HT: 6-1 | WT: 211 | AGE: 19 | YR: Redshirt freshman
By Bill Curry
Special to ESPN.com
In America we love 1-on-1, man-to-man, winner-take-all confrontations. High Noon stakes get the adrenaline flowing, and if we don't have them in sport, we tend to create them.
We would love it if Michael Vick were taking on Keith Bulluck this Saturday, but football being the ultimate team sport, we'll have to settle for Virginia Tech vs. Syracuse.
Vick will prevail, and will get the rave reviews again, but much of the reason for that will be the fact that he plays on a better football team than Bulluck.
First things first: The best thing about this game for Vick and his team is that Donovan McNabb plays for the Philadelphia Eagles. McNabb might rather be with the Orangemen on Sundays, but for the time being he will have to find solace in the very large checks he receives.
Vick is just coming into his own and does not need to be matching wits or point production with the wily McNabb, holder of most of the Big East offensive records. As it stands, he can concentrate on working against a fairly good Syracuse defense with a terrific offense of his own.
He is overseeing a quality Big East offense. He has the support of a kicking game that makes huge plays in big games more often than any other team in the country, a hallmark of head coach Frank Beamer.
The team concept will be Vick's biggest ally. Because of Virginia Tech's great defense, Vick should get more possessions. He has more weapons (from the league-leading offense) at his disposal and will benefit from more big plays (from the kicking game) than Bulluck and his cohorts.
Aside from a few breathtaking runs, you can expect to see Vick play a more disciplined game. Despite his youth (he's just a redshirt freshman) he will make very few mistakes (has has thrown 5 TDs and just 3 incompletions in his last two games) and his team will win a big one. |
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HT: 6-3 | WT: 230 | AGE: 22 | YR: Senior
By Rod Gilmore
Special to ESPN.com
The thing to keep in mind is that Michael Vick is still a redshirt freshman. Although he has been outstanding for Virginia Tech, he hasn't quarterbacked a lot of games and hasn't been tested in a big game against the likes of Syracuse and linebacker Keith Bulluck.
Typically, defenses want to confuse a young quarterback. Looking at the Virginia Tech offense, Syracuse has a chance to confuse Vick based on the Hokies' tendencies. On first down the Hokies run the ball 78 percent of the time. Sticking to that tendency, Syracuse will load up on first down with an eight- or nine-man front and force the Hokies into second and long situations, a tough position for a quarterback.
Virginia Tech may try to change up and throw on first down, but that puts pressure on a young quarterback to make plays on first down. If you handle him on first down, Syracuse will have him in second-and-long, and I'd expect Syracuse to disguise its coverages, run some zone-blitz, and give him different looks so Vick is somewhat confused about what he is seeing. If they do it, the Orangeman defense can be effective against Vick.
In addition, Vick hasn't seen quality cornerbacks like the ones Syracuse has. Their cornerbacks play tight man-to-man coverage. While the Hokie receivers have been wide-open for Vick most of the season, he will find closer coverage this week. The Virginia Tech coaches have been telling Vick that his receivers can still catch the ball against tighter coverage. But in one game, I'm not sure he will be convinced he should still throw the ball when, for instance, Andre Davis is facing close coverage from Will Allen, Syracuse's top cornerback.
If Syracuse's coverage is good and tight, that will free up a player like Bulluck, a linebacker who runs extremely well on a fast Syracuse defense. Watching them on tape and talking to coaches, the Orangemen are not far off from the Penn State defense in terms of speed. So look for them to be able to run down Vick. |
