Hokies look at tonight's game as the start of a new season

First, a brief recap of Virginia Tech’s season to this point. Its offense has struggled. Its defense has been susceptible to the big play. Its special teams have been anything but special. And it lost three games quicker than in any of its previous 15 seasons.

The Hokies can erase all that from their memories, though, because none of it matters.

A new season begins tonight when they host No. 23 Maryland in a nationally televised game at Lane Stadium.

Tech (5-3, 2-2 ACC) is the only ACC Coastal Division team that still controls its own fate. It can stamp its ticket to Tampa, site of this year’s ACC championship game, with wins in its final four games.

“It comes down to a four-game season. Everything we’ve done, good or bad is over with,” Hokies senior defensive end Orion Martin said. “We just have to concentrate on these last four games and make the most of it.”

Tonight’s game might be the biggest challenge left for the youthful Hokies, who are trying to avoid their first three-game losing streak since 2002.

The Terrapins (6-2, 3-1) are the only ranked team remaining on the schedule, and Tech will likely face them without its top two quarterbacks.

Starter Tyrod Taylor and backup Sean Glennon, both of whom suffered high left ankle sprains Oct. 25 at Florida State, are questionable, which means senior Cory Holt is in line to make his first career start.

Holt’s inexperience at quarterback — he practiced at wide receiver for most of this season — probably means the Hokies will rely heavily on a run game that struggled mightily in road losses to Boston College and Florida State in their last two games.

Starting tailback Darren Evans, Tech’s leading rusher with 519 yards, and backup Josh Oglesby combined to rush for only 88 yards in the loss to FSU. A week earlier at BC, the two had a total of 40 rushing yards.

Junior Jahre Cheeseman, who spent some time at fullback earlier this season, moved back into the tailback rotation after the Florida State loss to give the Hokies’ run game an extra “spark,” Tech coach Frank Beamer said.

Beamer said Tuesday that Cheeseman, who has four rushing attempts this season despite averaging 6.16 yards per carry in his career, would see action tonight.

“I think we’d like for (our run game) to be better, there’s no question about that,” Beamer said. “Having Tyrod in there helps that situation. I think we are getting better. Sometimes it doesn’t show, but I think sometimes who you’re playing against affects that, but I do think we’re better at this very moment.”

It might take Tech fans a few minutes to get used to seeing Hokies players in person again. After all, it’s been 33 days since they last played a game at Lane Stadium.

After a brutal opening stretch that included road games against No. 19 North Carolina, Nebraska, Boston College and No. 22 FSU, Tech has the luxury of playing three of its last four games at home.

That certainly plays in the Hokies’ favor, but they still have a lot of work to do to ensure a return trip to the ACC championship game.

“When you look at it, all those teams we play are going to be tough physical games but I think being in Lane for three of those games is going to help out a lot,” Martin said. “Hopefully the home field advantage will come through for us.”

Tech’s defense faces the difficult task of trying to stop Maryland’s suddenly surging offense, which has been a major factor in the Terps’ two-game win streak.

Since rushing for only 36 yards in a 31-0 loss at Virginia on Oct. 4, sophomore tailback Da’Rel Scott, the ACC’s leading rusher with 102.6 yards per game, has gained 236 yards on 41 carries (5.76 average) while scoring two touchdowns (one passing) in the last two games.

And junior quarterback Chris Turner has been the model of efficiency during the win streak, completing 37 of 61 pass attempts for 447 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

The Terps, who are 1-2 on the road this season, will enter what figures to be a charged atmosphere. There always seems to be extra energy at Lane Stadium for Thursday night games.

Tech, which will be decked out in all maroon jerseys, is 8-2 in home Thursday night ESPN games.

“There’s something special about (Thursday night games),” said redshirt freshman wide receiver Danny Coale, who will make his Thursday night debut tonight. “I can’t wait, really.”