The Virginia Tech Hokies are 3-1 coming into Saturday's 7 p.m. matchup with Nebraska at Memorial Stadium.
The Hokies started out the year ranked in the Top 25, but fell out after a loss to East Carolina to open the season. They have since rolled off three straight wins, including close 20-17 victories over fellow ACC contenders Georgia Tech and North Carolina.
The Hokies have become one of the better programs in Div. 1 football. Their current string of 15 seasons with a bowl game puts them in some pretty fast company. The only other teams to reach bowl games in each of the last 15 years are Florida, Florida State and Michigan. They are also won of three Div. I teams that has won at least 10 games in each of the last four seasons.
The Hokies have a pretty balanced offensive attack, led by sophomore quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Taylor was originally scheduled to be redshirted this season, but after the team lost to East Carolina coach Frank Beamer opted to bring him out of his redshirt and he has done quite well for the Hokies since then, leading them to three straight wins.
Taylor started five games as a freshman last year and went 5-0, and this year he rushed for 112 yards in the Hokies' win over Furman and has completed 60 percent of his passes since taking over this season.
The Hokies were beset with injuries and suspensions in the offseason that left a lot of question marks, but seem to be taking care of business now at running back with Darren Evans, who has rushed for 264 yards and 4 touchdowns in the first four games. Kenny Lewis, one of the injured backs trying to play his way back into the lineup, has also recorded 149 yards and 3 touchdowns so far this season.
Taylor has distrubted the ball fairly well early on, and the Hokies have a number of quick receivers to rely on including Danny Coale, who leads the team with eight receptions, and Dyrell Roberts, who averages almost 20 yards per catch.
Defensively, the Hokies have some good talent all the way around and are led by linebackers Brett Warren and Purnell Sturdivant. Stephan Virgil anchors the defensive backfield and has two interceptions, and Orion Martin leads the defensive line with a pair of sacks early in the season.
This is the second meeting all-time between the Huskers and Hokies, but the first on one team's home turf. The other meeting came in the Orange Bowl after the 1996 season, a game won by Nebraska 41-21.
Get your tickets to see the Huskers and Virginia Tech now at Ticket Express -- where no Husker home game is ever sold out.
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