ATLANTA — One score really got the attention of Virginia Tech’s coaches as they prepared for tonight’s matchup with Tennessee in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Alabama 12, Tennessee 10.
The Vols’ narrow loss at No. 1 Alabama on Oct. 24 impressed Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring. Alabama opened its season with a 34-24 victory over the Hokies but couldn’t reach the end zone against Tennessee.
“Alabama managed four field goals,” Stinespring said. “There it is right there. You understand what’s in front of you.”
Virginia Tech returns to the Georgia Dome, the site of the loss to Alabama, to face Tennessee, another SEC team.
The No. 12 Hokies (9-3) are favored against the unranked Vols (7-5), who have won four of their past five games.
Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer said the Vols developed into an elite team at the end of the season.
“I go back to the final results. It’s not where you start, it’s where you end up,” Beamer said Wednesday. “Anyone that looked at it would say this team’s right at the top of the SEC. They have won four of their last five.
“We played Alabama and I saw how they played Alabama, and they took it right to them. ... The bottom line is that we’re playing one of the best, if not the best, teams in the SEC, and we understand that.”
Beamer also was impressed by Tennessee’s strong play in its 23-13 loss at Florida.
“You look at how they played the good teams,” Beamer said. “They crank it up.”
The Hokies also finished strong, winning their last four games.
The bowl matches two of college football’s most respected defensive coordinators.
Bud Foster’s Virginia Tech defense allowed no second half points in the four consecutive victories and ranks 14th in the nation in total yards allowed.
Monte Kiffin, Tennessee Coach Lane Kiffin’s father, has a 16th-ranked defense led by star safety Eric Berry. The Vols are 10th in the nation against the pass.
Stinespring said he’s motivated by the matchup against Monte Kiffin’s defense and said facing Foster’s unit in practice is good preparation.
“Every day when you hit the field, when you’re going against Bud and the caliber of defense he puts on the field every single day, you better bring the ’A’ game,” Stinespring said. “You better prepare yourself for a tough day at the office and play as well as you can play or it’s not going to go well for you.
Foster, in his 23rd season at Virginia Tech, said Monte Kiffin is “one of the legends of all of football.” The two sat together at a dinner for assistant coaches Tuesday night.
“That’s a lot of knowledge right there,” Beamer said, “ a lot of good coaching at that table.”
Sports, Pages 19 on 12/31/2009