I started writing this column a few years ago because I wanted to give a voice to the fan base. I once explained it as wanting to be raw but rational, serving as an emotional barometer of sorts. As you can expect, some games are harder to reflect on than others. Saturday night's loss to Georgia Tech is certainly one of them.
When the Hokies lost to Tennessee and Syracuse, I remember searching the deepest recesses of my conscience to find constructive things to say. These are kids, after all.
When I think back to my time in college, I remember thinking I was mature. In actuality, I said and did a lot of dumb stuff that luckily had little-or-no repercussions. If I'm being honest, I don't feel like I truly matured into an accountable adult human being until I was 30.
So when I got pissed off at the frustrating product we were subjected to Saturday afternoon, I found myself holding back the overwhelming urge to lash out. These are kids, after all.
I give each of them an enormous amount of credit. The adversity that they are forced to deal with on a daily basis far exceeds anything I encountered during my time in Blacksburg. Balancing athletics and school; media obligations; local, regional and national expectations; being counted on by so many individuals whose lives are directly tied to every single one of their actions; and blocking out the noise β so much noise.
So that's why I will never question their effort or their heart. Within each of those turnovers was a moment where a Hokie was trying to make a play. Jerod Evans' ill-advised throw into the back of the end zone. Bucky Hodges' fourth quarter fumble. There's no excuse for their carelessness β each and every possession against Georgia Tech is precious β but it's human nature to let your guard down when you're up against a wall.
"I think we overemphasized on offense that we were gonna get (fewer) possessions, that it became overwhelming and therefore when we didn't execute on third down, we would press a little bit more than we normally would," noted Jerod Evans. "I'm not just talking about players, I'm talking the whole team, staff, everything."
Mistakes happen, and to expect each one of these players and coaches to be infallible every game is shortsighted. The question is how quickly can a team bounce back?
The lack of leadership and focus was particularly frustrating to watch Saturday afternoon. When someone turned the ball over or missed a tackle, the players didn't come together to collectively pull one another through the rough patch. Instead, there were heads down and hands on hips. Players isolated themselves, and that approach manifested itself on the field.
Some people lead by example β Woody Baron certainly did. But where were the team huddles and fired up pep talks from players during those pivotal first and second quarters?
After Jerod Evans' first interception, ESPN's sideline reporter Kevin Weidl commented on how the Hokies sideline felt like a funeral. And that was at the beginning of the second quarter.
The way that first half played out was reminiscent of the Varsity Blues game the night after Mox took his boys to the strip club. A Georgia Tech team playing backups at virtually every key position, primed to be trampled on en route to the ACC Championship Game, continuously punched the Hokies in the mouth in humiliating fashion.
The Hokies knew that a trip to Orlando was on the line Saturday night. Based on their performance, it's hard not to wonder whether Tech was completely focused on the immediate task at hand.
In order to have a chance at beating Georgia Tech's triple option, a team needs to be (at a minimum) disciplined, resilient and patient.
Disciplined to know their roles, execute their individual assignments and eliminate big plays. Resilient to the third and fourth down conversions that are sure to happen throughout the course of a game. Patient to capitalize on advantageous situations, including each and every offensive drive.
These traits were largely absent on Saturday afternoon. Instead, there was a team and a fan base grasping for answers, wondering what the heck just happened.
In recent weeks, there has been a lot of discussion regarding what separates good teams from great teams. Even after wins, Hokie Nation has tried to place this team and all of its warts into context in an attempt to differentiate between what's real and what's fantasy.
Great teams are able to move past mistakes, not dwell and compound them. They pick each other up when a teammate or unit is down. In order to be great, teams don't have to possess superior talent (though it certainly doesn't hurt). But, for starters, they need to learn how to cut out the noise and play in the moment.
Psyche plays a critical role. Some people can overcome adversity on their own; others rely on help. It's only fair to wonder how cognizant this team and its leaders are of that reality.
Fans have been treated to some electric football this season. The problem is that a few truly confounding performances have popped up against teams this program is now expected to beat. The Georgia Tech game is one such example.
There is no doubt that the Virginia Tech program is in a better place today than one year ago. With that being said, Saturday's loss to the Bees was arguably the clearest example of how far this program needs to go to reach greatness.
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