Tar Heels' defense plays up to Beamer's hype

BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer wasn’t kidding earlier this week when he said North Carolina’s defensive front was better than any the Hokies had seen this season.

The Tar Heels' front seven caused all kinds of problems for Tech in the first half of Thursday night’s nationally televised game at Lane Stadium.

UNC sacked Hokies quarterback Tyrod Taylor three times before the break. Because of that pressure, the Heels were able to neutralize Tech’s offense, holding it to 108 yards and only four first downs.

“I think when you look at North Carolina, you’re looking at probably, as a group up front, the best defense we’ve faced, because their down linemen, when you put them in there all together, they’re good,” Beamer said during his Tuesday press conference.

***Bowden plays intro

For years, Virginia Tech’s football team has rushed out of the tunnel at Lane Stadium to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” The Hokies came out to the same song Thursday night, but with a slight twist.

Tech punter and skilled guitarist Brent Bowden recorded a version of the song on camera earlier in the week, and it was played on the video board in place of Metallica’s version during the team’s intro. The stadium shook with the same intensity as Bowden put his stamp on the classic tune.

***Thursdays equal success

Beamer credits ESPN Thursday night exposure for helping build the Hokies program.

Before Thursday’s game against UNC, which marked Tech’s 20th Thursday night ESPN appearance, the Hokies had accumulated a 15-4 overall record and 9-2 home record in the nationally televised games.

“I think from purely my position, and I’m not speaking for anybody else’s, but from an athletic position, if you can get on Thursday night and play well, I think it does a lot for your program,” Beamer said. “I think it does a lot for name recognition. Generally you’re the only game on. Maybe there’s one or two others, but you’re the main game on ESPN. The whole nation is watching.

“I think it’s name recognition, and I think certainly it’s helped us over the years in recruiting and getting into homes and letting people know more and more about Virginia Tech, and it’s been a big factor in changing the status of Virginia Tech football. Things are a whole lot different now than they were 10 years ago, 15 years ago, 20 years ago, and I think Thursday night football games have been a part of that.”

***Scheduling change

Virginia Tech director of athletics Jim Weaver announced earlier this week that the Hokies will open the 2010 season against Boise State at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., and that their game against Western Michigan will be moved to 2016.

The Hokies, who were originally scheduled to play Boise State next October, will now take on the Broncos in prime time on Labor Day. Weaver said Monday on Tech’s weekly radio show that the Hokies are looking for an opponent to play the following Saturday now that Western Michigan is off the schedule.

***Extra points

The Hokies wore orange jerseys with maroon pants, their sixth uniform combination of the season and fifth in their last five games. ... Former Tech standout defensive end and NFL Hall of Famer Bruce Smith was on the sidelines during Thursday’s game. Coincidentally, the quarterback he dropped to break the NFL career sack record, Jesse Palmer, was doing color commentary for ESPN.