Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Va. Tech's Evans Tears ACL, Will Miss Season

Virginia Tech, the favorite to win the ACC and a popular pick for a darkhorse national champion this season, suffered a devestating blow during practice on Tuesday when running back Darren Evans tore his left ACL. Evans, who set several school rushing records as a freshman, will miss the entire season.

Evans, the MVP of last season's Orange Bowl, rushed for 1,265 yards last year and set a Virginia Tech single-game record for rushing with 253 yards against Maryland. His 11 touchdowns also set school freshman records for rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns.

While the Hokies certainly have depth at running back, none of the backs are as accomplished as Evans. Redshirt freshman Ryan Williams, following an impressive spring showing, and Josh Oglesby, a redshirt sophomore who saw some playing time last year, are expected to carry the load this fall. Highly touted true freshman David Wilson should also receive plenty of carries as the season progresses. But the loss of Evans puts even more pressure on mobile quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who will have to play steadily in his first full season as a starter in order for the Hokies to play up to many people's expectations.

Meanwhile, USC quarterback Aaron Corp sat out practice on Tuesday after bruising his left knee when a lineman rolled into him on Monday. Corp will undergo an MRI on Wednesday to determine whether the injury is more serious than a bruise. This is bad news for Corp as freshman Matt Barkley has garnered a lot of attention and praise on campus. The Trojans, who have won seven straight Pac-10 titles, open the season against San Jose State and can very well use that matchup to let Barkley get his feet wet. It's stunning that Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain cannot even generate buzz anymore playing on a campus so close to L.A. But I guess that's life when you're playing on a team with so much talent.

A couple of notes from the Phillies-Cubs game in Chicago last night...

Brad Lidge blew the seventh save of his injury-shortened season and is clearly not the same player who was automatic last year during the Phillies' World Series run. Although he came into the game 8-for-8 during save situations in the second half, his pitches have not been as crisp and he is still struggling with location.

The Cubs are not without their own relief woes, however. While some may consider the injuries to Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Zambrano and Ted Lilly to be the most detrimental, I still believe Carlos Marmol's inability to consistently throw strikes will ultimately lead to the Cubs' demise this season.

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