Shyrone Stith bowled over the competition for 1,119 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.

Stith has probably answered more questions about Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick than he has about himself, and he's just fine with that.

The Hokies tailback figures that while the stars get all the attention, he can concentrate on what he does best -- run the ball.

"Any other year, he would be getting the attention," Hokies senior center Keith Short said. "I just think since we have a freshman quarterback and he's had such a sensational year, people tend to forget about Shyrone sometimes."

Stith rushed for 1,119 yards and a school record-tying 13 touchdowns this season. He caught only four passes for 48 yards, but averaged 25.8 yards on 15 kickoff returns and was the Big East Conference's first-team tailback.

At least one Florida State player is unimpressed, however.

"Michael Vick makes the offense," linebacker Brian Allen said. "Stith is a 1,000-yard rusher, but he's not anything without his offensive line."

Stith hopes to have a surprise waiting for the Seminoles in the national championship game on Tuesday night.

"I don't think they are too worried about me or the receivers. All I've heard is 'Michael, Michael, Michael,' " Stith said. "Maybe something else will open up."

Stith has never been underappreciated in Blacksburg, Va., the Hokies' hometown. Offensive coordinator Rickey Bustle said he thinks Stith's lack of national recognition came because he lived up to the expectations.

	“	To have a great runner like Shyrone behind me ... takes a lot of pressure off me. ... I think that's where a lot of our success has come from in the play-action game. ”
		— Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick

"Everybody thought Shyrone would be good and then Michael Vick had the year that he had, Davis popped out of the woodwork and so those were surprises," Bustle said, referring to receiver Andre Davis.

"Everybody knew that Shyrone would be a good player, and he was."

Stith first showed his abilities as a true freshman when he was thrust into duty in his first college game by an injury to starter Ken Oxendine. Entering the game in the second quarter, Stith rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns.

He gained 474 yards as a freshman, averaging 5.3 yards a carry, and then agreed to take a redshirt year as a sophomore when the Hokies were loaded in the backfield. Discouraged at first, he's now glad he did it.

"I took the back seat and I think I did a good job with doing that," he said. "Now I've got another year next year."

Stith and Vick have helped give plenty of offense to a team not known for scoring a lot of points in the past.

"That was one of the main keys in the spring, changing the attitude that Virginia Tech was just a defense and special teams team," Stith said. "Michael Vick changed that whole interpretation of our team. We have an offense now."

And Vick feels like he's got a security blanket in the backfield.

"To have a great runner like Shyrone behind me, a 1,000-yard rusher, it takes a lot of pressure off me," Vick said. "He's done that all season, and I think that's where a lot of our success has come from in the play-action game."

The 1,000-yard season was the first of Stith's career. He was hampered by injuries in high school, and then by the glut of tailbacks with the Hokies.

But with one season to go, his future makes him smile wide.

"I'm taking the long way," he said, "and hopefully it'll pay off for me."