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2007 Hokie Defense Loaded With Experience
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com

The 2007 Virginia Tech defense will start six seniors in the front seven, as well as a senior at free safety. The Hokies will have the most experienced defense in the ACC, and perhaps in the country. But how do they compare to Tech's top defenses of the past in terms of experience?

We've go back to the 1995 team for the first comparison. The Hokies started five seniors on defense that season. Six of the eight players on the defensive line two-deep were seniors: Three of their starting DL were seniors, and three of their top four DL backups were seniors. They also had a senior mike linebacker in George Del Ricco and a senior free safety in William Yarbrough.

With so many seniors up front, including J.C. Price and Hank Coleman, as well as junior Cornell Brown, the Hokies were #1 in the nation in rushing defense that year. Tech was able to play a lot of guys up front. Although they had little to no depth at linebacker and defensive back, they were able to stay healthy for most of the year.

The 1999 defense was very similar to the 2007 defense in the number of seniors. Like 2007, they had six senior starters in their front seven, and they also had a productive backup senior defensive lineman in Chris Cyrus. They had one senior in the secondary, cornerback Anthony Midget, and the 2007 team also has just one senior in the defensive backfield, free safety D.J. Parker.

The 1999 defense had more star power on the defensive line than the 2007 defense does. Corey Moore and John Engelberger were nationally known defensive ends, and Moore was the top defensive end in the nation that year. However, the 2007 squad has much more athletic linebackers than the 1999 group. Micheal Hawkes and Jamel Smith were very good, but they weren't quite at the level athletically of Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall.

The 2001 defense had perhaps more depth in the front seven than the 2007 defense. The Hokies started all seniors at both defensive tackle spots and both inside linebacker positions. Chad Beasley and David Pugh were All-Big East defensive tackles, and even better, the Hokies' top five defensive tackles were seniors. After Pugh and Beasley came Dan Wilkinson, Derrius Monroe and Channing Reed.

Virginia Tech also had a trio of good inside linebackers that season. All-American Ben Taylor manned the backer spot, while seniors Jake Houseright and Brian Welch platooned at mike linebacker. The Hokies had never been as experienced or as talented up the middle on defense as they were in 2001. As a result, they finished #2 in the nation in total defense that year, dropping from #1 to #2 in the last week of the season.

The 2005 defense started three senior defensive linemen, a senior linebacker and two senior defensive backs. Each of those players went on to the NFL. Darryl Tapp, Jonathan Lewis, James Anderson and Jimmy Williams were the big names of that defense, but Tim Sandidge and Justin Hamilton moved on to the NFL as well.

Overall however, the 2005 defense brought back a lot of good players for 2006. All of the backups in 2005 returned, so the Hokies didn't lose any depth. It helped that four of the five non-senior starters in 2005 were only sophomores at the time, so those players are entering their senior seasons in 2006.

Here's a look at Tech's projected 2007 starting defense.

The first thing you notice is all the seniors in the front seven. Six of them, to be exact. Perhaps more importantly, every single member of the starting front seven has been redshirted, meaning six guys are fifth year players, and Orion Martin is a fourth year player. That's A LOT of physical and mental maturity that should come through in some tight games this fall.

One interesting point about the secondary is that only one starter redshirted, and that wasn't a true redshirt. Brandon Flowers was playing as a true freshman in 2004 against Western Michigan, returning an interception for a touchdown. However he fractured his fibula in that game and took a medical redshirt. Had he not been injured, he never would have redshirted. The fact that none of Tech's starters in the secondary have been redshirted displays the coaches' ability to evaluate and recruit good defensive back prospects.

Softball Team Starts Out ACC Tourney With a Win

Quick update on the Hokie softball team in the ACC tournament: The #1 seed Hokies beat #8 seed Virginia 4-1 in their opening game of the tournament, scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth to come roaring back from a 1-0 deficit.

Angela Tincher went the distance for Tech, striking out 11 in seven innings to become the ACC's all-time strikeout leader. Tincher, just a junior, now has 1,403 strikeouts in her distinguished career.

Shortstop Charisse Mariconda was the hitting star for Tech, breaking open a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run single. For a full recap, see hokiesports.com.

VT plays #4 seed Florida State at 3 p.m. Friday.

To follow all the action, see the Softball Tournament Home Page at TheACC.com.

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