Tech Specs: Maroon-White Game

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Editor's Note: Tristan Raisch is going to be joining the team as a contributor this season. Tristan graduated from Tech this year with a degree in mechanical engineering, and will begin a PhD program in Translational Biology, Medicine and Health in the fall. He's been longtime member of the community, and is going to write writing a weekly opponent watch feature this fall. Also, he'll be charting plays from Tech's games. The play charting is something I'm amped for because it'll allow us to crunch more advanced stats, discover trends, and let everyone to take a deeper look at each game. Tristan will publish each play chart as part of his Tech Specs column, the first of which, a trial run for the spring game, is below. If you have any suggestions, leave 'em below. --Joe

Well, another spring in Blacksburg has come and gone, and now it's time to sit and twiddle our collective thumbs until August camp begins. As Hokies and college football fans, this is easily the toughest part of the year. The weather is great, the beaches are calling, school is over, and all we want to do is sit down and watch some football... alas. However, there's still plenty to talk about with regards to the Maroon—White game and the direction of the program, so let's get to it. This will be the first in a series of articles examining every detail of Tech's most recent game, with a play chart that will include information on play calls, formations, personnel, miscues, and so much more. Ever wonder what play Lefty is most likely to call on third-and-medium? Wonder how J.C.'s yards after contact compare to Trey's? Well, this handy information will be available to you and used by your loving TKP staff to delve even deeper into the world of Tech football. Sounds cool, right? I'm pretty excited about it. For every game, I'll offer the raw data as well as some thoughts on trends and tendencies that I've picked up. So, without further ado, here are my thoughts from the spring game, followed by the play chart in all its glory (or at least as much of its glory that we could fit on the webpage).

Attacking the Edge: How Good are Your Corners?

During a coaching clinic a few weeks ago, Aaron Moorehead gave a little seminar on WR blocking. He mentioned that when they run outside, his receivers will often be instructed to go block the safeties, leaving the corners unblocked. The rationale behind this method is that college corners often aren't outstanding open-field tacklers, and if you take away the safety help, one missed tackle can result in a touchdown. This strategy was repeatedly on display in the spring game, most notably on Demitri Knowles' long run to open the game. He got out in space one-on-one with Der'Woun Greene, beat him, and was off to the races. I think we're going to see a whole lot more of this concept throughout the season. Tech's coaches are going to look to get athletes like Carlis Parker, Demitri Knowles, and Deon Newsome out on the edge against cornerbacks and challenge those corners to do their best Kyle Fuller impressions and make tackles in the open field. One miss, and Parker/Knowles/Newsome is heading to the end zone. This is extremely exciting, as the Hokies are going to need to generate some big plays, and the passing game might not be quite up to the task. All three of the guys mentioned above have had no trouble making plays with the ball in their hands. The problem has been getting the ball into their hands. Make that part easy, match them up against a less-than-willing tackler, and boom, you've got big plays waiting to happen.

D-Line Disruption

My goodness, Luther Maddy and Corey Marshall just set up shop in the backfield and hung out there all day. I lost count of the number of times I mentioned one of those guys blowing a play up in the backfield that was otherwise well-blocked and well-executed by the offense. Those guys are going to give a lot of o-Line coaches a lot of headaches over the year. I'm not overly confident in their ability to hold up on a 4th-and-1 against the likes of FSU or Ohio State, especially with Marshall's lack of size. However, so help you if you're an opposing offense trying to convert a third-and-8 or run sideline-to-sideline. This looks like a very quick, disruptive line, with guys like Deone Clarke flying around behind them. I'm really excited to see how Foster uses their quickness and athleticism this year.

O-Line Growing Pains

One thing I noticed, and something that French has talked about extensively, is the fact that the offensive line is being asked to do so much more this spring than they were last spring. Unsurprisingly, that's resulting in some growing pains. I noticed a lot of the younger guys struggling with basic things like head position and leg drive, and the new stuff seems to be tying up even some of the more experienced players. In my opinion, this is going to be the critical factor in determining our offensive success this year: can the line execute? If they can, they have the talent and athleticism to be a very good unit. I believe Stacy Searels is a good coach, but there's no question he's going to have to earn his paycheck this fall.

And Now We Wait for August

Overall, this was pretty much what we expected: a spring game. That means moments of brilliance and moments of embarrassingly sloppy play on both sides of the ball. Personally, I came away cautiously optimistic about the team's chances for success. They've upgraded athletically at a few key spots, there's more experience at the skill positions, and the offense is just flat-out better than it was at this time last year. Now, there are of course a multitude of questions to be answered before we kick off against William and Mary in about three-and-a-half months. Will the line execute consistently? Will the receivers run good routes, hold onto the ball, and make plays? Can we get solid, consistent quarterback play from whoever wins the job? Just how well will this small, quick defense perform? Who will be more of a monster by the end of the season, Bucky or Rogers? This is what makes college football so exciting and special. Nothing stays the same; every season is new, exciting, and full of promise. As of right now, the Hokies are undefeated in 2014, and we'll wait patiently to see if they can make this season a special one.

First Quarter

Situation Formation Personnel Motion Defense Type Player Yards
1st & 10, -12 Offset I (weak) 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE WR jet from boundary Base Zone left Caleb 0
Comment: Line zone steps left, Benedict downblocks to double DT, then tries to get up to the second level to seal Clarke. He's a step late, and Clarke beats him to the hole to force a cutback into traffic.
Miscue: LG Benedict failed to get off double team to second level
2nd & 10, -12 PA Twins right (strong) 1 RB 3 WR 1 TE Base PA zone left Motley (scramble) 11
Comment: Motley executes zone PA left, rolls right and scrambles for 11 yards, Stanford comes in late to offer a nice block
1st & 10, -23 Offset I (weak) 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE WR jet from boundary Base WR Jet Sweep Knowles 52
Comment: Jet sweep counter off of zone right line/back action. FB Rogers gets a great block on the outside to open up a lane inside for Knowles. Great block by Stanford on the safety, leaving Knowles to beat the CB, Greene. Knowles breaks the tackle and is eventually tracked down by Fuller.
1st & 10, 25 ? 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE WR jet from boundary Base WR Jet Sweep Knowles -2
Comment: Same play going the other way. Rogers doesn't quite get around his man to seal him inside, or get him push out wide enoguh, forcing Knowles to hesitate, and he's tackled in the backfield.
2nd & 12, 27 Pistol Twins left (strong), offset back strong 1 RB 3 WR 1 TE Base IZR - give Caleb 27
Comment: LG Benedict does a great job getting off his double team, getting up to the second level, and sealing the LB, providing a great hole for Caleb to run through. Caleb makes his cut, gets upfield, and scores.
Drive: 5 plays, 88 yards, TOUCHDOWN
1st & 10, -25 Shotgun Twins right, H-back right 2 RB 3 WR 0 TE Base Read option - give Coleman -5
Comment: Leal correctly reads the DE and hands off to Coleman, who tries to get to the edge. The Mike, Williams, is playing up on the line, and makes a great play to get into the backfield and drop Coleman for a loss - looked exactly like Jack Tyler there.
2nd & 15, -20 Twins left (weak), offset I (strong) 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE Base Penalty ? -5
Miscue: False start (player unknown)
2nd & 20, -15 Pistol Twins left, H-back right 1 RB 3 WR 1 TE Nickel Bubble screen Meyer 2
Comment: Meyer gets a good pass from Leal, outside receiver, Parker, gets a decent block, Meyer ban't beat the tackle, minimal gain.
3rd & 18, -17 Shotgun Trips right, empty backfield 0 RB 5 WR 0 TE Base Deep curl Coleman 14
Comment: Secondary in off-coverage, Coleman takes a quick pass and gets what he can before the defense closes.
Drive: 3 plays, 6 yards, punt
1st & 10, -27 Pistol ? ? RB ? WR ? TE ? ? Inside zone Mangus -4
Comment: DT (Maddy or Marshall, can't tell) blows up play in the backfield, Huelskamp shoots in and cleans up with a solid tackle
Miscue: LG Benedict struggles to maintain leverage on DT
2nd & 14, -23 PA Pistol Bad camera angle. H-back aligned over TE 1 RB 2 WR 1 TE Base PA inside zone left Motley (scramble) -11
Comment: DE Dwayne Alford does a great job recognizing the bootleg, getting out to Motley and making the "tackle"
3rd & 25, -12 Shotgun Split twins 1 RB 4 WR 0 TE Base Out/seam combo Knowles 0
Comment: Motley does a good job stepping up to avoid pressure, but could have hit Hodges down the seam for a possible first down. Instead, he threw to the sideline and out of the reach of the receiver (Knowles)
Miscue: Throw out of bounds, possible missed read
Drive: 3 plays, -15 yards, punt
1st & 10, 42 Pistol Twins right, H-back right 2 RB 3 WR 0 TE WR jet from boundary Base Jet sweep Parker 26
Comment: Low snap, but Leal gets it to Parker on the sweep. H-back (Redman) gets a great block on the corner, and forces Bonner to fill outside. Parker correctly reads the block and cuts up, beating a diving tackle by Nicolas (near-side DE) and picking up a good gain. Side note: Nicolas is fast.
Miscue: Rov Bonner doesn't fill properly, gets caught outside hole
1st & 10, 16 Ace 1 RB 2 WR 2 TE Base Inside zone Williams 2
Comment: Maddy gets upfield, but a hole opens up inside. Williams makes a good cut upfield, but McLaughlin hasn't sealed the DT (Mihota?), allowing him to get in on the tackle. Williams pushes the pile to get an extra yard.
Miscue: LT McLaughlin can't get his head inside the DT
2nd & 8, 14 Pistol Twins right, H-back left 2 RB 3 WR 0 TE WR jet from boundary Base Inside zone Williams 0
Comment: Bonner plays up on the line, doesn't respect sweep motion, crashing down to make the tackle on Williams. Williams may have cut up prematurely, as a large hole opens up between the C and LG.
3rd & 8, 14 Shotgun Twins right, H-back right 2 RB 3 WR 0 TE Nickel Drag route Parker 3
Comment: Clean pocket, Leal has plenty of time, finds Parker but throws the ball a bit behind him. Parker tackled well short of the first down
Miscue: Ball thrown late, behind receiver
Drive: 4 plays, 31 yards, FIELD GOAL

Second Quarter

Situation Formation Personnel Motion Defense Type Player Yards
1st & 10, -28 PA Twins left (bad camera angle) 1 RB 2 WR 2 TE ? Base PA zone right Hodges 8
Comment: Lots of penetration, but Motley keeps dropping to give Hodges time to clear the middle. Delivers a nice pass, Hodges buts up for a good gain.
2nd & 2, -36 I form, twins weak 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE Base Zone left Dyer -2
Comment: Basic zone stretch play left. Line blocks well, slot coerner (Rover?) lined up on line is unaccounted for. Newsome gets a good block on the safety, but it's unclear if he should have driven the slot man out of the hole.
Miscue: Missed assignment by Newsome?
3rd & 4, -34 Shotgun Split twins 1 RB 4 WR 0 TE Base Penalty - -5
Miscue: False start - LT Osterloh
3rd & 9, -29 Shotgun Trips right, empty backfield 0 RB 5 WR 0 TE Base Stick route Hodges 6
Comment: Hodges does a good job getting into the mike to fake the drag, then releasing outside for a solid completion. Still 3 yards short, but probably the best option.
Drive: 3 plays, 7 yards, punt
1st & 10, -40 Shotgun Twins right, H-back right 2 RB 3 WR 0 TE Nickel Sideline go Byrn 0
Comment: Leal has a clean pocket, but still gets pressured from an unblocked defender who comes late around the right side - the line shifts left, meaning Williams likely should have stayed outside on the end, as both the RT and H-back went inside. In his defense, Bud kind of cheated, as it was Maddy who stunted around the end.
Miscue: Williams appears to miss blocking assignment
2nd & 10, -40 Shotgun Trips right 1 RB 4 WR 0 TE Base Quick hitch Redman 5
Comment: RT Gibson cut blocks, implying this was a one-read play all the way. Corner is 7 yards off, and Redman checks up underneath him and uses his big body to shield the ball and make the catch. Solid 5 yard gain, leaving 3rd and manageable.
3rd & 5, -45 Shotgun Trips right 1 RB 4 WR 0 TE Base Scramble Leal 0
Comment: Maddy blows right by Wang off the snap, drawing the holding call and forcing Leal out of the pocket. Leal gets back to the line before he's "tackeld" (would have been a minimal gain) and the penalty is declined.
Miscue: Holding (Wang)
1st & 10, -20 Pistol Twins right, TE right 1 RB 3 WR 1 TE Base IZR - give Caleb 2
Comment: The left side of the line zone blocks left, with the right side getting tied up. It looks like the guard is supposed to get up to the LB, with the RT helping with the DT, but the Mike, Huelskamp, comes in unblocked
Miscue: Either the tackle pulled and didn't get enough depth (Osterloh) or the guard failed to get off the double-team and get up to the Mike
2nd & 8, -22 Shotgun Twins right, H-back right 1 RB 3 WR 1 TE Base Deep curl ? 0
Comment: Motley gets a clean pocket (good job by Caleb picking up the bltiz), and tries to thread the needle over the Mike, Huelskamp, who either gets a hand on the ball or gets in the line of sight of the intended receiver
3rd & 8, -22 Shotgun Split twins 1 RB 4 WR 0 TE Base Slant Newsome 0
Comment: Motley correctly identifies he has a favorable matchup - WR Deon Newsome on Whip DiNardo - and throws the slant. Ball hits Newsome in the hands, but he can't hang on for what would have been a first down.
1st & 10, -42 Twins left, offset I (weak) 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE WR jet from boundary Base Inside zone Coleman -3
Comment: Maddy gets into the backfield to blow up the play. Apart from the missed block by Teller, it was well-executed.
Miscue: LG (Teller) couldn't get his head across Maddy
2nd & 13, -39 PA Trips right 1 RB 3 WR 1 TE Base Bootleg drag Parker/Meyer 7
Comment: Line, QB, RB execute a good zone stretch fake that sucks up the linebackers. Leal delivers a catchable ball to Parker, who drops it. Heads up play by Meyer to catch it off the deflection and get upfield.
Miscue: Parker dropped a ball that was slightly behind him, but definitely catchable
3rd & 6, -46 Shotgun Trips left 0 RB 5 WR 0 TE Base Speedcut out Coleman 6
Comment: Coleman runs a good speedcut route and Leal delivers an accurate ball, but the play still wends up a yard short.
4th & 1, 49 Jumbo right (2 TE, H-back, offset I right) 3 RB 0 WR 2 TE Base Power right Coleman 8
Comment: Power play right with pulling guard. Mike, Williams, slips behind Teller but misses Coleman in the backfield, who picks up the first down and a solid gain.
Miscue: Teller misses Williams on pull
1st & 10, 41 Shotgun Twins right, H-back left 2 RB 3 WR 0 TE Nickel Sideline go Byrn 39
Comment: Leal gets time, throws a great ball to Byrn, who lays out for a sweet one-handed catch.
1st & Goal, 2 Full house backfield, WR weak (field) 3 RB 1 WR 1 TE H-back from boundary to behind LT Base HB Dive Coleman -1
Comment: The play is well-blocked to the play side, with a nice bubble forming off the right guard, but Williams fails to get his head across the DT, who gets into the backfield to blow up the play.
Miscue: Backup C Williams can't get head across DT
2nd & Goal, 3 Full house backfield, WR weak (boundary) 3 RB 1 WR 1 TE Fullback from offset weak to offset strong Base Power left Coleman 0
Comment: There weren't any blatantly missed blocks, just a great fill by the safety which forces Coleman to bounce outside. Since Rogers is between Riley and Coleman, he can't prevent Riley from getting outside to run down the ballcarrier. Great job by Coleman getting out of trouble and getting what he can
3rd & Goal, 3 PA Full house backfield, WR weak (field) 3 RB 1 WR 1 TE Base PA zone, FB flat Hite 1
Comment: Whip doesn't respect play fake, goes straight for the QB on the rollout, forcing a quick throw to Hite, who is tackled immediately
4th & Goal, 2 Shotgun Trips bunch left 1 RB 4 WR 0 TE Base Back-shoulder fade Parker 0
Comment: Leal takes the snap and throws immediately to the end zone, where Parker checks up to make a play on the ball. Good coverage from Chuck Clark.
Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, TO on downs
1st & 10, -2 Shotgun Twins right, H-back right 2 RB 3 WR 0 TE Base Sideline go Knowles 0
Comment: Last play of the half, Motley just chucks it right, doesn't get enough on it and it's picked off by Fuller
Drive: 1 play, 0 yards, INT

Third Quarter

Situation Formation Personnel Motion Defense Type Player Yards
1st & 10, -25 Offset I (strong) 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE WR half-motion from boundary Base Power left Williams 5
Comment: Well-executed, although if Meyer had gotten a better block on the safety, it could have been a much bigger play
2nd & 5, -30 Offset I (strong) 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE WR half-motion from boundary Base Power left Williams 1
Comment: Exact same play as before, but Maddy gets into Pfaff, slowing him down and causing Pfaff to get to the hole at the same time as Williams.
Miscue: LG Pfaff gets tied up in backfield, slow getting to hole
3rd & 4, -31 Pistol Ace, H-back left 2 RB 1 WR 2 TE Base Inside zone Williams 2
Comment: Williams takes the ball and cuts back/up almost immediately, where a hole has opened on the left side. Had Hite been able to keep Nicolas outside, Williams likely could have picked up a first down.
Miscue: H-back Hite can't keep DE out of the hole
Drive: 3 plays, 6 yards, punt
1st & 10, -31 Twins right, offset I 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE Base Inside zone Mangus 6
Comment: Terrible camera angle, but it looks to be a well-executed play, with CB Terrence Travis getting just enough of Mangus to get him down and prevent a huge gain.
2nd & 4, -37 I formation 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE Base Outside zone Mangus 4
Comment: Marshall almost makes the tackle in the backfield after Tarashke struggles to get his head on the correct side. but Mangus shakes him off and gets a first down.
Miscue: RG Tarashke struggles to get his head across Marshall
1st & 10, -41 Offset I (strong) 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE Base ? Ford -1
Comment: Ford can't get the snap from center, turning the ball over
Miscue: Fumbled snap - Lost
Drive: 3 plays, 9 yards, TURNOVER (fumble)
1st & 10, 40 Shotgun Twins weak 1 RB 3 WR 1 TE Base Corner route Meyer 0
Comment: Good pocket, Leal has time, but misses wide. Not a bad ball, and at the very least, it was a safe throw, where either his guy would get it or no one would.
2nd & 10, 40 Pistol Twins left, H-back right 2 RB 3 WR 0 TE Base Inside zone Williams 2
Comment: Maddy gets into the backfield, but Williams gets away from him and manages to pick up a short gain.
Miscue: Wang fails to scoop Maddy, Teller can't cut off LB Eberly
3rd & 8, 38 Shotgun Split twins 1 RB 4 WR 0 TE Base Curl Redman 0
Comment: Leal gets pressured off the edge by Ekanem and dumps off over the middle to Redman. The ball is a bit high, but hits Redman in the hands, although he can't hang on in traffic.
Drive: 3 plays, 2 yards, punt
1st & 10, -3 Offset I (weak) 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE Base Inside zone Dyer 1
Comment: Ward has no chance against Marshall, who once again is in the backfield. Dyer cuts it up into the pile, missing a hole that was developing to his left. Not a bad call, considering the field position, and he does a good jbo moving the pile for an extra yard or two.
Miscue: RG Ross Ward can't get his head across Marshall, Dyer possibly could have cut outside
2nd & 9, -4 PA Offset I (strong) 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE Base PA zone, TE out Hodges 10
Comment: Motley executes the fake, freezing the linebackers and putting Hodges one-on-one with FS (listed as OLB) Galante, who he beats easily. Dyer gets a nice cut block to give Motley time to throw, and Hodges makes a great catch on the sideline
1st & 10, -14 Shotgun Split twins 1 RB 4 WR 0 TE Base Short curl Knowles 7
Comment: Nice, on-time throw from Motley, Knowles shakes off the shoestring tackle and picks up a solid gain
2nd & 3, -21 Shotgun ? 1 RB 4 WR 0 TE Base Corner route Newsome 37
Comment: Newsome runs a great route and Motley drops the ball in perfectly, corner dives and misses, with the safety hitting Newsome out of bounds to prevent the touchdown
1st & 10, 43 Shotgun Twins left, H-back left 2 RB 3 WR 0 TE Base Sideline go Stanford 0
Comment: Motley gets plenty of time and throws to Stanford, who has checked up with a tweaked hamstring. Ball is just out of the reach of the defender. Possible offsides, as the next play is run from 5 yards ahead.
2nd & 5, 37 Pistol Twins right, H-back left 2 RB 3 WR 0 TE WR jet from boundary Base Jet sweep Newsome 18
Comment: Perfectly executed sweep, Hodges gets a great influence block on the Whip, getting him to widen out past the hash, while Newsome beats the unblocked Backer to the hole and cuts it up before dragging a corner 7 yards.
1st & 10, 19 Shotgun Twins right, H-back right 2 RB 3 WR 0 TE Base Scramble (Penalty) Motley (scramble) -10
Comment: Marshall beats Benedict badly, drawing the holding call. Had Motley been able to avoid the sack in a live situation without the hold, he does a great job recognizing the room he has to take off, and beats a diving tackle from Greene to get into the end zone.
Miscue: Holding (Benedict)
1st & 20, 29 Shotgun Trips right 1 RB 4 WR 0 TE Base Curl Knowles 4
Comment: Quick throw and a good route, but a nice tackle on the edge by Greene
2nd & 16, 25 ? ? RB ? WR ? TE ? Base Sack Motley -6
Comment: TV camera gets off the ball boy just as Motley is about to go down. Looks like he tried to take off, saw defenders coming, and just got down.
Miscue: Unkown
3rd & 22, 31 Shotgun Trips right, empty backfield 0 RB 5 WR 0 TE Base Seam route Hodges 0
Comment: Motley gets time and Hodges blows by the safety, Galante, but Motley overthrows Hodges by about a yard - would have been an easy TD.
Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, field goal missed
1st & 10, -31 Offset I (strong) 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE Base Power left Coleman -1
Comment: Coleman bounces the run outside, but probably could have hit the seam just outside of the pulling guard, or been a little more patient and cut just outside of Hite. Instead, he runs right into the corner trying to get to the edge.
Miscue: FB Hite could have done a better job either sealing the corner outside or driving him all the way across the hole
2nd & 11, -30 PA Offset I (weak) 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE Base PA zone right Parker 6
Comment: Line gives zone step right, Ford rolls left after a playfake and finds Parker. Good throw on the run, perfectly placed a little behind the receiver, out of the reach of the FS, Bonner.

Fourth Quarter

Situation Formation Personnel Motion Defense Type Player Yards
3rd & 5, -36 Shotgun Trips right 1 RB 4 WR 0 TE Base Slant Brainard 4
Comment: Ford does a great job stepping up to avoid pressure, but hesitates a half-second before findng Brainard on the slant.
4th & 1, -40 Offset I (strong) 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE 46 Power right Coleman 3
Comment: Coleman makes a nice cut up through the hole, slips bast Bonner and picks up a first down.
1st & 10, -43 Pistol Offset I (strong) 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE Base Quick hitch Meyer 7
Comment: Ford pulls up immediately and fires quick to Meyer, who makes the CB miss and picks up a solid gain.
2nd & 3, 50 Pistol Ace 1 RB 2 WR 2 TE 46 Inside zone Coleman 1
Comment: Hansen does a great job to fight his head around the LG, Teller, and get off the block to make the tackle.
Miscue: Teller needs to either keep his head on the inside of the DT or drive the DT all the way out of the hole.
3rd & 2, 49 Offset I (strong) 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE WR half-motion Base Power right Coleman -1
Comment: Williams shoots the gap to beat the block of Pfaff and grabs Coleman's ankle from behind to stop him for a short loss.
Miscue: Pfaff is slow getting off the DT double-team and picking up Williams shooting in
4th & 3, 50 Shotgun Twins left (weak) 1 RB 3 WR 1 TE WR motion to trips left Base Rollout WR out Byrn 0
Comment: Ford takes the snap and immediately rolls left. Williams picks up the Whip blitz, but can't keep him inside or push him all the way to the sideline, forcing Ford to throw what looks like a throwaway near Byrn.
Drive: 8 plays, 19 yards, TO on downs
1st & 10, 50 Pistol Strong left, H-back right 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE Base IZR - give Caleb 2
Comment: Motley gives the ball off, even though the DE is not in a position to defend the outside, and Caleb struggles to gain 2 yards. Tarashke could have gotten off the DT double-team a bit quicker to get the LB out of the way as well.
Miscue: Tarashke slow getting off double-team, possible missed read by Motley
2nd & 8, 48 Pistol ? 1 RB ? WR ? TE ? Base Inside zone Caleb 12
Comment: TV angle is horrible at beginning, but Caleb cuts back through a huge hole and bursts into the secondary, dragging Clarke 4 yards to finish the run.
1st & 10, 36 Offset I (strong) 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE Base Power left Caleb 0
Comment: Tarashke pulls, but has to pick up Mike, Moss, who I assume spent too much time on the double-team and didn't get up to the second level. Caleb gets what he can, but the unblocked Rover, Frye, got him on the ground.
Miscue: Possible missed block by Shuman?
2nd & 10, 36 Shotgun Trips right 1 RB 3 WR 1 TE Base Pass/Sack Motley -5
Comment: Marshall blows by Benedict, Motley tries to step up past it, but runs into DE Gardner and is "sacked"
Miscue: Benedict beaten like a drum
3rd & 15, 41 Shotgun Trips right 1 RB 4 WR 0 TE Base QB Draw Motley 7
Comment: Motley takes the snap, drops a step, then takes off, bouncing outside and getting to the edge for a good gain.
4th & 8, 34 Shotgun Twins right, H-back left 2 RB 3 WR 0 TE Base Pass/Sack Motley -9
Comment: Motley drops back, is met at the top of his drop by Haynes
Miscue: Osterloh isn't fast enough to beat the speed rush by Haynes(?)
1st & 10, -43 Shotgun Split twins 1 RB 4 WR 0 TE Base ? ? 0
Comment: Not sure what happened exactly, as the camera is too tight to see the WRs, but the ball lands well away from anyone. Either a receiver ran the wrong route, Leal overthrew his RB, or Leal made the wrong throw.
2nd & 10, -43 Shotgun Twins left 1 RB 3 WR 1 TE Base RB flat Wright 6
Comment: Maddy quickly beats Pfaff, but Leal quickly recognizes he's about to be in trouble up the middle and finds his RB in the flat for a good gain.
3rd & 4, -49 ? 1 RB ? WR ? TE ? ? Pass/Sack Leal -4
Comment: TV coverage comes on as Leal is in the pocket, he steps up looking to scramble, but runs right into Hansen as the DT spins off of Wang.
4th & 8, -45 Shotgun Twins left, H-back left 2 RB 3 WR 0 TE Base Deep cross Byrn 0
Comment: Dadi comes hard off the edge, but Gibson gets just enough of him to give Leal time. Leal does a good job sensing the pressure and moving to his left while keeping his eyes downfield. He doesn't quite set his feet correctly when he goes to throw, and the ball is slightly behind Byrn and broken up.
Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, TO on downs
1st & 10, 45 Offset I (strong) 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE Base Power left Mangus -3
Comment: As Ward pulls, he doesn't get enough depth and gets tied up with the DT/RG, missing both the Mike coming through his original hole and the backer coming through the hole Ward was supposed to lead through. Mangus gets stuffed in the backfield
Miscue: LG Ward misses everyone as he pulls
2nd & 13, 48 Offset I (weak) 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE Base Zone right Mangus -4
Comment: Ward can't get off the DT to get up to the Mike, Huelskamp, who makes the tackle again, and Benedict can't get his head across Marshall, who is in position to take away the cutback
Miscue: Lg Ward and RG Benedict
3rd & 17, -48 Pistol Split twins 2 RB 3 WR 0 TE Base RB screen right Mangus 0
Comment: Clarke makes a great play to beat everyone to the ball, forcing the incompletion behind the line.
Drive: 3 plays, -7 yards, punt
1st & 10, -10 Shotgun Split twins 1 RB 4 WR 0 TE Base 10 yard in Parker 0
Comment: Good route by Parker, good throw a little behind him, but he's hit immediately by 2 defenders and can't hang on to the ball
2nd & 10, -10 Shotgun Split twins 1 RB 4 WR 0 TE Base Curl Meyer 9
Comment: Good route by Meyer and a quick throw from Leal. Solid gain.
3rd & 1, -19 Shotgun Split twins 1 RB 4 WR 0 TE Base Deep corner Redman 0
Comment: Leal gets a clean pocket, but doesn't see Riley waiting underneath the corner route, and Riley picks it off.
Drive: 3 plays, 9 yards, INT
1st & 10, 20 Victory 3 RB 0 WR 2 TE Base Kneel Motley -2
Comment: Standard kneel-down, nothing goes wrong, game over.
Drive: 1 play, -2 yards, end of game

Comments

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Not the bagman VT deserves, but the bagman VT needs right now.

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VT '10--US Citizen; (804) Virginian By Birth; (210) Texan By the Grace of God.

Rick Monday... You Made a Great Play...

I also root for: The Keydets, Army, TexAggies, NY Giants, NY Rangers, ATL Braves, and SA Brahmas

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"War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.”~~Judge Holden

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"The Big Ten is always using excuses to cancel games with us. First Wisconsin. Then Wisconsin. After that, Wisconsin. The subsequent cancellation with Wisconsin comes to mind too. Now Penn State. What's next? Wisconsin?" -HorseOnATreadmill

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"The Big Ten is always using excuses to cancel games with us. First Wisconsin. Then Wisconsin. After that, Wisconsin. The subsequent cancellation with Wisconsin comes to mind too. Now Penn State. What's next? Wisconsin?" -HorseOnATreadmill

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"Virginia Tech: Our trees have more school spirit than your students."

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Take the shortest route to the ball and arrive in bad humor.

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VT '10--US Citizen; (804) Virginian By Birth; (210) Texan By the Grace of God.

Rick Monday... You Made a Great Play...

I also root for: The Keydets, Army, TexAggies, NY Giants, NY Rangers, ATL Braves, and SA Brahmas

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Some people spend their entire life wondering if they made a difference, Marines don't have that problem

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"That move was slicker than a peeled onion in a bowl of snot." -Mike Burnop

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"Our job as coaches is to influence young people's lives for the better in terms of fundamental skills, work ethic, and doing the right thing. Every now and again, a player actually has that effect on the coaching staff." Justin Fuente on Sam Rogers

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We wont win the race until a trophy is in the case!

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"That move was slicker than a peeled onion in a bowl of snot." -Mike Burnop

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"War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.”~~Judge Holden

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"We were at the pinnacle, and we did it for years," Foster says. He pauses, nods, takes a deep breath. "And I did it with the best guy in the business."

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"We were at the pinnacle, and we did it for years," Foster says. He pauses, nods, takes a deep breath. "And I did it with the best guy in the business."

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What's Important Now
The Lunchpail.
The Hammer.
BeamerBall.