VT's Darren Evans out for season...

[MEwreck02]

Sort of sucks for us too cause now when we beat VPI, their fans will just use that as an excuse.

I doubt we will be at 100% either. I am sure we will have someone that will be injured by then. I am not hoping for that but it is just the nature of the game.

 

[SMoney]

I don't see this significantly effecting the outcome of our game with them, but do see it significantly effecting the outcome of their opener vs Bama, which is pretty lame.

These are my thoughts exactly. Get ready for another season of "the ACC really blows as a conference"...

 

[mmbt0ne]

RB is probably the easiest skill position to replace. If you have a good o-line and a good scheme, all you need to do is plug in a fast runner with the ball.

I.E. The Denver Bronco

Terrell Davis

Clinton Portis

Reuben Droughns

Mike Anderson

Tatum Bell

Selvin Young

 

[GiveEmHellJackets]

These are my thoughts exactly. Get ready for another season of "the ACC really blows as a conference"...

I'm not worried about people saying it. I'm worried about it being true. Pretty bad when your back-to-back conference champ loses to LSU 48-7 one year and loses to Skippy Holths's team the next year. And our last champ prior to Va Tech was Wake Forest, who lost to Louisville in the bowl. Before that was FSU, who got clobbered by Florida and also lost their bowl game to Penn St. 2004 was Va Tech, who had been a Big East team the year before and who lost to Auburn in the bowl. I guess that team's best showing was losing by only eleven to USC at home. 02 and 03 FSU teams? Yep, both lost their bowl games. I used to try and argue that the ACC does not suck but it's gotten pretty difficult to do with a straight face.

 

[yellowandnaked]

Every VT supporter I have encountered (Alums as well as sidewalks) claim they have the best backfield in the ACC. That claim will now be tested. I'm very interested to see how Williams performs. I read something somewhere else (sorry, cant remember where) that Oglsby(??) was the backup to Evans.

 

[GTLiebs]

What we really have to hope for is a swing year this year. The game against Alabama shows why. I honestly don't think the ACC can truly improve its reputation if the one toting the flag is VPI. One VPI fan told me last year, after the UNC game, that at least VPI didn't get embarrassed by anybody that one (though one could aruge with ECU and eventualy Duke), I countered with VPI never embarrassed anyone else either.
It just doesn't seem like VPI is a team to take on the powerhouse and come out with the upset. That's why I just want someone besides them, anyone besides them, to win the ACC this year. That way when next year comes around and the castrated chickens screw up no one says "well there's the class team of the ACC".

 

[DeRRtyTree]

I think Ryan Williams will probably just step right in, and not necessarily replace him, but do the sorta thing choice did for pj daniels in the miami game in when we won 14-10....They are still going to be good guys

 

[GTLiebs]

Right now, VPI has taken a blow because as good as the players seem to have been in practice, you never know how they will fare in a college game till, well, they play a college game.

Also there is more than just the game-by-game play ability here. If VPI goes down against Bama and none of the running backs are able to get success in that game, we have to add in the morale-factor.

 

[Nashville Jacket]

Unless they have a good back-up RB, they will struggle on offense this year. Their passing game wasn't so great last year, but I guess their passing attack is never great.

 

[BuzzMD]

Supposedly their RB backups are pretty good. Not much game testing to them, but they have some hype, especially Williams.

 

[GTLiebs]

My opinion about players/coaches/coordinators who haven't done what they do yet at where ever they currently are:
Hype is ****.

 

[gtalum96]

I had forgotten this point, but I think I remember reading somewhere that Oglesby was the only RB on VT's team that had taken a gametime snap. I agree that their back-up RB's are good, but I also agree that depth is gonna be a major issue for them as well, which I think is the more important aspect of this whole thing. As we all know from last year, (GW game comes to mind), all it takes is one more injury and they could be in a world of hurt. I would be worried for sure, especially with their first game being against the punishing defense that Alabama is reported to have this year.

Interesting that Barnhart devoted a whole article about in today's AJC:

http://blogs.ajc.com/barnhart-college-football/

I agree with Barnhart that if I were Alabama, I would make Tyrod Taylor beat me with his arm, which to date, he hasn't shown the ability to do. It will be intersting to see how VT responds. I agree with a lot of the other posters in that I was hoping VT would have a strong showing against one of the SEC's elite teams this year as opposed to last years debacle where Clemson wet the bed....

Go Jackets!