ESPN College Football

NEW ORLEANS -- If ever a coach had earned the right to be stubborn about his system, it'd be Bud Foster.

He has coordinated Virginia Tech's defense for the past 16 seasons, and the unit has finished in the top 12 nationally on 10 occasions (the Hokies currently rank 13th in total defense). He has had 34 players drafted in the NFL, 45 different players score touchdowns and at least one player earn All-America honors in all 16 seasons.

The pillars of Foster's defenses -- speed, athleticism, pressure, opportunistic play -- have become synonymous with Virginia Tech's program.

Foster could enter rooms with "My Way" blaring in the background if he wanted to. But he doesn't.

His success isn't tied to stubbornness. He has adapted over time, while maintaining an attacking foundation.

"It's changed a lot but it hasn't changed a lot," Foster said Friday. "We were more of an eight-man front group in the mid-1990s through probably the mid-2000s. You were seeing a lot more two-back offenses at that time. ... We've just tweaked things year in and year out. We're always trying to make it a little better."

Michigan made more than a few tweaks in its offense this year, as coordinator Al Borges integrated some of his pro-style elements while maintaining a spread framework. The results were predictably choppy, but Michigan still scored more points (410) than it did in 2010, when the offense set several team and individual records.

Although Foster has led the Virginia Tech defense since 1995 and Borges had led the Michigan offense only since January, both have benefited from being flexible.

"He's like we have been offensively," Borges said of Foster. "Their defense is ever-evolving."

The next step in the evolution takes place Tuesday night at the Allstate Sugar Bowl, as Virginia Tech's defense and Michigan's offense square off in a fascinating matchup.

Both units faced some obstacles to reach this point. A look at Virginia Tech's defensive depth chart shows seven sophomores and a freshman in the starting lineup. The Hokies were hit particularly hard by injuries this season, losing starters Antoine Hopkins, Jeron Gouveia-Winslow and Bruce Taylor as well as key reserves like Kwamaine Battle.

Despite the losses and the abundance of youth, Virginia Tech maintained its standards on defense, ranking in the top 20 nationally in scoring defense (17.2 ppg), total defense (313.9), pass-efficiency defense (111.8), rushing defense (107.8 ypg) and sacks (2.92 spg).

"[Foster] has enough flexibility," Borges said. "He's been there a long time. That system, although he's got some young players, that system that he has ... they know it. ... You're not teaching every little tiny thing, and you can start dealing more with nuance and things like that. Bud's at that point because he's been there so long."

Borges inherited a more seasoned offense and benefited from a lack of major injuries. His challenge was blending what he had done for decades with personnel suited to a vastly different scheme, particularly junior quarterback Denard Robinson.

"You can see they've done a great job adapting to their talent," Foster said. "But then, there's nothing real fancy about them, either. They're going to line up and hit you in the mouth and be physical."

Virginia Tech must not only contain Robinson on Tuesday night but be wary of Michigan's power game, which features sophomore running back Fitzgerald Toussaint and a big offensive line led by All-America center David Molk.

While the Hokies boast good size at defensive tackle, they're giving up a few pounds elsewhere. Sophomore defensive end J.R. Collins checks in at 240, while outside linebacker Alonzo Tweedy weighs just 189 pounds.

"We obviously have to get off on the football and be physical," Foster said. "That's what [Michigan] is going to do."

Virginia Tech has faced mobile quarterbacks in the past -- former West Virginia star Pat White among them -- and practiced against one the past few seasons in Tyrod Taylor. But linebacker Jack Fuller said Robinson gives the Hokies a look they haven't seen this season.

The closest comparison, according to Tyler, is Clemson's Tajh Boyd, who torched the Hokies in the ACC title game (240 pass yards, 3 TDs).

"But [Boyd's] not much of a scrambler," Fuller said. "He's quick and he can run the ball, but they look for Denard to run the ball. They have set plays for him and that's part of their offense, getting him to run the ball and getting that extra blocker."

Michigan also must adjust to some different elements from Virginia Tech, which doesn't shy away from press coverage and has the athletes to do so.

"It is a challenge," Robinson said. "They have some unique defenses and great athletes."

Added Toussaint: "They are very athletic at every position and play every play with maximum effort."

Virginia Tech's defense and Michigan's offense both should be improved in 2012, as only a handful of players depart each unit.

Both groups will look to use Tuesday night's game as a springboard.

"This is a big step for all of us," Toussaint said.

Here’s a look at 10 thinks to keep an eye on in Week 11, in no particular order:

1. Virginia Tech’s defensive changes. Coordinator Bud Foster has revamped his starting lineup in preparation for Georgia Tech’s spread option offense. Jack Tyler will get his first start of the season at middle linebacker, and defensive end J.R. Collins will move to defensive tackle. Tyrel Wilson will take Collins’s spot at defensive end, and for the second straight year, cornerback Kyle Fuller will play linebacker. There are a lot of redshirt sophomores in the lineup who will get their first look at the Jackets’ unique offense. How they handle that -- some in new positions -- will be critical.

2. Georgia Tech’s rushing defense. The Yellow Jackets have allowed four different 100 yard ACC rushers this season, and Virginia Tech’s David Wilson is looking for his ninth 100-yard game of the season. The Jackets played well in their upset win over Clemson, but can they make the stops against the nation’s leading rusher and get the Hokies off the field?

3. The ACC standings. This is a critical week for the conference race. Clemson can clinch the Atlantic Division with a win over Wake Forest, Virginia Tech can eliminate Georgia Tech and Miami with a win in Atlanta, and Georgia Tech can move into a tie for first place with Virginia with a win.

4. Clemson running back Andre Ellington: He missed the Georgia Tech game with an ankle injury, and Clemson in turn missed him. Ellington is not only the team’s top rusher, but his ability to block and hang onto the ball should be a noticeable upgrade to Clemson’s offense against Wake Forest.

5. Standout receivers in Death Valley. The ACC’s top two receivers in receptions/per game will highlight Saturday’s matchup. Wake Forest junior wide receiver Chris Givens is 68 receiving yards away from tying Ricky Proehl’s single-season record of 1,053 which he set during the 1989 season. Clemson’s Sammy Watkins is No. 2 in the ACC at 108 receiving yards per game, while Givens leads with 109.4.

6. Miami running back Lamar Miller against the nation’s No. 3 rushing defense. Florida State is holding opponents to just 78.89 rushing yards per game, but Miller is coming off a 147-yard performance against Duke and became the program’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2002.

7. Florida State’s receivers against Miami’s secondary. A total of 10 Seminoles with at least five receptions are averaging more than 10.5 yards per catch. No team in the nation has more receivers averaging 10.5 yards per reception with a minimum of five catches. Miami’s defense can’t key in on one player, and the Canes rank No. 95 in pass efficiency defense.

8. Duke’s passing game against Virginia’s defense. The Hoos are No. 20 in the country in pass efficiency defense, and Duke has the No. 3 passing offense in the ACC. Virginia safety Rodney McLeod had three interceptions last weekend against Maryland, but Duke receivers Conner Vernon and Donovan Varner are two of the best in the league.

9. NC State receiver T.J. Graham. He needs 55 yards to break the ACC career kickoff return mark. Earlier this season, Graham became the first Wolfpack receiver with three consecutive games with more than 100 yards since Jerricho Cotchery had five straight at the end of 2003.

10. Maryland’s red zone defense. Over the past four games, Notre Dame has converted 17 red zone trips into 15 touchdowns. That is the highest touchdown percentage on red zone visits for the Irish over any four-game stretch since 2000. As much as Maryland’s defense has struggled this year, the Terps have fared well in the red zone, and are tied for No. 20 in the country in red zone efficiency defense.

It was a busy weekend in the ACC. Here's a look back at the highlights from the scrimmages, according to the sports information departments of the teams that provided reports:

BOSTON COLLEGE

Coach Frank Spaziani told reporters after the 70-minute scrimmage that there were some good things, but "it's like a jigsaw puzzle with all the pieces in the box; they're not connected yet."

Offensive highlights:

• Quarterback Chase Rettig completed 12 of 19 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns. “I think Chase showed the progress he's been making,” Spaziani said. “The obvious things were fine; there were some subtle things he needs to work on.”
• Rettig connected on passes of 10 yards six times, including a 30-yard pass to Colin Larmond, Jr., a 24-yard touchdown pass down the middle of the field to receiver Bobby Swigert and a 3-yard touchdown pass to senior captain Ifeanyi Momah.
• Larmond (3 receptions for 53 yards), Swigert (3-for-33), junior receiver Donte Elliott (3-for-37) and redshirt freshman tight end Jarrett Darmstatter (3-for-16) led a total of 12 receivers that registered at least one reception each.
• Rettig and fellow quarterbacks Mike Marscovetra and Dave Shinskie combined for four touchdowns as Marscovetra went 6-for-9 for 30 yards and a touchdown pass of five yards to junior receiver Hampton Hughes and Shinskie connected on 4-of-5 passes for 38 yards and a touchdown to sophomore tight end Mike Naples.
• Tailback Rolandan Finch carried the ball 10 times for a total of 30 yards to lead all running backs while sophomore Andre Williams broke free for a 20-yard touchdown run during red zone drills. Williams finished with five attempts for 21 yards and redshirt freshman Tahj Kimble accounted for 20 yards on five carries.

Defensive highlights:

• Linebacker Nick Clancy and defensive back Sean Sylvia led the team with four tackles each.
• Sophomore linebacker Jake Sinkovec had one interception and one fumble recovery.

CLEMSON

Quarterback Tajh Boyd had an impressive performance, as he completed 10 of 12 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown to highlight the new offense in Clemson’s 75-play scrimmage in Memorial Stadium on Saturday morning.

Offensive highlights:

• Boyd completed each of his final eight passes to six different receivers. He threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to receiver DeAndre Hopkins, then connected on a 3-yard score to Dwayne Allen in a goal-line situation.
• Allen had three receptions for 66 yards, including a diving catch over the middle for 14 yards and a first down. Brandon Ford had three receptions for 37 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown pass from Cole Stoudt.
• Stoudt was 4-of-14 passing, but threw for 71 yards and two touchdowns, one to Ford and one to Bryce McNeal (23 yards).
• Rod McDowell was the leading rusher with four carries for 68 yards, including a 39-yarder on his first carry of the day. Andre Ellington had five rushes for 41 yards and added two receptions, while freshman Mike Bellamy had five carries for 40 yards.

Defensive highlights:

• The first-team defense did not allow a scoring drive.
• Martin Jenkins led the team with seven tackles, including a tackle for loss.
• Corico Hawkins had five tackles and a fumble recovery, while freshman defensive end Corey Crawford had five stops, including a sack.

Special teams highlights:

• Clemson’s three kickers, Chandler Catanzaro, Ammon Lakip and Brian Symmes were a combined 16-of-16 on the day in field goal attempts and extra points against a live rush.

Notable:

• Three Tigers missed the scrimmage because they were going through graduation exercises across the street from Memorial Stadium in Littlejohn Coliseum. Starting offensive tackle Landon Walker, starting safety Rashard Hall and reserve defensive end Kourtnei Brown all graduated from Clemson on Saturday. It was especially noteworthy for Hall, who has been at Clemson just three years. He joins Nick Eason (now in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals) as the only scholarship football players to graduate with two years of athletic eligibility remaining.
• Four players missed the scrimmage due to injury. Those players were defensive back Xavier Brewer (sprained foot), defensive back Garry Peters (bruised calf), Andre Branch (head injury), DeShawn Williams (sprained ankle).

GEORGIA TECH

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson had mixed reviews after the Yellow Jackets' first scrimmage, which ran 90 minutes inside Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday morning.

"It was like a lot of first scrimmages, there were way too many balls on the ground and way too many penalties," Johnson said. "But we hit some big plays. When you play against each other there's positives and negatives on both sides. It's a starting place and we'll look at it and try to make some improvements."

Offensive highlights:

• While no official statistics were kept, quarterback Tevin Washington passed for well over 100 yards, including a 63-yarder to senior A-back Roddy Jones. Redshirt freshman quarterback Synjyn Days threw the only touchdown of the day, to true freshman Jeff Greene.
• Greene ran with the first unit Saturday as most of the veterans -- junior Stephen Hill, senior Tyler Melton, sophomore Jeremy Moore and junior Daniel McKayhan -- all sat out with injuries.
• Washington scored the only other touchdown Saturday on a 1-yard QB keeper.

Defensive highlights:

• Defensive end Emmanuel Dieke had a sack, true freshman Jamal Golden intercepted a Vad Lee pass, and Steven Sylvester and Isaiah Johnson both recovered fumbles.

Special teams highlights:

• Sophomore Justin Moore booted a 45-yard field goal on his only attempt.
• David Scully's 52-yard attempt was long enough, but just wide left.

MIAMI

The most important news out of Miami's first scrimmage was that quarterbacks Jacory Harris and Stephen Morris combined for five touchdown passes and only one interception. That sounds like improvement. Miami's quarterbacks combined for 407 passing yards on 38-of-52 passing for six touchdowns and only one interception.

Offensive highlights:

• Receiver Tommy Streeter had the best offensive day for the Canes, catching five passes for 71 yards and three touchdowns, two of which came from Harris.
• Lamar Miller had runs of 16 and 31 yards on the opening drive.

Defensive highlights:

• Senior defensive back JoJo Nicolas led all defenders with eight tackles (six solo), with two tackles for loss.
• Ramon Buchanan and freshman Gionni Paul and each had six total tackles, with Paul also recording a tackle for loss.
• The defense totaled eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage for a total loss of 29 yards

VIRGINIA TECH

The Hokies' offense was the highlight, but what does that mean for the defense? Coach Frank Beamer pointed out that there were some long plays allowed, as the offense racked up 398 yards of total offense in the 78-play scrimmage at Lane Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The touchdowns came against Tech's second- or third-team defense, though, so the jury is still out.

"I thought it was a good first scrimmage -- better than most," Beamer said, according to the team's scrimmage report. "You take into consideration that you're trying to get everyone some work, people who don't know quite what they're doing, and that makes things a little ragged. I thought overall, though, it was a sharp scrimmage. The quarterbacks made some nice plays and Wilson got a couple of long plays against the defense, and we need to see what's going on there. Overall, the effort was good and the play was good."

Offensive highlights:

• Backup quarterback Mark Leal led the quarterbacks with 116 yards passing, completing 6 of 13. He also threw an interception. Beamer said Leal is No. 2 on the depth chart behind Logan Thomas. Ju-Ju Clayton, who has dropped to No. 3 on the depth chart, completed 6 of 10 for 51 yards, while starter Thomas completed 4 of 8 for 79 yards, with an interception, in limited action.
• Tailback David Wilson scored against the Hokies' second-team defense on a 22-yard run. Wilson led all rushers with 57 yards on five carries. Freshman Michael Holmes added 54 yards rushing on a game-high 11 carries.

Defensive highlights:

• Freshman tackle Luther Maddy led the team with eight tackles, including two for a loss, and a sack. Freshman Michael Cole added six tackles, while Telvion Clark and Jack Tyler each finished with four.
• Barquell Rivers had three tackles and an interception.
• Jayron Hosley and freshman Ronny Vandyke also had interceptions. Hosley intercepted a Logan Thomas pass, while Vandyke intercepted a Trey Gresh attempt.

Special teams highlights:

• The kickers connected on 5-of-6 attempts. Cody Journell hit from 35, 22 and 35 yards, while Justin Myer drilled a 52-yarder and a 28-yarder. "Cody's kicking extremely well," Beamer said. "Myer has a load of potential, and he needs to win some of the kicking contests during the week. That shows consistency, and that's where he is right now. Cody is usually winning it or right in the running at the end."

You are going to argue about this. How do I know? Because I'm still arguing with myself over it ...

1. Boston College: Luke Kuechly is one of the best in the country, but he’s not alone. The Eagles also have Kevin Pierre-Louis, who ranked second nationally among all freshmen in tackles per game last season with 7.15 -- ninth in the ACC. It won’t be easy to replace Mark Herzlich, on or off the field, but Steele Divitto played in 11 games last season, and Nick Clancy and Will Thompson both saw time on the second team.

2. Florida State: The Noles had to replace two starters, including Kendall Smith, the team’s second-leading tackler, last season, and Mister Alexander, but the upcoming talent could be even better. Nigel Bradham led the team with 98 tackles and five pass breakups last season, and Christian Jones, Jeff Luc, Telvin Smith and Vince Williams will also be competing for playing time.

3. Miami: Sean Spence, who has 30 career starts, should be one of the best in the country, and Ramon Buchanon, another senior, also returns. The Canes have five other linebackers with experience in Kelvin Cain, who started seven games, Jordan Futch, who had a great spring and will see the field, Tyrone Cornelius, Shayon Green and C.J. Holton.

4. North Carolina: Kevin Reddick, who led the Tar Heels with 74 tackles last season, returns for his third season as starter. Zach Brown is also a returning starter with game-changing capabilities, and there is plenty of depth with Dion Guy, Darius Lipford, Ebele Okakpu and Herman Davidson. Junior college transfer Fabby Desir could also have an impact.

5. NC State: Audie Cole and Terrell Manning have combined for 39 career starts, and Cole fared well this spring moving to the middle to replace Nate Irving. With the return of Sterling Lucas, Dwayne Maddox and Colby Jackson, there is plenty of experience, but not quite as much depth as some other programs.

6. Georgia Tech: The Jackets return both starters in Steven Sylvester and Julian Burnett. There is no shortage of depth with Jeremy Attaochu, Quayshawn Nealey, Brandon Watts, Albert Rocker, Malcolm Munroe and Daniel Drummond.

7. Clemson: This group has a lot of potential, especially if true freshmen Tony Steward and Stephone Anthony make an immediate impact. There’s no question they’ll be given a chance, but the Tigers already have a good group with Corico Hawkins, Quandon Christian and Jonathan Willard.

8. Virginia Tech: It seems like this rotation has been in flux for a while now. The Hokies’ leading tackler returns in Bruce Taylor, Barquell Rivers had 96 tackles as a starter in 2009 but was injured last season, and there are several young players adding to the competition. Chase Williams, Tariq Edwards, Telvion Clark and Jack Tyler are only a few. Whip linebacker Jeron Gouveia-Winslow will have to earn his spot back over Alonzo Tweedy, Dominique Patterson and Nick Dew.

9. Maryland: The Terps were hit hard here with the losses of Alex Wujciak (381 career tackles) and Adrian Moten (14.5 career sacks). Demetrius Hartsfield returns with 20 career starts, and there are four lettermen returning including Darin Drakeford, Isaiah Ross, David Mackall and Bradley Johnson.

10. Wake Forest: Kyle Wilber’s move to outside linebacker will give this position a boost, as he led the Deacs with 14.5 tackles for loss and six sacks last season. His backup is Gelo Orange (22 tackles). The Deacs also have Tristan Dorty, Joey Ehrmann, Mike Olsen, Scott Betros, Riley Haynes and Justin Jackson.

11. Virginia: Starters LaRoy Reynolds and Ausar Walcott both return, but neither has started more than 11 career games. Junior Steve Greer has prior starting experience but played mainly as a reserve last season. Adam Taliaferro, Conner McCartin, Tucker Windle and LoVante Battle are also in the mix for playing time.

12. Duke: Kelby Brown is the lone returning starter, but he’s a promising young player who led the nation last season as a freshman in fumbles recovered. He missed spring ball while recovering from a knee injury, but is expected to start with Tyree Glover or Kevin Rojas.

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said linebacker Lyndell Gibson, flanker Austin Fuller and cornerback Jacob Sykes are transferring at the end of the semester.

"We certainly wish each of these guys the best of luck and will help them in any way we can," Beamer said on his teleconference Monday to preview spring football. "With that said, I will not have any further comment on this."

Gibson, the Hokies' starting inside linebacker, was charged with a DUI in February. He would have missed spring practices because of December surgery on his left shoulder, which he broke in the first half of the ACC championship game against Florida State. Gibson had started the previous 18 games, including all 13 in 2010. He had 66 tackles last year, including six for loss and two sacks. He also had a pass breakup, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.

Fuller played in 10 games last year and had one catch. Sykes, a backup, had nine tackles and two pass breakups in three seasons.

Without Gibson, Beamer said the spring depth chart at linebacker is as follows:

MIKE: Bruce Taylor, Jack Tyler, Barquell Rivers

BACKER: Tariq Edwards, Chase Williams, Telvion Clark.

"It will be interesting to see how that linebacker position works its way out," Beamer said.

MIAMI -- There are no lineup changes for Virginia Tech, other than the ones you already know about -- Darren Evans starting at tailback, and former walk-on Jack Tyler will get his first start at mike linebacker with Bruce Taylor sliding over to the backer spot.

It will be an unusual rotation at linebacker, as Taylor started all 13 games this year at the mike spot and will replace Lyndell Gibson, who started all 13 games at the backer spot, but was injured in the ACC championship game. Tariq Edwards will play backer as well, allowing Taylor to move back to the mike spot during the game. Taylor had said earlier this week he couldn't ever remember another time he had played two positions, but he was eager to try it.

Stanford had no lineup changes, but offensive guard James McGillicuddy, who likes to switch jerseys to keep things interesting, could be wearing No. 11 Monday night. Just look for the 307-pound guy moving around back there.

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster said redshirt freshman linebacker Jack Tyler will start against Stanford in the Discover Orange Bowl, and Bruce Taylor will start at the "backer" position and rotate at middle linebacker as well. The rotation will also include redshirt freshman Tariq Edwards.

Foster said he had lingering concerns about the mobility of Barquell Rivers, a projected starter this season who has yet to see the field because of injury, but that Rivers was "much better" in Thursday's practice. How much Rivers plays, if at all, remains to be seen.

"He had a little bit of massage to him and a little heat therapy and that kind of thing, kind of warmed him up prior to going out, and he moved a little bit better," Foster said. "But he can play great. I know the biggest thing, I know Mike Goforth is going to sit down and talk with him. And Barquell is a prideful kid; I think he'd tell me everything I wanted to hear, you know, that he's ready to play. But I also want to know does he feel like he can perform at a high level and at the level that he's got to play at for us to be successful. And I think Mike is going to sit down with him and talk that over and kind of feel him out a little bit from that standpoint."

Foster said Tyler is "a playmaker" and likes his experience at the Mike position.

"I think he's a little bit more physical guy than Tariq," Foster said. "Not to say that Tariq is not going to be a good football player; I think Tariq is going to be a very, very good football player for us. But with this offense, what they're doing, they'll be running the football. Jack is a very -- he has good vision, very instinctive guy, and it's just kind of a gut feeling for me from that standpoint.

"But you're going to see -- Bruce is a guy, he's a heady football player. We've practiced him the last two weeks at our backer spot. He can play Mike and he will play Mike, and Tariq is going to play. But I just felt like going in with this offense, what their strengths are, we need to match what our strengths could be as far as that position goes."

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Before he was injured, Virginia Tech linebacker Barquell Rivers gave his teammate Bruce Taylor some friendly advice.

He told Taylor to learn his position “in case something happens.”

Some things happened.

First, Rivers suffered a torn quad and missed the entire regular season. Then, in the ACC championship game, starter Lyndell Gibson was sidelined with a season-ending shoulder injury, and Taylor was injured, forcing redshirt freshmen Jack Tyler and Tariq Edwards into integral roles. They could continue to be impact players against Stanford in the Discover Orange Bowl. This week’s practices are likely to determine the Hokies’ starting lineup and rotation, which is currently unsettled.

The good news is that Taylor is healthy enough to play two positions, both “backer” and middle linebacker.

“It’s the first time I’ve done anything like that before, but Coach [Bud] Foster was telling me a few years back he had some guys who played both positions,” Taylor said. “He knows what he’s doing. He’s a great coach. I know we’ll be fine.”

Part of that is because Taylor took Rivers’ advice and kept up with the backer position during the year. He said he knows it now “except for a few little things.” Taylor said Rivers will play, but this week will determine how much. Edwards is listed as a starter on the two-deep depth chart against Stanford.

“If I have to come in as a backup, that will be fine as well,” he said. “We’re all prepared.

Tyler agreed, and said that his time in the ACC championship game did wonders for the confidence of those around him.

“It didn’t just help mine, I think it helped some of the players and coaches have more confidence in me,” he said. “I knew my abilities going in, but I think some coaches and players alongside of me, they might not have had as much confidence as they do now. I think it was more for them.”

Regardless of who lines up against Stanford, all of them said they’ll be prepared.

“It’s a little rambunctious right now, but Coach Foster, he knows what we’re doing. We all have our roles. We all know what we’re game planning for. We know game time is not going to be a big cluster. We’re going to know what we’re doing and be prepared to go out and win.”

Heather Dinich talks with Virginia Tech linebacker Jack Tyler about facing Stanford.

You couldn't ask for much more from the Hokies right now, considering they'll enter the Discover Orange Bowl on an 11-game winning streak after having gone undefeated in ACC play. They're one of the best teams in the country since their 0-2 start, but there's one position that's a little unsettled heading into the matchup against Stanford.

Who's going to have to step up?

The linebackers. With starter Lyndell Gibson out with a fractured shoulder blade, Tariq Edwards is likely the next man up. He has 21 tackles, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery this year. There could be a rotation at linebacker, though, with Bruce Taylor and Jack Tyler, who has 20 tackles, including five for loss this year. Taylor could be playing two positions, as he is listed as the starter at mike but also the backup to Edwards. Edwards and Tyler, both redshirt freshmen, will see increased playing time against an offense that ranks No. 8 in the country with 40.33 points per game.

As usual, here are your 10 things to watch in the ACC this week, in no particular order:

1. Miami freshman quarterback Stephen Morris. Morris, a true freshman who just a few weeks ago was the Hurricanes’ fourth-string quarterback, is likely to get his first start on Saturday against Maryland in place of injured starter Jacory Harris (concussion). The staff is confident in him, but freshman mistakes are hard to avoid.

2. Miami’s running game without Damien Berry. As if losing their starting quarterback wasn’t enough, the Canes will also be without their leading rusher. Miami has depth at the position, but Maryland has held its four ACC opponents to just 1.9 yards per carry, the best run defense in the league.

3. Tajh Boyd appearances in Death Valley. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said this week that backup quarterback Tajh Boyd will play, but when and how much remains to be seen. Starter Kyle Parker would have to have a disastrous game to be benched, but taking him out even for a series or two could disrupt the flow of the game.

4. Virginia’s secondary vs. Duke quarterback Sean Renfree. Both are coming off record-setting performances this past weekend. Virginia tied a school single-game record with five interceptions against Miami, doubling its total for the season in one day. And Renfree set a school record for single-game completion percentage with .993 (28 of 30) in the win over Navy.

5. The ACC’s rushing record by a quarterback. Needing only 44 rushing yards to set the ACC record heading into the Clemson game, many of us thought Georgia Tech quarterback Joshua Nesbitt would set the record on Oct. 23. Instead, he was held to two yards. Now, heading into the Virginia Tech game, Nesbitt needs 42 yards to become the ACC’s most prolific rushing quarterback.

6. Al Groh’s defense. Georgia Tech is undefeated when holding opponents to 24 points or less. Unfortunately for the Jackets, Virginia Tech is averaging 37 points per game.

7. Bruce Taylor’s backup. The Hokies’ leading tackler is listed as probable with an ankle injury for the Georgia Tech game. If he can’t go, it will be up to former walk-on and redshirt freshman Jack Tyler. Georgia Tech’s run-based offense is suited to Tyler’s strengths, but Taylor would obviously be missed.

8. Turnovers in Tallahassee. Florida State has lost the ball 12 times this year, and six of those turnovers have come in the past two games. The Noles were fortunate to beat BC after four turnovers, but a fumble inside the 10-yard line in the fourth quarter against NC State proved costly.

9. ACC’s junior rushing record. Boston College running back Montel Harris is just 80 yards away from running for more yards than any junior in conference history. North Carolina’s Amos Lawrence currently holds the record. He rushed for 3,273 yards in his first three seasons in Chapel Hill. Harris has accumulated 3,194 yards through the first 34 games of his career.

10. UNC in the fourth quarter. Carolina is outscoring its opponents 59-19 in the fourth quarter this season. The Tar Heels have not allowed more than seven points to any team this season in the fourth quarter. The only three teams to score on the Tar Heels in the fourth quarter this year are Miami (7 points), Clemson (6 points) and Georgia Tech (6 points).