Slept On It: Wake Forest

Reactions to Virginia Tech's 3-6 double-overtime loss at Wake Forest after a good night's rest.

[Michael Shroyer]

Virginia Tech followed up an uplifting road win against a ranked, one-loss Duke squad with an unfathomable loss Saturday against fledgling Wake Forest. To make matters worse, the egg laid by the offense overshadowed a largely dominant afternoon by Bud Foster's defense.

Chuck Clark had arguably the greatest game of his life, making plays in coverage and in the backfield. Deon Clarke and Andrew Motuapuaka continue to shine, teaming up to clog rushing lanes and showing phenomenal sideline-to-sideline pursuit. The defensive line wreaked havoc all day, with standout performances from interior linemen Corey Marshall and Nigel Williams.

Much of this was to be expected against a Demon Deacons offense that nationally ranks near the bottom in numerous statistical categories. And while most were aware of the challenge the Wake secondary presented coming into the game, few could have predicted the horrific offensive performance Hokie fans were subjected to for sixty-plus minutes.

It's almost two full seasons into the Scot Loeffler experiment, and we honestly have no idea what to expect week-to-week. How is that possible? Honestly, how can an offense filled with a number of playmakers fail to gain enough yardage to attempt even just a field goal? Is this offense trying to be so unpredictable each game that it's catching itself by surprise? This season has been incredibly frustrating, but Saturday afternoon took that feeling to an entirely different level.

This team has been tugging at our heartstrings all season long. Monumental wins were followed by gut-wrenching losses. Both this team and the fanbase have experienced such peaks and valleys this fall that it has been hard not to feel optimistic about the future, provided the young talent develops. But the way the offense played on Saturday was so divergent from what we had seen at any point this season that you would be hard pressed not to find a fan that felt deceived by this Hokies team and staff.

All of a sudden, that talk of "one or two plays away" began to seem like lip service. Watching Frank Beamer pump his fists as Wake kicker Mike Weaver pushed his third field goal attempt of the afternoon wide-right to send the game to overtime felt less like a consolation and more like a middle finger.

Don't get me wrong, there were screams of joy and high fives occurring in my apartment, but holy hell, how did we get here?

What frustrates me more than anything is the impact these performances have on the University as-a-whole. I love Virginia Tech. Nothing aggravates me more than seeing our beloved school discussed in an unfavorable light, whether it has to do with sports or academics. It is easy to get caught up in the naturally myopic perspective of a fanatic, focused on the desire to win more than just ten games or reach a bowl game.

I'm tired of hearing the national media question how this team beat Ohio State, and I'm disgusted that we were party to the worst game of the year.

I want people to hear Virginia Tech and think about how we sent a stuffed Hokie Bird into the upper atmosphere; that our Lumenhaus won the 2010 International Solar Decathlon; that we are at the forefront of concussion research; and that we study the respiratory system of a horse on a damn treadmill.

Whether we like it or not, football provides the University with a major revenue stream and a built-in platform to market itself on a local, regional and national level. Winning increases the exposure and thus the catchment for potential students. Losing restricts these opportunities, damning us to noon kickoffs to a regional audience already aware of what Virginia Tech has to offer. Coach Beamer knows this. President Sands knows this. Whit knows this.

To everyone sending emails and tweeting at Whit calling for change, keep in mind this is the same guy who canned James Johnson within four months of taking over for Jim Weaver. Whit is getting enough free advice from senior Hokie Club members; the last thing he needs is a bunch of fans blowing up his twitter feed calling attention to the obvious.

Today's college athletics landscape dictates that the performance of this program is important to the entire University, for better or for worse. While we all desperately want to see our peers win week-after-week, we also miss the days in which the national media spent more time gushing about how special Blacksburg is instead of debating Frank Beamer's fate.

I have no idea what is going to happen over the next few weeks, and to be honest, I'm working very hard not to think too far ahead. This team has one last shot at keeping the bowl streak alive; one last shot at extending the season to provide the younglings with vital practice time; and one last shot at putting everything together against our biggest rival.

There is no better platform to re-establish what Virginia Tech is all about than in Lane Stadium in front of a national audience at night on black Friday.

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This is my school
This is home

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I just sit on my couch and b*tch. - HokieChemE2016

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I just sit on my couch and b*tch. - HokieChemE2016

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This is my school
This is home

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This is my school
This is home

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HOKIE HOKIE HOKIE HI
'14 grad

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Get your ass on the ground and we'll party

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"This is just spectacular... These people are losing their mind. This is beautiful." -Mike Patrick

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HOKIE HOKIE HOKIE HI
'14 grad

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Get your ass on the ground and we'll party

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HOKIE HOKIE HOKIE HI
'14 grad

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Five star get after it 100 percent Juice Key-Playing. MAN

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"I'm high on Juice and ready to stick it in!" Whit Babcock

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"I don't know what a Hokie is, but God is one of them. So I'm going with God. I'm going with Virginia Tech." - L. Corso

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This is my school
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To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
@VTnerf on insta, @BuryHokie on twitter, #ThanksFrank

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β€œI hope that they’re not going to have big eyes and pee down their legs so to speak,” -- Bud Foster

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This is my school
This is home

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HOKIE HOKIE HOKIE HI
'14 grad

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Get your ass on the ground and we'll party