This Saturday, the No. 2 and No. 3 football teams in the nation, both undefeated and competing for the ultimate prize, will clash at Lane Stadium in a small town located in…wait…never mind.

Virginia Tech already ruined what could have been the most important game of the season by losing to West Virginia last week.

The hype has faded a bit, but this game will still have an impact on the BCS race and Big East Championship.

“[Virginia] Tech’s season is on the line with us,” Head Coach Larry Coker said. “For them to be where they want to be, they can still be a one-loss team, they can still win this league, and they can still go to a BCS bowl game…that’s what we’ve got to deal with.”

The ‘Canes sit at No. 2 in the polls and control their own destiny. If they win their final five games, they will be packing for New Orleans. However, being No. 2 means that every team with only one loss will keep an eye on the scoreboard during their games.

“We’re in a position right now…we win the games and we’re right where we want to be,” Coker said. “We have tough games five weeks in a row.”

Virginia Tech lost the luxury of controlling their fate when they fell asleep on West Virginia, but the UM players believe that the loss may fuel the Hokies fire. Although getting to the Sugar Bowl looks doubtful because of their weak schedule, the Hokies could help their title hopes considerably by taking down the ‘Canes.

“They got knocked off by West Virginia last week and they’re coming out to destroy us,” wide receiver Sinorice Moss said. “It’s going to be a dog fight to the end.”

The main weapons in V-Tech’s arsenal are duel-threat quarterback Bryan Randall and powerful running back Kevin Jones.

In last year’s contest, Miami held Jones to one yard on four carries while he shared time with Lee Suggs, but Randall burned the ‘Canes’ defense for 132 yards rushing and 165 yards passing.

Defensive end Baraka Atkins will play an important role in stopping the duo of Randall and Jones and realizes the dangers of a savvy quarterback.

“We’re going to have to contain him because he has the ability to run with the football as well as throw it,” he said. “We just have to keep as much pressure as we can on him.”

The return of safety Sean Taylor, who had minor shoulder surgery after the FSU game, will help the team tremendously.

“He’s a linebacker with defensive back skills and he’s a terrific tackler,” Coker said. “If you’re calling the plays, you don’t really like your odds with your quarterback on Sean Taylor.”

Another player who missed the Temple game, wide receiver and punt returner Roscoe Parrish, will return after a crushing hit caused him to have internal bleeding in Tallahassee.

Parrish’s ears might bleed as well this week because the fans in Blacksburg are known to be rowdy and the noise in Lane Stadium can hit high levels. The crowd and possible cold weather could give the Hokies an advantage, but Coker knows his team can handle the adversity of tough crowds and inclement weather after they dominated FSU in a rain filled slop fest at Doak Campbell Stadium.

“It’s going to be cold,” Coker said. “The team that handles (that) the best probably has a very good chance to win.”

quarterback

Brock Berlin has completed 61% of his passes for over 1600 yards. If he keeps the ball out of the defense’s hands this week, the fans will start to come around.

Bryan Randall played amazingly in the first six games of the season but imploded against West Virginia, throwing three interceptions and getting sacked four times. He doesn’t put up big passing numbers but his running ability could cause some problems.

VT Wins

RUNNING BACK

Jarrett Payton will need his first 100-yard performance against a team other than Temple if the ‘Canes want to control the game. Look for Jason Geathers to get some more carries. Tyrone Moss looked good rushing for over 100 yards against the Owls, but he is still young.

The Hurricanes shut down Kevin Jones last year, but in 2001 he ran for 160 yards as the Hokies almost ruined the ‘Canes’ title hopes. West Virginia held Jones to 59 yards on the ground, but that was partly because they had to pass the ball once they fell behind. There is no denying that Jones is one of the best backs in the country.

VT Wins

WIDE RECEIVER

Kellen Winslow is the first Lombardi Trophy semi-finalist to play tight end since Oklahoma’s Keith Jackson in 1987. Winslow can dominate a game like he has done recently, but Berlin needs to spread the ball around to speedy receivers Roscoe Parrish, Kevin Beard, and 6’4″ Ryan Moore.

Ernest Wilford can play but the question remains whether he and Head Coach Frank Beamer have made up after Beamer slapped him during the WVU game. Besides Wilford the Hokies don’t have any big-time threats at receiver.

UM Wins

OFFENSIVE LINE

The starting offensive line hasn’t allowed a sack since the East Carolina win. The back-up offensive line ruined the streak of games without a sack when they almost got back up signal-caller Derrick Crudup killed against Temple. Joe McGrath has played well since returning from an injury.

Center Jake Grove is the heart of the offense and an All-American. The left side of the line features two sophomores, but they have held up well this season. They have allowed ten sacks on the year, but four of those came last game.

UM Wins

DEFENSIVE LINE

Although his stats don’t match the size of his waste line, coaches insist that Vince Wilfork is having a monster year. Ends Baraka Atkins and Thomas Carroll will need to contain the running threat of Randall and the sweeps to the speedy Jones.

Senior ends Cols Colas and Nathaniel Adibi are the stars of the d-line and they lead the Hokies in sacks with three and two respectively. They have held opponents to a measly 114 yards-per-game on the ground, but West Virginia tore them apart.

TIE

LINEBACKERS

D.J. Williams scored his second touchdown of the season last game on a fake punt. Williams, usually quiet off the field, would hit his mom in the face if she had the football. He actually did hit her in the face to get on his high school’s special teams.

Vegas Robinson suffered an ankle injury last year but is second on the team with seven tackles for a loss this year. He is also tied for fourth among Hokies with 49 tackles. Brandon Manning is small for a linebacker at 214 pounds but he had 16 tackles in Tech’s last game.

UM WINS

SECONDARY

With the emergence of Greg Threat as a force at safety, Maurice Sikes could have a tough time keeping his starting spot for the whole year. Sean Taylor returns to the line-up and nobody at Virginia Tech is happy about that.

DeAngelo Hall gets a lot of hype for someone with only one interception, although he does return punts well occasionally. No one on VT’s team has more than one pick this season, but opponents average just 186.4yards per game through the air.

UM Wins

SPECIAL TEAMS

Roscoe Parrish will return punts after missing last game with internal bleeding. The ‘Canes hope that FSU’s Stanford Samuels didn’t knock the spirit out of the 5’8″ firecracker. The ‘Canes have struggled kicking the ball off with Mark Gent and punter Brian Monroe taking turns.

Frank Beamer built a reputation with special teams. Earlier this year they blocked their 100th kick during his era and they are inside every opponent’s head when it comes to the kicking game. DeAngelo Hall has taken two punt returns to the house this year.

The women’s volleyball team pulled out a much-needed 3-0 victory against non-conference opponent Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton Wednesday night. The Hurricanes’ win over the Owls was important for morale after a disappointing loss to Connecticut on Saturday.
Red shirt freshman middle blocker Francheska Savage initially had some trouble getting kills, but the hostile crowd’s heckling appeared to be her inspiration as she was able to swing the momentum in UM’s favor with a pivotal kill off a Leyre Santaella Sante serve. Santaella Sante finished the match with 18 kills. The Hurricanes hit their usual mid-game rough spot, and just as typically caught themselves and took off from there, finishing the game off at 30-18.
After a shaky start to the second game, a Karla Johnson block pushed Miami ahead 7-4. Johnson and Robin Lewullis led the ‘Canes with four blocks each.
Junior outside hitter Elizabeth Tyson was able to push the ball at a perfect angle to send it over the net for a Hurricane point. A Johnson kill on the ensuing point put UM on top 14-9. A rollover dig by sophomore defensive specialist Kaitlin Kozak couldn’t be salvaged as FAU’s blocking wall took care of two points in a row, closing in on the ‘Canes’ 15-12 lead.
Johnson and Tyson each contributed two service aces, while Kozak led the team with 11 digs.
An uncharacteristically high number of net violations and errors put FAU within striking distance late in the game as the score reached 26-22. UM clinched the 30-25 win with a rollover last-second dig by junior libero Jamie Grass.
In game three, FAU began with a steady lead, which held up until a Tyson kill tied the score at six apiece. Santaella Sante gave the ‘Canes their first lead of the game at 9-8. The teams flip-flopped leads, remaining close throughout the middle of the game. A Tyson kill broke the game open and the Hurricanes were able to cruise to a 30-23 win.
“It was nice to see our outside put more balls away…it was a little sloppy out there,” Head Coach Nicole Lantagne Welch said. “But any time you win in three you take the win and go home.”
Junior setter Mallory James led the Hurricanes with 41 assists.
“We played well enough to win, but I don’t think we played the best we could have to win,” James said. “We’re not looking too far ahead in the future, we’re just looking ahead to our next match…and forget about all the stuff that’s happened in the past.”
The team was without outside hitter Valeria Tipiana once again, but Lantagne Welch said that she should return for next week’s action.
The Hurricanes finished with eight team blocks, 51 kills, 113 total attacks, 47 assists, six service aces, and 41 digs.
With the win the ‘Canes improve to 18-6 overall with a 6-1 record in the Big East. Florida Atlantic drops to 11-11 with a 5-1 mark in Atlantic Sun Conference play. UM is now 14-9 against opponents from Florida.
The Hurricanes take on Big East opponents West Virginia and Pittsburgh this weekend on Friday and Sunday in the Knight Sports Complex.

Melissa Teich can be reached at melissateich@hotmail.com

QUESTIONS:
COACH: status on Tipiana?

From metro rails to pancake blocks, Vernon Carey is an important part of the Hurricanes’ offensive line. After a dominant 2002 season, Carey is on the right track to reaching his full potential as a football player in his senior year.

The ‘Canes lost many of their starters to the draft last season, only returning three to the offensive line in Vernon Carey, Carlos Joseph, and Chris Myers. This year, Carey has developed into a powerful run blocker and is able to play either the guard or tackle position. The entire unit has made tremendous strides throughout the season.

“We’re doing terrifically on pass protection,” Carey said. “I think our o-line only gave up three sacks in seven games. That’s almost up there with the championship team two years ago with Bryant McKinnie. Overall, I think we’re doing pretty well. We gave up only six sacks last year. A few things keep trying to put us back, such as injuries, but we’re definitely coming along.”

Last season, Carey had 37 metro rails, which is a term used to reward driving an opponent out of a play by holding a block for at least five seconds. He also totaled 42 pancake blocks, which is when an opponent is flattened. This season, his stats aren’t as impressive on paper.

“I feel I haven’t been doing that well yet,” Carey said. “I have been playing well, for an OK-type player, as [Offensive Line] Coach Kehoe would say. I have to keep working hard, keep rehabbing, and get my body ready for the rest of the season.”

Bringing a 39-game winning streak to Blacksburg this weekend, Carey feels that the Virginia Tech game will be a challenge, but has confidence that the team will win. The Hurricanes have studied film for hours this week, especially of the Hokies’ loss to West Virginia.

“They [West Virginia] were tough up front,” Carey said. “They run the ball a lot, and that’s how you have to beat that team. Running the ball is definitely a key factor. Jarrett Payton, Tyrone Moss, and all the others are all doing a great job running the ball. But in the end, it’s going to come down to the offensive line.”

With a healthy o-line available, Carey feels that the unit is better now than they’ve been all year.

“We are a work in progress,” Carey said. “Ever since we came back from the FSU game we’ve just been giving more and more every weekend and getting better and better. We have gotten better as a unit. I know I’m getting healthier, much better than I was two to three weeks ago. Everything has just seemed to click recently.”

Winning their 40th regular season game in a row will not be easy, especially against a team competing with the Hurricanes for the Big East title. Carey, known to be one of the best in the nation at protecting gaps, will have to have his finest performance of the season against the Hokies’ defensive front.

“If you don’t win the big ones, it [the season] means nothing,” Carey said. “The only game we lost [last season] was against OSU, and I still do not think that was legit. We are trying to win this big game here and hopefully we can make it all the way through. Our goal is to get to the big dance in New Orleans at the end of the season, and we will do everything in our power to accomplish that.”

Hurricanes defensive end Thomas Carroll has one job when he’s on the field: getting to the football. Glory or no glory, getting that job done is crucial for the ‘Canes on the road to the Bowl Championship Series.

The defensive line may be the least recognized part of a football team. But, as Carroll contends, it’s as important as any.

“[In general defensive ends] don’t get as much respect, just like offensive linemen don’t get any respect,” he said. “Quarterbacks get all the glory, running backs get all the glory…we do the dirty work. People on the team realize what we do, but the fans really don’t see all that.”

After red shirting in 2001, Carroll had six tackles and a sack as a backup in 2002. He has 24 tackles so far this season, making at least one in every game. He had a personal-best eight against FSU. High numbers translate into a good time for Carroll.

“My best game was maybe Florida State. I had fun in that game,” he said.

A Lakewood (New Jersey) High School standout, Carroll had 117 tackles, 18 sacks, and three blocked kicks during his senior year. On offense he played tight end, gaining 292 yards on 20 catches as a senior. Carroll was a SuperPrep All-American at Lakewood. Coming to Miami, he, like all rookies, was thrown to the bottom of the pile.

“Everything’s faster in college,” Carroll said. “At every level, things pick up…it’s more mental here than in high school.”

On the gridiron Carroll’s mind is on only one thing. He hears the crowd, and no matter where he is playing, the noise is an inspiration to bring down his opponent’s offense.

“Nothing [is on my mind], just beating the guy across from me,” he said. “It’s pretty blank out there; I’m not really thinking about too much. Once you step out and hear all the fans screaming, no matter if it’s their fans or our fans, it’s just an instant adrenaline rush.”

Carroll is thankful for his opportunity to play as a Hurricane. He is amazed at his success with the sport, and admits the impact it has had on his life is far-reaching.

“I don’t know where I’d be without football right now,” Carroll said. “It’s paying for my schooling, and it got me around guys I probably would never get to meet if I were not playing. It keeps me out of trouble, and occupies a lot of my time.”

Without his grandparents, Carroll may not have ever had football in his life. His family has kept him grounded, pushing him every step of the way.

“My grandparents have been my biggest inspiration throughout my life,” he said. “They taught me the difference between right and wrong. I do a lot of this stuff because [of them]. I think about them in my everyday life.”

With five games left in the regular season, Carroll and the ‘Canes have a lot of work to do before they can taste the sweetness of sugar. But be sure to keep an eye on the defense. How many championships are won without it?

Melissa Teich can be reached at melissateich@hotmail.com

Intramural Reminders

The next Intramural events to sign up for are Soccer and Team Racquetball and those deadlines are TODAY!

Don’t forget about the first ever Whiffle Ball League and the deadline to enter that will be Thursday, November 13

Intramural Scores
Flag Football Playoffs
Co-Rec Bracket:
Biohazard – 17
Scrubs – 0

Push, Shove, Score – 10
Biohazard – 0

MS – 3 – 51
The Simpsons – 0

MS-3 – 67
Push, Shove, Score – 0

MS-3 – 27
Da Kine – 0

Women’s Bracket
PT Players – 6
Suck It – 0

Team Law – 6
PT Players – 0

Wahine – 27
Get Lucky – 6

Pigskin Pussycats – 41
Tenacity – 6

Wahine – 20
Team Law – 6

Pigskin Pussycats – 55
Bite Me – 0

Wahine – 13 (OT)
Pigskin Pussycats – 6

Wahine – 28
Delta Phi Epsilon – 6

Greek Bracket
Alpha Sigma Phi – 32
Sigma Chi – 8

Lambda Chi Alpha – 12
Sigma Alpha Epsilon – 6

Phi Delta Theta – 26
Alpha Sigma Phi – 7

Sigma Phi Epsilon – 26
Kappa Sigma – 0

Zeta Beta Tau – 19
Sigma Alpha Mu – 0

Pi Kappa Alpha – 20
Lambda Chi Alpha – 13

Sigma Phi Epsilon – 14
Phi Delta Theta – 13

Pi Kappa Alpha – 6
Zeta Beta Tau – 0

Pi Kappa Alpha – 13
Sigma Phi Epsilon – 6

Men’s Bracket
Fully Staffed – 20
Camel Toes – 0

He Hate Me – 26
Team Highlight – 23

Wasps – 21
Soo Tough – 20

Boobelikin Again – 32
Juvenile – 0

Dirty – 14
Blow Out – 7

Boss Players – 25
Freaks of the Industry – 13

Miami Hurrigangsters – 13
Studz – 6

RD’s – 7
Dem Cats – 6

Fully Staffed – 25
He Hate Me – 6

Boobelikin Again – 25
Wasps – 19

Boss Players – 26
Dirty – 12

Miami Hurrigangsters – 13
RD’s – 6

Fully Staffed – 13
Boobelikin Again – 6

Boss Players – 24
Miami Hurrigangsters – 6

Boss Players – 12
Fully Staffed – 0

Boss Players – 26
Pi Kappa Alpha – 6

Volleyball
Sake Bomb – 2
Liquid Courage – 0

Biohazard – 2
Dirty Kneepads – 0

Dirty Kneepads – 2
Mo Feckers – 1

Biohazard – 2
Liquid Courage – 0

Dirty Kneepads – 2
Liquid Courage – 0

Sake Bomb – 2
Mo Feckers – 0

Med Men – 2
Animal House – 0

Da Kine – 2
Springs Boys – 0

Free Agents – 2
Team Law – 0

Team Law – 2
Free Agents – 1

Delta Phi Epsilon – 2
Zeta Tau Alpha – 0

Lambda Chi Alpha – 2
Kappa Sigma – 0

Zeta Tau Alpha – 2
Sigma Alpha Epsilon – 1

Sigma Phi Epsilon – 2
Sigma Alpha Mu – 0

Pi Kappa Alpha – 2
Phi Delta Theta – 1

Phi Delta Theta – 2
Sigma Alpha Mu – 0

Floor Hockey Championships:
Sigma Phi Epsilon – 3
District 5 Hawks – 2