokies did to Marshall?

But the Broncos can defend the run. And they did outpass both Michigan and Purdue. Could they actually pull this off? Are the goalposts coming down? Could they even make it close, which by itself would send a loud message to the world of college football?

They have to be perfect.

"I keep saying, Western is going to win a game like this one day," Darnell said. "It's going to happen. You keep on knocking on the door, and one of these days we're going to kick the sucker in."

The thing is, it's never happened in Kalamazoo before.

What better time?

 

[hellah10]

WMU 'ready to play' 5th-ranked Va. Tech

Monday, September 23, 2002

BY JOHN BLOCK
KALAMAZOO GAZETTE



It's countdown time for the biggest game to ever be played in Waldo Stadium -- or any Mid-American Conference venue, for that matter.

When Virginia Tech steps onto the NeXturf surface of Waldo Stadium on Saturday, the fifth-ranked Hokies will be the highest nationally ranked team to ever play in a MAC stadium.

The 4-0 Hokies moved up two spots to No. 5 in both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN polls Sunday.

"We're excited about this. You can feel it in the locker room," said WMU defensive end Chris Browning. "We'll be ready to play.

"This is a big opportunity for us and we have to be ready to take advantage of it."

In terms of a league championship or a bowl game, Saturday's game won't mean much to the Broncos, but in another aspect it means the world.

"It (a win) would give us respect and credibility to our program and our league," Browning said.

"If we win, it would be the biggest win in school history," said Broncos wide receiver Jermaine Lewis.

"It's just an exciting time," said running back Philip Reed. "It says in the bible that time and chance happens to everybody. This Saturday will be extremely exciting, and we're looking forward to it."

Reed wasn't sure how to consider what a win would mean.

"That's hard to describe," he said. "The face of college football would be changed. It would be one of the biggest upsets in college football."

WMU coach Gary Darnell was able to put a figure on it.

"For one thing, it would cost about $10,000 because those goal posts would be coming down."

Darnell has some ties to Virginia Tech, although he never coached there.

"When I was at North Carolina, our head coach Bill Doonan left to become coach and athletic director at Virginia Tech. We (staff) were supposed to go with him."

Darnell instead went to Kansas State.

Virginia Tech will be an overwhelming favorite in the game.

"We have huge respect for them," Reed said. "They have a great team, but this is college football. We're all in it together and that's why they play the games on the field and not on paper."

 

[hellah10]

MAC finally gets big boys on home turf


Tuesday, September 17, 2002

By Gretchen Flemming
The Grand Rapids Press




KALAMAZOO -- It's the next big thing in Mid-American Conference football.

For years, the Western and Central Michigans of the world have been resigned to the fact that if they wanted to play a big-time program, it would have to take place in a hostile environment. No way would a Top 25 team come to their place to play.

But times are changing, and nowhere will that be more evident than in Kalamazoo on Sept. 28, when Virginia Tech visits Waldo Stadium to play WMU.

The Hokies are ranked No. 7 and, barring an unlikely loss this weekend, will be the highest-ranked team to ever play in a MAC stadium.

The Broncos, who are off this Saturday, can't wait to get the Hokies in their house.

"We're not out for moral victories," said WMU safety Carlos Smith. "We want to win each and every game we play."

The MAC works hard to schedule teams from the "Big Leagues" -- those represented in the Bowl Championship Series, which include the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-10 and Southeastern conferences, along with Notre Dame.

It's the MAC's measuring stick. Marshall or Bowling Green or Western may not get to play in the BCS, but if a team has any postseason aspirations at all, these nonleague games can be just as important as the league schedule.


Building a reputation

"This is the time of year where we'll develop our reputation," said MAC Commissioner Rick Chryst. "We'll find out how strong the league is. I think if you can feel frustrated and encouraged at the same time, that's how I feel."

Last weekend featured both emotions. Victories such as Bowling Green's 51-28 trouncing of Missouri are encouraging. Three close losses by MAC teams to Big Ten schools, including Western's 28-24 defeat at Purdue, are frustrating.

Perhaps no one was more frustrated than WMU coach Gary Darnell.

"We went into that place thinking we could win, and the harsh reality is we didn't," he said. "We're so close to being a team that can play with the Purdues and teams like that. I think there were enough good lessons learned that we have a lot to look forward to."

That's what the MAC is about now. Western's goal wasn't to play a respectable game against Purdue, any more than Central's goal this weekend is for a good showing at Indiana. They want to win, and sometimes they do.

The MAC has four wins against teams in BCS leagues this season, including Bowling Green over Missouri, Miami (Ohio) over North Carolina, Northern Illinois over Wake Forest and Buffalo over Rutgers. Each victory marks a step in the right direction for the MAC.

"I do think expectations are changing," Chryst said. "For our programs, when they go into those stadiums, and from the other end. I don't think teams look at that MAC game as a breather anymore."

Now, BCS teams even look to come to the MAC. Most of the deals are of the two-for-one variety -- the MAC must play two games on the road (as Western is doing with Virginia Tech) before the big boys will come to town.

But at least it's happening. WMU-Virginia Tech is one of four BCS games coming to MAC stadiums this season. Next year the number is seven.


U-M, MSU in Kalamazoo?

So when will Michigan or Michigan State travel to Kalamazoo or Mount Pleasant? Don't hold your breath.

"It's something to think about," Chryst said optimistically. "Waldo Stadium looks a lot different than it used to. It's not crazy to think about some of these things, you just have to build it in increments."

Of course, the MAC likes it both ways. Western this year, and Central next year, receive a payday in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for playing in Ann Arbor. MAC teams can play all season and not make that kind of money.

So it's not like they don't want to visit their Big Ten neighbors, and their relationship has never been better. The Motor City Bowl, which features the MAC champion, now has a tie-in with the Big Ten to provide an opponent, which should make for an interesting game in Ford Field on Dec. 26.

The MAC also will be playing for a spot in the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala., and could send a third team to the Humanitarian Bowl in Idaho to play a Western Athletic Conference team.

Of course, bowl berths aren't decided until the end of the regular season. But for the MAC, the time is now to make a good impression.

 

[hellah10]

Western Michigan eagerly awaiting No. 5 Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Football Notebook

By Gary Crockett / The News & Advance
Sep 24, 2002



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Virginia Tech visits Western Michigan on Saturday, the Hokies are expected to play in front of about 50,000 fewer fans than they saw at Texas A&M.
Nevertheless, their visit to Waldo Stadium has the Kalamazoo locals jumping as if the Pope himself was dropping by.

At No. 5, Tech (4-0) is the highest ranked football team ever to play at a Mid-American Conference school - and the Western Michigan fans are expected to stuff their 30,200-seat facility beyond capacity.

"It happened (Sunday), it was almost comical," WMU coach Gary Darnell said. "One of the local guys here, it's like he woke up and he couldn't hardly breathe and he said, 'Man, this is a big one, isn't it?' And we said, 'Well, it sure is.'

"I think as the week goes along, it'll certainly buzz up. But it's been in the back of people's minds for quite some time. Just in general, the fact that we have that kind of team coming to our town to play, people are proud and excited."

The game represents the second in a two-for-one deal that saw WMU visit Tech last year and brings the Broncos back to Blacksburg in 2004. The Hokies haven't visited a MAC school since escaping Akron in the Rubber Bowl 21-18 in 1996.

WMU (1-2) is coming off a bye week after losses at Big Ten foes Purdue and Michigan. The Broncos lost to Tech 31-0 last year, and have visited other national powers like Wisconsin and Florida in the past three seasons.

"We're not strangers to these things," Darnell said. "It's what makes sports exciting. The biggest difference about it all is we're playing it here. We didn't travel off somewhere to go and compete on national TV against a top-five ranked team. It's coming right here in our house."

The largest crowd at Waldo Stadium was 36,361, a MAC record set two years ago in WMU's opener against Indiana State. Darnell said that record could fall Saturday.

"We'll sell out," he said. "It'd be hard for us to get 40,000 in here, but I think it'll be between 30 and 36,000 probably."

Tech coach Frank Beamer, whose team beat Texas A&M 13-3 before a crowd of 83,746, said playing at WMU could pose a challenge.

"Absolutely," he said. "There's no question that the people there are going to be every bit as excited as the people were in Texas last weekend. We're going to make sure our team's aware of what a big game this is for Western Michigan.

"But like I said. It's a big game for us, too."

sss

Tech quarterback Bryan Randall and linebacker Mikal Baaqee will both wear protective boots through Wednesday after suffering injuries Saturday. Randall sustained a sprained foot and Baaqee a sprained ankle.

Both are expected to play against WMU.

"I think they'll miss a couple days of practice and then we expect them to be ready on Saturday," Beamer said. "That's two key guys."

sss

Tech free safety Willie Pile, who recorded 10 tackles and his 11th career interception against A&M, was named Big East defensive player of the week. The fifth-year senior also returned a fumble 31 yards after rover Michael Crawford popped the ball loose from receiver Terrence Murphy.

On Pile's interception, the ball deflected off the hands of receiver Bethel Johnson.

"As a safety, man, you got to be in on all the plays," Pile said. "You're angry if you're not around the ball. That was just flying to the rock."

sss

Notes: Tech is one of seven teams in the nation who have not thrown an interception. ... The Hokies are 4-0 for the sixth straight season and have scored in 87 straight games, the longest current streak in the Big East. ... Saturday will mark Tech's first game in the state of Michigan. ... The Hokies are second in the nation in rush defense (44.0 yards per game) and fourth in scoring defense (9.75 points per game). ... WMU will be hosting its first ranked opponent since No. 12 Marshall in 1999.

 

[hellah10]

WMU planning aerial attack vs. Hokies

Wednesday, September 25, 2002

BY SCOTT JUNGMAN
KALAMAZOO GAZETTE


When Western Michigan's football team squares off against fifth-ranked Virginia Tech Saturday at Waldo Stadium, the Broncos' key to moving the ball may lie in the passing game.


WMU has outpassed each of its first three opponents this season and is currently ranked 11th in the nation in passing offense, averaging 298.3 yards per game.

Conversely, the Hokies' defense has struggled a bit against the pass, allowing an average of 224 yards to rank 74th nationally.

"By the nature of (Virginia Tech's) scheme, they try to take away the run," WMU offensive coordinator Brian Rock said. "Just based on their defensive alignments and things, if you have an opportunity to do something, it's in the passing game."

Virginia Tech often stacks eight or nine defenders at the line of scrimmage to stop the opponent's ground attack, which has resulted in the Hokies ranking second nationally against the run. That philosophy, however, has opened up opportunities for teams to gain success through the air.

The most glaring example of that came two weeks ago, when Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich burned the Hokie secondary for 442 yards passing.

"Teams have been able to throw on them a little bit and that's one thing we're going to try to do," junior quarterback Jon Drach said.

Granted, 197 of those passing yards from Leftwich came in the fourth quarter, when the game was already decided. But Marshall also had numerous dropped passes early that could have changed the face of an eventual 47-21 Thundering Herd loss.

"We've got to avoid mistakes like that completely," Drach said. "We cannot play and expect to win if we aren't almost perfect."

The Hokies love to pressure the quarterback with blitzes from the secondary, which Rock hopes will provide some opportunities for WMU's receivers to contend with one-on-one coverage.

"My guess is that they'll bring a lot of blitz and play a lot of cover zero," Rock said. "With teams that try and do that against us, we've got to make sure that we create big play opportunities for ourselves. And when those opportunities present themselves, we've got to cash in on them."

"We're going to get our chance to make plays," said WMU receiver Kendrick Mosley, who will see his first extensive playing time Saturday after recovering from a broken bone in his foot. "Once the ball's in the air, it will come down to who wants it the most."

One player that has consistently made plays for the Broncos is 6-foot-4 senior wideout Jermaine Lewis, who leads WMU with 15 catches for 232 yards and three touchdowns.

"Every game, we go in looking for the opportunity to make big plays in the passing game," Lewis said. "Virginia Tech is a good team, but every game we feel like we can make big plays through the air."

 

[hellah10]

Saturday, September 28th - 12:00 p.m. (et)
The Sports Network

By Scott Haynes, College Football Editor


GAME NOTES: The fifth-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies, coming off a defensive thriller at Texas A&M, attempt to remain unbeaten prior to conference-play, as they travel to Kalamazoo, to take on MAC-foe Western Michigan on Saturday afternoon. The Hokies continued their assault on the top-25 poll, with last weekend's 13-3 win in College Station. The host Broncos are faced with vastly different circumstances, as they try to put an end to a two-game slide, thanks to losses to Big Ten foes Michigan (35-12) and Purdue (28-24) in consecutive weeks. This is certainly being billed as the biggest home game in WMU history, as Virginia Tech is believed to be the highest ranked team to ever play in a Mid-American Conference stadium. The road has been extremely kind to Virginia Tech over the years, as the team has won 33 of its last 42 non-conference road tilts. This marks the second all-time meeting between these two programs. Last season in Blacksburg, the Hokies whitewashed the Broncos, 31-0. Tech head coach Frank Beamer and Western Michigan's Gary Darnell have faced each other three other times, when they coached at Murray State and Tennessee Tech, respectively. Beamer's MSU squad won all three meetings in the mid-80's (1983-85).

The offensive success that Virginia Tech had in its first three games was absent in College Station last weekend, but that was to be expected in such a hostile environment. The prolific unit should return in Kalamazoo this week. On the season, Tech is averaging 37.2 points per game, on 340.5 yards of total offense. Frank Beamer's offense is one-dimensional to say the least, but that one dimension is unstoppable. The ground attack is one of the very best in the nation, as the team chews up 244.5 yards per game on the ground. The Hokies boast a pair of potential All-Americans this season in tailbacks Lee Suggs and Kevin Jones. Despite getting shutdown by the Aggies last week, the combo of Suggs and Jones remains one of the top duos in the nation. Suggs leads the team in rushing with 382 yards (5.8 yards per carry) and six TDs. Jones is right behind with 320 yards (5.6 yards per carry) and five scores. With the knee injury to quarterback Grant Noel, backup Bryan Randall has stepped up and produced for the Hokies. Although not asked to do much in terms of passing (the team averages just 96.0 yards per game passing), Randall has been effective when dropping back to throw. He has completed 65 percent of his pass attempts (26-of-40), for 333 yards and one TD. Wideouts Ernest Wilford and Shawn Whitten are the top receivers on the team, but have caught just six passes, each.

The 2002 Hokie defense is everything that is expected of a staunch Tech unit. One of the top defensive teams in the country, VaTech is allowing just 9.8 ppg. Running the ball against the Hokies is not easy, as the team is yielding just 1.7 yards per carry and a minute 44.0 yards per game. With 27 TFLs and 12 sacks in the first four games, Tech is obviously an active group that enjoys getting up field and disrupting things in the opposition's backfield. The play up front is paced by ends Nathaniel Adibi, Jim Davis and Cols Colas. Adibi was a one-man wrecking crew against the Aggies, as he posted three sacks and seven total tackles at Texas A&M last weekend. On the year, Adibi leads the team with four TFLs and four sacks. Davis right there as well, adding four TFLs and three sacks. Colas rounds out the trio with three TFLs and a pair of sacks. Free safety Willie Pile was also instrumental in the win over the Aggies. He had 10 tackles, one interception and a fumble recovery, earning Big East Defensive Player of the Week honors. Pile leads the team in tackles (31) and is followed closely by linebackers Mikal Baagee (29 tackles), Brandon Manning (25 tackles) and Vegas Robinson (25 tackles).

The Broncos have proved to be a one-dimensional offense as well, but their chosen mode of moving the chains is via the pass. The team is averaging 28.0 points per game, on 376.0 yards of total offense. The passing game is responsible for most of those yards, netting almost 300 yards per game (298.3 ypg). Quarterbacks Chad Munson and Jon Drach have both seen time under center. Munson has had more success, completing over 60 percent of his passes, for 509 yards and six TDs. Drach has connected on just over 50 percent of his tosses, for 365 yards and two TDs. They will continue to split time against the Hokies, as both bring something to the position. The team has three valuable outlets downfield, in Jermaine Lewis, Mo Afariogun and Chris Chestnut. Lewis leads the team in receptions (15) and receiving yards (232) and has tallied three TDs. Afariogun has 14 catches, for 134 yards and another three scores, while Chestnut rounds things out with 13 receptions, 125 yards and two TDs. Tailback Philip Reed is the top rusher on the team, averaging 66.3 yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry. Reed leads the team with 199 yards and one TD.

Western Michigan has struggled on the defensive side of the ball, especially against the run. Foes are netting 172.0 yards per game on nearly four yards a carry. The pass defense has been much better, allowing just 161,3 yards per game, but stopping the run will be tantamount this weekend. Senior free safety Carlos Smith is the team's leading tackler, with 25 stops. Fellow defensive backs Jason Feldpausch and Sam Reynolds have played an integral part as well thus far, with 23 and 19 tackles, respectively. The team has done a remarkable job getting after the quarterback, notching 11 sacks in the first three games. Defensive end Jason Babin (18 tackles, six TFLs) leads the team with five sacks thus far. Chris Browning (18 tackles, four TFLs) comes from the other end position and has recorded two sacks, while linebacker Jason Malloy (16 tackles, four TFLs) adds another rush specialist with three sacks on the year. The Broncos have recorded 27 TFLs in the first three games and like to get after opposing QBs (13 hurries and 11 sacks). Unfortunately, there won't be many opportunities to get to Tech QB Randall, as he will hand the ball off early and often on Saturday. Shoring up things in the rush defense is a necessity if WMU is to stay in the game.

The Hokies like to establish the run early and continue the ground assault until opposing defenses wilt away. The Broncos have struggled stopping the run this season. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what Suggs and Jones are going to do in this game. Both will probably eclipse the 100-yard plateau, as Tech cruises to another victory.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Virginia Tech 41, Western Michigan 17