Injury Report: for Tech, it's unlikely that Shawn Scales will play. His injury during the Miami (OH) game was a weird one - he popped an ankle tendon out of a groove. By the time the doctors were able to correct the problem, the area was swelling, and the tendon wouldn't go back into its groove very well. He has been on crutches most or all of the week and probably won't see action against BC. Look for Harrison to start and fill the void. This is Angelo's chance to have the big game I've been saying all year that he's going to have.

Most other Tech players are healthy and will play. Marcus Parker's knee is not 100% yet, according to Coach Bustle on Monday's Hokie Hotline show, and John Engelberger may still be dragging a little bit from the knee injury he suffered on the wonderful Veteran's Stadium turf a few weeks back against Temple. Also, I don't think the Ox is completely healthy, either. Passing mention has been given to him having a "sore neck" from an injury that he suffered very early in the season. He has looked tentative running lately, which makes me believe that he is indeed suffering from some sort of pain.

For Boston College, Andrew Flatley's BC Football page gives the following injury report: "QB Matt Hasselbeck has been cleared to start against Virginia Tech on Saturday. Hasselbeck revealed that he suffered a 'buckle' fracture of his right thumb during the Cincinnati game. While Matt still has some pain in the thumb, he is able to handle snaps and throw, so Coach O'Brien appointed him as the starter. In other injury news, OT Noah LaRose has been held out of practice the past two days with a pinched nerve. He has not been ruled out for Saturday; Noah would be replaced by true freshman Paul Zukauskas at right tackle. RB Mike Cloud is scheduled to return Saturday, wearing a flak jacket to protect the ribs injured against Cincinnati. WR Anthony DiCosmo will most likely miss the VT game; Steve Dapra will move to wide receiver to provide some depth. LB Brian Maye should learn this week whether the bulging disk in his neck will end his year at the Heights. "

Thanks to Andrew for the info. I'm not sure about the status of running back Omari Walker, who was the starter before going down to injury and giving way to Cloud. I don't think it really matters, because BC has a good offense, and they've been running well no matter who is at the tailback slot. BC is second in the league in rushing offense (behind Tech) and first in total offense. Ironically, they're not putting points on the board, as they are only fifth in scoring offense. For a complete look at Big East team stats, refer to the USA Today Big East Team Statistics page.

By the way, something I noticed while digging around the stats is that Al Clark has finally accumulated enough attempts to enter the NCAA passing efficiency ratings. He is #9 in the country. Not too shabby, but we'll all agree that he has some improving to do over his Miami performance, in which he bailed out of the pocket a little early and failed to look for open receivers when pressured. But remember, Al has only started five games in his college career.

Ticket update: I called the ticket office and drilled them about how many tickets they have sold and how many are left. Strangely enough, whenever I do that, they can't give me concrete numbers, not the folks I talk to, anyway (perhaps I should start asking for the ticket office manager - I think his name is Tom McNeer). The lady I talked to said they had plenty of tickets left, and I joked that if the Hokies had beaten the Redhawks last week, they probably wouldn't.

I look for about 47,000-50,000 fans at the game, particularly since the weather is going to be good. Speaking of which....

Weather Report: mostly sunny, 77-78 degrees. Can't beat that. Will we all receive our unprecedented fourth sunburn of the year?

NCAA Stats Update: Offense - Tech is #11 in rushing offense (243 yards per game), #93 in passing offense (151 yards per game), #41 in total offense (394 yards per game), #14 in scoring offense (36 points per game), #24 in rushing defense (98.8 yards per game), #25 in pass efficiency defense, #16 in total defense (289.6 yards per game), #9 in scoring defense (11.8 points per game), and #5 in the country in turnover margin (+1.8 per game).

TV Update: this weekend's game is the Big East game of the week and is slated for a 12:05 kickoff (be in your seats!). Also, note that CBS has picked up the WVU game. It is slated for a 3:30 kickoff on October 25th and will be a regional telecast, along with an unannounced SEC game. Look for CBS to do something like show the Florida game that day to, oh, 85% of the country.

Tailgate Update: I'll be there in Lot #9, Litton-Reaves/Animal Science, with the tank (1981 Impala Station wagon, brown and gold, license plates that say HKI CNTL). Stop by and say hello if you get a chance. Houston Hokie will be in town for his one game of the year. Note: if you come by, even if I've met you before, be sure to introduce yourself/remind me who you are - I'm terrible with names!

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