Tech Football Notebook: Hokie eyes will be glued to TV Thursday

BLACKSBURG — Many of Virginia Tech’s players will put off their normal Thursday night activities to watch Miami and Georgia Tech play on ESPN.

The outcome of that game will decide the Hokies’ ACC championship fate. If the Yellow Jackets win, Tech has a shot of making the title game. If Miami wins, Tech will be eliminated from contention.

“That’s something we’ll all be watching,” Tech senior offensive guard Nick Marshman said. “Ultimately we have to go out Saturday and handle our business (against Duke).”

Marshman and a lot of his teammates play the World War II simulation video game Call of Duty 5 after practice during the week, but he said he’d probably put the game away for a few hours to watch the Hurricanes and Yellow Jackets play.

Junior linebacker Cody Grimm plans on playing and watching at the same time.

“I actually have two TVs, so I can play on one and watch on the other, so that shouldn’t be a problem,” Grimm said.

So how does watching the TV affect Grimm’s video game playing?

“It hurts my kill to death ratio a little bit,” Grimm said with a laugh.

According to the ACC’s tiebreaking procedures, Virginia Tech would make it to Tampa for the ACC title game if it wins its final two games and Miami loses to Georgia Tech.

Defending decision

Senior tailback Dustin Pickle, a former walkon, had four carries all season before Thursday night’s game, yet his number was called when the Hokies faced a third-and-2 from their own 40.

He was dropped for a 1-yard loss. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor was sacked on fourth down and Miami snuffed out Tech’s last scoring chance.

“Pickle, I was just looking at the game film for (last year’s game at) Duke, and he busted one through there and got speed up in the hole. He’s fast. He catches the ball well. That’s part of the decision, too,” Tech coach Frank Beamer said.

Beamer said Miami did such a good job of hitting the gaps up front that nobody could have found a hole.

“He just got stuffed,” Beamer said.

Pickle’s teammates were confident he could get the job done. Miami’s defense just did a good job of stopping the play.

“To get him in the game like that, yeah he goes in a tough situation, but ultimately somebody’s got to go out there and do it,” Marshman said. “Coach (Billy) Hite had faith in him and put him out there.”

Love for Bud

Bud Foster’s demeanor hasn’t changed this week. His players can’t tell if his interview at Clemson went well or not.

“I’m trying to get something out of him, but as far as his mood or anything like that, it’s still the same,” senior linebacker Purnell Sturdivant said.

Foster interviewed Friday for the Clemson job, and he told reporters Monday that it went well.

That’s good news for Foster, but bad news for the Hokies, who have come to rely on Foster’s powerhouse defenses over the last several years.

“Obviously, we don’t want him to leave, but he’s done a great job,” Grimm said. “He deserves it.”

Senior cornerback Macho Harris said Tech wouldn’t be the same without Foster. But he is pulling for the coordinator.

“It’s my last year, you know, but he’s a great, great, great teacher, a great helper, a great father figure in our lives,” Harris said. “Just to have that piece — I’m not saying that he’s going to get that job — but just to have that piece missing, if he does get the job, it definitely will hurt me.

“The younger guys behind me, I know they’ll definitely be hurt.”