Tech Notebook: Macho expected to play Saturday

By Nathan Warters

Published: September 4, 2008

BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech cornerback Macho Harris (sprained left foot) is listed as probable for Saturday’s home opener against Furman.

Harris, a senior, missed last week’s game against East Carolina. He didn’t travel to Charlotte with the team, opting instead to stay behind in Blacksburg for treatment. He watched the game from his home.

“It was so brutal that I just turned my phone off, because everybody was calling me,” Harris said on Tuesday. “I guess people didn’t know I wasn’t playing until the game. Everybody was blowing up my phone during the first quarter.

“I had to turn (my phone) off. I wanted to get focused. I wanted to feel like I was in the game. That’s how bad I wanted to be out there.”

DeChristopher out

Blake DeChristopher’s injury was much more serious than first thought. MRI results showed a bruised right kidney, as well as a severely bruised right knee and quad for Tech’s starting right tackle. The redshirt freshman could miss two to four weeks.

DeChristopher was hurt during Tech’s opening drive Saturday. He was taken down by an illegal block by ECU’s Jay Ross during an interception return.

Richard Graham will likely start in DeChristopher’s place.

White out

Virginia Tech’s football team will wear all white uniforms Saturday, and the Hokies are asking all of their fans to wear white, too.

Tech is hosting the inaugural “White Out” game to encourage reading throughout Virginia.

It will sell $6 white T-shirts at the game, with the proceeds going to Herma’s Readers, a non-profit organization that promotes reading and literacy to children from kindergarten to third grade.

The organization is named for Frank Beamer’s late mother, who was a schoolteacher.

Wal-Mart and Coca-Cola will join to donate 100 books to Herma’s Readers each time Tech scores a touchdown during the 2008 season, and 100 Wal-Marts throughout Virginia will have book drops where donations will be accepted from September through November.

No need to panic

A season-opening loss is a rare occurrence for the Hokies, but it doesn’t necessarily spell doom.

The last two times Tech opened a season with a loss, it finished it with a BCS bowl appearance.

The Hokies fell 24-13 to Southern Cal in 2004, and went on to go 10-3 and win the ACC championship en route to a Sugar Bowl appearance against Auburn.

In 1995, Tech started 0-2 after losses to Boston College and Cincinnati. It finished the season 10-2, won the Big East championship and capped the season with a Sugar Bowl win over Texas.