Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer and the highly-successful Hokies football program didn't see this coming. Neither did the college football world, which had the projected Atlantic Coast Conference champions at No. 6 in the 2010 preseason coaches poll and No. 10 in the preseason Associated Press poll.

In terms of the rankings, the Hokies' fall has been quick and precipitous. Virginia Tech (0-2) is not ranked in either poll this week.

On the night of Labor Day, Boise State registered a 33-30 win over the Hokies at FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins. The Virginia Tech fan base viewed the matchup with Boise State as a possible springboard to a national championship run. The Broncos saw the season opener in the same context.

After a short week of preparation, Virginia Tech was dealt a stunning 21-16 defeat by Football Championship Subdivision member James Madison in Blacksburg on Saturday.

The Hokies came out against JMU with a 17-play, 94-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead on a 9-yard scoring pass from Tyrod Taylor to Jarrett Boykin. A 30-yard field goal by Chris Hazley gave Virginia Tech a 10-0 lead. James Madison scored in the second quarter on a screen pass from Drew Dudzik to Jamal Sullivan that turned into a 77-yard touchdown, a touchdown that was seen in retrospect as a turning point in the game.

"That long touchdown on the little screen where we missed a couple of tackles kind of changed the game around," Beamer said. "I think that got them back in it to get their momentum going. Things happen like that. When you give up that long a play, which we did up in the Boise game and did in this one, it's missed tackles. Those are the ones that change a game around. The momentum plays are plays where they don't have to take a lot of snaps. ... The long play in the Boise game and the long play in this game certainly affected both games."

Beamer was referring to a 71-yard scoring run by Boise State's D.J. Harper that gave the Broncos a 26-21 lead in the season opener. The play came after Virginia Tech had rallied from a 17-0 first quarter deficit to lead 21-20.

The situation has generated some negative emotions for a program that capped 2009 with a 37-14 Peach Bowl win over Tennessee. The Hokies returned seven starters on offense and five on defense from a 10-3 team.

“I’m disappointed,” Taylor said in the aftermath of the JMU upset in a game account on the Hokies' website. “Frustrated. 0-2 is just a bad start. But I believe this team has the talent to bounce back and get back on its feet. I know we have the talent to go out there and play better than we did today. We just have to go out and prove it.”

The Hokies were favored over James Madison by 31 points. Virginia Tech is favored by 17 points against East Carolina.

Taylor has completed 25 of 38 passes for 310 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in two games. He also is the Hokies' leading rusher with 29 keepers for 179 yards. Tailback Ryan Williams has carried 40 times for 145 yards. Boykin has been Taylor's favorite target with seven catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Williams also is a receiving target with four catches for 53 yards and three TDs. Nine players have caught passes for Virginia Tech.

Stats are of little consequence to Williams in terms of the overall need for the Hokies to play closer to their perceived potential. Bouncing back is the team theme this week.

“We shouldn’t have lost the first game (Boise State) and we shouldn’t have lost this game,” Williams said. “It goes down to the players and the staff. Everyone is in this. We’ve got to get better as a whole and better as a team and bounce back.”

The Hokies know they are better than their record indicates and that makes them dangerous for the Pirates in a manner that wasn't anticipated at the outset of the season.

“We’re a better football team than an 0-2 record,” Beamer said. “But this season certainly is not over. It’s a long season and I expect us to be better. We’ve got some guys hurting right now, but I expect us to come back and be a better football team."

Virginia Tech lost junior defensive tackle Kwamaine Battle, an Eastern North Carolina product from Southern Nash, to a torn ACL against the Dukes. It was just another dimension of the drizzle and gloom that descended on Lane Stadium last week.

“I’m disappointed and I know our football team is, too," Beamer said. "I believe in this team and I believe in what they‘re all about. I believe in the character of this team. I believe in our ability. We’ve just got to get things squared away here.”

In some regards, things are the same for the Hokies despite the first two outcomes.

"We've had two disappointments, there's no question, but you know if we were 2-0 what would be important right now is what do we do now," Beamer said. "If we're 0-2, what's important is what do we do now. We're a good football team, we just haven't played as well as we want to play. I say 'want to play' because I think the kids desperately want this thing and the coaches want it. They're going to keep grinding and play like a good football team and that's what we're working at."

Beamer is 187-94-2 in his 24 seasons at Virginia Tech. He hasn't had much experience with 0-2 starts. The last time Virginia Tech lost its first two games was in 1995 to Boston College and Cincinnati. The Hokies responded by winning their last nine regular season games and then beat Texas in the Sugar Bowl to finish 10-2.

"I think there's great character on our football team," Beamer said. "I think the leaders are excellent. The people that stand up and talk on our football team practice what they preach. They play hard. They give you everything they've got. That's what gives you hope. I've said all along that if you like your senior guys Monday after you've had a disappointment then you've got the right quality of character and the right kind of guys."

Great programs such as Virginia Tech's have the ability to make adjustments. The Hokies will refocus from their original goals.

"We may not be in the national picture but certainly, as far as what's ahead of us, get better as a football team," Beamer said. "We've got our conference race ahead of us and we need to go with that."

Pirates preparing for challenge

ECU players were aware that Virginia Tech was in trouble and subsequently that they had lost during the course of the news conference following the Pirates' 49-27 win over Memphis on Saturday.

Linebacker Dustin Lineback was in on 13 tackles against the Tigers and was asked about the looming trip to Lane Stadium.

"I've never been up there," Lineback said. "I heard it's rowdy but I'm looking forward to that. That's going to be awesome. I believe right now that Virginia Tech is down to James Madison. We're going to head up there. We're going to start preparing (Sunday) and we're going to get that W."

Pirate quarterback Dominique Davis faced the Hokies in the 2008 ACC championship game as a redshirt freshman at Boston College. He completed 17 of 43 passes for 263 yards and a touchdown. Davis was intercepted twice and was sacked five times.

"We're going to focus Sunday on V-Tech," Davis said. "We're going to put this one behind us and we're going to get ready to roll."

Davis faced the Hokies in Tampa but he knows about the atmosphere in Blacksburg.

"It's going to be a hostile crowd," said the Pirates quarterback. "We're just going to focus on us and do what we've got to do to win the game."

ECU can't afford an offensive lull as seemed the case at times against Memphis.

"We got a little complacent," Davis said. "We can't do that when we play a team like V-Tech. If we're up, you've got to stay up. A team like V-Tech, they'll jump back on you."

Pirates defensive tackle Josh Smith was in a redshirt year the last time ECU played at Virginia Tech, a 17-7 Hokies win in 2007.

"I'm excited," Smith said. "V-Tech's a great team. I think they actually just lost to James Madison but that's a great team. I'm sure they're going to be p----- off and looking for a win so we're going to have to put in some work this week."

The Pirates avoided a letdown after a dramatic 51-49 win over Tulsa. The challenge this week is playing a Hokies team with its back to the wall on its home field.

"We've got a good team now but we're not all the way where we want to be," said ECU running back Jonathan Williams, who has averaged 100.5 yards rushing in the 2-0 start in Conference USA. "We know we've got more things to do out there. We're not finished. We're not going to get complacent. We don't need to get complacent. We need to stay humble and keep working. We've got a special team. We've got special units. We've got so much talent out there on that field. We just need to stay humble.

"We've stayed focused since the summer. We've been working hard and staying focused. That's our mentality."

Ruff takes on shepherd's role

Ruffin McNeill will embark on his first road game as ECU head coach after two wins at home. He said some things will not be that different from a home game since the Pirates stay off campus in a hotel the night before playing at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. The plan is to keep the routine close to the same as a home game when the Pirates fly up and spend Friday night in Roanoke before the 1:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday in Blacksburg. There will be a movie and team meetings on Friday night.

McNeill well comprehends the deceptive nature of the Hokies' record.

“We face a Virginia Tech team that has had two tough losses," said the ECU coach. "They lost a game to Boise State that really had a great buildup, starting from last year’s bowl games. A lot of people and the media pointed to it as a big game, which it was.

“I’ve had a chance to watch the defense against Boise and it was really a hard-fought game. A lot of energy was expended by both teams, but especially by Virginia Tech. That game was played on Monday, so the team had a short week to turn around and play on Saturday against James Madison. That was tough for them.

“James Madison came in and it was definitely an upset. I’m not sure why or what caused it, but I know Coach Beamer and have known him since 1989. I had a chance to go up there and study with him and his staff when I was at Appalachian State. Bud Foster, the defensive coordinator, is really a great, great coach. I know those guys are not happy with where they are and I know they will do a great job getting that team together."

McNeill also understands the importance of the focus within his own program regardless of the Hokies' recent past.

“We have to worry about ourselves again this week and not Virginia Tech as much," McNeill said. "Even though we respect Virginia Tech, we have to make sure we take care of our business and what we can control.”