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 Chick-fil-A Bowl (11) Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee
Thursday, December 31, 2009 7:30 PM ET ESPN
Tyrod Taylor has thrown just 4 interceptions all season. Ball-hawking safety Eric Berry will be playing in his final collegiate game (it is widely assumed). Something's got to give.
Of course, Taylor can also break down defenses with his legs and his 5+ rushing attempts each game this season tells me he'll once again mix run and pass, something he's done better than most dual threat quarterbacks. What worries me about Taylor is that he's struggled against good defenses. Against Alabama, Nebraska, Miami and North Carolina he completed less than 50% of his passes. Berry and the Tennessee pass defense are 10th in the nation, which will probably force Taylor to either rely on his legs or those  of running back Ryan Williams.
On offense for the Volunteers it all revolves around Montario Hardesty. The senior running back has rushed for 1,306 yards and 12 touchdowns this season, while true freshman Bryce Brown has added 460 yards and 3 touchdowns. Hardesty is an out-going senior and look for him to "finish strong against", as ESPN's Todd McShay points out, "this smallish Virginia Tech defense." Having Brown on the roster lessens the blow that fans in Knoxville expect when Hardesty leaves for the NFL.
Since throwing 7 interceptions in the first three games, quarterback Jonathan Crompton has thrown only 5 picks including a three game stretch in which he threw none. He'll have to continue to protect the ball against the nation's 6th best pass defense. - Danny Hobrock
Danny is a sports journalist who primarily covers college football and professional baseball. He is a contributor for several sports related blogs and is the former editor of a political and current events website.
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