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French
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There was an apparent shift in offensive strategy following the Marshall game. The offense seemed to attack the perimeter with much more fervor in the Pitt, FSU and Wake games, finding a lot of success against Pitt and Wake. Is this a sustainable adjustment and do you think that continuing to attack the perimeter against other teams on our schedule will yield positive results?
Ok. Let's get going with this one.
I thought the shift started with the Rutgers game. Marshall made it tough because their DEs were overcommitting to get up the field so much without reading that it took away the pitch series. With Drones as a catalyst, the Hokies play designs started to "divide the field" with one potential threat on the perimeter and one to the middle flowing away from the primary threat. The concept is to "split" the defense, forcing half the defense to flow one way, half the other, and use the quarterback's read to find the seam. The toss series I have highlighted, the swing pass, the concept is exactly the same with both looks- tailback to the perimeter into the sideline, the quarterback has a pass option or a run option on a draw or QB counter flowing the other way.
Is it sustainable? I would certainly like to see the Hokies open up the IZR RPO game to open up quick wide receiver screens and the RPO slant (which popped to Lane against Wake.) Drones struggles to throw the deep ball, so giving Lane a chance to get open in space against low numbers of defenders is a good way to create big plays on short easy throws. The problem is, I don't think the OL is good... and I don't see much upside for it to get more than a small bit better. Everything will be a grind unless you can get the defense to make a mistake.
Syracuse is going to make it a grind. They stunt almost every snap up front, while playing soft Cover 4 matching to man in the back end. This "defense in depth" opens a lot of passes underneath that deep wall, but they react quickly. It also means they are playing down hill against the run, so even if you block the stunt, there are a lot of bodies at the second level with good angles. They are going to make the Hokies dink and dunk their way down the field, slowly, excruciatingly, and then hope the Hokies take a penalty, miss an open short throw, or blow a blocking assignment against the stunting front, to put the Hokies in a bad down and distance. I wouldn't be shocked if the Hokies won 4 of the next 5, and I wouldn't be shocked if they lost 4 of the next 5 because the margins for error are so tight, especially when the Hokies can't just line up and run the ball to ice a game.
Any thoughts on how/why it took 3(?) games for the new scheme to come to fruition? Has it just been a matter of players executing, or do you think the coaches are making better adjustments, or putting more stuff on tape or what?
Follow up - are we still using any of the same concepts from the ODU/Purdue games, or is that 'offense' gone?
I think they slowly opened the playbook for Drones. I also believe, to a degree, what the Two Deep pod mentioned this week in that there were some tough conversations had with the offensive staff after Marshall to accelerate the process.
This is where I'm at.
Early season, There were fundamental things that were not being executed and our QB1 had limits and we lost WR1-2 very quickly. The coaches had to keep the playbook small and simple until players started learning college level football.
Loss of QB1 forced changes as well some of our new guys started executing so the coaches could introduce some new skills and plays. Drones started gaining game skills and confidence and so teams had to play against a more dramatic team.
We are now in a place where most players are at least competent at the skills required of their positions and they trust each other. This allows the truly skilled players to be able to exploit things that go correctly on plays and opportunities that arise. The coaches can exploit what is going well that day and confidence grows instead of frustrations.
Things also went from a rumor that Brent Davis was more involved in the run game after Pitt to TSL straight up saying/confirming he is the unofficial running game coordinator now
I'm not a TSL subscriber, but I feel like every time something changes for the better with the football team, there's always some magical behind the curtains thing that happened that no other media outlet actually confirms. It could be true, I don't know (or don't really care), but, yeah.
This kinda my thought as well... on the TSL pod, Chris Coleman often compares 'the Pitt offense' and the 'Marshall offense' (referring to offense used after and before the Pitt game, respectively).
He keeps saying we installed a 'new offense,' but that doesn't seem right to me; I've never heard of a college team implementing a 'new' offense in 1 week, mid season.
I found Coleman's comments to be in stark contrast to French's comments, which portray the changes as more incremental.
Anyways, to your point joe, I agree it's an oversimplification to assume that one coach (that was presumably quiet all off season) was suddenly given the reigns and was able to magically turn around the seaso.
Yeah I definitely think it was more gradual and organic rather than someone being handed the reins and it turning around on a dime. I think they had started maybe incorporating some run concepts from Davis in the off-season, and that incorporation was hastened when the run game wasn't working to start the year and Drones became the QB. I think it's still Bowen's offense and he's still calling the plays (tbf CC does give Bowen credit for calling the plays with the new run concepts very well), but they have gradually blended in some of the run concepts from Davis perhaps as he's given input. I don't think it's a brand new offense or anything. But I think it's a very intriguing offense that we have concocted that fits Drones' skill set very well.
I know CC is really emphasizing that he thinks this turnaround was all Davis and he has been given a lot of control. But I think the truth probably lies somewhere in between. I think it's a joint effort. Regardless, I hope we can keep Davis on staff moving forward.
At the very least, I would expect the coaches to be collaborating. If not, then what the hell are they doing?
It certainly seems, to the untrained eye, that our offense post-marshall is significantly different from the first 4 games. It's not all that surprising that folks want to try and figure out a single reason for that. We'll likely never know the full story. We've heard rumors about Davis. We've heard rumors about the pressure being applied pretty strongly from Pry. We've reasoned that maybe the change in personnel forced the changes. It's possible there are several contributing factors. I don't know why our offense seems so different now but I'm here for it. The team has been fun to watch every time they've played since the Pitt game. And it hasn't been fun to watch since 2016 so that's a huge win in my book. 6 weeks ago I didn't think this team had a snowball's chance in hell of making a bowl game and now I'm convinced we have an outside shot at making the acc cg. That's a wild turnaround. I'm so conditioned to this team not showing any sort of improvement for the last 7 years that all this improvement has me shook. Historically we'd have one good game and then completely shit the bed so that one game seemed like the anomaly. But we've been steadily improving for the last 4 weeks and that is really encouraging. I think we'll still experience growing pains because it's only year 2 and I still don't believe this roster is where it needs to be but I'm seriously impressed with what the coaches and players have shown in the last month. Idk if we'll beat loserville but I feel pretty confident we'll find two more wins somewhere and go bowling.
Pry should have had some tough conversations after the Marshall game. But they have come out and said they switched up the order they install the game plan by moving the running game earlier in the week. So that is at least one change that may be driven by Davis not coaching game day and having more time to study film, I dont know.
I don't think the offense is all that different other than a couple wrinkles that Drones allows. I thought I remember seeing that pitch play in the Purdue with no option look. Their defense at it alive though cause there wasnt the threat of Wells running. The passing routes, the terminology probably didn't change at all, just some individual plays based on what had started to work. That doesn't mean that Davis didn't suggest a change, or that he is or isn't scouting the opponents and devising the game plans. No matter what, the offensive coaching staff, lead by Bowen, worked their butts off to improve, they got Wright to block much better, the oline is blocking more consistently everyone is doing their job more consistently. In a team sport it doesn't matter where the improvement comes from cause they all do better when they all do better.
What we do know is what Pry said in his pressers after the Pitt game when he as asked what was done differently. He emphasized that they got the "game plan implemented early in the week" by "looking at the opponents weaknesses and their strengths." At that same time there was a TSL-based rumor that Brent Davis was given control of the offensive game planning.
My hypothesis is that Pry and Bowen tasked Davis to begin scouting and game planning on the next opponent earlier such that they have a rough draft of how to exploit the opponent when they entered that first game plan meeting on Sunday instead of starting from scratch. My guess is that it's still Bowen's offense and ultimately his call on what the game plan will be, but Davis provides a rough game plan and run concepts that Bowen builds upon. I'm sure it's also not a linear process, but a communal back-and-forth amongst all the coaches and analysts.
And honestly, who wouldn't rely on Davis, a former OC that provided one of the best offensive running schemes for 8 years? His offenses averaged nearly 300 yds a game. He knows how to exploit a defense in the run game. And yes, his fingerprints are all over that run-game concepts with Kyron at the helm, as they should be. You would have to be a fool to not utilize that expertise.
I also listen to the TSL podcast, but mostly for the news, stats, and historical context. Bitter and Cunningham do their homework and bring some interesting insight, but the analysis of gameplay is pretty poor. And 'the Pitt offense' and the 'Marshall offense' reference is just a silly oversimplification. I just laugh at the suggestion that VT should have run 'the Pitt offense' with Wells at the helm and that Bowen is still accountable for not implementing that offense at the beginning of 2022. Like really, your analysis and critique of Bowen is that Wells should have been running an option-based offense the entire time? Sure, Jan.
Here, here. I also get annoyed when he talks about us implementing a new offense under hooker in 2019. From my memory, it was the same offense, just with a duel threat qb lol.
Thank you for choosing Firefly out of all possible duel images.
I am a TSL subscriber, and it seems like CC is done with Bowen, and I feel like he's grasping at straws to not have to admit that maybe he isn't completely incompetent.
Maybe they have inside info that no one else does, but 100% of TSL's commentary on the improved offense is about Davis. Not a lot of credit going Bowen's way.
can't give credit to the villain
I certainly wasn't singing Bowen's praises for the first 15 games but I have no choice but to credit him with the recent success of our offense. As the OC, he is the leader of that offense and as the leader it's his job to get the best out of everyone under him (coaches on staff as well as players on the team) to get the team to put the best possible product on the field. He'll get blame when it's bad. He deserves credit when it's good. I don't really care whose concepts are responsible for what - it's not Bowen's job to be the mastermind behind the Xs and Os. It's his job to make sure the best product is put on the field and if that means using the expertise of coaches on his staff that's exactly what he should be doing. The hand wringing over who is really responsible is just silly. Even if it's Davis's running concepts, Bowen is ultimately responsible for having Davis put those concepts into the final product. The most successful people are usually not the best technicians - rather, they're the best at surrounding themselves with people who are well suited to achieving a common goal.
This, this, this.
I said this in another comment about the Brent Davis thing, but there's a reason we're spending 7 figures on support staff: We value their input. If we're not utilizing their knowledge/expertise, something is wrong. I would say, things are looking pretty damn right these days.
I definitely am not qualified to coach football but my assumption is that installing an offense is blocking scheme, terminology, basic formations, techniques you want players to use.
What I've seen was that we changed our game plan (some based on Drones' ability) and added some different wrinkles to plays.
Calling plays the offense can execute and not calling plays the offense can't execute is not a new offensive scheme its just learning.
A half back pass was not a new offense, it was just a play enabled by things we've done with out offense in the past couple of games, probably based on something the staff saw Cuse fail to do too.
To many people, that to me should know better, are calling new wrinkles in our game plan a new offense. I could be completely wrong because I'm not a person that should know.
to me, the big difference I've seen in our offense between the first four games and the last four games is where we've been attacking the defense. In the first four games it felt like we were trying to run Tuten between the tackles a lot. In the last four it feels like we've been attacking the perimeter more. I don't necessarily think the offense is completely new - I don't think it's a new scheme, or new techniques or anything like that. I just think the attack has changed emphasis from trying the downhill running game in between the tackles to trying to get quick hitting plays out on the perimeter. The offense isn't completely new - but it does look a lot different when it's finding success.
Yup, that's what I see, we are better at calling, and executing plays that exploit the defense, that's not a new offense that's just improvement all around
Definitely agree here. I don't think it's a "new offense" but they have a better process to install a game plan, which involves better scouting of the opponent and earlier installation. That process has improved the exploitation of weaknesses in the opponent defense and it shows.
It started with Pitt by exploiting their slow DEs and linebackers crowding the line, making the quick toss option an easy 5+ yards every time. And in the last game, exploiting the Syracuse LBs and safeties that kept biting on the misdirection such that freaking Bob Schick ran 30 yards untouched. It's not a better offensive scheme, but better use of the scheme to exploit the defense.
This is my complaint.
They've been off the rails a little since Rutgers IMO. I started with TSL this year to read Bitter's work, but I have had to just tune the whole site out unfortunately. I really like getting AB and Cunningham's insights, but CC has been a little much for me. At least I got it with the discount, I don't think I'm resubscribing next season.
Yea, I've never seen a situation where state media sooo critical of the staff. It's very much the opposite of any other beat writer I've read
It kinda made sense 5 weeks ago, but now I'm just confused what's going
I'm think it's a danger inherent in having press who are also fans. It's hard to divorce your emotions from your analysis. It's why I think Bitter was a really good hire for them, though he doesn't seem to be rubbing off.
Also the community over there has a lot of "old man yells at cloud" going on. Every time I read the comments under one of their articles I regret it.
FWIW, the subscriber board has generally been much more rational these days (for the most part). The free side stuff is a bit crazier, so I general ignore article comments especially on the free side. Will Stewart has been pretty aggressive at nuking accounts that get out of line these days which I think has may the site better for those who pay for it.
LOL. CC is famous for "knowing" things apparently, but won't report on them until they are widely public knowledge. Interesting for a site "covering" VT football. Color me skeptical on their inside info.
Saw the same thing last year with the Liberty game. People over there and, to be fair, a few on here "heard" that Pry took play calling responsibility away from Bowen and that Glenn actually called the game.
For some reason many people have a hard time changing their opinion on a coach or a player, even when there are clear signs of improvement.
No one wants to be wrong, I know I don't like it, which is why I'm never wrong BTW.
But things with Bowen can be framed differently no one was wrong thay Bowen wasn't good last year. But maybe Bowen wasn't good with a QB like Wells. Maybe that is a weakness that if we get another Grant Noel yeah we are suck. That means we better recruit the right guys. RichRod ran over everyone for years but sucked his first year at WVU because he had no clue on how to use Brad Lewis, so Brad ran the option offense and went 3-8. Does that mean Bowen has limitations yes, but that doesn't mean he can't succeed, we just have to succeed in recruit too.
So instead of Bowen is a terrible OC, it's Bowen Is a terrible OC when his QB has rhe same skill set as Grant Wells. It's not a knock on Wells, and only a slight knock against Bowen.
Soooo you're saying it's a personnel issue not a coaching issue?
Jk jk
Offense has looked better over the last few games than last year. Is it because of Drones, coaching changes, player development, transfer players, play calling, Pry being more involved in the offense, or a young OC learning on the job?
Probably some of all of it, but there is no denying we are moving the ball better, and all those things above come back to decisions by the coaches. If it's getting better, give them credit.
As with just about everything in life...the truth is somewhere in the middle.
How well does Syracuse defend what we have been doing recently on offense?
What does their offense do to make it difficult for our defense to make the right read?
As mentioned above, Syracuse does two things that jump out defensively. They will play 5-7 in the box, and almost always do some kind of stunt up front to confuse the blocking scheme. The concept is to get the Hokies offensive line to play slow and keep the second and third level guys clean. Then in the secondary, the Orange will line up 4 across anywhere from 10-12 yards off the football. While they match to man coverage from that look, they are keying the backfield, and flying forward very quickly if they key run. It opens up quick passes, but they close fast on those passes and in run support. Of the tape I have watched, North Carolina was effective using the RPO to force those DBs to stick with the pass longer, slowing down run support. Then, as Syracuse started to activate those DBs faster as an adjustment, UNC hit them with some deeper slants for big plays. You can also hit home runs on double moves because the Orange are so aggressive jumping forward on short passes, but the OL has to give you a lot of time. I am not sure VT has shown they can handle stunts very well. Leon Lowrey, who is a 6-5 240 linebacker who plays an edge rusher type of role, can get after the quarterback, plus those stunts will create pressure on Drones. Look out for linebacker Marlowe Wax (all name team)... if he stays clean, he covers a lot of ground and is around the ball a ton.
Offensively, one thing scares me- the outside zone read with the QB option right up the gut, ala ODU and Rutgers. Shrader is good at running it, an athletic kid who is having a bit of a down year. The tailback, LeQuint Allen (No. 1) is a shifty, fast runner who can pop a big play. He is averaging nearly five yards a carry and has 7 touchdowns. Syracuse is struggling because they, like the Hokies, have had trouble sustaining drives and getting big plays in the passing game. Their OL isn't good, and Shrader has taken a beating. He has thrown 5 INTs to 8TDs, and they have struggled badly to finish drives against their 3 ACC opponents. Bad news, those losses were against three of the five most talented teams in the conference. Syracuse also beat Purdue rather easily. Look at runs of 10+ yards. If Syracuse doesn't pop two of those long touchdown runs like the Hokies game up outside of the Pitt and Wake games, the Hokies I think win in an ugly fashion. But, they can't run out of their alleys, because Syracuse will stretch them and has tailbacks that can hit the homerun.
Also, against UNC and FSU, Syracuse would also play one or two linebackers way off the ball... five or six yards. They make it tough for OL to get to the second level, so it is hard to get big plays. But, if you can tie up the front, you should get consistent 3.5-4.0 yards a run up front. You just have to get hat on hat.
Thanks as always for your insight.
With our defense struggling on running plays while we are able to cover the pass onmost teams, should our coaches try more run blitz or more stacked fronts on obvious run downs? I am sure the safety situation with stroman out regularly from targeting, and people's being hurt has made it difficult.
Also, I wonder what the staff didn't see in the MLB from VMI? It is hard to figure he was so slow or weak that he couldn't have been in the 2 deep.
Thanks for the great content on this site
Thank you.
I thought the Hokies have been blitzing a bunch, particularly when Lawson is in at WILL (note, McDonald played more than Lawson against Wake, but Lawson came in at WILL, he often lined up like a stand up DE and rushed off the edge.) The Hokies traded back and forth against Wake with a variety of Cover 1 looks. The WILL would rush off the boundary, with the rover rolling into the box and the DL slanting to the field, or the STAR would rush to the field, with the DL slanting to the boundary and the free safety manning up on the slot, or the STAR dropping into coverage and the boundary safety rolling up into the box. Almost all the time, the Hokies had man outside, and a single high safety post-snap, and with that look, they are playing well. Canteen got roasted twice, but the Hokies got pressure on Kern before he could deliver the ball. It was risky, and it worked. I also thought the Hokies linebacker run fits got much worse when Kern entered the game and Wake abandoned the slow mesh. Wake did VT a favor by not trying to stick with the outside zone run.
I thought the same as you about Stone Snyder, until I found film of VMI playing Wake Forest. Snyder looked really slow and struggled to tackle in space. He made Dax look flexible and athletic. Watching that game, if the Hokies had to take a VMI linebacker, I wish it had been Evan Eller. That kid had a great game (and he is a Roanoke area kid.)
Describe your perfect, within reason, offseason for Virginia Tech football ahead of the 2024 season.
1) Emmett Laws enrolls early and arrives at 280 pounds with the same quicks. I think he is an immediate contributor if he is strong enough to hold his gaps. He has Woody Baron vibes and may be quicker.
2) Need a transfer DT. I hear from a friend who follows recruiting for Tennessee that the Hokies are working to get JUCO Kamari Copeland. He has intriguing film. https://www.hudl.com/profile/9659875/Kemari-Copeland
3) With Florida struggling this season, they need to put the full court press on OT Fletcher Westphal for a flip.
Everyone talks about OL/DT and the portal. But, those are the toughest positions to get contributors.
If we go 6:6, how much are people going to overreact? And how many are going to expect 8:4 next year without giving any look at our schedule and realizing how much harder that's going to be?
Also: you're at Kuba Kuba (or other Cuban restaurant in rva) What are you ordering? I have a random paella craving going this morning.
I would think people would be happy. It shows growth. But, getting more upside and sustaining it on the offensive line is the key to long term stability in the program. They can't completely flip the OL room by next year, and this group at best will only marginally improve.
Kuba Kuba- I am getting the roasted pork, which comes with black beans, rice, and some pico. It used to come with mango salsa, which was even better. I add a liberal dose of the homemade habanero mango hot sauce, and an extra piece of the pressed toast.
Don't sleep on the chicken paprikas at European Taste.
1) In your opinion what is the best solution to the OL woes? Typically that's a position group that's vital to have experience and mesh as a unit but right now we seem to have multi-year players blocking ghosts every play. Is this a hope to develop more talent issue in a consistent scheme or is this absolutely portal necessity?
2) On offense or defense where is Syracuse's biggest personnel/scheme advantage over what VT is doing on the otherside?
I'm going to add to this if you do not mind
1a) Earlier in the year you(French) said that Crook was teaching sound concepts, but the players weren't executing them. Has the OL started to execute what you saw Crook teaching earlier this year or has the staff just schemed away from having to run behind the interior line as much as possible?
They are doing the same thing fundamentally. Kaden Moore, for example, has looked better the last couple of weeks. But, there is limited upside. Even though Crook is emphasizing footwork, they revert to old habits when they are confused by the defense. I think Crook really needs to recruit to the same archtype that Vice was looking for when he first arrived, and then has to develop those players to block more aggressively than how Vice taught his. This is his first class incoming. I will withhold judgement until I see what the next wave of OL look like when they get on the field.
Talent. I think there is very limited upside with the current starting group. In terms of what they can improve on- footwork for Kaden Moore and Brody Meadows, better lower body strength and anchor from Chaplin, and I can't figure out Clements. He is Jekyl and Hyde. Scheme isn't the issue. There are players who have a lot of natural ability that you can see but need work (see Darrisaw), and there are guys who are very limited. Of the guys we have seen on this roster in game situations, this is a very low upside starting group.
As noted above- Syracuse's zone reads can't draw Hokies LBs out of their alley, and the Hokies OL has to handle Syracuse's stunting front and Drones has to be efficient in the pass game.
Would you rather catch a 40-inch red from the surf or an 8-lb smallmouth topwater on the New.
Also, what's your prediction for Thursday night?
40 inch drum. The ocean has my heart
I don't like predictions, but I think VT wins. If I had to do a Price is Right bet, I will say 24-13 Hokies. That two "big run" threshold for Syracuse would produce 14 points, so that is the metric of success.
Have the defensive coaches solved the big run play assignment issue we were seeing early in the year, or have we just gotten lucky that no teams have exploited it as bad as they were earlier in the season?
What is your reasonable prediction for the remaining 5 games? 2-3? 3-2? other?
I don't think so. They had a good plan for the slow mesh, but when Wake went to a more traditional run game, you could see those alleys open up. Wake didn't have the horses to exploit it. I don't believe in Alan Tisdale at MIKE, and it is more troubling that nobody has wrested the job away from him.
I think 3-2 or 2-3. BC and Louisville are good and do things on offense that will give VT's run defense trouble. UVA has been very competitive in every game they have played and is good on offense, so that is a pick-em game. I think NC State and Syracuse should be wins. If the Hokies went 1-4 or 4-1, neither would shock me. The margins are razor thin.
via GIPHY
What is a better skill set for a coaching staff to have in CFB, the ability to adjust and design a system around the talent you have or the ability to recruit and develop players to execute your one system?
I think you need the later more, but your system in today's football must be well adapted to the needs of today's game. You need to identify and recruit the best players who have "the clay" to do what you need them to do, not just get the top recruits. A couple of years ago, the Hokies landed a four start linebacker from Maryland (Nathan Proctor) to play DE, which is aggressively forcing or spilling based on the call. He was a read and react linebacker who wanted to read the play and move laterally. He wasn't a fit and washed out pretty quickly. Then to develop so they have the physical tools and the quick reads to do the job.
Do you think any of our coaches should be on little bit of hot seat next year, or are you overall happy with the progress each is making?
I think Marve and PP are on the hot seat. I think the safety play has been ok with veterans, but Phillips and Jones have really struggled. To his credit, Jones was much better in the first half against Wake than the rest of the season, but the safeties still aren't making plays and are out of position too much. The linebacker play has been atrocious no matter what "player of the week" from the ACC tells you. The player who has shown the most improvement has been McDonald, and I don't think he is a long term solution.
Best? Probably Mines, Jones, and Bowen. You see the position groups they are responsible for are making strides each week.
I see a lot of learning on the job, but there is some growth. I am not convinced that this braintrust gets the Hokies back to where we want them to be, but they also have a very different environment to overcome. I need to see this staff get difference makers at the key positions (QB, left tackle, DL, WILL linebacker, and corner) consistently. Right now, they have only landed high upside young guys at corner with those groups.
In the current paradigm, a .500 to just over .500 ACC team. They will need to show more dynamic development to be a contender.
I want to win, and I don't care about who they are beating. The complaints about how bad the schedule is (which we got a lot of on Twitter yesterday when the 2024 OOC schedule came out) ring hollow until they start beating Marshall, Rutgers, and Purdue. In terms of entertainment value for me, I like the ACC and regional rivalries. SEC or B1G doesn't give us that, except for games against Kentucky, Tennessee, Maryland, and South Carolina which make sense. But, I think the Hokies revenue structure and athletic department are outgunned resource-wise to be really good in either league right now, so if falling further behind wasn't a factor, I'd stay put.
That said, SMU, Cal, and Stanford additions are gross, and it is going to be penny-wise and pound foolish. The travel for non-revenue sports is going to be an anchor around the neck of these athletic departments for years.
If this staff can't do this... do you think it indicates that VT recruiting is limited in this era of football, or is it just an issue with the staff?
Limited by resources and either/or bad at development.
Keep them coming!
You have the ability to pluck one player from any roster in college football and put them on the Hokies, effective immediately. Who are you picking?
Also, same question, but with assistant coaches.
Do this question for each side of the ball, please.
This season is tough because I have almost exclusively watched Hokies games while reserving time for other endeavors. Although he hasn't played this season, Cam Rising has been one of my favorite college football players over the last couple of seasons. I think he is a tough, competitive SOB who gets every ounce out of the talent he has when he is on the field. I would love to see Abdul Carter transfer to VT from Penn State- he is the quintessential WILL linebacker for this defense and Pry led his recruitment.
Historically, I would have loved to have seen how Steve Emtman or Aaron Donald would have fit in Bud Foster's defense. Ed Reed at safety. Jonathan Odgen at offensive tackle. To me, the biggest "what if" in Hokies history was the complete absence of decent defensive line play in 2010. That offense was so stacked, the secondary forced a bunch of turnovers. But man, that front seven was rotten. Opposing OC's gave Bud a Christmas present every time they chose to throw the football because that group couldn't stop the run.
Assistant coaches? I think everyone here knows my fascination with Mike Elko, particularly as a defensive coordinator. He has proven his chops as a HC at Duke. Riley Leonard didn't go from garbage to really good overnight by accident. I like Alex Golesh as an OC at Tennessee because he spreads the field, but with a thin OL they keep tempo and play physically up front. They have taken a step back this year in part because they don't have a good plan on defense and Milton isn't as consistent or the run threat Hooker was. But again, my watching outside of the Hokies games is limited and I don't think any of those opponents have had future Vince Lombardi's roaming around the sideline.
Who have you seen make the most improvement over this season and why do you feel that way? Can be a player of a coach.
I will throw a couple of candidates out there. Jayden McDonald went from rancid in the spring game and the first couple of weeks to looking solid last week, even if he doesn't show the big play ability that Lawson flashes. I think Stephen Gosnell has done a really good job of finding space he wasn't creating last year. Drones and Bowen are a package deal. Bowen is making chicken salad out of Tuten/Thomas and a bad OL and has adapted to get the most out of Drones. Drones looked awful in the spring and several people said he looked very checked out against ODU after he lost the job. I pointed out how, despite the long drive, he was more lucky than good against Purdue. He has been more consistent making the types of system throws that he has to complete and gotten better each week. He still needs work, but his upside and run threat changes the offensive dynamic, so kudos for him flipping the switch.
Do you think that recruitment has increased in productivity under Pry and if so, will that be enough to turn this team into a contender within the next few years, or do changes need to be made in current personnel?
Defensive line is still a worry spot, with Payne being the bright spot (with caveats... still gets washed out very easily against the run.) Burgos has potential, but also is still very raw. Folks will point to APR's week last week, but that is him using a skillset that he had at Florida but they utilized poorly. I think development needs to be better there, especially with major holes opening up next season. Same can be said for OL even though everyone besides Schick will likely be coming back.
I really like defensive back recruiting. You can see the talent in Mose Phillips, but he is still a little unsure of himself. Braylon Johnson hasn't looked out of place when called upon at corner. Dante Lovett I think has huge upside, although he has taken some bad penalties and looked a little less comfortable when he got corner reps. Woodson hasn't looked out of place at STAR. In the backend, the Hokies upside looks way better than it did a year ago. Same can be said for the receiver room. Greene has been ok. I loved Fitzgerald's upside, so the quiet around him is a big vexing. Bradshaw has shown glimpses of being dynamic in tight spaces, and I have heard good things about Heath. I would like to see better blocking, but you can see the tight ends have talent. I think they have done a good job of flipping those rooms.
But, big boy football is about winning in the trenches. To be competitive against the best teams on their schedules, they must start hitting some Darrisaw/Tenuta/Nijman Baron/Walker/Ekanem type home runs in the fronts.
If you were head coach what cheating scheme would you cook up?
I don't know if equipment gets inspected before games, but I would install NFL style radio communication in the helmets of my QB and signal callers, but still do all the sideline signal cards as dummy signals. I would create patterns in the dummy signals that aligned with my calls in games against weaker opponents, and then completely cross up big opponents and rivals. You want to steal my signals? Go right ahead.
I'm 100% here for this
I don't know why they don't do it now, other than NCAA would have to absorb the cost to ensure security.
Or, just don't be weenies and send the play in with a rotating receiver like the good ole days.
Stop trying to wish Paul Johnson back!
Almost time. I will start posting my answers in a couple of minutes.
Recently went down the rabbit hole of watching 90 's SWVA high school football on Youtube. Do you have any AHS games that can be added. Would love to see you see some French, Hughes, Harless, T Brown, highlights.
I still have some old VHS tapes, but I don't know of any being digitized. I know some of the Gate City locals probably have the tape of the GC Abingdon playoff game. I lit up Lindsey Fischer on a screen, which was our best play of the night. The next series I got yanked because our OL coach changed up a blocking scheme on a trap play, and I followed that, but apparently Rocking Randy forgot and yanked me. Oh well. The only 1995 GC film I have seen is versus Powell Valley and Graham. That Graham team was good... won a state title only throwing the ball about once a game all season. There is some footage of Tyrone Brown playing basketball (he made it into Street and Smiths, which I always thought was awesome) on Youtube.
I wish I had more digital EHC film. I would enjoy that a bunch more. I would do terrible things to get a copy of the win over W&J my first game in uniform where Oliver went nuts. The day I ran out there and took a snap, I accomplished my biggest goal in football. That was my favorite moment, even with the undefeated season the next year.
Thanks brother. I would love to watch those old days when we Dominated in the trenches. Baby O was special. and so was every Selfe led OL.
After the first few games, what are your way too early thoughts on what the NY Rangers will need to add at the deadline?
Hokies related, Bhayshul Tuten is our best RB since...? (Not including Juice Herbert here)
Should Mansoor Delane be a Safety or CB moving forward?
I think they need to get scoring from the third line. Cuylle looks like he belongs, but I am not seeing the finish there. I had high hopes for Blake Wheeler, but he looks done. He is a liability defensively and has done nothing to generate offense. I think they are already exploring if Othmann can replace Wheeler, but I think the more logical option will be the Rangers using Zach Jones (I hate seeing a Virginia kid sent out, but they can't send him to Hartford and he clearly doesn't fit their plans for the big team) as a poor-man Neal Pionk as a trade piece to get a third liner with more upside than Wheeler. Two guys I like on teams that look bad right now (Yanni Gourde and Blake Coleman) make too much money even with Jones and Wheeler's 1.9 coming off the books and the Rangers remaining prorated cap space. I am looking for other options though.
Last call before I head back to the oppressing capitalist grindstone!
Thank you French lots of good insights like the change of pace from the normal write ups!
Man, I wish teams had actual fullbacks who can run. This belly dive from Larry Csonka... teams couldn't defend it now.
https://youtu.be/rTC7AoNExDI?si=DHKEa7i1g2976vQK&t=1102
Tony Paige-former VT fullback who went to the Jets, Lions, and Dolphins- in 1985 he had eight TD on 55 carries for the Jets- give him the ball inside the 5!
Great guy too. Paige is a real one.
Paul fucking Johnson won 8 games a year in the P5 in the 2010's running the triple fucking option, so yep.
And that was a hell of a pancake from the other tailback to spring him past the LOS.
zeke wimbush?