Trying to figure out Virginia Tech's offense is simple.

Hand the ball off to Lee Suggs or hand the ball off to Kevin Jones. That's as complicated as it gets.

Trying to stop the tandem of Suggs and Jones, well, that's not so simple.

UCF Makes MAC Debut

Central Florida did not come into the Mid-American Conference quietly. According to a newspaper report, UCF coach Mike Kruczek predicted last spring that the Knights would roll through their MAC schedule undefeated and earn a bowl berth. Kruczek denies making those comments. Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, one can be sure those statements were pinned on bulletin boards across the MAC, including at Marshall (1-1) which hosts the Knights (0-2) on Friday night in the conference opener for both schools. Kruczek's alleged comments weren't the only ones that Thundering Herd fans may have taken personally. An Orlando newspaper columnist joked this summer that the only way to get a Marshall fan off your doorstep was to pay for the pizza. In July, UCF athletic director Steve Orsini was quoted as promising the Knights would be out of the MAC and into a BCS-affiliated conference within five years. Ouch, ouch and ouch. "Anytime you go into Huntington, West Virginia, it's a difficult proposition," Kruczek said. "Based on what's been printed in the last two or three months, it's not going to help our situation. The fans in that stadium are going to be excited about what was said." Words aside, Friday night's game is a big one for both schools because it could go a long way in deciding the MAC's East Division champion. UCF is in dire need of a victory after beginning the season with two consecutive losses, including a forgettable performance during a 46-13 defeat to Arizona State two weeks ago. Kruczek said "it's imperative that we establish the run" against Marshall. The Thundering Herd gave up 395 rushing yards in their 47-21 loss to Virginia Tech last Thursday and rank 108th out of 117 Division I-A teams in rush defense. But passing the football, not running it, is the Knights' forte. In its two games this season, UCF has averaged only 49 yards on the ground. That ranks 115th in Division I-A. That raises the possibility of a passing show between UCF's Ryan Schneider and Marshall's Byron Leftwich. It's a scenario that Kruczek doesn't welcome. "We don't want to get in a shootout with them," Kruczek said. "It's critical for us to win the battle of possession and keep No. 7 off the football field." Neither Kruczek nor Marshall coach Bob Pruett chose to fan the flames regarding UCF's preseason comments on Monday. At the MAC's kickoff luncheon in July, Pruett said, "Anybody who thinks they can come into this league and just win it, I've got news for them." On Monday, Pruett discounted the notion that his team's fans would be extra ornery come Friday night. "Our fans are eager for every game," Pruett said. "I don't think it will make a whole lot of difference." Kruczek indicated he wished the whole thing would just go away. "That cannot be a distraction," Kruczek said. "Our kids can't turn around and respond to whatever people are saying in the stadium. If we do that, we have a chance." -- Jorge Milian

Ask Arkansas State. Or LSU. Or Marshall.

Each has tried this season and failed miserably.

Next up for the seventh-ranked Hokies (3-0) is No. 21 Texas A&M, which is certain to provide Suggs and Jones their biggest test to date and, maybe, the entire season.

The Aggies enter Saturday's game in College Station ranked No. 1 nationally in run defense, allowing an average of only 33.5 yards through their first two games.

Virginia Tech counters with a rushing attack that is third among Division I-A schools with an average output of 283 yards.

Something's got to give.

"It's a real big challenge, but a great opportunity for us to show how good we are again," said Suggs, a senior. "It's going to be hardnosed and it's going to be tough to get the yardage because they are a real good defense. We're going to keep pounding. Eventually, something is going to happen."

Stuff happens when defenses face Suggs and Jones and it's usually bad.

"It's hard to get one back like these guys," said Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer. "When you have two, it's unbelievable."

And unbeatable.

Marshall will attest to that. The Thundering Herd came into last week's game intent on stopping the pair and didn't come close.

Jones, a sophomore, rushed for 171 yards and three touchdowns while Suggs contributed 153 yards and two scores as the Hokies demolished their visiting MAC opponents, 47-21.

That followed a combined 161-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 24-8 pounding of defending SEC champion LSU in Blacksburg on Sept. 1.

Beamer has used Suggs and Jones to perfection, alternating the pair on every series.

At some schools that might be a problem, creating conflict between two equally talented players. But while they are equally talented, there has been little conflict between Suggs and Jones.

Suggs, who sustained a season-ending knee injury in last year's opener, was the Big East's co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2000 after rushing for a conference-best 1,207 yards and school-record 27 touchdowns.

Jones stepped in for Suggs last season and was named the Big East's Rookie of the Year after finishing fifth in the conference with 957 rushing yards.

"We've known for a while that we were going to have to deal with it," Suggs said. "With me coming back, we both knew what was going to happen. It was a matter of being mature about it. We both understand that we're on the same team and have the same ultimate goal."

Beamer has managed to keep both players happy by equally dividing their carries. Suggs has rushed 53 times for 331 yards while Jones has 42 carries for 272 yards. Both carried 24 times against Marshall.

"They've handled it great," Beamer said. "As talented as they are, they're team players. There's great respect for each other. It's worked out well for us. We've always got a pretty good tailback on the field."

That's not to say there's not some healthy competition between the two players.

"When Lee makes a good play, it makes me want to make a good play," Jones said. "I think it's the other way around, too."

Suggs and Jones provide a nice change of pace for Virginia Tech.

Suggs, 6-feet and 204 pounds, has a north-south style and is the better short-yardage runner. Jones, 6-feet and 211 pounds, is "a little bit more of a flashy runner," according to Beamer.

There is one similarity.

"Both of them are great backs," Beamer said.

Around the Big East

Boston College
Tailback Derrick Knight, who has sparked comebacks in each of the Eagles' two season-opening victories, will start on Saturday against Miami. Knight has registered back-to-back 100-yard games as the backup to Horace Dodd. Ironically, Knight made the first start of his career last season against the Hurricanes in place of the suspended William Green. Knight played well against Miami, rushing 27 times for 78 yards. ... Fullback J.P. Comella has been ruled ready to play against the Hurricanes by coach Tom O'Brien after cracking a rib in the win over Stanford. ... Freshman cornerback Larry Lester will replace starter Peter Shean, who is out with a knee injury. ... O'Brien said he hasn't watched the bizarre interception return for a touchdown that foiled BC's upset hopes against Miami last season. Brian St. Pierre's pass on first-and-goal bounced off Miami cornerback Mike Rumph's leg and into the hands of defensive tackle Matt Walters. Ed Reed then pulled the ball away from Walters and ran 80 yards for a clinching touchdown in the 21-9 victory. "Generally when I get to that point (on the game film), I don't watch any more," O'Brien said. "I'm not going to beat myself up over it." ... The Eagles haven't beaten Miami in the Orange Bowl since 1984, going 0-5. The Hurricanes have won the five games by an average of 25.4 points.

Miami
Andre Johnson, the Hurricanes' leading receiver, is expected to be back against Boston College after missing the Temple game following arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder. ... There were several breakdowns in the kicking game during the 44-21 victory against Temple because of poor snapping. A bad punt snap led to the Owls' first touchdown. Todd Sievers missed two field goals and an extra point, again because of shoddy snapping. ... Miami gave up two sacks against Temple. It's the first time that's happened since Rutgers registered a pair of sacks on Sept. 30, 2000. ... Tailback Willis McGahee rushed for 132 yards against Temple and now leads the Big East with 398 total yards and a 132.7 per game average. McGahee tied a school record with four rushing touchdowns against the Owls. ... Miami, which led the nation with 27 interceptions last season, has only three picks in three games this year. ... The Hurricanes have won 12 straight games from Boston College and are 13-1 all-time against the Eagles in the Orange Bowl.

Pittsburgh
Quarterback Rod Rutherford, the target of boos at home, led the Panthers to a tough 26-20 victory on the road against UAB. Rutherford completed 13-of-25 passes for 235 yards and ran for 69 yards. Rutherford led Pittsburgh on a 12-play, 86-yard drive in the fourth quarter that resulted in the winning touchdown -- a 10-yard scoring toss to Roosevelt Bynes. ... Tailback Brandon Miree led the Panthers in rushing for the third game in a row. Miree, an Alabama transfer making his first career start, gained 97 yards. He had 101 yards before being dropped for a four-yard loss on his final carry. ... The "swinging gate" formation, which cost the Panthers a chance to beat Texas A&M last week, was not used against UAB on extra-point attempts. Pittsburgh was called for an illegal shift twice using the alignment against the Aggies, resulting in a missed extra point that proved crucial in the 14-12 defeat. ... The Panthers have won five straight games on the road. ... Tailback Raymond Kirkley, who led Pittsburgh in rushing last season, saw brief action against UAB after not playing against Texas A&M.

Rutgers
Finally something to cheer about in Piscataway. Quarterback Ted Trump threw three touchdown passes and tailback Markis Facyson rushed for 129 yards in a 44-0 win over Army at Rutgers Stadium. Facyson set a school record for freshmen with his performance. The Scarlet Knights had entered the game as Division I-A's worst team in two rankings. ... The game was delayed for 45 minutes in the first quarter because of lightning strikes. ... Rutgers takes a 15-game Big East losing streak into Saturday's game against Pittsburgh. It's the start of a brutal six-game stretch for the Scarlet Knights, that includes meetings with Virginia Tech, Tennessee and Miami. Four of the games will be on the road. ... Cornerback Shawn Seabrooks, who returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown against Army, was named the Big East's co-Defensive Player of the Week.

Syracuse
After two lackluster performances in its first two games, Syracuse's offense finally got untracked by piling up 629 yards in a 63-17 victory against Division I-AA Rhode Island. Quarterback R.J. Anderson played his best game this season, completing 13-of-18 passes for 306 yards and touchdown passes of 87 and 29 yards to Jamel Riddle. The touchdown passes were the first of the season for Anderson. ... Syracuse also ran well, gaining 280 rushing yards. Tailback Walter Reyes ran for 128 yards and three touchdowns. ... Still it wasn't all good for the Orangemen. The defense gave up 445 total yards, including 273 on the ground to the Rams. In three games, Syracuse has allowed 89 points and 1,496 yards. ... Receiver Johnnie Morant was suspended for the Rhode Island game. Morant's suspension was his third in three years. Coach Paul Pasqualoni declined to address the reason for the suspension or whether Morant was sanctioned for punching a Syracuse lacrosse player in April. ... Defensive end Josh Thomas (foot) and defensive tackle Christian Ferrara (knee) did not play because of injuries.

Temple
The 44-21 loss to Miami provided a moral victory for Temple, which lost to the Hurricanes for the 11th straight time. The Owls were within 24-14 of Miami at halftime before a fumble on Temple's opening series of the third quarter led to a quick Hurricanes' touchdown. "We hate the loss, but we played right with them," said defensive lineman Dan Klecko. ... The 21-point margin of defeat was the second lowest during Temple's 0-11 run against the Hurricanes. The 21 points scored by the Owls was the second-highest output in that 11-game stretch. ... The crowd of 33,169 at Franklin Field for the Miami game was Temple's largest since it drew 38,410 against Penn State during the 1994 season. ... Tailback Tanardo Sharps, who gained 68 yards on 20 carries, moved into fourth place in the school's all-time rushing charts.

Virginia Tech
The individual rushing totals of Lee Suggs (153) and Kevin Jones (171) against Marshall marked only the third time in Big East history that a pair of running backs went over 150 yards in a single game. ... Carter Warley already has three field goals beyond 40 yards after going 0-for-4 from that distance last season. ... Bryan Randall will keep the starting quarterback job against Texas A&M even though Grant Noel, who started the Hokies' first two games, is ready to play. Randall has completed 16-of-29 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. He completed 5-of-12 passes for 101 yards against Marshall. "I thought Bryan did a good job," coach Frank Beamer said. "He took care of the football. I think this is the way we need to go."

West Virginia
Coach Rich Rodriguez won his first road game as Mountaineers coach, but it wasn't easy. A 49-yard field goal attempt by Cincinnati's Jonathan Ruffin hit the left upright and bounced away, giving West Virginia a 35-32 victory. "If I'm a young coach, games like this are going to make me older in a hurry," Rodriguez said. ... The Mountaineers rushed for 334 yards, including 193 yards from Avon Cobourne. Cobourne, who also ran for two touchdowns, passed the 100-yard mark for the 20th time in this career. Cobourne needs 254 more yards to break Amos Zereoue's school record of 4,086 rushing yards. ... Quarterback Rasheed Marshall enjoyed his finest outing at West Virginia, completing 16-or-24 passes for 189 yards and one touchdown while rushing for 44 yards and two more touchdowns. ... West Virginia is now 11-0-1 all-time against Cincinnati. ... The Mountaineers have Saturday off before meeting East Carolina on Sept. 28. ... Henderson became the seventh player in West Virginia history to have consecutive 100-yard receiving games. Henderson followed his 106-yard performance against Wisconsin with eight receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown against the Bearcats.

Around the MAC
Akron dominated Central Michigan in the first half and were leading 17-3 before losing steam in a 24-17 loss that dropped Akron to 0-3 for the first time since 1997. With Virginia and Miami up next, the Zips could be looking at an 0-5 start. "It's a game we knew we had to win," said Akron coach Lee Owens. "Now, we're in crisis mode." ... Ball State's Marcus Merriweather attained his 13th 100-yard rushing effort in his past 17 games, running for 146 yards on 27 carries in the Cardinals' 23-21 victory against Indiana State. ... The win was the first in five years and 20 games during the month of September for Ball State. No player on the Cardinals' roster had ever won a game in September. ... Ball State had no turnovers for the first time in 11 games. The Cardinals turned it over five times in last week's defeat to Missouri. In its last four games, Ball State had forced only one turnover. ... Bowling Green routed Missouri 51-28, passing the 40-point mark for a school-record fourth consecutive game. ... Bowling Green piled up 577 yards of total offense, with quarterback Josh Harris passing for 311 yards. Harris, who rushed for two touchdowns, also scored after taking a pass from receiver Cole Magner and racing 34 yards for the Falcons' first touchdown. Magner threw two touchdown passes in the game. ... Receiver Robert Redd caught 10 passes for 209 yards and one touchdown. The 209 receiving yards is second all-time in school history behind the 215 yards Redd registered last season against Marshall. ... Buffalo couldn't continue the momentum generated by last week's dominating victory against Rutgers. The Bulls lost to Connecticut 24-3 thanks to an impotent offense and a series of costly penalties. ... Quarterback Randall Secky was only 11-of-31 for 123 yards and one interception while the running game generated just 52 yards. ... After rushing for 153 yards last week against Rutgers, running back Aaron Leeper was held to 52 yards against the Huskies. ... Central Michigan's 24-17 victory against Akron was a tale of two halves. CMU trailed at halftime 17-3, but dominated the second half, picking up 293 of its 469 offensive yards in the third and fourth quarters. At 3-0, CMU has already matched its victory total from last season. "We're undefeated but we have a lot of room for improvement," said coach Mike DeBord. ... Tailback Terrence Jackson "is starting to do some things running wise" but is not ready to play this week against Indiana, DeBord said. Jackson is out with a knee injury. ... Jackson's replacement, Kenan Lawhorne ran for 133 yards on 30 carries and scored the tying and game-winning touchdowns for the Chippewas. ... Eastern Michigan won for the first time in seven games, using a Troy Edwards-to-Kevin Walter touchdown pass from 16 yards and only 55 seconds remaining to beat Division I-AA Southeast Missouri State, 35-32. Southeast Missouri missed a 48-yard field goal as time expired that would have tied the game. "When you go out and work and work, it's nice to pull off a W," said coach Jeff Woodruff. "There's nothing like a win." ... Walter, who ended up with 11 catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns, set the EMU career receptions record on Saturday. Walter now has 145 catches, surpassing the mark held by Savon Edwards, who had 135. ... Eagles tailback Ime Akpan rushed for a career-high 154 yards after piling up 152 yards last week against Toledo. ... Kent State quarterback Joshua Cribbs had a huge day in the Golden Flashes' 37-34 victory against Cal Poly, rushing for a career-high 207 yards and passing for 193 yards. Cribbs' passing total was three yards off his career best. Cribbs' 35-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Bush with 49 seconds avoided a potentially embarrassing upset. "Cal Poly came in here to play and we took them lightly," said Kent coach Dean Pees. ... Defensive back Nashville Dyer had two interceptions and 11 tackles, but the Golden Flashes were shaky on defense, allowing 404 yards of total offense. ... Tailback David Alston, who missed the first two games with an ankle injury, gained 97 yards. ... Marshall players say there will be no hangover from their loss last Thursday against Virginia Tech. "We're OK," said quarterback Byron Leftwich. "We understand we still have a long season ahead of us.". ... Leftwich had big numbers against the Hokies, completing 33-of-49 throws for 409 yards and three touchdowns. But much of that came after Virginia Tech had built a 33-0 lead. All of Leftwich's touchdown passes came in the fourth quarter after the game had long been decided. ... Leftwich and Marshall were plagued by dropped passes, including two sure touchdowns. ... Miami lost for the fifth time in six games, suffering a 33-7 defeat to LSU in Baton Rouge. The Tigers outgained Miami on the ground by a 207-29 margin. ... There was more bad news for the RedHawks. Tailback Cal Murray left the game with a knee injury. ... Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw an interception and was sacked three times. ... Northern Illinois' two-time 1,000-yard rusher Thomas Hammock may have to give up football because of a heart condition. According to coach Joe Novak, there have been two differing diagnoses surrounding Hammock's situation. Hammock was expected to see another heart specialist this week in Minnesota. "There's no rush," Novak said. "All I want to do is get this thing diagnosed." ... The Huskies narrowly fell short of an upset when Wisconsin quarterback Brooks Bollinger scored from two yards with 1:21 remaining to give the Badgers a 24-21 victory. Wisconsin's final series was aided by three NIU penalties, including two pass interference calls. ... Junior Michael Turner, subbing for Hammock, rushed 34 times for 160 yards and two touchdowns. ... NIU's defense sacked Bollinger 10 times and held Wisconsin's ground game to 68 yards. "We should have won the football game," said coach Joe Novak. "We played well enough to win." ... Ohio lost for the ninth consecutive time, falling to Florida in Gainesville by a 34-6 score. Still, Ohio hung in against the Gators, out-playing the SEC power for most of the first half. ... The Bobcats threw the ball only four times all game, relying solely on their option attack. ... Quarterback Dontrell Jackson ran for 118 yards on 29 carries, but threw for only 12 yards. ... Down by three points with seven minutes to go against Minnesota. Toledo coach Tom Amstutz called for a fake field goal. Holder Bruce Gradkowski's shuffle pass was batted away and the Rockets went on the lose 31-21. Some will wonder why Amstutz bypassed a 25-yard field goal. "We're playing against a Big Ten team on the road and, sometimes, you take risks," Amstutz said. "Sometimes it'll go your way, sometimes it won't." ... Amstutz also called for a fake punt with the score tied 21-21. Carl Ford took a short pass from punter Jason Cox and ran 55 yards for a touchdown, but the score was called back for an illegal block. ... Tailback William Bratton rushed for a career-high 114 yards and three touchdowns. ... UCF's Friday night game is the third straight on the road for the Knights. UCF does not play its home opener until Sept. 28 against Liberty. ... Center Mike Mabry will play against Marshall despite being ejected during the Knights' loss to Arizona State on Sept. 1. Kruczek said the ejection does not carry an automatic one-game suspension because it did not come as a result of fighting. ... Quarterback Ryan Schneider is ready to play after bruising ribs against Arizona State. Schneider began practicing late last week. "He seems to be fully healed and practicing very well with very little pain or lack of movement," Kruczek said. ... Western Michigan had a 24-21 lead with less than six minutes remaining before dropping a 28-24 decision to Purdue. "We're not interested in moral victories," said Western Michigan coach Gary Darnell. "There's a lot of aggravation and disappointment right now.". ... WMU defensive end John Babin registered three sacks and four tackles for lost yardage. ... Quarterbacks Jon Drach and Chad Munson combined to complete 23-of-46 passes for 316 yards. ... The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Broncos, who host Virginia Tech on Sept. 28.

Jorge Milian covers college football for the Palm Beach Post.