MATT GENTRY The Roanoke Times

Cornerback Stephan Virgil says Tech will bring the blitz.

BLACKSBURG -- Since Greg McElroy has attempted only 20 passes in his college career, Virginia Tech's defense hasn't enjoyed the luxury of seeing a lot of film on Alabama's new starting quarterback.

So what, the Hokies say. Hey, they have booked plans to meet the dude up close and personal when the two teams collide in Saturday night's season opener at Atlanta's Georgia Dome.

Bud Foster's bunch of piranhas are thinking blitz, folks. And they're not talking about an all-out rush to the nearest Dairy Queen, either.

"Pressure, pressure, pressure ... the whole game, all night!" Tech senior cornerback Stephan Virgil said. "That's what we're going to run. The front four, the back four or five, the linebackers, we're bringing the pressure all night."

Shoot, the Hokies might just send the whole kit and kaboodle.

"Oh, yeah, everybody ... we might work that out! [Foster] might slip in that as an adjustment on the sideline," a snickering Virgil replied.

"We've just got to be prepared for anything with this new quarterback. We've got to be sound on our techniques and our key reads the whole game, we can't have a drop-off with that. That's the way we can win this game, man."

While many people are touting an Alabama defense that has eight starters back from a unit that finished third in the nation in total defense last season, Foster's perennially stout crowd is not about to take a back seat to anybody. After all, the Hokies have been stopping teams for years. Just check the numbers. Over the past five years, Tech's defense has led the nation in total defense twice (2005-06), been fourth twice (2004 and '07), and ranked seventh a year ago. No team in the nation can match the Hokies' stingy 263.05-yard average yield the past half-decade.

Facing McElroy, a fourth-year junior who will be making his first college start, and an offensive line that includes three new starters, has Foster's group chomping at the bit.

"Definitely ... I think our whole defense is kind of excited about it," senior linebacker Cody Grimm said. "It's definitely going to be on their guys upfront. They don't have as much experience, their quarterback hasn't started before, so it's definitely a good opportunity for us to bring some blitzes."

Foster has long been known as a master of creating confusion with his disguising of defensive looks for QBs, especially those of the inexperienced variety.

"Coach Foster knows what he's doing," Grimm said. "He just puts us in good situations as players. He calls [the blitzes] at the right time."

The Hokies realize they can ill afford to give McElroy time to get comfortable in the pocket, not with a big-play threat like sophomore Julio Jones lurking on the perimeter or in the slot. Jones set UA freshman records for receptions (58), receiving yards (924) and touchdowns (four) last season.

Tech defensive backfield coach Torrian Gray conceded the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Jones is one of the best he's ever seen.

"I haven't coached a long time, about 10 years, but I haven't seen a guy, going back to my playing days, who's as hard to tackle as this guy," Gray said of Jones. "I remember the LSU game [last season] when it took about five or six guys to bring him down on one play. He's just strong. He has a will and a desire that he's not going to go down.

"We'll have our hands full with him. They're going to find ways to get him the ball. He's a special guy."

Virgil, who figures to see Jones much of the night, said he's looking forward to the challenge of trying to keep up with Jones. Grimm said Jones on film looks "like a thoroughbred ... he's faster and stronger than pretty much everyone else."

"You've just got to bring it when you're going up against Julio Jones," said Virgil, the latest of a long line of superb Tech boundary corners.

"I love competition. And it looks like on film that he loves competition, too. It's going to be a great matchup."