Ask another team’s beat writer: Bowling Green

If you missed Part I of the Bowling Green preview, you can read it here.

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Helping me out with Part II is John Wagner, the Bowling Green beat writer for The Toledo Blade, who recently dabbled in a little bit of coaching from the sideline. You can read his Falcons coverage here, read his blog here and follow him on Twitter here.

To the questions …

AB: Quarterback Matt Schilz threw for over 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns last year, but what will the passing attack look like now that All-MAC selection Kamar Jorden is gone, along with five other senior wide receivers?

JW: "I don't think you will see big changes in offensive personality here. One subtle change may be more reliance on the running game, thanks to the return of MAC freshman of the year Anthon Samuel and a number of linemen, not to mention all of the receivers who have left. Matt Schilz will have to continue the development he showed last year ... and the biggest improvement will have to be on cutting out the turnovers. He is in his third year as a starter, and he is capable of making big plays. The problem last year wasn't just that there were a number of turnovers -- it was that the turnovers were so hurtful. In other words, BG's turnovers always seemed to lead directly to touchdowns.

"A lot of eyes will be on the receiving corps, which will need to step forward. The hope is that Michigan transfer Je'Ron Stokes, Shaun Joplin and Heath Jackson will do just that. Stokes and Joplin in particular are extremely athletic. There also is a large group of redshirt freshmen who will get a chance to play at wide receiver, most notably Herve Coby, Chris Gallon and Diontre Delk. Two years ago Kamar Jorden came out of nowhere and had a huge season; last season Eugene Cooper stepped out of the shadows for a big season. There will be opportunities here."

AB: Based on spring performances, it appears an offensive line that returns plenty of players who got experience last year should be improved. How do you think they’ll fare? And do you think the Falcons’ running game that was middle of the pack in the MAC will be better this year as a result?

JW: "Ah, yes, the offensive line. No position, even the wide receivers, has faced greater scrutiny. Two linemen have been lost: one is Ben Bojicic, an All-MAC performer who graduated, and the other is Kyle Bryant, who was dismissed from the team recently. There are some experienced players coming back, and the return of Chip Robinson, Jordon Roussos and Dominic Flewellyn are a good starting point.

"The coaching staff has been excited by some of the younger linemen who redshirted last year, but are expected to step forward this year. Two redshirt freshmen who fit this description are Alex Huettel and Fahn Cooper. But the thing the BG coaches like most is this: They feel they have developed depth at the position. The past two seasons, all it took was ONE lineman to go down before problems started. This year the Falcons feel the quality of depth is such that they can survive one injury. What's more, competition for playing time should make everyone better."

AB: With 10 starters back on defense, can this group cut down much on the 406 yards it allowed per game a year ago? Who do you see as players who could stand out?

JW: "This group MUST find a way to lower the rushing yards allowed to be successful. Before last season the Falcons had a young secondary, and the fear was that teams would throw the ball so much that BG wouldn't be able to stop them. Instead teams beat them into submission on the ground. How bad was it? Even West Virginia, which ranked sixth nationally in passing offense and 92nd nationally in rushing offense, ran for 360 yards against the Falcons. With 10 starters back, there is optimism that the defense against the run will be better.

"In terms of players to watch, the leader of the line is senior DT Chris Jones, a two-time All-MAC pick who really does a good job against both the pass and the run. At linebacker, senior Dwayne Woods (pictured) also is a two-time All-MAC choice who has the ability to make big plays as well as making lots of tackles. Woods finished sixth in the nation in tackles two years ago but had fewer last year when he was surrounded by better players. Another playmaker on defense is junior Jerry "BooBoo" Gates, an all-league kickoff returner who also makes big hits on defense and special teams. A fourth player to watch is sophomore Ryland Ward, who started at strong safety as a freshman and should take a big step forward this fall."

AB: The MAC seems to be a conference won by experienced teams. The Falcons were young last year but return the majority of the roster. Do you see them making a marked improvement from their 5-7 record a year ago? And how do they fit into the MAC picture?

JW: "I do see the Falcons taking a big step forward this season, to a point where the expectation is to at least become bowl-eligible, if not compete for a division and league title. One reason is the large number of returnees on both sides of the ball. A year's experience should lead to improvement almost everywhere. Further, BG should be good on special teams thanks to an All-MAC punter, Brian Schmiedebusch, and return games led by Gates. The place-kicking is a concern at this point.

"The second reason for improvement is that Bowling Green faced the toughest schedule in the league last year. There were five bowl teams from the MAC last season, and BG was the only school that faced all five. While the Falcons beat Temple last year, the Owls are a tough team that is being replaced by a lesser team in Massachusetts. And BG didn't play one MAC East Division team last season: Akron, which was winless in the league. If the team is better and the schedule is easier, shouldn't that translate into more wins?"

AB: Dave Clawson is a name many Virginians are aware of from his time at Richmond, where he took the Spiders to the FCS semifinals in 2007. How do you think he’ll do at Bowling Green going forward? Can the Falcons reach the heights achieved by Urban Meyer and Gregg Brandon again?

JW: "Dave Clawson has preached patience, even when he took Bowling Green to a bowl game in his first season here. But that team was led by 22 seniors, and the rebuilding began after they left. Further, Clawson had to deal with APR problems that led to scholarship reductions, and at the same time build up a program that had seen recruiting slip in the years before he arrived. And the recruiting before he arrived was so bad, this year's team includes one recruiting class before Clawson arrived, and only ONE player from that class is on this year's team (Robinson).

"Two years ago Clawson steadfastly took his lumps and redshirted a class that could have helped avoid a 2-10 record. Last year he against redshirted heavily, but also played a number of underclassman and finished 5-7. This year's team should be better. MUCH better. And that should show up in the team's record, even though the Falcons have road game at Florida and at Virginia Tech where they will be decided underdogs.

"And with all due respect to Urban Meyer and Gregg Brandon, the program has the potential to exceed both of them. Meyer was 17-6 in two seasons at BG but never even reached the MAC Championship or a post-season bowl. Brandon was 44-30 in six seasons, reached the MAC Championship game once (where the Falcons lost to Ben Roethlisberger's Miami team) and went to three bowl games (two in Brandon's first two seasons (2003-04) and once in 2007, where the Falcons were clocked by Tulsa 63-7 in the GMAC Bowl)."

—

So there you haven't: we're officially at the one-third mark of the opponent previews. Thanks to John for helping me out with this one.

Bowling Green might be improved, but it shouldn't give Virginia Tech too much trouble. I've seen fans complain about scheduling a game like this, but it's pretty standard fare for teams from big conferences -- yes, even those in the high and mighty SEC -- to schedule a few mid- to low-level teams each year. Auburn, for instance, plays Louisiana-Monroe, New Mexico State and Alabama A&M next year in addition to Clemson. I'd argue that Bowling Green is better than any of those first three.

The Falcons might be improved, but the Hokies have a clear talent advantage and, if focused, should win this one fairly easy in my opinion

Previous entries:

Better know a ’12 opponent: Bowling Green

We're almost a third of the way through the 2012 opponent previews. Today is Part I of a look at Bowling Green, the second and final non-conference home game the Hokies will have this year.

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Coach: Dave Clawson (14-23, 10-14 MAC, entering fourth season at Bowling Green; 72-72 overall in 12 seasons at Bowling Green, Richmond and Fordham; former offensive coordinator at Tennessee)

2011 record: 5-7 (3-5 MAC, t-4th East)

Looking back: A very young Falcons team had its ups and downs. Last year's roster had 81 players who were sophomores or younger, with 33 of the 53 players on the two-deep being freshmen or sophomores. As you'd expect, the season was hit and miss. Bowling Green started out 3-1, getting off to a good start to MAC play with a 37-23 win at Miami of Ohio. But the Falcons would lose six of their last eight. A late-October 13-10 win against Temple was the highlight, but Bowling Green had three-game losing streaks on both sides of it, including a heartbreaking 29-28 loss to eventual Eastern Division champion Ohio on a field goal as time expired. It closed the season with a 42-38 win against Buffalo to finish 5-7.

2011 stats/rankings: 

• Rushing offense: 122.92 ypg (91st nationally, 8th MAC)
• Passing offense: 261.58 ypg (31st nationally, 5th MAC)
• Total offense: 384.50 ypg (62nd nationally, 6th MAC)
• Scoring offense: 26.50 ppg (63rd nationally, 6th MAC)
• Rushing defense: 203.42 ypg (104th nationally, 10th MAC)
• Passing defense: 202.58 ypg (34th nationally, 4th MAC)
• Total defense: 406.00 ypg (79th nationally, 8th MAC)
• Scoring defense: 28.83 ppg (77th nationally, 7th MAC)
• Turnover margin: -1.08 (116th nationally, 13th MAC)

Offensive starters returning/lost: 7/4

Defensive starters returning/lost: 10/1

Losses: WR Kamar Jorden (1st MAC, 78 catches, 1,089 yards, 12 TD), WR Eugene Cooper (67 catches, 808 yards, 9 TD), WR Adrian Hodges (15 catches, 197 yards), C Ben Bojicic (3rd MAC), LT Kyle Bryant, DE Kevin Moore (32 tackles, 2 TFL, 1.5 sacks)

Returnees: QB Matt Schilz (3,024 yards, 28 TD, 13 INT), RB Anthon Samuel (MAC Fr. of the Year, 844 yards, 5 TD), RB Jordan Hopgood (226 yards, 4 TD), WR Shaun Joplin (21 catches, 292 yards, 1 TD), TE Alex Bayer (20 catches, 242 yards, 2 TD), LG Chip Robinson, RG Dominic Flewellyn, RT Jordon Roussos, DT Chris Jones (1st MAC, 47 tackles, 14 TFL, 8.5 sacks), NT Jarius Campbell (20 tackles, 3 TFL), DE Ronnie Goble (4 TFL, 1 sack), LB Dwayne Woods (1st MAC, 111 tackles, 14 TFL), OLB Paul Swan (63 tackles), OLB D.J. Lynch (43 tackles, 5 TFL, 3 sacks), CB Cameron Truss (52 tackles, 1 INT), CB Devon McKoy (35 tackles), CB Darrell Hunter (32 tackles, INT), S Ryland Ward (69 tackles), S Aaron Foster (69 tackles), ROV BooBoo Gates (73 tackles, 2 INT, 2nd MAC KR, 25.8 avg., TD), K Stephen Stein (8-11 FG), P Brian Schmiedebusch (1st MAC, 45.3 avg.)

2012 schedule: 

• Sept. 1: at Florida
• Sept. 8: vs. Idaho
• Sept. 15 at Toledo
• Sept. 22: at Virginia Tech
• Sept. 29: vs. Rhode Island
• Oct. 6: at Akron
• Oct. 13: vs. Miami (Ohio)
• Oct. 20: at Massachusetts
• Oct. 27: vs. Eastern Michigan
• Nov. 7: at Ohio
• Nov. 17: vs. Kent State
• Nov. 23: vs. Buffalo

Strengths: Schilz enters his third year as a starting quarterback and is coming off a 3,000-yard season, something you'll need to stay relevant in the offensive-minded MAC. Along with him are six other starters, including Samuel, who stood out as a freshman at running back, and three-fifths of an offensive line. That's a good start on offense. Defensively, almost everyone is back. Jones is a play-maker on the line, Woods has an nose for the ball at linebacker and the secondary returns all five starters from a year ago for its 4-2-5 scheme. That kind of continuity could help the Falcons make a jump defensively.

Weaknesses: The quarterback might be back, but most of the receiving game is gone. The Falcons lost five senior wideouts from last year, including Jorden, a 1,000-yard receiver who will get a shot as an undrafted free agent with the Vikings, and Cooper, who went over 800 yards last year. Those two accounted for 60 percent of Bowling Green's passing yards last year. If the Falcons want to make any strides, they'll need to improve a turnover margin that was near the bottom of the FBS last year. They forced only 15 turnovers, tied for 105th nationally, and gave the ball away 28 times.

Fun fact: (Via the school's athletic website) "Until 1927, Bowling Green State University was referred to as Bowling Green Normal University, for its teacher training curriculum. The school's nickname was 'The Normals.' That year a man named Ivan 'Doc' Lake, who was a distinguished 1923 graduate of the university, and active athletics booster, suggested that the university needed a new nickname. Doc Lake, then a sports reporter for the local Sentinel Tribune news paper, had just finished reading an article about falconry. He suggested the university rename its nickname and mascot, 'The Falcons.' He felt the bird was a fierce fighter with speed and courage. Doc Lake's suggestion of 'The Falcons' met with instant general approval by members of the university."

Series with VT: Virginia Tech leads 2-0

• 1993: Virginia Tech 33, Bowling Green 16, in Blacksburg
• 1990: Virginia Tech 21, Bowling Green 7, in Blacksburg

Ask another team’s beat writer: Pittsburgh

We return to the 2012 opponent previews today with the second part of the Pittsburgh posts. If you missed the first part, it's right here.

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Helping me out with Part II is Paul Zeise, the Panthers beat writer for The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. You can read his stuff here, peruse his blog here and follow him on Twitter here.

To the questions …

AB: The Panthers have had more head coaching turnover in the last year and a half than most teams have in a decade, going from Dave Wannstedt to Mike Haywood to Todd Graham to Paul Chryst. How much of an impact has that had on the program and does Pitt feel like it has the right man for the job now?

PZ: "The university does believe it finally got this right with the hiring of Paul Chryst. He is an old school, sort of meat and potatoes type of blue collar guy who the people in Pittsburgh certainly can identify with. He is the anti-Todd Graham in so many ways – he’s humble, he’s honest and he doesn’t act as if he is smarter than everybody else in the room. This has already endeared him to a city that had enough of 'high octane' football and Graham’s continued self promotion. Chryst will take the Panthers back to the pro-style offense, which is a good thing because most of the team was recruited to play that way by Dave Wannstedt.

"But make no mistake, there is a lot of work to be done as the damage to the program has been significant. They’ve essentially lost two recruiting classes, there is a lot of mistrust of the administration and Graham and his staff did a lot to alienate the Pitt program from area high school coaches, members of the football community and the Steelers, who, up until last year had a great working relationship with Pitt and that’s important as the two teams share facilities and a stadium. Chryst has begun to restore that credibility within the community but the roster has some serious holes so again, there is a lot of work to be done."

AB: Two-year starting quarterback Tino Sunseri (2,616 yards, 10 TD, 11 INT) staked his claim to the starting spot during spring. What kind of senior season is he capable of having?

PZ: "I think Tino Sunseri will be better than he was last year, though that is not exactly going to be hard to do as he struggled for much of the season. But a lot of that had to do with the fact that he never grew comfortable in Graham’s high octane spread offense. In that offense, he was asked to take quick drops out of the shotgun snap, make quick decisions and that just isn’t his game. He grew up in the pro-style offense and he looked far more comfortable this spring than he did at any point last year. Now, he is back under center, taking the five and seven-step drops and play action and it is far more conducive to his talent.

"That being said, he has some limitations so coaches are looking at him to be more of a game manager than a guy who is going to be asked to win games. As long as he avoids taking bad sacks and throwing killer interceptions – two things he seemed to specialize in last year – and makes a few plays he will give the Panthers a chance to win every week as their defense and running game should be pretty good."

AB: Running back Ray Graham had an All-Big East season with 958 rushing yards before suffering a knee injury. Will he assume the starting role once he is healthy again or will he have competition for that spot?

PZ: "He will be the starter but the backfield is crowded and if he isn’t 100 percent he will find himself in a stiff competition for playing time. The Panthers have Isaac Bennett returning and coming off an excellent spring and then heralded recruit, Rushel Shell, coming in so the running game will be in great shape. Graham will likely get back to form and have a great season for two reasons – one, he is very talented and two, he is one of the hardest workers on the team. He is determined to get back, finish his career strong and give himself a chance at an NFL career. I expect him to have a big season provided he stays healthy."

AB: How will an offensive line that was plagued by injuries last year fare now that the team is transitioning from a spread offense to the power pro-style scheme that Chryst uses?

PZ: "The offensive line has been very inconsistent and has some holes but it will benefit from two things – the pro-style offense of Chryst and the coaching of veteran offensive line coach Jim Hueber. The scheme will help because it will utilize more two tight end sets as well as a fullback and that means the five guys up front will have help, particularly on the edges and that’s a good thing as the tackle position is a big question. Also, the run-blocking schemes allow for more pulling and trapping by the guards and to a man they all talked at length about how nice it is to be able to hit guys again as opposed to standing around waiting to be hit. Hueber’s work with the group was easy to see from the start of spring to the end as the unit improved its run blocking almost daily. There is still a long way to go in pass blocking but again, with the help of a tight end and fullback, the unit should be better equipped to protect the quarterback enough to give the passing game a chance to be successful."

AB: The defense lost seven starters from last year, including All-Big East pick and leading tackler Max Gruder at linebacker. What’s the strength of the group Pitt will put out there this season? And how much different will it look under new defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable?

PZ: "The defense, if healthy, could be the best defensive unit in the Big East and one of the best in the country, at least statistically as the starting 11 should be very, very good. The issue is depth, as in, there isn’t any, particularly on the offensive line and at linebacker. But the secondary is very deep and should be a strength of the team as there are four safeties who could start for most teams and an all-conference corner to go with three talented youngsters fighting for one open corner spot.

"The defense will be much different – last year the Panthers were a three-man front and usually had a 3-5 look to them though sometimes they showed a four-man front, especially later in the season. This year, they are back to a standard 4-3 defense, more like the pro’s (and much more like the defense they played during the Wannstedt era) and they will line up with eight men in the box to try and stuff opposing running games. The team won’t blitz as much they did last year, but it will blitz some. The key is the defensive line, which has one of the top defensive tackles in the Big East, Aaron Donald, leading the way."

---

So there it is: another opponent preview in the books. I, for one, am looking forward to the Pitt game, if for no other reason than getting a chance to visit Pittsburgh again, a place I haven't been since covering UVa in the 2006 opener (I believe Darrelle Revis had a pick-6, one of two for Pitt in the game).

I assume Virginia Tech would enter this game as a decent favorite. The Panthers will still be adapting to Chryst's way of doing things. While I think he'll be good in the long haul -- those Wisconsin offenses the last few years were rock solid -- it'll take time to get the right pieces in place and used to the type of game he calls. Pitt's defense looks formidable, although it too will be undergoing a schematic change. My guess would be it's better to play the Panthers early in the season this year rather than late.

Pitt might not be a marquee BCS non-conference opponent like the Hokies have had in recent seasons (LSU, Alabama, Boise State) and future ones (Alabama, Ohio State, Wisconsin), but it certainly is a decent early-season matchup.

Several Hokies on various preseason All-ACC teams

Slow news day so far. We'll see if anything picks up in the afternoon, but in the meantime, here are some All-ACC teams that have come out in the last few weeks. It's always interesting to see what outsiders think of the Hokies' personnel.

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The only two that I see out there right now are Athlon and Phil Steele. If there are any others, let me know and I'll add it to the list.

Athlon

• 1st -- DE James Gayle, DB Kyle Fuller
• 2nd -- QB Logan Thomas, DE J.R. Collins
• 3rd -- WR Marcus Davis, C Andrew Miller, DT Derrick Hopkins, KR Dyrell Roberts

• 1st -- Thomas, LB Bruce Taylor
• 2nd -- Miller, Gayle, Fuller
• 3rd -- Davis, D. Hopkins, Collins, CB Antone Exum
• 4th -- LB Tariq Edwards, Roberts (KR)

What are your thoughts? Any omissions? Somebody not high enough or too high?

UPDATE: Taylor was also picked as a fourth-team All-American by Steele. Interesting, considering the injury he is coming off of. He was the only Hokies player picked.

Jim Weaver comfortable with Virginia Tech's position in ACC, doesn't see change happening

Amid all the conference realignment rumors and talk of a shift in the football landscape toward superconferences, Virginia Tech athletic director Jim Weaver feels comfortable with the Hokies' position in the ACC and doesn't foresee any change to that in the future.

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Weaver spoke about the latest bout of conference realignment talk in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon.

Despite Internet reports that Virginia Tech had sent out "feelers" to the Big 12, Weaver said there has been no contact with another conference.

"None whatsoever," he said.

Asked if it would take a seismic change in the football landscape for that position to change, Weaver said it was a tough question to answer.

"Because I think our president is very comfortable, our faculty representative is very comfortable, the leadership of this conference with the philosophical approach that the conference has to doing business," he said. "I just don’t see a lot of change in the Atlantic Coast Conference."

Weaver thought the Florida State president's statement last week in response to a board of trustees member's comments "takes a lot of steam out" of the realignment rumors floating in Tallahassee. He feels confident in the ACC's position, including the recently signed TV contract that has drawn so much criticism.

"Because we have our contract with one vendor," Weaver said. "And the platforms they have and the ways that we can be helped and the fact that we have a window of opportunity to look and see how things are occurring in the fifth and 10th year is very solid. So I’m OK with where we are and what we’re doing."

Virginia Tech lobbied hard for ACC inclusion in the first great realignment craze of this century, joining the league in 2004. Weaver has said repeatedly since then that it is the right fit for the school.

"Because we’re right smack dab in the footprint of the conference," he said. "We have a lot of similarities to a lot of institutions in the conference, such as Clemson, such as N.C. State, such as the University of Maryland, such as Florida State. In other words, land-grant institutions and peer-type institutions."

Weaver said financially he believes Virginia Tech is "doing all right," and that he likes being within driving distance of the four Carolina schools, Virginia, Maryland, Clemson and Georgia Tech, something that mitigates travel costs, particularly when you're talking about Olympic sports.

"It’s easier for our team and it’s easier for our fans to travel," he said.

As for what will happen in terms of realignment this summer, Weaver is skeptical that anything major will happen with regard to the ACC.

"No, I don’t think anything will come out of it," he said. "That’s personal opinion."

AD Jim Weaver: Cody Journell reinstatement decision won't come until summer

Virginia Tech athletic director Jim Weaver said a decision on suspended kicker Cody Journell’s status with the football team won’t be made until this summer.

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Journell was found guilty of misdemeanor trespassing Monday in relation to an incident from December. In a deal with the commonwealth's attorney, he’ll be required to do 100 hours of community service and will be on probation for 12 months.

Originally, he was charged with breaking and entering, a felony that required him to be suspended under university policy until the charge was dismissed or otherwise resolved.

Weaver, who is in charge of the reinstatement process, met with Journell and his parents Tuesday afternoon.

“I’m going to wait and take a look at things,” Weaver said. “He will meet with me once a month and we’ll see how things progress in terms of his obligations for 100 hours of community service.”

Weaver anticipates making a decision “sometime during the summer.”

Better know a ’12 opponent: Pittsburgh

We'll jump back into the opponent preview for 2012 today with Virginia Tech's Week 3 opponent (and future division rival) Pittsburgh.

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Coach: Paul Chryst (first season as head coach; former assistant with Wisconsin, Oregon State, San Diego Chargers and in Canadian Football League)

2011 record: 6-7 (4-3 Big East, t-4th), lost 28-6 to SMU in the BBVA Compass Bowl

Looking back: After the coaching transition nightmare from Dave Wannstedt to a few days of Mike Haywood, who was fired after a domestic violence incident, the Panthers rode one year on the Todd Graham train. Graham, who came from Tulsa, brought with him a spread offense and 3-4 defense. The switch, naturally, had some rough spots. Pitt started out 2-2, losing close non-conference games to Iowa and Notre Dame before crushing No. 16 South Florida 44-17 to open Big East play behind running back Ray Graham's 226 yards. It would prove to be the season's biggest highlight. The Panthers finished 4-3 in the Big East. Graham injured his knee against UConn in late October, and Pitt would go on to lose to Cincinnati and West Virginia, two teams who were part of a three-way tie for first, a game ahead of the Panthers. The end of the season brought more turmoil, with Graham bolting for Arizona State. An interim coach was on the sidelines for a blowout loss in the bowl game, although Chryst was officially hired at the end of December, perhaps ending the team's almost comical coaching carousel.

2011 stats/rankings: 

• Rushing offense: 140.31 ypg (74th nationally, 3rd Big East)
• Passing offense: 209.77 ypg (77th nationally, 6th Big East)
• Total offense: 350.08 ypg (88th nationally, 4th Big East)
• Scoring offense: 24.23 ppg (83rd nationally, 6th Big East)
• Rushing defense: 116.92 ypg (21st nationally, 5th Big East)
• Passing defense: 233.69 ypg (72nd nationally, 4th Big East)
• Total defense: 350.62 ypg (35th nationally, 4th Big East)
• Scoring defense: 22.85 ppg (38th nationally, 5th Big East)
• Turnover margin: -.08 (t-67th nationally, 7th Big East)

Offensive starters returning/lost: 8/3

Defensive starters returning/lost: 4/7

Losses: RB Zach Brown (336 yards, 5 TD), LT Greg Gaskins, G Lucas Nix (2nd Big East), RT Jordan Gibbs (2nd Big East), DT Chas Alecxih (2nd Big East, 57 tackles, 15.5 TFL, 6.5 sacks), DT Myles Caragein (44 tackles, 3.5 TFL), LB Max Gruder (2nd Big East, 116 tackles, 8.5 TFL), LB Brandon Lindsey (2nd Big East, 54 tackles, 11 TFL, 8.5 sacks), LB Greg Williams (49 tackles, 7 TFL), LB Tristan Roberts (57 tackles), CB Antwuan Reed (30 tackles, 3 FR), KR Buddy Jackson (23.6 avg., 1 TD)

Returnees: QB Tino Sunseri (2,616 yards, 10 TD, 11 INT), RB Ray Graham (1st Big East, 958 yards, 9 TD), WR Devin Street (53 catches, 754 yards 2 TD), WR Mike Shanahan (39 catches, 493 yards, 4 TD), TE Hubie Graham (325 yards, 3 TD), C Ryan Turnley, G Chris Jacobson, G Ryan Schlieper, DL Aaron Donald (1st Big East, 16 TFL, 11 sacks), LB Dan Mason (returning after being out two years with serious knee injury), OLB Todd Thomas (47 tackles), FS Jarred Holley (67 tackles, 5 TFL, INT), SS Andrew Taglianetti (49 tackles, INT), SS Jason Hendricks (36 tackles), CB K'Waun Williams (2nd Big East, 64 tackles, 5 TFL, INT), K Kevin Harper (21-31 FG), P Matt Yoklic (41.2 avg.)

2012 schedule: 

• Sept. 1: vs. Youngstown State
• Sept. 6: at Cincinnati
• Sept. 15: vs. Virginia Tech
• Sept. 22: vs. Gardner-Webb
• Oct. 5: at Syracuse
• Oct. 13: vs. Louisville
• Oct. 20: at Buffalo
• Oct. 27: vs. Temple
• Nov. 3: at Notre Dame
• Nov. 9: at Connecticut
• Nov. 24: vs. Rutgers
• Dec. 1: at South Florida

Strengths: The offense has almost all of its skill players back, including Sunseri, Graham (once he's 100 percent) and its two leading receivers. For Chryst, an offensive minded coach who helped Wisconsin get to back-to-back Rose Bowls, that's a good base to work with. Donald, at end, is as good a defensive player as there is in the league. And the Panthers return four players in the secondary who started at some point year (Holley, Taglianetti, Hendricks and Williams), giving them at least one area of their defense that's somewhat settled.

Weaknesses: Chryst's pro-style offenses with the Badgers were predicated on a strong offensive line, which is going to take some work at Pittsburgh this year. Three linemen who started the bowl game last year are gone, including two All-Big East second-teamers (Nix, Gibbs). Pitt will need to find that cohesion up front if Chryst wants his offense to have even a fraction of the success he had at Wisconsin. Defensively, the Panthers lost nearly their entire linebacking crew. Gruder, the team leader in tackles, was at the heart of it, but Lindsey and Williams were play-makers too. The staff is going back to a 4-3 defense, which some players still have familiarity with from Wannstedt's time, but it will be another year of adjusting.

Fun fact: (Via Wikipedia) "In 1914, Pitt athletic booster Joseph Trees and athletic director A.R. Hamilton hired Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner as Pitt's head coach. Warner, who had previously led Carlisle, Cornell and Georgia, had been successful at his previous stops, mentoring the likes of Jim Thorpe, and was known as an innovator of the game who originated the screen pass, single- and double-wing formations, and use of shoulder and thigh pads."

The Panthers went 60-12-4 in nine seasons under Warner, with three unbeaten seasons and a claim of three national championships from 1915-18. And yes, that is a picture of Warner during his time at Pitt in 1917. Click to embiggen.

Series with VT: Virginia Tech leads 7-4

• 2003: No. 25 Pittsburgh 31, No. 5 Virginia tech 28, in Pittsburgh
• 2002: Pittsburgh 28, No. 3 Virginia Tech 21, in Blacksburg
• 2001: Pittsburgh 38, No. 12 Virginia Tech 7, in Pittsburgh
• 2000: No. 2 Virginia Tech 37, Pittsburgh 34, in Blacksburg
• 1999: No. 3 Virginia Tech 30, Pittsburgh 17, in Pittsburgh
• 1998: No. 21 Virginia Tech 27, Pittsburgh 7, in Blacksburg
• 1997: Pittsburgh 30, No. 19 Virginia Tech 23, in Pittsburgh
• 1996: Virginia Tech 34, Pittsburgh 17, in Blacksburg
• 1995: Virginia Tech 26, Pittsburgh 16, in Pittsburgh
• 1994: No. 17 Virginia Tech 45, Pittsburgh 7, in Blacksburg
• 1993: Virginia Tech 63, Pittsburgh 21, in Pittsburgh

Place-kicker Cody Journell guilty of misdemeanor trespassing; status with team unresolved

CHRISTIANSBURG -- Suspended Virginia Tech place-kicker Cody Journell was found guilty of a lesser charge of misdemeanor trespassing in relation to an incident from December, potentially paving the way for his to return to the football team.

Journell, who was originally charged Dec. 22 with a felony of breaking and entering, pleaded not guilty in Montgomery County District Court on Monday but stipulated that the facts were considerable enough to result in a conviction to an amended misdemeanor charge.

He’ll do 100 hours of community service and received 12-months probation. He was credited with 10 days of served jail time, with the remainder of the year’s sentence suspended, provided he adheres to the terms of the deal.

“Cody was at the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people,” Journell’s lawyer Jimmy Turk said. “He’s happy to have it behind him.”

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Journell’s status with the football team remains unresolved. He declined comment after the hearing but said that he will likely meet with athletic department officials in the next week. He was allowed to remain in school since the incident but was suspended from the team indefinitely, per university policy, until the felony charge was somehow resolved.

Turk, who has represented many Virginia Tech athletes in the past, was optimistic Journell would be reinstated to the team.

“I absolutely hope so and I would think that would be the call,” he said.

Journell,20, and two others, Matthew Dunton, 23, and Matthew Brady, 21, were charged with breaking and entering on Dec. 22 after the commonwealth’s attorney said they entered the home of then-Virginia Tech basketball player Dorenzo Hudson and Hudson’s roommate, Sean Allen, looking to retrieve marijuana they say was stolen. Hudson was there; Allen was not.

Previous court testimony established that Dunton removed an air gun from a pizza box during the incident, which lasted about five to seven minutes.

Dunton also agreed to a plea deal Monday and was found guilty of brandishing an object similar in appearance to a firearm. Like Journell, he received a year’s suspended sentence, 100 hours of community service and 12 months of probation.

Neither Journell nor Dunton are to have any contact with Hudson.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Patrick Jensen said the reduced deal was offered because the gun was determined not to be real and therefore was not a deadly weapon, and because Hudson wished to put the incident behind him as he pursued a professional basketball career, possibly overseas.

“A real gun versus a little toy is a huge consideration,” Turk said.

Brady was offered a similar deal as Journell and Dunton but did not accept it, leading to an occasionally contentious preliminary hearing Monday afternoon that resulted in Judge Gino Williams deciding there is probable cause for a grand jury to consider Brady’s case.

He remains charged with breaking and entering with intent to commit assault, something Jensen said should go to the July term of the grand jury.

Jensen and Brady’s defense attorney, Thomas K. Plofchan Jr. of Loudoun County, offered different versions of what happened that night.

Hudson testified that he was awoken by Dunton knocking on his door while Journell and Brady stood off to the side. After Hudson answered the door, Dunton removed the air gun from a pizza box and began waving it around as the three entered the house.

Hudson said Journell raced upstairs looking for someone as Brady, who did most of the talking, kept saying, “Where is he? Where is he?” Hudson, who said he was nervous because a gun was in his face, responded that he didn’t know who they were talking about.

Plofchan argued that Brady never entered the house and didn’t have knowledge that Dunton had a gun, calling into question Hudson’s recollection of the evening’s events and his identification of the suspects.

Brady, who took the stand, said he and Journell went with Dunton as support for what he said was going to be a “discussion.” He said he had no knowledge Dunton had a gun and that it was Dunton who entered the house while he and Journell waited outside.

Brady testified that Hudson said, “I know where you live and we can settle this.” Dunton, Journell and Brady then left Hudson’s apartment in a car driven by their friend, John Deacon, who was not charged with a crime.

Testimony from December revealed that Hudson and Allen went searching for Brady and Dunton once the trio left, resulting in a physical altercation in front of Brady and Dunton’s apartment before police arrived. Hudson and Allen were also never charged with a crime.

Pfolchan asked Hudson Monday how he knew where Brady and Dunton lived. Hudson said their Lee Street address was on the pizza box Dunton used to conceal the gun.

Pfolchan then told Hudson, “You are not telling the truth are you?

“I am telling the truth,” Hudson replied.

In testimony Monday, it was revealed that Brady is suing Hudson for $125,000 in civil court for assault.

The defense argued bias against Hudson’s testimony about Brady because of this fact, while the commonwealth’s attorney countered that the lawsuit was filed after Brady was arrested and therefore Hudson could have shown no bias in identifying him as one of the suspects.

LB Dahman McKinnon enrolls as Virginia Tech's first summer school session begins

Virginia Tech's first summer school session begins today, with one of the Hokies' 2012 signees enrolling in class.

Dahman McKinnon, an outside linebacker from Hope Mill, N.C., is the only Virginia Tech signee who will participate in the first summer session, according to an email from John Ballein, Tech's director of football operations.

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The first session goes from today until June 30. More players will begin in the second summer session, which begins July 2 and ends Aug. 11.

The Hokies report for preseason practice on Aug. 1, beginning preparation for the season with the first of 21 practices the following day. Summer workouts and conditioning programs are independent of the coaches, who cannot work with players until they report as a team.

Virginia Tech had two January enrollees from its 2012 class -- running back J.C. Coleman and cornerback Donaldven Manning -- and another who grayshirted in 2011, defensive lineman Dewayne Alford.

Ask another team’s beat writer: Austin Peay

Steering away from the conference expansion talk for a second, here's the second part of the Austin Peay opponent preview. If you missed the first part Friday, you can read it here.

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Helping me out with Part II is Luke Thompson, the Austin Peay beat writer for The Leaf Chronicle in Clarksville, Tenn. You can read his stuff here and follow him on Twitter here.

To the questions ...

AB: What kind of tandem can quarterback Jake Ryan and wide receiver Devin Stark be? And can Ryan continue to make the same kind of strides he did from his sophomore to junior year?

LT: "This will be the fourth year playing together, so they should both know each other’s capabilities and tendencies by now. At 6-3, 206, Stark is a guy that can beat you deep and climb the ladder to win jump balls, like he did on an impressive touchdown catch over a well-positioned but helpless defensive back in the spring game. The biggest knock on him is probably his hands, which aren’t always as sure as coach Rick Christophel would like them to be on his No. 1 receiver.

"Ryan is out to prove that he’s the guy who threw eight touchdowns to two interceptions in his first three league games last season – including a win against co-league champs Eastern Kentucky – rather than the one who had just three touchdowns to eight interceptions in his other three full OVC games. In his defense, he was only at about 70 percent in those last two games because of a knee injury that forced him to miss two and half games. To really get to the next level, Ryan will have to make smarter decisions and find a way to hit the open deep receivers he consistently missed this spring."

AB: How will the Governors go about replacing second-team All-Ohio Valley Conference running back Ryan White? Did missing most of the spring because of a hamstring issue have a big effect on Wes Kitts’ presumed hold on the position?

LT: "The Govs don’t have anyone with the power/speed combination of White, but they do have a powerful, freight-train type back in 240-pound Reco Williams and an elusive, quick back in 5-3 (not a typo) Ean Pemberton, who provided several highlights while rushing for more than 100 yards in the spring game. Both of those guys took full advantage of some unexpected opportunities to show their value this spring. The most balanced runner, however, is still Kitts, and he definitely still enters the fall as No. 1 on the depth chart. But his injury this spring will only heighten the nagging questions about the durability of the compact, well-built 6-0, 211-pound senior."

AB: What are the biggest areas of improvement for a defense that ranked 104th in the Football Championship Subdivision last year after giving up over 400 yards a game?

"I hate to use coachspeak here, but the most valuable addition to this defense is probably experience, as it comes back pretty much intact with the exception of Amius Smith, who will be tough to replace at strong safety. The defense does have a couple of X-factors in cornerback J.J. Rutledge and defensive end Malcolm Goines. Rutledge, a hometown kid who went to Navy for a semester before deciding military life wasn’t for him, may be the fastest player on the team. Goines is a juco transfer who figures to get a shot at contributing immediately, and he told me he’s working hard this offseason with the goal of getting 'two sacks against Virginia Tech.' Dream big."

AB: Safety Antwaun Majors, last year’s leading tackler, seems poised for a big season. Is that the consensus around the team? And who else might have a big year on defense?

LT: "It’s never hard to find Majors on the football field, and not just because of his long, Ricky Williams-esque dreadlocks. The senior free safety is the unquestioned leader of the defense on and off the field, and no one is more active. He said all spring that what the defense really needs is more big plays, and he delivered in the spring game when he intercepted a tipped pass and took it back about 80 yards for the touchdown. He’s the top candidate to be the play-maker the team so desperately needs, but linebackers Darrick Dillard and Josh Carroll are also worth watching, while defensive end Earnest Smith is probably the best player on the defensive line."

AB: Austin Peay hasn’t won a conference title since 1977 and has had two winning seasons since 1985 (one, a 7-4 mark in 2007, under current head coach Rick Christophel). Where do the Governors fit in the Ohio Valley Conference discussion this season?

LT: "This is a program that only just returned to scholarship football in 2006, so Christophel and his staff would probably be among the first to tell you that they’re still in rebuilding mode, where the most important thing is improvement from year to year. It’s hard to see Austin Peay rising up out of the lower third in the league, though the Govs have pulled off some surprises in Christophel’s tenure. His gameplan revolves around old-fashioned power football and shortening the game – the Govs led the OVC in T.O.P. last year despite finishing near the bottom in every significant offensive and defensive category. It’s a strategy that occasionally works for a team that faces superior talent most of the time it takes the field."

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Final thoughts: Virginia Tech should win this game and win it big. Austin Peay isn't just an FCS team. It's a pretty low-level FCS team, one that just recently began playing teams from the FBS regularly.

You never say never, because the James Madison game is still fresh in peoples' minds from a few years ago. And coming off five days rest again because of the Labor Day night game against Georgia Tech will make for a short week, but the Hokies should be plenty wary of any kind of letdown after what happened a few years ago. Expect this one to be a comfortable win.