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The Roanoke Times: Press Box

with our sports staff

Halftime: Virginia Tech 7, Virginia 0

Somebody get Bud Foster another raise. Tech's defensive coordinator certainly has earned it. The Hokies' offense has done nothing, and Tech leads 7-0. The big play was Xavier Adibi's fumble-causing sacking of Jameel Sewell, setting up a 12-yard touchdown in the half's final minute.

And George Bell -- what can you say about that guy? Months after being advised to give up the game by his position coach, here he is, diving into the end zone against the team's in-state rival. He's got only 19 yards so far, but that makes him the leading rusher in this game.

Nic Schmitt has four punts averaging 43.8 yards, including two inside the 20 yard line. Not a bad effort, especially considering he's probably still hungover from his alma mater, Salem High, losing for the first time in 34 games last night.

Glennon's interception -- can we talk about that for a second? He'll be seeing that one in his sleep tonight, no matter what happens the rest of the game. Running away from three onrushing defenders, he tried to flip the ball Brett Favre-style to Bell and got Brett Favre-like results (at least the Brett Favre-results of the past few years). He looks like he's just trying to do too much out there. We know he really wants this one bad after Virginia didn't offer him a scholarship. I'm sure somebody in the locker room is telling him to calm the heck down and just make the plays that are there.

Virginia's running game is going nowhere. Looks like the Hoos are going to need a big play (Sewell to Ogletree?) to get anything on the scoreboard.

Beat writer Randy King reports that he was in the elevator with Tech legend Bruce Smith a few minutes ago.
"Take me to where the beer's cold," Smith told the veteran beat man. "And a hot dog."
The big guy's got the right idea.

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Quick thoughts

  • Poll voters get it right -

    Who knew the Virginia football program carried so much weight? Southern Cal moved up from No. 3 to No. 1 in the Associated Press media poll, and from No. 2 to No. 1 in the coaches’ poll, after its 52-7 rout of UVa in Charlottesville. “To see a team go on the road and play a New Year’s Day bowl team from last season, and not only play them but destroy them, how could you not reward that team?” voter Stewart Mandel of SI.com told the AP. Now we all know UVa is hardly the same team that played on Jan. 1. But the voters still got this right. USC proved more at UVa than a Georgia team that beat Division I-AA Georgia Southern or an Ohio State team that beat I-AA Youngstown State. — Mark Berman

  • ACC stinks it up -

    Arkansas State won at Texas A&M. Bowling Green upset Pitt. Louisiana Tech beat Mississippi State. But the ACC laid the biggest egg of all in Week 1, reinforcing its reputation as a weak conference. Preseason ACC favorite Clemson was squashed by Alabama. ECU upset the Hokies. USC flattened UVa. Maryland only beat Delaware by a 14-7 score, and UNC had to rally to beat McNeese State. On Thursday, South Carolina shut out N.C. State. At least Wake Forest beat Baylor. But the ACC was an object of ridicule on national sports talk radio Saturday night, and rightly so. And it won’t get any better next weekend when Miami visits Florida. — Mark Berman

  • Intriguing ACC games for VT hoops -

    The 2008-09 schedule for the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team was released this week, and the Hokies will begin and end the ACC portion of it in noteworthy fashion. Their ACC opener will be a Sunday night visit to Durham on Jan. 4 to take on Olympic coach Mike Krzyzewski and Duke in a game airing on Fox Sports Net. Their next game features a visit to Cassell Coliseum by Virginia. And the Hokies better hope they have a good record before their final three games of the regular season, because that will be the toughest stretch of their year by far. They host Duke in an ABC game on Feb. 28, followed by a March 4 visit from Tyler Hansbrough and North Carolina in an ESPN game. The regular-season finale is a trip to Florida State, where Tech always loses. — Mark Berman

  • Good showing for UVa at Olympics -

    With the Olympics over, UVa has plenty to be proud of. Ex-Cav Angela Hucles, the leading goal scorer in UVa history, now has to be considered one of the best female athletes UVa has ever produced. Not only did she win her second gold with the U.S. women’s soccer team, but she scored a team-high four goals in Beijing — including two in the semifinals and one in the quarterfinals. Ex-Cav Lindsay Shoop also won gold — one of three UVa grads to medal in rowing. And Dawn Staley was part of a winning basketball team as an assistant. As for Virginia Tech? Well, ex-Hokie Ieva Kublina had a few good basketball games for Latvia. And Queen Harrison reached a hurdles semifinal at the age of 19. London could be in her future. — Mark Berman

  • Hightower making us look good -

    Tim Hightower is making The Roanoke Times — and Division I-AA football in this state — look good. Hightower was a standout running back at Richmond last fall, helping the Spiders reach the I-AA semifinals. We chose him as the Roanoke Times’ state Division I offensive player of the year, eschewing I-A stars. Now comes word that the fifth-round draft pick will likely be Edgerrin James’ top backup with the Arizona Cardinals. Good for him. I just hope he fares better off the field than our offensive player of the year picks in 1999 and 2004, Michael and Marcus Vick. — Mark Berman

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The Press Box blog will post entries on a variety of sports at both the high school and collegiate levels in Southwest Virginia. Contributions come from staff writers of The Roanoke Times sports section.

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