Collegiate Times

By Matt Jones, sports editor

After their week three loss to Pittsburgh, the Hokies aren’t taking any opponents lightly.

That was evident this evening at practice, where Bud Foster and several of his linebackers weighed in on their upcoming matchup with Cincinnati.

Bud Foster

On Cincinnati quarterback Munchie Legaux: “He’s just a big athletic kid that can throw it and run. He’s going to present a lot of problems from the standpoint of containing him and not allowing him to get outside and create plays.”

On the Bearcats: “I think this is probably to date the most athletic team we’re going to play all around. Obviously quarterback, I think the backs are similar to the kids at Pittsburgh. The receiving corps I think is the most athletic we’ve seen.”

On linebacker Tariq Edwards, who got his first action of the season Saturday against Bowling Green: “He played 12 plays the other day. He’s probably 85 percent I’m guessing right now. Where he is right now, I’d say it’s hard for him…I think he can give us good solid depth right now. I still think he’s a couple weeks away from where we’d like him to be and where he’d like to be. The only way he’ll get better is if he gets out and plays more and gets that leg stronger and gets into playing shape. He’s got to play with a bend in his knees consistently, and just getting his quad strength and some of those things is important.”

On redshirt-freshman Ronny Vandyke: “He’s been playing well. He earned that spot during spring, and the only way he’s going to get better is we’ve got to get him on the field more in game situations. You can do it out here in practice, but until you get out in game situations, it’s totally different. You have do-overs in practice; there’s no do-overs on Saturday.”

On matching athletes with Cincinnati: “You have to matchup athletes. It still comes down to matching athletes, and matching up in space. It’s kind of like playing basketball on grass, you’ve got to be able to match them up. Cover them up and make plays in space and you have to have athletes that can make plays in space.”

Jack Tyler

On his play so far this season: “I think I’ve played well, and I want to keep playing better and keep playing well. I have a lot of high goals for myself, and I haven’t accomplished those goals yet. There’s a lot more room to grow, and I’m going to keep doing my best to keep getting better and keep playing at a high level.”

On the Hokies recent struggles in NFL stadiums: “I think it’s a total coincidence, hopefully it is at least. It’s one of those times…it’s all what we like to do, we want to play in front of the most people you can and playing FedEx Field, that’s going to be an awesome venue. It’s going to be loud, and that’s something we all look forward to and all want to do. Whether we’ve won or lost in the past that obviously doesn’t matter, but we’re going to come out and have fun with it.”

On keeping their edge in practice: “We know how we have to practice now to play well, and we’re going to keep practicing that way the rest of the season.”

On defending Munchie Legaux: “This is really our first mobile quarterback from a spread offense that we have to really key on. I’m sure we’ll hae a similar gameplan to what we had against Denard (Robinson), where we have to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t get going. He’s what makes their offense going and it’s going to be tough to stop him, and we have the players to do it.”

Notes:

• Tariq Edwards, who missed the first three games with a leg injury played 12 snaps against Bowling Green. He said he’s getting back to where he wants to be physically. “I’m progressing through practice everyday and I didn’t really feel it too much today. It’s getting a lot better.”

• Edwards felt his knee held up pretty well in the game Saturday: “As far as redirecting and holding up on my pursuit, I felt like it held up pretty well.”

• David Wang (ankle) was in a blue limited participation jersey Monday night.

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Photo courtesy Kevin Dickel, SPPS