In the week leading up to the West Virginia game, the media members who cover West Virginia kept drawing comparisons between current Tech quarterback Michael Vick and former West Virginia quarterback Major Harris. Harris played for the Mountaineers from 1987-89, turning pro after his junior season.

"Michael is a fairly big guy, but I'm not sure he's quite as big as Major Harris was," Tech head coach Frank Beamer said. "I think Vick's release might be a little bit quicker. Once he decides to throw, it doesn't take very long for that ball to get out of his hands and get to where it's going.

"And he's such a quick runner. He can cut quickly and then he's got speed to move away from them. But Major did too. You could chase Major for a long time and not catch him."

Beamer should know all about Harris. He played against the Hokies three times and still stands as West Virginia's all-time total offense leader with more than 7,300 yards.

In the Mountaineers' 28-16 win over the Hokies at Mountaineer Field in 1987 - Beamer's first year at Tech - Harris ran for 70 yards and threw for 80 yards and a touchdown. The next season, Harris rushed for 55 yards and threw for 205 in West Virginia's 22-10 win at Lane Stadium. West Virginia went on to play for the national title that season, losing to Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.

In 1989, the Hokies put an end to Major's run against them. The signal-caller rushed for just 22 yards and threw for just 101 and a touchdown in the Mountaineers 12-10 loss to the Hokies in Morgantown. West Virginia went into the game ranked No. 9 in the country and Tech recorded its first win over a ranked opponent since 1964.

But is Vick more like Donovan McNabb? Or more like Major Harris? After impressively leading the Hokies down the field on the final drive of their game with West Virginia, he may be better than those two guys.

"I think there's some comparisons," Beamer said. "But in the end, I think all those guys, whether it's Major Harris or Michael Vick or whoever, they're probably their own guy. And that's probably what they should be."