No. 12 Hokies invade Heinz Field

Many college football fans probably wondered whether Virginia Tech quarterback Grant Noel… Many college football fans probably wondered whether Virginia Tech quarterback Grant Noel would be able to fill the shoes of Michael Vick, who was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons.

Since Noel took over, the Hokies average 37.4 points a game compared to last year, when they averaged 40.3. But when you break down who was more effective in the passing game the stats point to Noel.

Noel is currently the Big East’s No. 2-ranked passer behind Miami’s Ken Dorsey and the statistics show that he has been able to fill the void that Vick left behind. Noel, although he is not nearly as mobile, has more passing yards and touchdowns after 12 games and he has a better completion percentage.

Noel and the Hokies (3-1 Big East, 6-1 Overall) come into Heinz Field hungry, after their undefeated season ended in a 22-14 loss to Syracuse. The Orangemen held the Virginia Tech offense to its lowest output all year.

The Hokies’ woes included five sacks and three fumbles, two of which Orangemen recovered. They were held to 90 yards rushing and just 162 yards passing and Syracuse controlled the time of possession.

Noel’s favorite target is flanker Andre Davis, who is Virginia Tech’s leading receiver. Davis at 6 feet 1 inch, has a 3-inch advantage over two of three Pitt’s cornerbacks as Torrie Cox and William Ferguson are both 5 feet 10 inches.

Look for Shawntae Spencer, who is tallest of the three at 6 feet 2 inches, to cover Davis.

The Hokies rotate running backs Kevin Jones and Keith Burnell, with Burnell getting the bulk of the carries. They have combined for 1020 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns.

Their offensive line has been the key to the team’s success, with its players averaging 296 pounds.

Pitt’s defensive line has an average weight of 270 pounds and has not fared well in stopping the run, especially against big offensive lines as Syracuse, Miami and Boston College, which dominated the line of scrimmage. BC and Miami both racked up over 240 yards, with Syracuse running for 170 yards.

The biggest mismatch will be Hokies 314-pound offensive tackle Anthony Davis, who matches up against Pitt’s 240-pound defensive end Bryan Knight.

Another concern for Pitt’s defense should be fullback Jarrett Ferguson catching the ball out of the backfield. Ferguson is currently Virginia Tech’s second leading receiver.

Hokies’ linebackers Ben Taylor and Brian Welch along with their front four will look to stop Pitt running back Raymond Kirkley, who only rushed for 25 yards on 10 carries last weekend.

Strong safety Kevin McCadam, who leads Virginia Tech in interceptions, is another player to watch on defense.

David Priestley had an improved performance against Temple last weekend and Pitt was finally able to put more than seven points on the board, despite four fumbles.

Priestley completed 18 of 28 passes, for 204 yards and two touchdowns and threw no interceptions, which allowed for him to take the majority of the snaps, with backup Rod Rutherford seeing limited action.

Priestley will need to keep an eye on defensive tackles Chad Beasley and David Pugh as Push leads the team with three sacks.

The Hokies have won the last three meetings with Pitt. They lead the overall series 7-1.

Kickoff is tomorrow at noon.