BC WEEK

Bill Roth said the Boston College defense is dealing with some key injuries as they get set to battle #4 Virginia Tech on Saturday. BC's starters at middle linebacker and outside linebacker are out with injuries (both hurt in a game on the same play) and two D-linemen also may miss the game.

The Eagles have managed to score a total of just 28 points against the Hokies in the past four seasons. The coaches and Roth reminisced Monday about the game at BC two years ago when VT used an interception return and blocked kick to win during the week that Nick Sorensen was moved over from safety to play quarterback after Al Clark and Dave Meyer went down with injuries.

The story was told about a writer on the Big East media hookup who said to Beamer Monday: "Let me get this straight. You had Michael Vick on the sideline and you moved a guy over from defense to play quarterback?" That's right, Beamer replied, in recalling his commitment to redshirt Vick that season.

Coach Bustle said he regards Boston College as the toughest place to play in the Big East from a standpoint of students harassing the visiting teams. The Eagles play well at home and someone noted that last year BC took Miami to overtime at Chestnut Hill.

Beamer said that Coach Tom O'Brien has a steady, solid program that's soon to see the effects of back to back good recruiting years. The Eagles are averaging 470 yards of offense: 290 passing and 180 rushing.

Bustle acknowledged that VT should have a speed advantage this week. He said BC is hard to move up front and that they "anchor in," with the likes of a 6-6, 312-pound DL. He complained that VT doesn't have much quality film to scout because BC opponents Army and Navy ran option and wishbone attacks with no similarity to VT's offense.

TEMPLE ON TV

AD Jim Weaver was on to announce that the homecoming game vs. Temple on Oct. 7 will start at noon instead of 1 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN2 or ESPN regional -- to be determined after baseball playoffs are scheduled. Weaver said it marks the first season that EVERY Tech game will be on TV.

CLAIBORNE & CUPP

Roth and Beamer talked about the passing in recent days of former Tech coach Jerry Claiborne and of ardent Tech supporter Pat Cupp.

Cupp and his wife Sandy were introduced on the field at halftime of the Rutgers game for their financial and general support of Tech athletics. The Blacksburg businessman died Saturday as the result of a traffic accident on Interstate 77 in Carroll County.

Beamer talked of how much Claiborne's traits influenced him -- not just standing tall in the coaching profession, but his honesty and the way he treated people. Claiborne liked to say that "potential will get you beat every time," and Beamer learned from him to go with the people who are consistent.

Claiborne could be brutally honest, and in fact was with Beamer soon after his playing days when he entertained thoughts of playing for the startup Roanoke Buckskins franchise. Frank had started teaching and coaching at Radford High School but went in ask Claiborne about the idea of playing professionally.

"If I were you," Claiborne told him, "I'd get on with my life's work."

"And he was right," Beamer said on the broadcast Monday. "What he said you can take to the bank. I'd like to think I'm like that, too."

Beamer said he hopes to attend Claiborne's funeral Thursday in Hopkinsville, Ky., and Cupp's on Wednesday in Christiansburg.

BIG EAST

The conference's players of the week included Reggie Wayne of Miami on offense and Gerald Hayes on defense. It's the third week in a row that a Pitt player has won for defense.

Roth discussed the upcoming weekend's Big East games with Beamer and the coach said Don Nehlen should be nervous about WVU's meeting with Temple: Temple is improved and WVU is coming off an emotional game in which it didn't play as well as it could. He also said he thought Syracuse would get a win at home against BYU.

WEAVER ON WEBSITES

Jim Weaver explained his position regarding "unofficial web sites" covering Tech athletics, and regarding granting media credentials to web sites.

He said the university feels strongly about protecting its trademarks of the names Hokies and Virginia Tech, and that under terms of the "cybersquatting legislation," VT would be in a position to lose that edge if it doesn't enforce the situation. "People can't use our name to make a living," Weaver said. It's not what the web sites do, so much as it is what they call themselves. They can't use the trademarked names. Those that do can expect a "cease and desist" letter soon from the university and will face having to change their name, Weaver said.

A caller who complimented Weaver on his accomplishments at Tech then asked him about the appearance of an adversarial relationship with Hokie Central and asked if VT had ever granted media credentials to the TheSabre.com web site affiliated with UVa. "Not to my knowledge," Weaver said.

He then got into an explanation about credentials that skirted the Hokie Central question. He said that credentials for Hokie Central would obligate Tech to extend the same treatment to some 150 web sites. He said web sites generally are not regarded as official media outlets. CBS Sportsline was mentioned as an exception because, Weaver said, it is "media oriented" due to its relationship with CBS.

Weaver said the capacity of the press box and sidelines for professional working media and photographers does not allow VT to handle "everyone."

TECH NOTES

• Tech faces very few injuries. Jake Grove did not practice last week and Bustle said he responded well to treatment. He was back at practice Monday without the injury status. Beamer said "we're keeping our fingers crossed" about the situation with Grove. They did not elaborate. Beamer said that DL Channing Reed has "a problem" but probably will be able to play.

• Beamer used the off week to make a quick weekend run to his retreat in Georgia. Shayne had the weekend off after Georgia Tech's Thursday night game and so they met up in Georgia. Watched a lot of football.

• VT won the JV game on Friday by 49-0 against Fork Union. Beamer said it was the most talented JV squad Tech has had and said it's indicative of talent in the program from top to bottom. When asked about standouts he mentioned Costen (DL), Markogiannakis (LB), Noel (QB), Parham (pass defense), Willis (especially at DE), Easlick (RB) and walk-on Steve Hale.

• The coach explained his appearance at the White House last week. He was among a group of about 12 people who met with Clinton in the Oval Office and appeared in the Rose Garden. Beamer thought he was going initially for a phys ed. promotion in public schools that's backed by the coaches association. But it turned out to be an event on behalf of a "conservation and reinvestment" bill for parks for inner city youths, etc.
  
  Any interest in politics after that experience? Roth asked Beamer. Absolutely none, he said. "There are a lot of things I wouldn't mind trying at this old age, but that's not one of them."

• Bustle said the team had a "heckuva good practice" on Monday and said they're focused. Monday's practice was in Rector Field House, due to the rain. The off week allowed some practice opportunities such at Matt Lehr working at center in case Grove isn't available, and working Anthony Davis at guard. Beamer said they spent some practice time working on responsibilities against fake punts after Rutgers and ECU used fakes against the Hokies.

• A caller asked about the status of Jim Druckenmiller. Bustle said Druck and Ken Oxendine are looking at the possibility of the XFL. He said there is no question that Druck should have gone to Europe to play when the 49ers asked him to.

• Bustle credited Tech's receivers and their coach, Tony Ball, for helping spring Lee Suggs by spreading the field and executing with downfield blocking.

• The Hokies are 100 percent in the red zone so far, having scored a touchdown every time they've been inside the opponents' 20. When Roth pointed this out, Bustle quipped that even talking about it was like jinxing a pitcher who has a no-hitter going.

• A caller asked about cheap shots taken by ECU against Vick. On one occasion, according to Bustle, Vick was under a pile and felt somebody pinching him. He tried to get back at the guy but missed his target. When he pinched back, he pinched none other than teammate OL Matt Wincek.

• Roth took delight in telling listeners about Bustle's narrow escape from a gas grill's flame Sunday night. Tell us your grilling secrets, Roth said. "Don't light it when it's full of gas," Bustle said. It seems that Bustle got his eyebrows and arm hair singed and was rather tanned by the experience, to hear Roth tell it.

• Monday was Day 359 in Virginia Tech's continuous and coveted possession of the Commonwealth Cup.

-- GalaxHokie

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