Jake Johnson News

5, 2009. Mark Ingram wins closest Heisman race ever REPLAY SLIDESHOW

During Virginia Tech strong safety Davon Morgan's high school days, he didn't have to look far to find a good measuring stick for success.

Ryan Williams' first-quarter touchdown plunge gave him the Tech freshman record for touchdowns.

Losing your job is a powerful motivator - at least, apparently, in the case of linebacker Jake Johnson.

Along with his usual study of Virginia Tech's defensive game plan, Jake Johnson spent part of last week reading a text that has nothing to do with football.

Its primary goal - the Atlantic Coast Conference title - no longer within reach, Virginia Tech instead focused on avoiding a letdown Saturday against reeling Maryland.

Virginia Tech 's poise and motivation faced their sternest tests Thursday. The Hokies passed both in a 16-3 road victory at East Carolina.

Consecutive losses have put a huge dent in the Virginia Tech football team, which was ranked fourth in the nation, but have slipped to 22nd, and are now tied for third in the ACC's Coastal Division.

Lyndell Gibson has moved from the outhouse to the penthouse in a hurry. Now, the Virginia Tech redshirt freshman linebacker will find out how he can handle prosperity.

The steely, how-dare-you glare has been flashed time and again in recent seasons, every time a reporter asks Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer about offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring and his fitness to continue calling the plays.

Making their second trip down to Atlanta in six weeks, the Hokies expect a much different style of play from a No.

The stout defense that has been a hallmark of Virginia Tech 's rise in national prominence hasn't been its consistently stingy self this season.

In all its glory, a makeshift Sean Glennon jersey hangs in the Virginia Tech memorabilia room.

In the postgame celebration Saturday after Virginia Tech 's 48-14 win against Boston College, it didn't take long for conversation to turn to this weekend's key Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division matchup at Georgia Tech.

The game Boston College at Virginia Tech , noon, WGNT, 790 AM About Boston College The Eaglesa TM offense seems to have found its identity with the emergence of QB Dave Shinskie, a 25-year-old freshman who was formerly a minor league pitcher.

The numbers sounded like they were straight off somebody's lotto ticket --26, 34, 48, 55 and 74.

On Duke's opening drive of the third quarter, facing third-and-11, Thaddeus Lewis hit WR Conner Vernon over the middle ... where CB Stephan Virgil promptly whiffed on an arm tackle.

Bet there's a bunch of Tech fans skittish as the Hokies head to the fourth quarter with only a 20-13 lead at Duke.

Though Virginia Tech 's Barquell Rivers reveled in last Saturday's 31-7 win against Miami as much as the rest of his teammates did, one play caused his day to be less than perfect.

Last year: Statesville trailed late, but drove down the field and scored with 16 seconds left to win 20-17. Last week: Statesville was idle; Carson displayed a deft passing touch and routed Concord Robinson 42-12. Outlook: It will be interesting to see what sort of tweaks, if any, Statesville presents after its bye week.