The Virginia-Virginia Tech rivalry has always been hotly contested, but this year's edition comes with a twist: A conference championship is on the line.
The No. 11 Hokies (8-2, 5-1 ACC) play host to the No. 16 Cavaliers (8-2, 5-2) Saturday at 1 p.m. in Blacksburg's Lane Stadium, as the two in-state foes battle for the ACC crown.
The game pits two of the nation's stingiest defenses against each other, as both rank in the top 10 nationally in points allowed per game. Virginia Tech ranks third in that category (13.1 ppg), thanks in large part to the country's fifth-best pass defense that has allowed just 154.7 yards per game and has snagged 17 interceptions.
"They've got four good cover guys," Virginia coach Al Groh said of Tech's secondary. "There's nobody back there that any opponent would say is a target. Whenever you see that, you know two things: that there isn't a weak link back there and that there's a lot of pressure on the quarterback."
Groh said that Lane Stadium is one of the most difficult places to play in the conference. Virginia needs to be careful not to fall into the hands of Tech's turnover-happy defense.
"They really seem to feed off their crowd, and they really seem to capitalize on other team's mistakes," said Cavalier tight end Heath Miller, who had 13 catches for 145 yards in last year's game. "We're a veteran group on offense, and I'd like to think that we can stay composed."
Offensively, Tech relies on versatile signal caller Bryan Randall to shoulder the load. Randall, who has started 35 games in his career, has rushed for 402 yards and three TDs this season in addition to throwing for 1,617 yards and a 15:7 touchdown to interception ratio. Most importantly, he's brought stability to the Tech offense.
"I think Bryan Randall has done more for his team this year than any other quarterback in the conference," Groh said.
His favorite target is freshman receiver Eddie Royal, who was heavily recruited by the Cavaliers before committing to Tech. Royal has 21 receptions for 368 yards and is the Hokies' top punt and kick returner.
Compounding matters for Virginia's defensive is elusive running back Mike Imoh, who leads the conference in rushing yards in ACC games at 105.8 ypg. The 5-foot-7, 197-pound Imoh has gained quite a bit of respect from the opposing head coach.
"It's his quickness and change in direction," Groh said. "The player he reminds me of is Warrick Dunn. He's carved out quite a career for himself."
With a win, Virginia would clinch a share of the ACC title and would retain its small hope for a BCS bowl bid.
News and Notes
Saturday's game marks the 86th contest between Virginia and Virginia Tech, dating back to the first matchup in 1895. The Hokies hold a 43-37-5 advantage and have won four of the last five. ... The last time these two schools met as conference opponents was in 1935 when both were members of the Southern Conference. That game ended in a scoreless tie. ... Virginia wideout Deyon Williams missed the Georgia Tech game due to an ankle sprain suffered in practice. As for his status against the Hokies, Groh said that "until we know that he's not [able to play], we're going to assume that he is." ... Virginia Tech's Jimmy Williams and Virginia's Marcus Hamilton are tied for the ACC lead in interceptions with four apiece. ... Before beginning his press conference yesterday, Groh called attention to the joint effort of the two chapters of Fiji fraternity at Virginia and Virginia Tech to raise money for the Jimmy V Cancer Fund. Beginning at noon on Friday, brothers of Fiji will be running the game ball from Charlottesville to Blacksburg. Groh, who was friends with coach Jimmy Valvano, noted that last year, Fiji raised $35,000 for the Cancer Fund.
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