*Redshirt freshman Lyndell Gibson is expected to make his first career start at linebacker Thursday at East Carolina. The 5-foot-10, 220-pound Gibson, who is listed first on Tech’s depth chart released today, has been steadily getting more playing time the last few games. He was in for 55 defensive plays in Thursday’s loss to UNC and recorded two solo tackles and six assists.

Gibson’s emergence has meant a decreased role for sophomore Jake Johnson, who played only 16 plays against the Tar Heels.

*Hokies starting center Beau Warren suffered a Grade II MCL sprain to his left knee in Thursday’s game against UNC and his status for this week’s game won’t be released until Tuesday.

If Warren can’t go, redshirt freshman Michael Via would make his first career start.

*Kickoff for Tech’s Nov. 14 game at Maryland has been set for 1 p.m. The game will be televised on the Internet on ESPN360.com.

*The Hokies will try to prevent their first three-game losing streak since the end of the 2003 season, when they fell to BC, Virginia and Cal in the Insight Bowl.

*That Insight Bowl, in which Tech fell 52-49, was decided by a Tyler Frederickson 33-yard field goal as time expired. That was the last time the Hokies lost on a game’s last play before Casey Barth drove home his 21-yard kick to give the Tar Heels a 20-17 win last Thursday.

*Hokies men’s basketball coach Seth Greenberg will be inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame on April 18, 2010. He is one of seven inductees to be honored in the spring.

Here’s the rest of this year’s class – wrestler Bill Goldberg, judo champion Rusty Kanokogi, Olympic swimmer Jason Lezak, golfer Richard Siderowf, Achilles Track Club founder Dick Traum and former NFL lineman Alan Veingrad.