Bill Roth reported that ESPN will be back in Blacksburg Tuesday to work on a feature about Corey Moore after his monster game against Clemson.

The feature will be aired this weekend on College Game Day. ESPN will feature Moore and Florida's Alex Brown.

A caller asked about promoting Moore for the Outland Trophy. Roth said the key is television exposure and then it's up to the player to come through. Mail-out publicity isn't what works, but rather the player selling himself, Roth said. Corey and Lee Corso both did a lot on Moore's behalf at the Clemson game, he said.

The ESPN crew was impressed with Blacksburg, Roth reported. Beamer said Corso said "just win and we'll be back."

Coach Beamer started his segment on the show by again talking about how he thought the team came together in a key drive in the fourth quarter in the Clemson game after the Tigers had cut the VT lead to 3.

The Hokies converted three third down plays in the drive and kept the ball for 6:37 leading up to Shayne Graham's field goal that made the score 17-11. And this came after a holding penalty on the kickoff had backed the Hokies up to their own 8 to start the drive.

"Things like that make a football team" and build its confidence, Beamer said.

Coach Bustle called it the best game in a while by a VT offensive line. He said that applied to the way the line, tight ends and fullbacks all played in sync.

As for QB Michael Vick, Bustle said he played a heckuva game with the exception of about four plays. He credited Vick with a confidence-building "terrific" audible in which he checked to the option and ran for 31 yards.

Bustle: Vick had some plays open and didn't see the receivers. Stith was open deep twice -- once resulted in defender interfering with him. They tried a couple of creative plays with fake reverse and fake screen, but coverage was there.

When a designed play's not there, Vick needs to throw it away, Bustle said. On two interceptions he had a chance if he had run. On the other hand, it's a balancing act to stress that the QB stay in the pocket and not develop a tendency to break down too soon, vs. getting a feel for when to run.

Said Beamer, "The best thing about Michael Vick is that he played another game [experience-wise] and he won't make the same mistakes."

Bustle twice said that Vick's health is fine for the Virginia game -- "very, very close to 100 percent." Somebody commented that Vick appeared to be limping some in the Clemson game. Bustle said "Jim Brown used to limp like that."

Beamer said Virginia has a great running back in Jones, an efficient passer in Ellis, the best offensive line VT will face this year (and possibly the best offense, he said), and receivers that may not look fast, but who are running by people and catching the ball.

Virginia's offensive coordinator Gary Tranquil knows the game, Beamer said. Roth said Tranquil is known for his pass protection schemes, some of which are still used by VT five seasons after Tranquil spent a season in Blacksburg.

Bustle indicated he expects Stukes and Harris back from injuries and to play on defense against the Hokies. Their presence solidifies the secondary and puts some leaders back on the field to make calls. He said the UVa secondary didn't do a lot against Clemson -- an apparent reference to their scheme.

In response to a caller, Bustle said VT does have some play action plays -- "we put in a couple of things today" -- that involve a fake and getting (QB?) out on the corner. The intention was to put in a little more each week and the injury to Vick set that plan back a bit, he said.

Throwing to the tight end came up again, naturally, and Beamer explained that "most times our offense is a read," and you throw to where the opening is.

The loss of backup center Steve Schnecker (two broken leg bones) was lamented. Schnecker started three or four games in 1998 when Chris Short was injured. Schnecker is expected back in 4-6 weeks.

Meanwhile, Bustle said, Short will have to play more. The backup becomes walk-on junior Steve DeMasi, (6-3, 280) who knows his assignments well but the question is whether he's strong enough. (Bench-pressed 380, compared to 460 for Short, 410 for Schnecker, according to Hokie Huddler).

Roth asked a very good question about the possibility of VT pressing redshirting freshman Jake Grove into service. Just last week, Beamer had said Grove is the type of guy who could start for four years. Roth asked if -- after thinking back to how they bit the bullet and redshirted receivers like Hall and Davis in 1997, and how so much is riding on THIS season -- they would consider playing Grove. Would it be like trading three promising minor leaguers late in a baseball pennant race to get the player that makes the difference down the stretch. Bustle didn't offer much insight, however, and merely said it's up to how well DeMasi plays.

A caller asked about the development of Lamar Cobb, who is third at one defensive end. He's doing well, had a good JV game vs. Fork Union and is putting on weight for the future, Bustle said.

Beamer responded to a call about future kicker prospects. He said that Carter Warley (sp?) "has got some promise" as both a kicker and punter. He said he feels good about him with field goals and kickoffs. Others on hand will have to improve in order to be Kibble's replacement. Otherwise, there are a couple of other punters they are thinking about recruiting.

As for future snapper prospects, Beamer mentioned Ricky Hudson, a transfer who snapped at UConn, and a Ken Keister from Radford. The Hokies also reportedly have a commitment from a deep snapper.

A caller noted the number of VT penalties in the Clemson game, which Beamer also mentioned in the post-game show. But the coach had a different view after watching game film. He said an interference flag against Midget was a bad call, and questioned the late hit on Ferguson out of bounds on an interception return. He said Ferguson was already committed to his route out of bounds when he hit the return man. And Beamer said a call against Donahue on the kickoff return may have appeared to be a hold at a glance by the official who saw just the end of the play, but it was not a hold. Rather, the guy ran over Donahue.

At least one of the ACC officials who called the UVa game last year also had the Clemson game, and Beamer said he asked the ref about the controversial holding calls vs. the Hokies late in the game last year. Beamer said the coaches have reviewed that call and "haven't found the holding yet."

Beamer said VT turned in its concerns about the play and a film clip, but the ACC official said he hadn't heard anything about it. Meanwhile, the Big East has a policy that refs review film clips of controversial calls when it's submitted by the coaches, he said.

Beamer's policy is to show a video of every penalty and discuss it at the Monday team meeting. He says this is effective, whereas he used to require a player to run 100 yards for every yard worth of penalty he created. A Big East crew will officiate the game at Charlottesville.

-- Bustle said he hears from Jim Druckenmiller every week. Druck is happy with the Dolphins and their staff, and glad to be back on the East coast.

-- Thomas Jones is the #5 rusher in the country. Shyrone Stith is #10. "I like our guy," Beamer said.

-- Regarding new allegations of academic fraud in the Tennessee football program, Beamer said he did not want to comment. He did say that VT makes a conscious effort to do things right in academics and counseling, and that it's the best it's ever been. He used the example of last year's final Top 25 poll. VT finished 19th out of the 25 teams in football, and ranked 6th out of those 25 in graduation rate.

-- The death of former VT assistant head coach Pat Watson was noted. Watson coached under Bill Dooley and was a finalist for the Tech job when Beamer was hired. Beamer said he tried to hire Watson as an assistant.

-- "You ought to ask Miami about scheduling now," Beamer said. Putting East Carolina between Penn State and FSU, all non-conference games, was asking for it, he implied. "There is a smart way to schedule," he said, and advance to a BCS bowl by winning your conference. Out-of-conference games shouldn't become bigger than conference games, he said. With three ranked opponents ahead, "Our schedule is plenty tough for where we want to go, IF WE WIN," Beamer said.

-- Basketball ahead: Midnight Millennium Madness set for the night of Oct. 14.

-- Game times, per Bill Roth: Syracuse still a night game, time not definite; Pittsburgh set for 3:30, and will likely change; West Virginia probably firm for 3:30, although "something unforeseen could happen" now that WVU QB Bulger has a broken finger.

-- VT has won 19 of its past 26 regular season road games. Virginia has never beaten ranked teams back to back.

-- And finally, the question of the night, taken by Rickey Bustle, in the live radio setting at Volume II Bookstore. Kid asks: "What team do you want to play the most in the bowl game this year?"

Bustle pauses, then replies: "The number two team."

Applause.