When : 3:30 p.m.  On the air: TV - ESPNU; radio - WRNL (910), 2
  Records : N.C. State 1-5 ACC, 4-6; Virginia Tech 4-2, 7-3
  Players to watch: Virginia Tech - QB Tyrod Taylor, Jr., 109-194-3, 1,720 yards, 12 TDs; RB Ryan Williams, r-Fr., 212 carries, 1,235 yards, 11 TDs; LB Cody Grimm, Sr., 85 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 5 pass break-ups, 8 quarterback hurries, 4 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery. N.C. State - QB Russell Wilson, So., 189-325-10, 2,534 yards, 26 TDs, RB Toney Baker, Sr., 133 carries, 664 yards, 6 TDs; DE Willie Young, Sr., 45 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 18 quarterback hurries, 2 forced fumbles, 7 pass breakups, 1 interception.

Virginia Tech has listed starting center Beau Warren, a junior, as probable for tomorrow’s home finale against North Carolina State. Warren sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee in an Oct. 29 loss to North Carolina and hasn’t played in the two games since. He practiced this week for the first time since hurting his knee, said he felt “a lot better” Tuesday and expressed hope that he could play tomorrow.

BLACKSBURG Her chest heaved and her feet burned as she ran across the lumpy field. None of it felt perfect to Marika Gray. But on this July day in Alexandria, perfect didn’t matter, because Gray was playing soccer again, nine months after a left knee injury shortened her sophomore season at Virginia Tech. She had established herself as a legitimate ACC player, before her knee made her start over, back on the lumpy field at home, playing against 14-year-olds from her club’s younger team. The time away from soccer deteriorated her touch and fitness worse than she had imagined. A ball rolled her way and bounced off her shin. She could barely sprint without sucking wind.

First come nonconference games before the new year, a mix of quality opponents that could polish an NCAA tournament résumé and overmatched squads that visit your home court, take their beating, collect a paycheck and hop on the bus. Then January brings the conference games that determine who is happiest come March - a furious stretch of winter that leaves coaches asking for raises or handing out résumés.

BLACKSBURG This time last year, quarterback Russell Wilson was leading North Carolina State to wins in its final four games, which made the Wolfpack 6-6 and eligible for a bowl game. A redshirt freshman, Wilson impressed everyone with his poise, and after the season, he was named ACC rookie of the year and became the first freshman quarterback in league history to be chosen first-team all-conference.

Apparently there will be life after Quanitra Hollingsworth for the VCU women’s basketball program. The Rams, relying on balance rather than a skyscraper beneath the basket, received double-digit contributions from five players while thumping Virginia Tech, a visitor from the ACC, 72-58 in last night’s season opener at the Siegel Center.

Tech to meet UC in 2012 Virginia Tech will play Cincinnati in 2012 at FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins, Tech announced yesterday. The game was originally scheduled to be this season’s opener, in Cincinnati. But the Hokies moved it to 2012 to accommodate a game against Alabama in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, which they lost 34-24. Now, the location is moving, too, though the Bearcats will technically be the home team.

Among the dozens of items on Virginia Tech basketball coach Seth Greenberg’s mental checklist before this season were two that emerged—one positively, the other less so—in yesterday’s first game, a 69-55 win over Brown at Cassell Coliseum. Greenberg wanted to find a scorer, or two or three, to complement his main offensive options, point guard Malcolm Delaney and forward Jeff Allen. To that end, his other three starters—guard Dorenzo Hudson, forward Terrell Bell and forward Victor Davila—each scored eight points and combined to shoot 9 of 20.

COLLEGE PARK, Md.—When a game that had been over for hours officially ended, the Virginia Tech Hokies celebrated like they usually do. Coach Frank Beamer smiled as he walked off the field, waving to the fans sitting in the visiting section of Byrd Stadium. Cornerbacks Stephan Virgil and Rashad Carmichael mugged for photos, flashing the palms of their new gloves, special for this game, to show the “VT” logo on them.

BLACKSBURG—A banner hangs from the ceiling of Cassell Coliseum, commemorating Virginia Tech’s last trip to the men’s basketball NCAA tournament, in 2007. Today, the Hokies will play under that banner again, as they begin their season at 4 p.m. against Brown, a season whose success will hinge almost entirely on whether they can return the NCAAs.

Grading the three keys B+Make Jamarr Robinson look inexperienced. The sophomore made his first career start in place of senior Chris Turner, who sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee last week against North Carolina State. The Terrapins’ offense did not perform well, getting just one field goal and gaining 236 yards. Maryland went three plays and out on six of its 12 drives. But Robinson did OK, despite being sacked six times for a loss of 28 yards. Counting the sacks, he ran 24 times for 129 yards, though he completed just 12 of 32 passes for 104. B-Continue to defend the run well. Maryland’s tailbacks barely carried the ball. Davin Meggett had four carries for 4 yards, Caleb Porzel two for minus-4. Robinson did most of the running. Without sacks, he ran 18 times and had seven gains of 10 yards or longer—12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 25 and 28 yards. AFind some excitement in the game. Despite a lackluster environment at Byrd Stadium, which did appear mostly full, the Hokies were able to take care of business against an overmatched team. But since Georgia Tech won at Duke to clinch the ACC’s Coastal Division, the Hokies’ biggest questions now are: Which bowl will they play in? And: How will they wash the mud off their new white jerseys, which they debuted yesterday, before they auction them off?

After Virginia Tech’s 36-9 win yesterday at Maryland, Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster said Memphis has not contacted him about its head coaching vacancy. Foster said “I might be” interested in the job, which opened this week when Memphis fired Tommy West. He will finish the season, his ninth. Foster, who is in his 15th season as Tech’s defensive coordinator, has long stated publicly that he wants to eventually become a head coach, preferably in one of the six major conferences aligned with the Bowl Championship Series. Memphis is outside of those six, in Conference USA.

Score: No.20 Virginia Tech 36, Maryland 9 For starters: The Hokies led 27-3 at halftime, as they gained 289 yards, including 200 passing by quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who was 10 of 17 and threw a career-best three touchdowns before halftime. Turning point: Essentially, the game was over in the first quarter, when the Hokies drove 72 yards in eight plays, and Taylor threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Andre Smith, giving Tech a 14-0 lead. Star of the game: Taylor—The junior finished 13 of 23 passing for 268 yards and three touchdowns. He ran eight times for 81 yards. His 349 total yards were his most in his 33 games at Tech. His previous best: 328 this season at Duke, where he threw for 327. Big picture: Though the Hokies enjoyed the win, it was tempered by Georgia Tech winning 49-10 at Duke, meaning the Yellow Jackets locked up the ACC’s Coastal Division and secured a spot in the conference championship game. Tech represented the Coastal in that game the past two seasons. Now, the Hokies are just playing for bowl placement and pride. Go figure: 5.3—Points Tech averaged in the first halves of its previous three games. The Hokies trailed Georgia Tech 7-3 and eventually lost, trailed North Carolina 7-0 and eventually lost and led East Carolina 13-3 and went on to win. Next: The Hokies return home Saturday to play North Carolina State. It will be Tech’s first home game since it lost 20-17 to North Carolina, a 15½-point underdog, on Oct. 29. State is 1-5 ACC, 4-6 after losing 43-23 to Clemson yesterday. The Hokies have played the Wolfpack twice since joining the ACC in 2004, losing that season in Blacksburg 17-16 and winning in 2005 in Raleigh 20-16.

Tyrod Taylor threw for 268 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, and No. 20 Virginia Tech built an early 24-point lead before coasting to a 36-9 victory over Maryland on Saturday.

W hen : 1 p.m.  O n the air: Online - ESPN360.com; radio - WRNL (910), 11:30 a.m.
  Records : Virginia Tech 6-3, 3-2 ACC; Maryland 2-7, 1-4 ACC
  Players to watch: Virginia Tech - QB Tyrod Taylor, Jr., 96-171-3, 1,452 yards, 9 TDs; TB Ryan Williams, r-Fr., 189 carries, 1,109 yards, 10 TDs; LB Cody Grimm, Sr., 79 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 8 quarterback hurries, 4 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery. Maryland - RB Davin Meggett, 79 carries, 269 yards, 4 TDs; LB Adrian Moten, Jr., 53 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 2 pass break-ups, 1 forced fumble.