The Virginia Tech Hokies opened their contest against North Carolina State with an ATROCIOUS first quarter. The Hokie defense is young, inexperienced, and learning, so defensive coordinator Bud Foster's squad still has somewhat of an excuse. The offense, however, has no such excuse. It has seasoned veterans that should be carrying their experience from years past, and they made rookie mistakes. Let's run down some of the events. The Wolfpack took the first possession, and as they did they marched down the field 80 yards with seemingly little resistance to gain their first touchdown. The Hokie offense went three and out. NC State quarterback, Russel Wilson, on the subsequent drive put a long ball into the air that his receiver would have caught for a big gain should he have had one more half step on the pursuing Hokies. After third down, NC State punted the football, and the struggling Hokie special teams blew an excellent opportunity for a blocked punt and committed a penalty in the process. As the Hokies took over the ball, on second down, quarterback Tyrod Taylor handed the ball off to David Wilson, who ran the ball for a big 26 yard gain, and just when Hokie fans began to see some rays of light, Wilson fumbled causing a momentary flash of panic. Fortunately Dyrell Roberts fell onto the ball to maintain possession. But later on this same drive, tight end Andre Smith deflected a pass headed right into his hands up into the arms of a Wolfpack player resulting in an interception. On the ensuing drive, NC State quarterback found a wide open Jayron Hosley. With 6:23 left to go in the first, the Hokies already trailed 14 to nil. This may well amount to one of the worst quarters of play in all of Hokie football history, from any relative sense of expectations at least.
Early in the second quarter, things continued to go poorly for Virginia Tech. Defensive tackle Derrick Hopkins found himself right in front up a fumbled football but fell belly first causing it to wiggle away from him for an NC State recovery. The first second quarter Wolfpack drive resulted in a field goal, 17-0. On the offensive side of the ball, Tyrod Taylor's composure looked rattled. A number of his incomplete passes went straight into the dirt. And many of the incompletions thrown straight on target the Hokie receivers dropped. But about midway through the second quarter, the tempo began to shift. The Hokie defense began to make some key stops. Until this point in the game, NC Stage receivers had repeatedly won a series of "jump balls" to come down with big gains in passing yardage. But safety Antone Exum and cornerback Jayron Hosley made several key tips preventing Wolfpack pass receptions. After generating a little offense, the Hokies closed out half by getting themselves onto the board making the score 7-17 with a pass on the run by Taylor and brilliantly caught by tight end Andre Smith, thus more than making up for his earlier deflected interception.
The third quarter looked more promising for the Hokies all of a sudden when David Wilson ran back on the kickoff for a 92 yard touchdown. But another special teams blunder of a missed extra point took the wind out their sails. On the Wolfpack's next possession, they punched another touchdown into the endzone making the score 24-13. But the Hokies had the resolve so as not to go quietly. Darren Evans reminded us of what we missed in the 2009 season due to his injury. He ran 54 yards for a touchdown, and Tyrod Taylor found Danny Coale for a 2 point conversion to compensate for the missed extra point. This put the score at 21-24 in favor the Wolfpack, but the Hokies had the momentum. NC State knew they needed to get onto the board, so they put together a hard fought drive, but the Hokie's maturing defense started playing like a mature defense. They held the Wolfpack to a field goal. The Hokies ended the thrid quarter sitting within striking distance of taking the lead with one possession.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Hokies took their first lead of the day with once again a pass from Taylor to Smith. When NC State took possession, they once again settled for a field goal two thirds the way through the fourth quarter. Their fans were making noise, and their team members were pumped. But you would never have known it from the composure of the Hokies as they took the field after Wilson returned the kickoff to the Virginia Tech 24 yardline. Evans and Taylor exchanged a series of moderate range rushes to keep the Hokies drive going, even though the offensive plays seemed to be breaking down. Then, Taylor found wide receiver Jarratt Boykin at midfield, and he brilliantly ran 39 yards for a touchdown, 28-34 Hokies!. At this point, Hokie head coach Frank Beamer called for a 2 point conversion play. Now, this could make you wonder why, but consider the difference between a 4 point lead and a 6 point lead. With respect to the opposing team needing to get into the paint, nothing differs, but on the off chance that the opposing team DOES score a touchdown, a 6 point lead gives the Hokies a last ditch effort to block the extra point. With 1:27 remaining and all three timeouts left, the Wolfpack didn' t have a second to spare, but the ability to manage the clock. But once again, the Hokie defense put on the pressure and forced an interception. One more Hokie touchdown capped off the final score at 41-30 Hokies.
I'm starting to see a localized pattern in the Hokies' performance this season. By that I mean that in each game, the Hokies play a horrible first quarter in ever respect, but they improve steadily throughout the game. (Of course, we have to not consider the JMU game, though.) First and foremost, the Hokies must correct this. They've got four games under their belts now, and coming out slow because of players don't their heads 100% in the game has to be a thing of past from here onward. Second, I'm wondering if we can apply this localized pattern of game-by-game to the global scope of the entire season. That is to ask (not predict!) whether the Hokies will only improve their season. I hope that the case. More on that may come in a later post.
The defense, though still inexperienced, making mistakes, and developing, show moments of brilliance in their play that indicate good things to come. The offense, however, really has no excuse. They need to start executing consistently like the seasoned verterans they are. All Hokie fans offer considerable and rightful criticism of offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring, but a lot of mistakes of today's game really rest squarely on the shoulders of the players. Even Danny Coale, who's hands I've past sworn are coated in glue, dropped some he should have caught today. The special teams mistakes have become somewhat commonplace. The win definitely gives Hokie fans a good feeling coming out of today's college football contests, but that game really should have ended at 41-17, not 41-30. But that's not to say the forward momentum of two wins won't carry our Hokies into greener pastures.
Mad Jay is still mad, EhhTee is still running the stats, and I'm still full of hope. Not too much is different here in TSF Land. Our boys have a lot of season ahead of themselves. Even after their 0-2 start, don't give up on a great finish yet!
LET'S GO HOKIES!
Showing posts with label College. Show all posts
Showing posts with label College. Show all posts
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Game Review - vs. East Carolina
Finally!
Hokie fans began to exhale a big sigh of relief when Virginia Tech bean to pull way from the East Carolina Pirates on Saturday afternoon. However, this game falls far short of the execution and level of play needed to take this team to big victories down the road. First, a game summary, and then the analysis.
Game Summary
The ECU pirates sensed a wounded beast in our Hokies after a disappointing loss to Boise State and a demoralizing loss to James Madison University. And with blood in the water of that sort, an energized ECU squad coming off of two big wins had the wind at their backs to hand the Hokies yet another defeat. The underdogs came out swinging and at early points of the game looked capable of delivering a knock out punch.
Comparable to the game against Boise State, against ECU the Virginia Tech defense allowed 17 points in just a little over a quarter of play. During ECU's first two drives of the game, they marched down the field making the Hokie defense appear hapless to stop them from moving the ball. That earned the Pirates a field goal and a touchdown on each drive while having shut down the Hokie offense. Then, Virginia tech responded with a 60 yard drive resulting in a touchdown run into the endzone by Ryan Williams so as not to go quietly through the first quarter.
Upon the opening of the second quarter ECU once again punched in another touchdown off a 7 yard pass from quarterback Dominique Davis to WR Dwayne Harris. On the ensuing VT drive, Tyrod Taylor passed to Jarrett Boykin who caught the ball and subsequently fumbled it only most fortunately such that the Hokies recovered. The play went sloppily for the Hokies, although they ended up with good field position. Ryan Williams left the game early with a hamstring injury. Stumbling their way through the rest of the half, the Hokies put up one more touchdown to close out the half trailing by 3 points.
During the second half, the Hokies took to better form, but before they did Darren Evans fumbled on the Virginia Tech 39 yardline. The defense held the Pirates to a 41 yard field goal on its ensuing drive. The Hokie offense responded with two touchdowns, both on runs by David Wilson.
In the fourth quarter, the Hokies exploded and put on the show that college football fans had expected to see during this weeks game and last weeks game. The defense started getting to the ECU quarterback, opposing drives resulting in punts, and pressure lead to thrown interceptions. Rashad Carmichael's interception lead to a 68 yard run for a touchdown, and Tyrod Taylor completed a touchdown pass of 69 yards to Jarret Boykin. The Hokies ended the day with a 49 to 27 victory.
Analysis
Obviously, every Hokie fan exhaled a big sigh of relief during the fourth quarter when we realized that our boys wouldn't be going down to 0-3 on the season. After already experiencing the worst season opening in decades, fans rallied behind our Hokies in the hopes of salvaging the rest of the season. But despite this win the Hokies play over the past three games raises some very serious concerns, some of them recycled from seasons past, but one in particular that's very new.
Let me start with the newest and most disconcerting. The Hokie defense hasn't been the terror of seasons past against their opponents. They have a lot of new starters on that side of the ball, but that's never really been a big concern in the past because defensive coordinator Bud Foster knows how to whip his troops into shape to make the lean, mean fighting machine we've all come to know as Hokie defense. The defense has allowed 383, 235, and 361 yards respectively in the first three contests of this season. Against top 25 teams, those make for respectable numbers, but considering contests against ECU and JMU, those numbers are disconcerting. The amount of points scored totals 81 thus far this season, another number the Hokies need to improve. They way the BSU and ECU offenses marched themselves down the field in their respective first quarters of play makes an onlooking Hokie fan want to bury his head into his hands and bite his nails. The defense has traditionally been the rock that keeps the Hokies competitive throughout the season, and the need for that isn't going to go away this season. I hope this breaks down to inexperience that Bud Foster is molding into the defense that we're used to watching as a dominating force on the football field. My suspicion is that we'll see growing improvement, so I'm optimistic that we'll see our Hokie defense come to form. I just hope it happens soon enough so that Virginia Tech can persevere through the ACC in-conference schedule.
On the other side of the ball, we've seen some of the same problems on the field. Sorry to keep beating this dead horse as we do here at TSF so often, but it's a fact. The first thing I noticed was the playcalling. There's a lot of aspects the playcalling to criticize, but I want to focus on one in particular. During this game and prior games of the season, the passing game continuously has gone for the "home run" pass, sometimes as a called play and sometimes as the result of a play breaking down. Sometimes it makes sense to pull a long pass to catch a defense off guard or in times of sheer desperation, but I see the Hokie offense going to this too often. Instead they need to focus on more frequently executing the short pass. It plays into controlling the pace of the drive and the clock, which is extremely important in the later minutes of a close game. Also, I'm uncomfortable with the number of times our quarterback has had to rush to escape the danger of a sack. It's great that Tyrod Taylor's foot speed give the Hokie offense that option, but the frequency with which he has to use it worries me. Quarterback rushing may do well against the non-BCS conference teams, and even against most of the teams in the ACC, but it won't win an ACC championship and it certainly won't win a major BCS bowl. Of these broken down scrambling plays, Taylor had nine rushes for 32 yards. Against a more formidable defense, any of those nine plays could have resulted in big losses for the Hokie offense. Given the experience and talent of this Hokie offense, these problems should be in their rear view mirror, but we'll do what we do as fans every season in this regard, hope that it gets better.
The Hokies open their ACC season against Boston College next week. The's a lot of season left to salvage, and a big win against the Eagles could put the season on the right track towards intra-conference success.
LET'S GO HOKIES
Hokie fans began to exhale a big sigh of relief when Virginia Tech bean to pull way from the East Carolina Pirates on Saturday afternoon. However, this game falls far short of the execution and level of play needed to take this team to big victories down the road. First, a game summary, and then the analysis.
Game Summary
The ECU pirates sensed a wounded beast in our Hokies after a disappointing loss to Boise State and a demoralizing loss to James Madison University. And with blood in the water of that sort, an energized ECU squad coming off of two big wins had the wind at their backs to hand the Hokies yet another defeat. The underdogs came out swinging and at early points of the game looked capable of delivering a knock out punch.
Comparable to the game against Boise State, against ECU the Virginia Tech defense allowed 17 points in just a little over a quarter of play. During ECU's first two drives of the game, they marched down the field making the Hokie defense appear hapless to stop them from moving the ball. That earned the Pirates a field goal and a touchdown on each drive while having shut down the Hokie offense. Then, Virginia tech responded with a 60 yard drive resulting in a touchdown run into the endzone by Ryan Williams so as not to go quietly through the first quarter.
Upon the opening of the second quarter ECU once again punched in another touchdown off a 7 yard pass from quarterback Dominique Davis to WR Dwayne Harris. On the ensuing VT drive, Tyrod Taylor passed to Jarrett Boykin who caught the ball and subsequently fumbled it only most fortunately such that the Hokies recovered. The play went sloppily for the Hokies, although they ended up with good field position. Ryan Williams left the game early with a hamstring injury. Stumbling their way through the rest of the half, the Hokies put up one more touchdown to close out the half trailing by 3 points.
During the second half, the Hokies took to better form, but before they did Darren Evans fumbled on the Virginia Tech 39 yardline. The defense held the Pirates to a 41 yard field goal on its ensuing drive. The Hokie offense responded with two touchdowns, both on runs by David Wilson.
In the fourth quarter, the Hokies exploded and put on the show that college football fans had expected to see during this weeks game and last weeks game. The defense started getting to the ECU quarterback, opposing drives resulting in punts, and pressure lead to thrown interceptions. Rashad Carmichael's interception lead to a 68 yard run for a touchdown, and Tyrod Taylor completed a touchdown pass of 69 yards to Jarret Boykin. The Hokies ended the day with a 49 to 27 victory.
Analysis
Obviously, every Hokie fan exhaled a big sigh of relief during the fourth quarter when we realized that our boys wouldn't be going down to 0-3 on the season. After already experiencing the worst season opening in decades, fans rallied behind our Hokies in the hopes of salvaging the rest of the season. But despite this win the Hokies play over the past three games raises some very serious concerns, some of them recycled from seasons past, but one in particular that's very new.
Let me start with the newest and most disconcerting. The Hokie defense hasn't been the terror of seasons past against their opponents. They have a lot of new starters on that side of the ball, but that's never really been a big concern in the past because defensive coordinator Bud Foster knows how to whip his troops into shape to make the lean, mean fighting machine we've all come to know as Hokie defense. The defense has allowed 383, 235, and 361 yards respectively in the first three contests of this season. Against top 25 teams, those make for respectable numbers, but considering contests against ECU and JMU, those numbers are disconcerting. The amount of points scored totals 81 thus far this season, another number the Hokies need to improve. They way the BSU and ECU offenses marched themselves down the field in their respective first quarters of play makes an onlooking Hokie fan want to bury his head into his hands and bite his nails. The defense has traditionally been the rock that keeps the Hokies competitive throughout the season, and the need for that isn't going to go away this season. I hope this breaks down to inexperience that Bud Foster is molding into the defense that we're used to watching as a dominating force on the football field. My suspicion is that we'll see growing improvement, so I'm optimistic that we'll see our Hokie defense come to form. I just hope it happens soon enough so that Virginia Tech can persevere through the ACC in-conference schedule.
On the other side of the ball, we've seen some of the same problems on the field. Sorry to keep beating this dead horse as we do here at TSF so often, but it's a fact. The first thing I noticed was the playcalling. There's a lot of aspects the playcalling to criticize, but I want to focus on one in particular. During this game and prior games of the season, the passing game continuously has gone for the "home run" pass, sometimes as a called play and sometimes as the result of a play breaking down. Sometimes it makes sense to pull a long pass to catch a defense off guard or in times of sheer desperation, but I see the Hokie offense going to this too often. Instead they need to focus on more frequently executing the short pass. It plays into controlling the pace of the drive and the clock, which is extremely important in the later minutes of a close game. Also, I'm uncomfortable with the number of times our quarterback has had to rush to escape the danger of a sack. It's great that Tyrod Taylor's foot speed give the Hokie offense that option, but the frequency with which he has to use it worries me. Quarterback rushing may do well against the non-BCS conference teams, and even against most of the teams in the ACC, but it won't win an ACC championship and it certainly won't win a major BCS bowl. Of these broken down scrambling plays, Taylor had nine rushes for 32 yards. Against a more formidable defense, any of those nine plays could have resulted in big losses for the Hokie offense. Given the experience and talent of this Hokie offense, these problems should be in their rear view mirror, but we'll do what we do as fans every season in this regard, hope that it gets better.
The Hokies open their ACC season against Boston College next week. The's a lot of season left to salvage, and a big win against the Eagles could put the season on the right track towards intra-conference success.
LET'S GO HOKIES
3 comments:
Labels:
ACC,
Beamerball,
College,
East Carolina,
ECU,
Football,
Hokie,
Hokies,
Virginia Tech
Labels:
ACC,
Beamerball,
College,
East Carolina,
ECU,
Football,
Hokie,
Hokies,
Virginia Tech
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Game Preview - vs. Duke
VS. 
Virginia Tech (6) at Duke
12:00 PM ET, October 3, 2009
Wallace Wade Stadium , DURHAM, NC
ESPN360.com
This Saturday, Virginia Tech squares off against the Duke Blue Devils in Durham, NC. The Hokie coaching staff has publicly stated they won't look past this game, and I find that reassuring because for those games that you do can lead to trailing late in the fourth quarter while fans burry their heads into their hands asking how things got to such a state. Yes, Duke comes from a pair of states that have never produced a sustained powerhouse in Division I college football. Yes, Duke only completed two passes against Virginia Tech in last season's game. Yes, Virginia Tech turned the ball over five times in the 2008 contest, and still won handily. But you can't add all that together and come to a conclusion that the Hokies can just take Duke lightly and look onward to later contests against Boston College and Georgia Tech.
First, as MadJay noted in his game review against Miami, Virginia Tech's offense displayed a significantly positive shift in its performance. Playing Duke gives the perfect opportunity to keep that momentum going. I haven't reached the point to where I will credit offensive coordinator Bryan Steinspring because, as MadJay also notes, he may well have stuck with the running game against Miami because the weather left him very little choice to do otherwise. If the play calling sustains at that level through the Boston College and Georgia Tech games, I may drift more towards giving him some credit. But something did strike me as very positive, and I noticed it starting to happen during the Nebraska game. Tyrod Taylor has begun playing his position as more of a quarterback who happens to have great athleticism rather than as a great athlete playing the role of a quarterback. He looks for the pass and exhibits patience to find an open man. In seasons prior and even during earlier games in this season, he looked for the pass and if he didn't quickly a target, he went straight to the run. To state things fairly, he didn't always have the luxury of time because of missed blocks, but overall I notice that when the pocket breaks down, he has begun to roll away from pressure to buy time looking for an open man instead of reacting by sprinting for yardage seemingly in desperation. Don't get me wrong. He still executes well when rushing for yardage, but he makes his decision of when to rush with more calculation. Besides, we don't want our number one quarterback taking punishing hits during a rush that he doesn't have to sustain. During the Nebraska game, I started to notice this shift in his play, although many pass attempts in drops as well as overthrown and under-thrown passes, at least until the game's final drive. Against Miami, considering the pouring rain, he executed his passing game very well. While the running game dominated the offense's play calling, the passing game still racked up 98 yards and one touchdown.
Why do dwell on this point? I do so because I hope that he continues to exhibit this type of play on Saturday. To continue to win against teams from other BCS conferences, Taylor's play must continue to improve his passing game, and I think he may have gotten well on his way to doing so.
What to the Hokies face on Saturday? Duke's offensive line showcases some size in Kyle Hill, Jarrod Holt, Mitchell Lederman, Brian Moore, and Bryan Morgan. All stand well above six feet; Lenderman himself stands a towering 6”8'! Thaddeus Lewis takes the snaps for the Blue Devils, and his numbers don't look too bad. He has thrown for 58%
completion rate and 783 yards, although he hasn't faced a defense quite like that of the Hokies. Patrick Kurunwune and Desmond Scott have caught for a total of 221 combined yards. Receivers Johnny Williams and Austin Kelley have very comparable numbers rushing for a combined total of 492 yards.
Accross the ACC, Duke's defense ranks ninth allowing 25.3 points per game. Their offense, however, in the ACC ranks fourth scoring 29.0 points per game, just shy of Virginia Tech's 30.8. Upsets can happen, and Duke very well could make the front page of espn.com on Saturday shocking college football fans with an upset. The Hokies should win this game, and have earned the status of favorites for good reason. At the same time, this contest offers opportunity to exercise some improvements in the offense's performance to set the stage for games yet to come. Let's hope our Hokies earn a good win and execute well on offense!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Bowl Season for the ACC
If you're a College Football sports news reader (and I'm just going to assume that you probably are if you're web browser has landed on this page), you've almost certainly read about the criticism that the ACC ranks towards the bottom of six conferences who have an automatic bid for a BCS bowl. The yardstick for making this determination comes from the results of inter-conference play. The 2008 season is about to embark on the stretch between December 20 and January 6 when inter-conference play happens nearly every day of the week. This is the time that avid College Football fans watch multiple games and pick who they want to win largely based on which teams play in their favorite team's conference...unless it's UVA...who's bowl ineligible this season. And this season more so than others should bring about some anxiety for the quintessential ACC fan. In this post, I'm going to touch on bowls in which the ACC competes this year, and hopefully, lay out a path towards the ACC gaining some respect that it lost since all the hype generated from the expansion that brought Virginia Tech into the conference. I may, just maybe...okay DEFINITELY, take some jabs at the BCS for the selections it made this year.
BCS (Fraudulent) Title Game: Jan 8, 8pm, FOX
Okay, this doesn't pit any ACC teams, but I can't resist. Texas not playing in this game is just a plain crime. Texas suffered its single loss at an away game in the final seconds. Oklahoma dropped its single loss at a neutral site. By any fair measure, Texas should have played in the Big 12 title game, which would have almost certainly landed them in the BCS Title Game. Because of this, we'll have no true national champion once again. Thanks a lot, BCS!
Orange Bowl: Jan 1, 8:30 p.m., FOX
Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati
First, I can't say I'm jumping for joy that Virginia Tech is playing against Cincinnati. Don't get me wrong, the Bearcats have definitely earned and deserve their bid; I just don't think the ACC has much to gain in a victory over the Big East. The Big East has been in fierce competition with the ACC for the title of worst of the automatic BCS bid conferences. I think the Orange Bowl committee (and I know this would require bending those stingy BCS rules) should have chosen Texas Tech. First, I think Texas Tech as a one loss team in the Big 12 South has earned a BCS bowl bid. Second, I actually think the Hokies would have a reasonable shot at a victory. All things considered, the Red Raiders have a better team than the Hokies, but in a contest between the two, I think the Hokies actually match up pretty well. Virginia Tech defensive coordinator (at least for now) Bud Foster's squad would give the Red Raider offensive line the biggest challenge they've had since facing the Sooners. Macho Harris just may be able to do his part to contain wide receiver Michael Crabtree. At any rate, it's not to be. Nonetheless, a victory against Cincinnati in a BCS bowl would well serve the ACC.
Gator Bowl: Jan 1, 1 p.m., CBS
Clemson vs. Nebraska
A Clemson victory over Nebraska would make for a second ACC victory over this reputable Big 12 team. Go Tigers!
Chick-Fil-A Bowl: Dec 31, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Georgia Tech vs. LSU
LSU hails from the mighty Southeastern Conference. A Ramblin' Wreck win over the Tigers would definitely prop up some respect for the ACC. This is an uphill battle, but Georgia Tech has pulled some upsets before. Go Yellow Jackets!
Music City: Dec 31, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Boston College vs. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt, like LSU, also hails from the SEC, but they aren't quite so mighty. Boston College should give them a good licking if they are at the top of their game. Go Eagles!
Humanitarian Bowl: Dec 30, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Maryland vs. Nevada
What a sissy name for a bowl! Do the players run to the fifty yard line, hold hands, and sing kumbaya? Okay, as much as Maryland may be tempted to throw this one to avoid having their names etched in history as victors of the Kumbaya Bowl, they've played strongly this year against some tough competition, and I expect Freidgen's gang to play to the top of their game. Go Terrapins!
Papajohns.com Bowl: Dec 29, 3 p.m., ESPN
Rutgers vs. NC State
As much as I roll my eyes at the thought of relying on a school from the state of North Carolina to prop up the ACC (If you're a native Virginian, you know exactly what I mean.), wins over the Big East will at least guarantee the ACC a second-to-last ranking of the automatic bid BCS conferences. Go Wolfpack!
Emerald Bowl: Dec 27, 8 p.m., ESPN
Miami vs. California
This one's an uphill battle for Miami, but I still like their odds. Miami has a lot of young and growing talent. I expect them to climb back to the top of the ACC in the next two to three years. A win here would definitely boost the morale of the Miami locker room next season. Go 'Cains!
Champs Sports Bowl: Dec 27, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Florida State vs. Wisconsin
I hope FSU gives the Badgers the spanking they deserve for backing out of the inter-conference play they had scheduled against the Hokies. FSU has improved over the last couple of season, and hopefully, they continue that trend in the bowl season. (This is going to really hurt, but here goes.) Go 'Noles. (But I'm NOT doing that stupid tomahawk chop.)
Meineke Car Care Bowl: Dec 27, 1 p.m., ESPN
North Carolina vs. West Virginia
Sorry folks. I have dear relatives in this state (no family tree jokes!), and with the hardships upon which the steel and coal industry have come make this an exception. The state could use something to uplift their spirits. So I'm saying Go Mountaineers. All other ACC fans, however, should say Go 'Heels.
Hawaii Bowl
Notre Dame vs. Hawaii
The ACC doesn't have a part in this, but after years of watching Notre Game get bowls they don't deserve, Go Warriors!
Eaglebank Bowl: Ded 20, 11 a.m., ESPN
Navy vs. Wake Forest
Go Demon Deacons!
After the 2008 bowl season concludes as a follow-up to this post, yours truly will compile a list of wins and losses for each conference in inter-conference play for the 208 season. From that and a couple other considerations, I'll present you with a ranking of the automatic bid conferences. One of the great things about College Football is how fast the landscape can change in just a few short seasons. This isn't the NFL where the Detroit Lions have thrown away all their draft picks since the Transformers cartoon show went off the air. (So maybe that's an exaggeration, but not too great of one.) The ACC has stunk in the last few seasons, but it has a lot of youth and a lot of potential. Let's see what it can deliver.
And now that I've been saying, "Go [insert ACC team here]," I have to close by reaffirming where my heart is when it comes to College Footall...
LET'S GO HOKIES!!!
BCS (Fraudulent) Title Game: Jan 8, 8pm, FOX
Okay, this doesn't pit any ACC teams, but I can't resist. Texas not playing in this game is just a plain crime. Texas suffered its single loss at an away game in the final seconds. Oklahoma dropped its single loss at a neutral site. By any fair measure, Texas should have played in the Big 12 title game, which would have almost certainly landed them in the BCS Title Game. Because of this, we'll have no true national champion once again. Thanks a lot, BCS!
Orange Bowl: Jan 1, 8:30 p.m., FOX
Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati
First, I can't say I'm jumping for joy that Virginia Tech is playing against Cincinnati. Don't get me wrong, the Bearcats have definitely earned and deserve their bid; I just don't think the ACC has much to gain in a victory over the Big East. The Big East has been in fierce competition with the ACC for the title of worst of the automatic BCS bid conferences. I think the Orange Bowl committee (and I know this would require bending those stingy BCS rules) should have chosen Texas Tech. First, I think Texas Tech as a one loss team in the Big 12 South has earned a BCS bowl bid. Second, I actually think the Hokies would have a reasonable shot at a victory. All things considered, the Red Raiders have a better team than the Hokies, but in a contest between the two, I think the Hokies actually match up pretty well. Virginia Tech defensive coordinator (at least for now) Bud Foster's squad would give the Red Raider offensive line the biggest challenge they've had since facing the Sooners. Macho Harris just may be able to do his part to contain wide receiver Michael Crabtree. At any rate, it's not to be. Nonetheless, a victory against Cincinnati in a BCS bowl would well serve the ACC.
Gator Bowl: Jan 1, 1 p.m., CBS
Clemson vs. Nebraska
A Clemson victory over Nebraska would make for a second ACC victory over this reputable Big 12 team. Go Tigers!
Chick-Fil-A Bowl: Dec 31, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Georgia Tech vs. LSU
LSU hails from the mighty Southeastern Conference. A Ramblin' Wreck win over the Tigers would definitely prop up some respect for the ACC. This is an uphill battle, but Georgia Tech has pulled some upsets before. Go Yellow Jackets!
Music City: Dec 31, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Boston College vs. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt, like LSU, also hails from the SEC, but they aren't quite so mighty. Boston College should give them a good licking if they are at the top of their game. Go Eagles!
Humanitarian Bowl: Dec 30, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Maryland vs. Nevada
What a sissy name for a bowl! Do the players run to the fifty yard line, hold hands, and sing kumbaya? Okay, as much as Maryland may be tempted to throw this one to avoid having their names etched in history as victors of the Kumbaya Bowl, they've played strongly this year against some tough competition, and I expect Freidgen's gang to play to the top of their game. Go Terrapins!
Papajohns.com Bowl: Dec 29, 3 p.m., ESPN
Rutgers vs. NC State
As much as I roll my eyes at the thought of relying on a school from the state of North Carolina to prop up the ACC (If you're a native Virginian, you know exactly what I mean.), wins over the Big East will at least guarantee the ACC a second-to-last ranking of the automatic bid BCS conferences. Go Wolfpack!
Emerald Bowl: Dec 27, 8 p.m., ESPN
Miami vs. California
This one's an uphill battle for Miami, but I still like their odds. Miami has a lot of young and growing talent. I expect them to climb back to the top of the ACC in the next two to three years. A win here would definitely boost the morale of the Miami locker room next season. Go 'Cains!
Champs Sports Bowl: Dec 27, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Florida State vs. Wisconsin
I hope FSU gives the Badgers the spanking they deserve for backing out of the inter-conference play they had scheduled against the Hokies. FSU has improved over the last couple of season, and hopefully, they continue that trend in the bowl season. (This is going to really hurt, but here goes.) Go 'Noles. (But I'm NOT doing that stupid tomahawk chop.)
Meineke Car Care Bowl: Dec 27, 1 p.m., ESPN
North Carolina vs. West Virginia
Sorry folks. I have dear relatives in this state (no family tree jokes!), and with the hardships upon which the steel and coal industry have come make this an exception. The state could use something to uplift their spirits. So I'm saying Go Mountaineers. All other ACC fans, however, should say Go 'Heels.
Hawaii Bowl
Notre Dame vs. Hawaii
The ACC doesn't have a part in this, but after years of watching Notre Game get bowls they don't deserve, Go Warriors!
Eaglebank Bowl: Ded 20, 11 a.m., ESPN
Navy vs. Wake Forest
Go Demon Deacons!
After the 2008 bowl season concludes as a follow-up to this post, yours truly will compile a list of wins and losses for each conference in inter-conference play for the 208 season. From that and a couple other considerations, I'll present you with a ranking of the automatic bid conferences. One of the great things about College Football is how fast the landscape can change in just a few short seasons. This isn't the NFL where the Detroit Lions have thrown away all their draft picks since the Transformers cartoon show went off the air. (So maybe that's an exaggeration, but not too great of one.) The ACC has stunk in the last few seasons, but it has a lot of youth and a lot of potential. Let's see what it can deliver.
And now that I've been saying, "Go [insert ACC team here]," I have to close by reaffirming where my heart is when it comes to College Footall...
LET'S GO HOKIES!!!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
The Bully Pulpit - Can it deliver BCS playoffs?
Halftime of Monday Night Football on Election Day Eve, 2008:
Chris Berman: "If there was one thing you could change in sports, what would it be?"
Barak Obama: "I think it's about time we had playoffs in College Football"
Yes, that's right, love him or hate him, Barak Obama threw fuel on the fire of the long running debate in College Football about whether the BCS should move to a playoff system. I'm going to go out on a limb here and stipulate that a majority of our TSF readers would like to see some sort of playoff system in place of what the BCS has now. Maybe some think it should have two rounds, maybe others say three, dare I say some think four? Whatever the case, the seemingly routine debate that surfaces every season has an extra dimension this year. The President Elect of the country has made it known that he wants to see a playoff system.
So will the Obama endorsement provide the extra umph needed to eventually make this happen, or will the BCS committee quash it as it routinely has in the past? On Monday of this week, Obama did an interview on 60 Minutes where he stated that he will use his influence ("throw my weight around") as President to push for an eight team playoff. He said, "If you've got a bunch of teams who play throughout the season and many of them have one loss or two losses, there's no clear, decisive winner." If Obama really wants to turn the heat p on the NCAA, there are several measures he could take to escalate his influence. He could attempt to impose an executive order on the NCAA. He could also use the Department of Justice to investigate whether the BCS violates ani-trust law. Ultimately, however, the NCAA as a private enterprise would rightfully win those battles, but it would do so at a potential price. That price could consist of public opinion growing and developing stronger feelings about the matter, maybe to the extent where the BCS committee would have no choice but to do something. But Obama has his most potent weapon in influencing the BCS in something far more simplistic: the Bully Pulpit. He currently has a great deal of popularity, and he can use his voice to motivate the masses of College Football fans to put pressure on the committee. He also has a class warfare style argument he can make to get public opinion to rally behind his cause. ESPN has recently outbid Fox for coverage of the all the major bowls. That means eventually those games will only appear on pay-for cable rather than on freely available broadcast. This no doubt upsets many consumers who don't think viewers should have to foot the bill for cable just to watch major sporting events. Overall, Obama has a few avenues he can travel to twist some BCS arms.
Now, let's move on to the other side of the issue. The BCS officials have congratulated Obama on his victory and followed that directly up with an assertion that College Football has the most compelling regular season in sports and that the BCS system does produce a national champion. Agree with it or not, the committee's has made that statement. Who makes up the BCS committee, anyways? It consists of commissioners of each of the major conferences and and organizers of the Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Orange Bowl. And of course the commission has the primary responsibility of turning the best profit possible for the BCS. Strange as it may seem, the NCAA doesn't control the BCS. Obama's informal proposal suggests shortening the regular season, something against which the NCAA would protest because that means less revenue for the schools that don't qualify for the eight team playoff than those teams would get under the current system.
Several seasons ago, back when TSF only existed as a newsletter sent over email to a listserve, Mad Jay and I both laid out each of our separate ideas for how to fix the BCS. (Maybe I'll dig that up from the old TSF archives and post that article as a supplement just for old time's sake.) In my humble opinion, both of us proposed good solutions that fans would like and from which the BCS would benefit financially. Those aside, I think the current system isn't tooooooo bad, and that the BCS could fix it with one minor change: put the top four teams into a two round playoff.
As an avid follower of politics and College Football, this debate will make an interesting saga for me to watch over the course of the next few seasons. Realistically, the only way I see this happening is consumers threatening the bottom line of the BCS. That means fans get so angry about the system that they begin to look elsewhere to invest their time, attention, and energy into other sorts, which hits the BCS where it hurts, their wallets. If the BCS get's the feeling that will happen, we'll assuredly see a College Football playoff system.
Chris Berman: "If there was one thing you could change in sports, what would it be?"
Barak Obama: "I think it's about time we had playoffs in College Football"
Yes, that's right, love him or hate him, Barak Obama threw fuel on the fire of the long running debate in College Football about whether the BCS should move to a playoff system. I'm going to go out on a limb here and stipulate that a majority of our TSF readers would like to see some sort of playoff system in place of what the BCS has now. Maybe some think it should have two rounds, maybe others say three, dare I say some think four? Whatever the case, the seemingly routine debate that surfaces every season has an extra dimension this year. The President Elect of the country has made it known that he wants to see a playoff system.
So will the Obama endorsement provide the extra umph needed to eventually make this happen, or will the BCS committee quash it as it routinely has in the past? On Monday of this week, Obama did an interview on 60 Minutes where he stated that he will use his influence ("throw my weight around") as President to push for an eight team playoff. He said, "If you've got a bunch of teams who play throughout the season and many of them have one loss or two losses, there's no clear, decisive winner." If Obama really wants to turn the heat p on the NCAA, there are several measures he could take to escalate his influence. He could attempt to impose an executive order on the NCAA. He could also use the Department of Justice to investigate whether the BCS violates ani-trust law. Ultimately, however, the NCAA as a private enterprise would rightfully win those battles, but it would do so at a potential price. That price could consist of public opinion growing and developing stronger feelings about the matter, maybe to the extent where the BCS committee would have no choice but to do something. But Obama has his most potent weapon in influencing the BCS in something far more simplistic: the Bully Pulpit. He currently has a great deal of popularity, and he can use his voice to motivate the masses of College Football fans to put pressure on the committee. He also has a class warfare style argument he can make to get public opinion to rally behind his cause. ESPN has recently outbid Fox for coverage of the all the major bowls. That means eventually those games will only appear on pay-for cable rather than on freely available broadcast. This no doubt upsets many consumers who don't think viewers should have to foot the bill for cable just to watch major sporting events. Overall, Obama has a few avenues he can travel to twist some BCS arms.
Now, let's move on to the other side of the issue. The BCS officials have congratulated Obama on his victory and followed that directly up with an assertion that College Football has the most compelling regular season in sports and that the BCS system does produce a national champion. Agree with it or not, the committee's has made that statement. Who makes up the BCS committee, anyways? It consists of commissioners of each of the major conferences and and organizers of the Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Orange Bowl. And of course the commission has the primary responsibility of turning the best profit possible for the BCS. Strange as it may seem, the NCAA doesn't control the BCS. Obama's informal proposal suggests shortening the regular season, something against which the NCAA would protest because that means less revenue for the schools that don't qualify for the eight team playoff than those teams would get under the current system.
Several seasons ago, back when TSF only existed as a newsletter sent over email to a listserve, Mad Jay and I both laid out each of our separate ideas for how to fix the BCS. (Maybe I'll dig that up from the old TSF archives and post that article as a supplement just for old time's sake.) In my humble opinion, both of us proposed good solutions that fans would like and from which the BCS would benefit financially. Those aside, I think the current system isn't tooooooo bad, and that the BCS could fix it with one minor change: put the top four teams into a two round playoff.
As an avid follower of politics and College Football, this debate will make an interesting saga for me to watch over the course of the next few seasons. Realistically, the only way I see this happening is consumers threatening the bottom line of the BCS. That means fans get so angry about the system that they begin to look elsewhere to invest their time, attention, and energy into other sorts, which hits the BCS where it hurts, their wallets. If the BCS get's the feeling that will happen, we'll assuredly see a College Football playoff system.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
3 Key Plays - vs. Maryland
[1] Sean Glennon makes a five yard pass to Greg Boone for a touchdown. The passing game this season has been consistently sub-mediocre. The offense opening the game with an early touchdown made for a much needed change in the trends of Hokie scoring this far in 2008.
[2] The Virginia Tech defense commits an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after a tackle for no gain, giving Maryland 15 yards and a first down. This fueled a drive leading to a Maryland touchdown bringing the Terrapins within 10 points with more than a whole quarter left to play. Every penalty of such a magnitude puts the team with the momentum at risk, and this penalty did just that. The Hokie squad has to avoid such penalties, especially easily preventable ones such as this.
[3] Brett Warren lands a big hit on Darrius Heyward-Bey to end the Maryland offensive drive that began with a punt fumble recovery. The Hokie defense had just shut down the Terrapin offense with a three and out set of downs. The fumble recovery gave the Terps just what they needed to swing the momentum of the game late in the third quarter and with a 10-20 Virginia Tech lead. Warren's big hit on Heyward-Bey capped off another Maryland three and out and prevented the swing of momentum that could have become a turning point in the game.
[2] The Virginia Tech defense commits an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after a tackle for no gain, giving Maryland 15 yards and a first down. This fueled a drive leading to a Maryland touchdown bringing the Terrapins within 10 points with more than a whole quarter left to play. Every penalty of such a magnitude puts the team with the momentum at risk, and this penalty did just that. The Hokie squad has to avoid such penalties, especially easily preventable ones such as this.
[3] Brett Warren lands a big hit on Darrius Heyward-Bey to end the Maryland offensive drive that began with a punt fumble recovery. The Hokie defense had just shut down the Terrapin offense with a three and out set of downs. The fumble recovery gave the Terps just what they needed to swing the momentum of the game late in the third quarter and with a 10-20 Virginia Tech lead. Warren's big hit on Heyward-Bey capped off another Maryland three and out and prevented the swing of momentum that could have become a turning point in the game.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Game Review vs. UNC
On Saturday 9/20, the Virginia Tech Hokies took to the field against a fired up UNC Tarheel squad. While Frank Beamer is perfect against the 'Heels since Virginia Tech's joining the ACC, he didn't head back to Blacksburg with a win quite as easily as times past. After North Carolina jumped out to an early lead, the Hokies squeaked out a three point victory by the score of 20-17. Before I unload on the ranting, raving, and usual TSF commentary, I'll give a brief recap of each quarter's highlights.
First Quarter: The Hokie defense holds UNC's first drive to inside Tarheel territory, resulting in a punt. After the Hokies take over, the offense move the ball 23 yards in 5 plays only to end the drive with an interception. The 'Heels take over at roughly the 35 yard line and bring the ball inside the 15. Again, the defense holds. UNC blows a scoring opportunity with a missed field goal. The Hokie offense subsequently goes three and out. Then, to repay the favor, Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster's squad holds the UNC offense to a three and out series of their own. And yet gain, the Hokie offense goes three and out. UNC takes possesion in Hokie territory, and they finally drove in a field goal.
So what can I say about our defense? Spectacular! And what can I say about our offense? Atrocious! Now being a Hokie fan for more than a decade, I've become quite accustom to saying this, thinking this, and just accepting this. But I mean really??? In this case, we're talking a whopping net gain of 9 yards by the offense against...UNC! The defense did exactly what anyone could have expected of them and more. During every opposing possession, they contained, contained, and contained. The offense looked sloppy, non-fluid, and chaotic. Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor was so disoriented at one point, he called timeout twice in a row. Folks, I can't remember the first or the last time I ever saw a football team call time out twice in a row, save for trying to ice a kicker.
Second Quarter: UNC opens the quarter with a drive to inside the Virginia Tech 10 yard line, and they close it out with another field goal. After the ensuing kickoff, the Hokie offense musters a healthy drive into Tarheel territory, but has to kick it away after 39 yards. Seeing UNC's offense with their backs up against their own endzone, Foster's squad gets hungry and causes a fumble turnover inside the UNC 10 yard line. Then, Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring's squad takes over and moves the ball six yards in three plays. Hokies settle for a field goal. One mediocre UNC drive and another Virginia Tech three and out later, UNC moves the ball 68 yards into the end zone to close out the scoring for the half.
So revisiting the offense, the Hokies moved the ball 58 yards this quarter and managed to get on the the board, albeit with the help of a UNC fumble. The Virginia Tech passing game was virtually nil. Any and all completions were low single digit gains with exception to one 28 yard pass from quarterback Tyrod Taylor to receiver Danny Coale.
Third Quarter: Virginia Tech opens the half with an offensive drive that moves the ball 25 yards in three plays, but ends with a second interception thrown by Tyrod Taylor. The Hokie defense holds the ensuing UNC drive to nine yards in nine plays. After another Hokie three and out, UNC orchestrates a one play drive resulting in a 50 yard rushing touchdown, the only breakdown in the Hokie defense during the contest. Tyrod Taylor and the rest of the Hokie offense, however, had an answer to that with an 89 yard drive resulting in a rushing touchdown by Darren Evans. Also, in this quarter, UNC quarterback TJ Yates sustains a twisted ankle, and he doesn't return for the rest of the game.
Taylor's interception was reminiscent of the second half of Sean Gleannon's first bowl game against Georgia at the end of the 2006 season. It was essentially a, "jump ball," as the announcers put it. We can talk about the inexperience of the Hokie wide receiver core, but that type of interception can't happen. It looked like a throw of desperation. On the other side of the ball, the defense broke down in a way that we don't observe too often. UNC running back Greg Little cut through the Virginia Tech defense with some shake and bake while making good use of his blockers. It was a rarity in Bud Foster's track record, and I can guarantee you that all eleven of them wanted to have a change to defend that play gain.
Fourth Quarter: Virginia Tech moves the ball 35 yards in 6 plays to tie the game with a rushing touchdown. UNC's offense doesn't convert on third down and punts. The Hokie offense moves the ball a pitiful 1 yard in 3 downs, but capitalizes on a field goal. UNC's offense, with backup quarterback Mike Paulus at the helm, moves the ball 38 yards down the field in eight plays. Paulus in panic throws an interception caught deep in Hokie territory caught by Victor Harris. Virginia Tech's offense burns 4:23 during their following possession, leaving the 'Heels with 3 minutes to march down the field. Tyrod Taylor exits the game not to return with a twisted ankle. The Orange and Maroon defense hold 'em, and game ends.
So, watching this game, I began having the sudden physical ailments that Mad Jay often describes of himself when he can't believe what he's watching. First and foremost, on that note, we were trailing UNC (That's North Carolina of the ACC for crying out loud!!!!) for most of this game. Our entire offense slept walked through the entire first half. Folks, I know it's a rebuilding year, but rebuilding means steady, albeit maybe slow, improvement. It doesn't mean zero progress in a critical facet of the game. Waiting until late in the third quarter to turn on the jets just isn't going to cut it against our opponents in inter-conference and bowl play. (And yea, the ACC has some serious PR headway to make in its out of conference performance. I'll have more on this further down in this post.) After watching Tyrod Taylor during last season and the last two games, I'm starting to loose faith in this hybrid running back/quarterback approach to offense. When Taylor's taking the snaps, the passing game is reduced to too great of an extent.
If we can't design a playbook that develops Tyrod's ability to throw the ball now, Stienspring might as well play with 10 linemen to block and have Taylor run every play. Maybe every so often he could only play nine linemen and send out Kenny Lewis Jr. That way, we could keep the opposing defense guessing...as to which will run the ball. [sarcasm, in case you couldn't tell]
All kidding aside, I have to admit that it's a fun style of play to watch, especially when I think back to days of Michael Vick and Bryan Randall. However, what's happened to Taylor this season and last? He's had to exit the game early due to an ankle injury, last year's more serious than Saturday's. When your quarterback is rushing almost as much as your number one running back, that's a risk, and that's a problem. Look at the Michigan's, the Ohio State's, the USC's (the one in California), and the Florida's around the NCAA. They've developed programs that can boast inter-conference and post-season success year after year, and the approach they take at quarterback is very different from Virginia Tech: quarterback first, athlete second. Repeat after me: "quarterback first, athlete second." Taylor or course has the posture, the judgment, and the all around ability to be that type of quarterback, but I think we're leaning on his running back skills too much. Now let's be fair. If he wasn't running the way he was against UNC, Virginia Tech wouldn't have stood a chance. But that's a different problem that we need to address at the, ahemmmm, offensive coordinator role. And I know this next statement is going to evoke some groans, but the Hokie offense is not making enough use of quarterback Sean Glennon. He's one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the ACC. He has a great arm, and he's very accurate when executes properly. He'd probably still be the starter if (a) he didn't make one to two completely bone-headed plays a game and (b) if ECU hadn't blocked Virginia Tech's punt at the end of the Hokie's season opener. Between Taylor and Glennon at this point, Glennon has better demonstrated the ability throw the long ball, and that's an important part of every offense that succeeds at the highest level of the NCAA. By the time Taylor's in his Senior year, he'll likely have all the same, or probably better, throwing talent of Glennon. But for now, the Hokies need that element in their offense, even it's just 30-40% of the snaps.
On to another topic, let's not forget that the Hokies have had some major help in their last two victories. Against UNC alone a number of fortunate things happened.
1. First Quarter: UNC missed a field goal
2. First Quarter: UNC delay of game penalty on 4th and 1 at the VT 5 yard line
3. Third Quarter: UNC personal found during VT 68 yard touchdown drive
4. Third Quarter: UNC pass interference deep in Tarheel territory
5. Third Quarter: UNC starting quarterback injured, does not return to the game
6. Fourth Quarter: UNC late hit penalty during VT punt return
All of the above items contributed towards decomposing the momentum UNC had established for itself and giving the Hokies much needed opportunities to get themselves back in the game and finally to pull ahead. If I coached UNC, I would tell my squad THEY lost that game, not that Virginia Tech won. In comparison to what the Hokies have ahead of them, UNC is small potatoes, and other opponents aren't going to make those kinds of mistakes or likely sustain an injury to such a key player.
So looking onward past UNC, Virginia Tech needs to seriously think about how its inter-conference play doesn't just reflect on Virginia Tech, but the whole of the ACC as well. Given the ACC's out of conference and bowls records, other conferences that don't have an automatic BCS bid may start to make a case for why they deserve one and the ACC doesn't. As I utter the infamous words, "I hate to say I told you so," I have to tell you that I did. My very first post to TSF made the argument that leaving the Big East would weaken the Virginia Tech football program, and after the hype of the new ACC has now worn away, by the numbers, the move to the ACC has weakened the program. Now, I'm not stating that Virginia Tech should have stayed in the Big East and forgone that ACC's invitation, given the circumstances. Besides, it's nice being in a conference that doesn't tell you that they carry you the way a pedestrian's tennis shoe carries stepped on chewing gum. But I am saying that the ACC isn't a football conference. The Carolinas have never been a region that prioritizes football over basketball, and that's half of the ACC's make-up. (Yes, the Big East is a basketball conference at the level of those who run the Big East, but the Big East football schools are very football oriented.) So if Virginia Tech wants to shake some of the funk of the ACC, it's football program better start looking at how it performs outside of the ACC. Next up is Nebraska. This is the most important game of Virginia Tech's 2008 season, and post-season.
Let's Go Hokies!
First Quarter: The Hokie defense holds UNC's first drive to inside Tarheel territory, resulting in a punt. After the Hokies take over, the offense move the ball 23 yards in 5 plays only to end the drive with an interception. The 'Heels take over at roughly the 35 yard line and bring the ball inside the 15. Again, the defense holds. UNC blows a scoring opportunity with a missed field goal. The Hokie offense subsequently goes three and out. Then, to repay the favor, Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster's squad holds the UNC offense to a three and out series of their own. And yet gain, the Hokie offense goes three and out. UNC takes possesion in Hokie territory, and they finally drove in a field goal.
So what can I say about our defense? Spectacular! And what can I say about our offense? Atrocious! Now being a Hokie fan for more than a decade, I've become quite accustom to saying this, thinking this, and just accepting this. But I mean really??? In this case, we're talking a whopping net gain of 9 yards by the offense against...UNC! The defense did exactly what anyone could have expected of them and more. During every opposing possession, they contained, contained, and contained. The offense looked sloppy, non-fluid, and chaotic. Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor was so disoriented at one point, he called timeout twice in a row. Folks, I can't remember the first or the last time I ever saw a football team call time out twice in a row, save for trying to ice a kicker.
Second Quarter: UNC opens the quarter with a drive to inside the Virginia Tech 10 yard line, and they close it out with another field goal. After the ensuing kickoff, the Hokie offense musters a healthy drive into Tarheel territory, but has to kick it away after 39 yards. Seeing UNC's offense with their backs up against their own endzone, Foster's squad gets hungry and causes a fumble turnover inside the UNC 10 yard line. Then, Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring's squad takes over and moves the ball six yards in three plays. Hokies settle for a field goal. One mediocre UNC drive and another Virginia Tech three and out later, UNC moves the ball 68 yards into the end zone to close out the scoring for the half.
So revisiting the offense, the Hokies moved the ball 58 yards this quarter and managed to get on the the board, albeit with the help of a UNC fumble. The Virginia Tech passing game was virtually nil. Any and all completions were low single digit gains with exception to one 28 yard pass from quarterback Tyrod Taylor to receiver Danny Coale.
Third Quarter: Virginia Tech opens the half with an offensive drive that moves the ball 25 yards in three plays, but ends with a second interception thrown by Tyrod Taylor. The Hokie defense holds the ensuing UNC drive to nine yards in nine plays. After another Hokie three and out, UNC orchestrates a one play drive resulting in a 50 yard rushing touchdown, the only breakdown in the Hokie defense during the contest. Tyrod Taylor and the rest of the Hokie offense, however, had an answer to that with an 89 yard drive resulting in a rushing touchdown by Darren Evans. Also, in this quarter, UNC quarterback TJ Yates sustains a twisted ankle, and he doesn't return for the rest of the game.
Taylor's interception was reminiscent of the second half of Sean Gleannon's first bowl game against Georgia at the end of the 2006 season. It was essentially a, "jump ball," as the announcers put it. We can talk about the inexperience of the Hokie wide receiver core, but that type of interception can't happen. It looked like a throw of desperation. On the other side of the ball, the defense broke down in a way that we don't observe too often. UNC running back Greg Little cut through the Virginia Tech defense with some shake and bake while making good use of his blockers. It was a rarity in Bud Foster's track record, and I can guarantee you that all eleven of them wanted to have a change to defend that play gain.
Fourth Quarter: Virginia Tech moves the ball 35 yards in 6 plays to tie the game with a rushing touchdown. UNC's offense doesn't convert on third down and punts. The Hokie offense moves the ball a pitiful 1 yard in 3 downs, but capitalizes on a field goal. UNC's offense, with backup quarterback Mike Paulus at the helm, moves the ball 38 yards down the field in eight plays. Paulus in panic throws an interception caught deep in Hokie territory caught by Victor Harris. Virginia Tech's offense burns 4:23 during their following possession, leaving the 'Heels with 3 minutes to march down the field. Tyrod Taylor exits the game not to return with a twisted ankle. The Orange and Maroon defense hold 'em, and game ends.
So, watching this game, I began having the sudden physical ailments that Mad Jay often describes of himself when he can't believe what he's watching. First and foremost, on that note, we were trailing UNC (That's North Carolina of the ACC for crying out loud!!!!) for most of this game. Our entire offense slept walked through the entire first half. Folks, I know it's a rebuilding year, but rebuilding means steady, albeit maybe slow, improvement. It doesn't mean zero progress in a critical facet of the game. Waiting until late in the third quarter to turn on the jets just isn't going to cut it against our opponents in inter-conference and bowl play. (And yea, the ACC has some serious PR headway to make in its out of conference performance. I'll have more on this further down in this post.) After watching Tyrod Taylor during last season and the last two games, I'm starting to loose faith in this hybrid running back/quarterback approach to offense. When Taylor's taking the snaps, the passing game is reduced to too great of an extent.
If we can't design a playbook that develops Tyrod's ability to throw the ball now, Stienspring might as well play with 10 linemen to block and have Taylor run every play. Maybe every so often he could only play nine linemen and send out Kenny Lewis Jr. That way, we could keep the opposing defense guessing...as to which will run the ball. [sarcasm, in case you couldn't tell]
All kidding aside, I have to admit that it's a fun style of play to watch, especially when I think back to days of Michael Vick and Bryan Randall. However, what's happened to Taylor this season and last? He's had to exit the game early due to an ankle injury, last year's more serious than Saturday's. When your quarterback is rushing almost as much as your number one running back, that's a risk, and that's a problem. Look at the Michigan's, the Ohio State's, the USC's (the one in California), and the Florida's around the NCAA. They've developed programs that can boast inter-conference and post-season success year after year, and the approach they take at quarterback is very different from Virginia Tech: quarterback first, athlete second. Repeat after me: "quarterback first, athlete second." Taylor or course has the posture, the judgment, and the all around ability to be that type of quarterback, but I think we're leaning on his running back skills too much. Now let's be fair. If he wasn't running the way he was against UNC, Virginia Tech wouldn't have stood a chance. But that's a different problem that we need to address at the, ahemmmm, offensive coordinator role. And I know this next statement is going to evoke some groans, but the Hokie offense is not making enough use of quarterback Sean Glennon. He's one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the ACC. He has a great arm, and he's very accurate when executes properly. He'd probably still be the starter if (a) he didn't make one to two completely bone-headed plays a game and (b) if ECU hadn't blocked Virginia Tech's punt at the end of the Hokie's season opener. Between Taylor and Glennon at this point, Glennon has better demonstrated the ability throw the long ball, and that's an important part of every offense that succeeds at the highest level of the NCAA. By the time Taylor's in his Senior year, he'll likely have all the same, or probably better, throwing talent of Glennon. But for now, the Hokies need that element in their offense, even it's just 30-40% of the snaps.
On to another topic, let's not forget that the Hokies have had some major help in their last two victories. Against UNC alone a number of fortunate things happened.
1. First Quarter: UNC missed a field goal
2. First Quarter: UNC delay of game penalty on 4th and 1 at the VT 5 yard line
3. Third Quarter: UNC personal found during VT 68 yard touchdown drive
4. Third Quarter: UNC pass interference deep in Tarheel territory
5. Third Quarter: UNC starting quarterback injured, does not return to the game
6. Fourth Quarter: UNC late hit penalty during VT punt return
All of the above items contributed towards decomposing the momentum UNC had established for itself and giving the Hokies much needed opportunities to get themselves back in the game and finally to pull ahead. If I coached UNC, I would tell my squad THEY lost that game, not that Virginia Tech won. In comparison to what the Hokies have ahead of them, UNC is small potatoes, and other opponents aren't going to make those kinds of mistakes or likely sustain an injury to such a key player.
So looking onward past UNC, Virginia Tech needs to seriously think about how its inter-conference play doesn't just reflect on Virginia Tech, but the whole of the ACC as well. Given the ACC's out of conference and bowls records, other conferences that don't have an automatic BCS bid may start to make a case for why they deserve one and the ACC doesn't. As I utter the infamous words, "I hate to say I told you so," I have to tell you that I did. My very first post to TSF made the argument that leaving the Big East would weaken the Virginia Tech football program, and after the hype of the new ACC has now worn away, by the numbers, the move to the ACC has weakened the program. Now, I'm not stating that Virginia Tech should have stayed in the Big East and forgone that ACC's invitation, given the circumstances. Besides, it's nice being in a conference that doesn't tell you that they carry you the way a pedestrian's tennis shoe carries stepped on chewing gum. But I am saying that the ACC isn't a football conference. The Carolinas have never been a region that prioritizes football over basketball, and that's half of the ACC's make-up. (Yes, the Big East is a basketball conference at the level of those who run the Big East, but the Big East football schools are very football oriented.) So if Virginia Tech wants to shake some of the funk of the ACC, it's football program better start looking at how it performs outside of the ACC. Next up is Nebraska. This is the most important game of Virginia Tech's 2008 season, and post-season.
Let's Go Hokies!
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Game Review - vs. Clemson
Special teams, special teams, special teams, and did I mention special teams? Yup that was the number one Hokie success story of this game. Second to that was the defensive pressure the Hokies put on Cullen Harper, James Davis, and CJ Spiller. On the other side of the coin, the Hokie offense just looked plain dead for most of the game.
Let's look at the special teams accomplishments. This is why Beamerball is so much fun to watch. The surprises and unexpected outcomes of a routine play gone awry to the benefit of the Hokie squad is just one of the most exiting things in football anyone can watch, and viewers got exactly that short of a blocked kick. Eddie Royal returned a punt for an 82 yard touchdown. Royal had another touchdown on a subsequent punt return if not for an illegal block in the back that called it back. Even without getting the points on the board, the act was still quite demoralizing to the Clemson special teams' squad. Then, after the Tigers achieve the moral victory of getting themselves on the board with a 33 yard field goal, Victor "Macho" Harris returns the ensuing kickoff for a 100 yard touchdown. Josh Morgan himself may well have returned a kickoff for quite a bit more than 33 yards had he not tripped over his own shoes. The Hokie special teams delivered in Saturday night's game, and they delivered big time. By the end of the first quarter, they had Clemson's leading players screaming and yelling at the rest of their team about how their play was unacceptable. The kick returners in almost every case read the Clemson players and the Hokie blockers very well successfully finding the open field they needed to gain big yards.
The Hokie defensive play was stellar for the majority of three quarters, only to let up late in the third quarter. They kept the Cullen Harper and the Clemson offense disoriented, created turnovers, and forced punts regularly throughout the game. The speed of the Hokie defense nullified Clemson's running game. I remember on one distinct play where Xavier Adibi and much of the Hokie defensive line seemed too far away to get to Clemson running back James Davis before he could gain significant yardage, but they put on an impressive display of speed and strength to stop Davis for a zero gain. Seemingly, almost every short passing play Clemson completed resulting in a Hokie defensemen leveling the receiving player just after the catch. Many of those plays resulted in the Clemson training staff having to help their players off the field. When that happens a lot, it makes a receiver think twice about catching a pass because he KNOWS what's coming after he does. That causes hesitation. Hesitation causes mistakes, and those types of mistakes lead to turnovers. And that's what the Hokie defense gave us. I would have liked to have seen the Hokie defense hold Clemson to zero touchdowns, and I am a little disappointed that they didn't. But I also realize the Clemson does have a good offense that has put up pretty good numbers this season. The Clemson offense nearly mounted a late game comeback. In the midst of a fourth quarter drive, a receiver's mistake of stepping out of bounds by a distance of two inches prior to making a touchdown pass completion is all that prevented Clemson from closing the scoring gap such that a comeback was very much in the making.
The Hokie offense just still doesn't have it. I think a lot of fans expected the move to Tyrod Taylor to just change everything, but now a lot of the people who could do nothing but bad mouth Sean Glennon should have begun to realize that much of Glennon's underperformance was a symptom of other problems. Don't get me wrong, Tyrod Taylor has much more ability to throw a blanket over those problems, but they are still very much present. Number one, Branden Ore is underachieving big time. This is partially due to injuries he's sustained and from which he has not fully recovered. That being the case, why are the Hokies playing him to the extent that they are? The Hokie schedule only gets tougher as the season continues, and Kenny Lewis, Jr. also has some talent as a running back. Why hasn't the Hokie offense leaned more on him? And the safety Virginia Tech took on Saturday night highlights the shortcomings of the offensive line more than anything else. Tyrod Taylor took a snap on the 3 yard line, and two Clemson linemen ran straight at him, one from each side, literally unhindered by the Hokie offensive line resulting in a safety. The Hokies have a fantastic receiving corps, and they can't make use of them to their full potential because the Hokie passer doesn't consistently have the time to let them get downfield and open to receive a pass. On top of that, our tight ends have not shown the ability to give an alternative play to the long pass. Offensive coordinator Bryan Stiensring has got to do something to get past the successive three-and-out's of which we've seen too many this season. I don't know what the solution to this problem is. Ed Wang should be returning soon from injury, but I don't think that alone will fix this problem. But whatever it is that the Hokie offense does, they better do it soon, because special teams and defensive scoring will not be enough to win against Florida State and Boston College. The Hokie offense did, however, put some a few points on the board. Tyrod Taylor threw for a touchdown pass, and kicker Jud Dunlevy kicked two field goals, one of them from 47 yards. Putting 20 points on the board isn't half bad, but the offense needs to produce longer, more sustained drives than they have thus far to at least give the defense a chance to rest.
On the downside of things linebacker Vince Hall broke the ulna in his right arm in a collision with fellow teammate and linebacker Xavier Adibi. This is the same injury that Cedric Humes sustained as a Hokie two seasons ago. Hall will make use of the same type of brace that Humes did to protect his arm when he's able to return. I don't know how functional that will be, however, given that Humes simply needed to tuck the ball and run as a running back while Hall needs to make tackles. Right now, reports say that Hall is out four to six weeks, but there is speculation that he may be able to return sooner.
Virginia Tech Scoring
Special Teams: 14
Defense: 7
Offense: 20
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)