WSET.com - ABC13Justin Case for September 8, 2010

Are you shocked? You shouldn't be.

Boise State isn't a good team. They're a great team. VT allowed them to get a 17-0 lead on them and although they came back that first quarter hurt them. I was watching this game with some friends and when Chris Hazley missed that 34-yard FG in the 2nd quarter I said, "That's going to come back and hurt them later in the game." VT lost by 3, 33-30.

VT's special teams were horrible: missed blocks allowed Boise to block Brian Saunders' (Nelson Co) first ever punt, Hazley's missed FG, D.J. Coles running into Boise's punter and then pushing the punter in the back during the punt to draw another penalty.

Tyrod Taylor can make plays. He's been doing that ever since he put on a uniform but when your QB is your leading rusher that's a problem. He had 73 yards. Williams: 44 and Evans: 12. Not good.

This was VT's 3rd straight season opening loss (ECU, Alabama, Boise). Four years ago they lost their 2nd game at LSU. Those are all great teams. Does that mean VT is not great? You tell me. Maybe they should schedule the JMU's and Marshall's of the college football world for game one and then play the big boys in week 2, 3, 4, etc.

Mike London got what he needed - a win. That's a good start. How good will UVa be this year. You can't base it on a win over Richmond. I'm guessing you can't against a much more talented USC team. Then not against VMI. In Oct. UVa hosts Florida State. That's the first ACC game. That game will give a clearer picture of how good UVa can be this year. That'll be 4 games in.

UVa is 4-10 in games west of the Miss. River and they've never beaten a PAC 10 team. Granted this will be just their 3rd ever game against a PAC 10 team. And UVa has lost their last 4 road openers.

Liberty travels to Ball State Saturday and Monday Ball State coach Stan Parrish said his team will face the best quarterback they're going to face all year. He's talking about Mike Brown and he says that...even though later this year Ball State plays Iowa's Ricky Stanzia and Purdue's Robert Marve. That's saying something. LU had Toledo beat a few years back and then lost it in the 4th quarter. LU coached remember that and I think Danny Rocco would like to say he's an FCS coach that can beat an FBS team.

VMI got an easy win. That was expected but the new look pro style offense looked good. Lots of yards and lots of points in the second half. They get #1 W&M next. That will be different.

Football Friday's alive and kickin'. Do you like the show? What could we do better? How about the new look website? Tell us. Email me jfeldkamp@wset.com.

Also SPORTS CHAT is back. Dennis Carter and I talk about the sports topics of the week. We usually tape it on Tuesdays so check for it then. VT, UVa, LU, VMI, HS football are the main topics. We'll branch out if we need to. That's on the main SPORTS section of WSET.com.

My Reds are kind of slipping. As I type they're only 6 up on the Cardinals. The Reds haven't made the playoffs since 1995. So me paying attention to them in September is a pretty big deal. I told Dennis, if the Reds play a playoff game on a Friday night, he can do Football Friday himself. I was just kidding but it would be nice to see them back in the postseason. They don't have the top notch pitching other playoff bound teams have but you got to crawl before you can walk, right?

Oh and the NFL starts this weekend. I filled out Ws and Ls next to each game my Bengals play this year. I came up with 9-7. I don't know how. I think they're better than that record but that's what I got. If healthy, I still think they make the playoffs and wild card teams can do well in the NFL playoffs.