Boston College Review

BOSTON, MA -- Never have I been more disappointed in the Virginia Tech Hokies than I was last Thursday night. Losing a game I can handle. It's the way this team lost which disappointed me. After the stomping and the referee contact incidents in the bowl game last year, there was big talk about discipline and major repercussions for behavioral misconduct both on and off the field. There have been suspensions, yes, but the behavior still doesn't stop.

Boston College didn't really beat the Hokies on Thursday. The Hokies beat themselves. The game started with some seriously sloppy offense and some lucky defense on both sides of the ball. The Hokies looked pathetic through its first four drives and it only got worse from there. The first quarter ended scoreless, with both sides having trouble moving the ball.

With 33 total rushing yards, I never thought I would say that the Hokies were terrible on the ground. The Hokies, over the last decade, have always been known for a solid running program. This is not a slight on Branden Ore. In fact, Ore was probably the best thing about this game in Boston. He rushed for 71 yards (the difference between the total and Ore's numbers is due to sacks and other losses.)

The Hokies ended the first quarter with a drive that had promise. They were moving the ball slowly up the field. They would however give the ball to Boston College on an ill advised try at 4th and 1 on the Boston College 18-yard line. Why they would try for the first down and not take a relatively easy field goal I don't know. What I do know is that it didn't work and Boston College had two things: the ball and the crowd fired up.

On the ensuing drive the Eagles had a receiver wide open on his way to the end zone. The player dropped the ball that should have been caught. In fact, this was the second time this happened and the score should have been 14-0 at that point. But like I said, there was some seriously sloppy offensive play that saved the even sloppier Hokies defensive play.

The score remained scoreless until Boston College took advantage of an interception that Sean Glennon threw straight to defensive back Ryan Glasper. This was the second Hokie turnover. The first was a fumble by David Clowney after potentially converting an early 3rd and 1.

At the half, the score was 7-3 Boston College. The Hokies managed to drive somewhat nicely before the end of the half. This brings up an observation that I've had about the offense. It does seem to perform decently when it goes to the no huddle/hurry up style offense you usually see at the end of a half. It may be in Tech's interest to run this offense for more of the game at least to throw off opposing defenses.

Both offenses continued to struggle into the third quarter. Glennon would commit his second interception. This time it was a deflection. This came after the Hokies nearly turned it over on the previous play. Though it was eventually ruled an incomplete pass, the Eagles got to Glennon and were able to poke the ball away. They would have had the ball on the Tech 25-yard line, but after the replay, the officials concluded that Glennon's arm was moving forward in a passing motion as the ball came loose.

It was at this point that I concluded that the offensive line is not going to hold this year. Well, I kind of knew it from the beginning. Throughout the Georgia Tech loss and this loss to Boston College, Glennon was sacked and out right raped from behind seven times. He was sacked three times in this game. Between the three out right pummelings from behind in the Georgia Tech game and the one in this game, it's become really obvious that, the left tackle Brandon Frye or Nick Marshman is missing some key assignments. On all four of those sacks, Glennon was pummeled from behind like the lights were out.

The Eagles again struggled and only came away with a field goal on the next drive. The next Hokie drive was the drive where Glennon got hit from behind. He was absolutely leveled and the Hokies turned it over again.

photo courtesy of ESPN.com
It was at this point, I began to feel shame for wearing my Orange and Maroon. The Hokies on defense were unraveling. The Hokies committed several penalties in a row, they almost started a brawl on its own sideline, and Branden Hill danced when they're down late in the fourth quarter showed that the Hokies had no discipline. That's just unacceptable. The Hokies would blow several assignments and on the third incident of a wide receiver being wide open, the Eagles connect to go up 20-3. The team was unraveling. There was an incident involving Aaron Rouse and Vince Hall on the sideline after the touchdown. There was pushing and shouting and the two had to be separated. Rouse, a senior, came back to the team, after deciding not to go pro, to help the coaching staff restore order and discipline to a team that has neither. He came back to be a leader. Whatever happened on field after the touchdown, it does not appear that he's doing what he promised.

Although, I did not have audio, it has been reported that ESPN announcer Kirk Herbsteit was criticizing the Hokies for their on-field conduct. Tech committed four personal fouls and had a season high 88-yards of penalties. His rant came after the incident with Rouse and Hall.

"The reason this frustrates me in watching Virginia Tech is this is something we've seen for the last ... two or three years, is frustration and talking a little bit too much and not playing enough -- and uncharacteristic of Frank Beamer's teams," Herbstreit said. "When you see that, it's unacceptable and it needs to be addressed, and we keep seeing it from Frank Beamer and the Hokies."

"You can't have late hits. You can't talk trash every play. You cannot do that. ... The problem is more than just you're losing a game. There's issues. There's issues on the team."

While some of you have commented that his comments were not impartial and as an announcer his job is to be impartial, I have to disagree. Kirk Herbstreit is listed as a College Football Analyst for ESPN. Both he and Lee Corso are the senior analysts for ESPN's coverage of college football. When broadcasting a game, they are usually paired with an announcer, such as Chris Fowler. It is the announcer/hosts responsibility to be impartial when calling the game.

When you see Corso and Herbsteit, sitting along side of Chris Fowler on Game Day, it is their job to analyze the state of college football. It is never a secret that each of them is partial to certain universities. Herbstreit is an Ohio State alum. Corso is a Florida State alum that coached at Louisville, Indiana, and Northern Illinois. In fact, Herbstreit has been known as a huge PROponent of Virginia Tech up until the Boston College game.

Herbstreit's comments hit the nail on the head as far as I am concerned. The team did unravel. The team has unraveled and for the last few years they have not shown the Hokie Respect that they should be showing. Tech is beginning to have, scratch that, HAS the reputation of being a team full of thugs. Dating back to 1996, when eight team members were charged with assaulting Hillard Sumner a Tech track athlete in what was called the "Blacksburg Brawl" and two others (one was also involved in the Brawl) for sexual assault, Tech has seen numerous incidents where the players have been out of control.

The staff seemed to have the right idea last year when it tossed Marcus Vick off the team and instituted several new disciplinary measures. However, those changes have not produced the desired results.

The game ended fittingly with a botched snap on a punt which ended up as a safety for Boston College. It seemed that the Eagles were ready to be merciful as all they fair caught the free kick and took two knees. The final score was 22-3.