Game Preview - VT vs. Central Michigan

I wrote before the Hokies played against the ECU Pirates that we would learn a great deal about the team's psychology in that game and a lot about their ability to execute during the two subsequent games on the road against ACC competition. Well, we have. We've learned that the team has a lot of fight in it, led by players like Eddie Whitley, Tyrod Taylor, John Graves and Darren Evans. We also learned that the ability to execute is still hit or miss. One week the defense was able to put it together vs. BC and the next week the offense was able to put it together against NC State (for the second half anyway).

So obviously this Hokie team is capable of fulfilling the promise of its collective talent and competing for an ACC championship. It's apparently not ready for national-title level play, but as we've alluded to hundreds of times, it probably won't ever be with this offensive coordinator on staff. All that said, one glance at the schedule shows that the Hokies have three games in a row against competition with less talent, starting this weekend against the Central Michigan Chippewas. It would be easy to dismiss these next few games and say that the meat of the schedule begins with the home game against Georgia Tech in a month. But that would be an enormous mistake because that stretch run won't matter if the Hokies don't use these next 3 games to accomplish 3 very important goals.

1) This team has to learn how to get off to a fast start and punch the opposing team in the mouth. All these 10-0, and 17-0 deficits make for great character builders when you come back and win, but that's playing with fire. Sometimes the comeback will fall short (see: Boise State). It's about executing the way you demonstrate you are capable of in the second half, but doing it in the FIRST half.

2) Blow a team out in order to develop the depth chart and rest a variety of injured starters. FS Eddie Whitley and TE Andre Smith are two of the most important players on this team and they will absolutely need their "A" games for the stretch run in the ACC. Virginia Tech MUST take care of business and grind their opponents down in the first three quarters so that the 4th quarter in all the games can be "empty the bench" time. The backups need the playing time, the starters need the chance to heal and if these next three games are nail-biters, even if they are wins for the Hokies, it will not give the starters the rest they need.

3) Build some confidence by playing a complete game. So far, the Hokies have failed to play a solid 60 minute game. The offense will play good for a stretch, and then the defense will play well. Different stars have emerged in different games to swing the balance in favor of Tech, but if they can figure out how to put the pieces together against these teams with less talent, it would be a huge boost when they begin the crucial run against Georgia Tech. Listen, after losing to JMU, anything is possible and the players had better believe it. But being 6-2 and 4-0 in the ACC looks realistic for this team if they will just execute for the next three weeks.

So with that quick look at the bigger picture, let's zoom in for a bit and take a closer look at Central Michigan. First of all, when the Hokies are on offense against this Chippewa defense, they have a huge physical advantage on the perimeter. The Hokie receivers are bigger, stronger and faster than these defensive backs and should be able to beat them in the passing game as well as blocking on the edge. The Hokie running backs are also bigger and faster than the Chippewa linebackers. The Chippewas have given up 280 passing yards to Northwestern and 306 rushing yards to Ball State so they've shown weakness in both areas.

In watching some highlights from their games against Temple and Northwestern, the Chippewas do have some hard-nosed physical players right up the gut. Not the biggest kids, but their tackles don't get pushed off the point of attack, and their MLB is a 250 lb tackling machine. The Hokies need to use some trap plays and outside zone rushes to be effective. I don't see the RB draw working that well against the teeth of this defense.

I know it's probably a pipe dream but l'd love to see some skinny posts or crossing routes where players like WR Dyrell Roberts, Marcus Davis and DJ Coles can catch the ball on the run and make something happen in space. I will go to the grave wondering why on earth O'Cain and Stiney haven't worked with QB Tyrod Taylor on this more during his career. Granted his primary receiver is rarely the one on the post or crossing route and that's squarely on Stiney's shoulders, but still, he has had a few times where the secondary receiver has been on that route and he's not thrown it. I bash my head into something every time I see that, and it hurts, so I just wish they would address this. It would work great, starting this week.

RB Ryan Williams will again miss the game, but frankly, he's better saved for ACC competition anyway. With the way Evans and Wilson are playing, there's no need to rush him back. And when he does come back, there had better be a more even distribution of carries. I think both Evans and Wilson have demonstrated their ability back there and a 50%/25%/25% distribution will be MUCH more effective than the ridiculous 80%/10%/10% we saw when Williams was healthy.

When the Hokie defense is on the field, they should have no trouble stopping the run game because of the loss of the Chippewa's best offensive lineman, Jake Olson, last week. He was a beast but the rest of the players are undersized and only two of them are seniors. So I expect Tech to shut down the running game successfully. However, the Chippewas are mainly a wide-open passing attack on offense (the fourth in five games that the Hokies will have faced). They average 37 pass attempts/game and the secondary/nickel package that I thought would only see limited service this season is going to again play a central role.

Speaking of that nickel package, I ended up breaking one chair and certainly threw several items watching the pass interference calls against the Hokies last week. Two of them were quite simply not pass interference by Antone Exum. Coach Gray has worked with Exum this week on keeping his hands lower on the receiver while looking back for the ball, but in the heat of battle there is almost always some hand fighting and if a ref is going to call it, he'd better call it both ways during a game. But either way, there will be a lot of balls thrown in this game and Tech's secondary is going to get plenty of reps practicing their technique in avoiding pass interference. And so I believe that this presents a perfect opportunity for Coach Beamer to get involved. It's a head coach's job to get on the ref early in the game when a call goes against his team and figure out where that ref's head is on certain calls. Against the Chippewas, if pass interference is called, Coach Beamer needs to get a feel for what those back and side judges are looking for so he can communicate it to Coach Foster who can relay that to his defensive backs.

Overall, Tech has a talent advantage, but even if that were enough to win, and again after the JMU debacle we know that it is not, relying solely on that costs the Hokies a great opportunity they have to go out, play a complete game and get backups on the field during the second half. They had better come to play just as hard, and definitely at a higher level than they have done in any one game this season in order to set the table for later in the season.

GO HOKIES!!!!!

3 Key Plays - VT vs. NC State

Before I list out the three key plays, I'd like all you Superfans to take just a second and appreciate how good of a football team the Hokies beat on Saturday. On the road. In a huge ACC matchup. Sure there were warts all over the place, and the offensive scheme in the first half was nothing short of pukey, but NC State has a fast defense and Russell Wilson is damn near unstoppable when he gets hot. And yet the Hokies played their guts out and finally put together a game winning drive. Don't be surprised if there's a rematch in December for the ACC title.

Also, special shout out to a guy not in the key plays, but wow, Eddie Whitley, played the entire game hurt and was an absolute warrior out there, getting the defense aligned and leaving everything on the field for his brothers. That got recognized in the Tech locker room, believe me. I hope the Hokies hang 50 on Central Michigan on Saturday and give Whitley an early curtain call so he can heal up, but after JMU, nothing is taken for granted, so he may have to tighten the chinstrap again. Ok without further ado:

1) With 0:50 left in the first half, NC State had driven from their own 25 yd-line to the Hokie 15 yd-line and were facing a 3rd and 10. Already ahead 17-7, a score from the Wolfpack here, even a field goal, would provide momentum going into halftime. Russell Wilson escaped pressure and had a man open in the end zone. CB Jayron Hosley baited Wilson by pretending to sit on the flat early in the play but had drifted back in coverage, and then leaned over to snag the Wilson throw and returned it to the Hokie 7 yd-line ending the scoring threat. I usually say when a player had a game like Hosley (3 picks, 6 tackles and 4 passes defended) that they were playing out of their mind. The scary thing is that Hosley looked completely in control and actually could have had another pick. I daresay he has the ability to play at that level on a regular basis which basically means an entire quarter of the field would be off-limits to opposing offenses.

2) A ton happened in the 3rd quarter but it was all back and forth and heading into the 4th quarter, Tech still trailed 27-21 and had driven down to the NC State 4 yd-line. All week long, all we read anywhere was the ineffectiveness of the offense in the red-zone. Now, with all the chips on the line, a FG wouldn't do here. A TD was necessary to really apply pressure. And Coach Stinespring (who I am absolutely CONVINCED wants to do better if he just knew how), came up with a beauty of a play. Using 4 offensive linemen at the line of scrimmage and TE Andre Smith playing where LT Andrew Lanier usually lines up, Stiney had Lanier line up on the line of scrimmage out with the receivers. Lanier would not go downfield which avoided any ineligible-man-downfield type of penalty but he still attracted a LB in coverage. Meanwhile, Smith, who was uncovered by either receiver on his side of the formation was allowed to come off the line of scrimmage and ran a crossing route across the back of the end zone where Taylor found him and delivered one of the best strikes I've seen. It was thrown so hard, the LB was unable to reach out and disrupt the flight of the ball and Smith snagged it (or better yet, let the ball implant itself in his chest) to put Tech up 28-21. The play was so innovative and well-executed I actually have trouble believing Stinespring came up with it, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Enormous play.

3) The third key play may be a bit controversial but I believe it was made by Chris Drager at the end of the game. Remember that, even down 34-30, the Wolfpack had all their timeouts and 1:27 on the clock, which with Russell Wilson is an eternity. Against many defenses, a game-winning touchdown drive is likely a 50/50 shot in that situation for that offense. But Drager played his rush PERFECTLY, maintaining his outside contain and with Wilson unable to get outside of the pocket, he tried to make a heroic play, launching it downfield as Drager lunged for his arm. That disruption led to an easy pick for Hosley and there you have it- ballgame. The Hokie offense rising up to put the team ahead deserves a ton of credit, but that wouldn't have meant anything if the defense had given up another drive (like Boise State) at the end. Thanks to Drager they didn't. By the way, every time Drager makes a play, I stand up, take a shot, and say "I Vill BREAK you". I know, I know, it's Drago, but on gameday, that's close enough.

Game Review - vs. North Carolina State

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!