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Have You Seen the TSL Extra Lately?

We've revamped the TSL Extra. Gone is the monthly release, and in its place is a steady stream of articles, posted on the home page of the web site one at a time and marked with the TSL Extra icon: .

So far, in the first fifteen days of this new format, we have posted twelve TSL Extra articles. Under the old format, that was more than a whole month's worth of content!

"More bang for the buck!" crowed one message board poster. Exactly right. That's what the new format is all about: more bang for the buck.

And there's even more bang for the buck on the way, so what are you waiting for? Subscribe today, for just $24.95 a year, and read our latest articles, including recruiting updates on Fontel Mines, Terrell Golden, Duane Brown, Tyrone Moss, Tripp Carroll, Courtney Denson, and Bill Foran; a statistical analysis of how the Hokies have performed in November during their nine-year bowl run; analysis of the painful loss at Syracuse; and more.

The fun's just getting started, and the long list of TSLX subscribers is swelling! Click here to sign up today!

Virginia Tech appears to be focusing in on Ely’s (Pompano Beach, FL) Tyrone Moss and Stratford’s (Goose Creek, SC) Rodney Kinlaw for scholarships at the running back position.

Moss, who owns several Broward County records and broke Emmitt Smith’s consecutive 100-yard game mark earlier this year, is looking at Virginia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Michigan, and possibly Oklahoma. He has taken official visits to Virginia Tech and UNC, and will visit Miami and Michigan and possibly Oklahoma.

For the year, Moss has rushed 146 times for 1,182 yards and 22 touchdowns. He hopes to decide in late December or early January, with Miami, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina being the leaders at this time, according to Rivals.com.

Kinlaw has rushed for around 1,700 yards this season. Stratford (12-0) will face Sumter in the second round of the 4A Division I state playoffs. Early this month, Kinlaw earned an invitation to the prestigious North Carolina-South Carolina Shrine Bowl, to be played in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Kinlaw was greatly impressed the Virginia Tech coaches during football camp in summer of 2002. The nephew of Cleveland Brown DE Courtney Brown, Kinlaw will likely choose between Clemson, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, and Penn State. The Hokies are still after Kinlaw in a major way.

Hokies Facing the Unthinkable - A Losing Big East Record

If the Hokies lose to Miami in their December 7th matchup, it will represent a new low for Virginia Tech: a losing record in the Big East conference.

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A loss to the 'Canes would make the Hokies 3-4 in the conference, and that would be the first time they have finished under .500 in the league. One bit of Big East trivia that is not well known is that the Hokies are the only Big East team that has never had a losing record in conference.

That's right, even the mighty Miami Hurricanes once posted a losing record in the league, going 3-4 in 1997, when they finished fifth (that seems like a lifetime ago, eh?).

Here are the worst seasons posted by league teams: Temple, Rutgers and Pitt have all finished 0-7 at least once; WVU has gone 1-6 once; Boston College has gone 2-5; Syracuse has gone 3-4 once (and are currently 2-4 this year with a remaining game against Miami); and Miami went 3-4 once. Tech's worst finish was 4-3 in 1993 and 2001.

If they lose to Miami on December 7th, as expected, the Hokies will join every other team in the Big East as having posted a losing record at one time in the league.

Some Stunning Facts About Bryan Randall

Sure, no one regards Tech QB Bryan Randall as a big passing threat, right? He had that one big game at Syracuse (504 yards passing), and he completes about 65% of his throws, but he only averages 155 yards per game, and his TD-to-INT ratio is an unimpressive 11-to-10. Hardly stats to write home about, right?

Try this on for size: prior to Wednesday night's game against WVU, Randall was ranked third in the nation in passing efficiency.

That is not a misprint. In the latest available statistics on www.ncaa.org, which were current through November 16th, Randall had a rating of 155.9, putting him ahead of such notable QB's as USC's Carson Palmer, N.C. State's Phillip Rivers, Miami's Ken Dorsey, Texas' Chris Simms ... you name it, Randall is ahead of everyone but Marshall's Byron Leftwich (# 2 at 156.7) and Iowa's Brad Banks (# 1 at 166.1).

How is Randall's rating so high? His completion percentage (63.8% after Wednesday's game) has a lot to do with it, but his biggest positive is yards per pass attempt. The passing efficiency stat is a complicated calculation, but one thing is for sure: yards per pass attempt counts big, and in that category, Randall posted a 9.74 yards-per-attempt average, tops in the nation, prior to Wednesday's game.

Only one other QB -- Banks -- averages more than 9 yards per attempt, at 9.18. Everyone else averages under 9 ypa. And even after Wednesday's action (168 yards on 30 attempts), Randall is averaging 9.08 yards per attempt.

In case you're wondering, Michael Vick had a pass efficiency rating of 180.4 in his dominant 1999 season, the second-best mark of all time, and the best ever for a freshman QB.

Also worth noting is that out of the top 15 passers, only two -- Randall and Andrew Walter of Arizona State -- are sophomores. Of the other 13, nine are seniors and 4 are juniors.

Tech Notes

-- The November 30th game against Virginia will be played at 3:30 pm, and will be televised by ESPN.

-- The Tech men's basketball team lost 91-78 to St. Bonaventure to open the season, in the 2002 Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Friday night. Terry Taylor scored a career high 28 points to lead Tech, and the Hokies outrebounded and outshot the Bonnies, but a familiar foe did Tech in: turnovers. The Hokies had 25 on the night. Click here for the hokiesports.com game recap.

-- The Tech women's basketball team shook off UNC-Greensboro in Cassell Coliseum Friday night, winning 54-46. Tech was led by Fran Recchia with 18 points and Ieva Kublina with 15 points. Click here for the hokiesports.com game recap.

-- Will Stewart

Fading Hokies Lose Again, 21-18
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 11/21/02, 2:10 am
Blacksburg, VA - West Virginia's Brian King intercepted Virginia Tech QB Bryan Randall in the end zone with 12 seconds left to go, securing a 21-18 victory for the Mountaineers and continuing the Hokies' late-season swoon.
in Football

Beerman's Picks
by Ben Shapiro, 11/20/02, 10:50 am
This Week: Hey now, back in action! Wednesday is a funny night for football, but it's just that much sooner that I get to watch my Hokies. Meanwhile, things are winding down in the Big Ten, and a whole lot will be decided out West.
in Voice of the Fan

Hokie Hotline Notes
by Joel Kelly, 11/19/02, 1:25 pm
The Mountaineers come calling to Lane Stadium as the Hokies jump back into Big East play after a welcome ten-day layoff. Can the Hokies return to their early-season form, or are more tough times ahead?
in Hotline Notes

West Virginia Preview
by Jeff Ouellet, 11/18/02, 4:30 pm
It is safe to say that the Virginia Tech coaches, players and even fans were glad that the Hokies had a little extra time off after a heartbreaking 50-42 overtime loss to Syracuse at the Carrier Dome.
in Football