I slept on it, sobered up, and came to a couple significant conclusions:
1 - We lost to a good team. ECU should have (I know, woulda, coulda shoulda... but still) beaten Sakerlina last week. The same Sakerlina that just took down UGA. They're good. They'll probably be ranked by the end of the year. Losing by 7 to a team like ECU the week after an emotional win over OSU is not that bad, nor should it look bad.
2 - We came back to tie the game after being down by 21 in the first quarter. That takes a lot of guts, determination, grit and toughness. This team could have rolled over and died after that first quarter. They could have hung their heads and given in. Instead, the pulled their shit together and played hard for 45 more minutes and came one defensive stop short of forcing OT. The defense held ECU scoreless for 44 minutes. That's impressive.
3 - Our young guys can straight up ball. Isaiah Ford is the real deal. Have you ever seen a true freshman WR look that good? And Bucky really is the manimal we all thought he was. I'm super excited about this staff's recruiting and development. Having said that...
3b - We are a young team, particularly on offense. When you have true freshman and underclassmen all as your leading pass-catchers, and your QB has only been in town for a month, you're going to have bouts of inconsistency. I don't care how talented the new guys are (and ours are quite talented, btw) - it's just something that happens from game to game, or even quarter to quarter. But this will pay dividends down the road this season and next year as these guys mature. We are a year away from being really really good.
4 - A loss like this could actually be beneficial for a young team. Look at the lessons they get out of this - you can't overlook anyone, because even a Conference USA team is dangerous. You can't take even one quarter off. Always show up prepared, because a good team can do a lot of damage in one quarter. And finally, you're never out of it - even if you're down 21 in the first quarter. There's a lot of teaching Beams and company can do after this game, and I expect them to do it.
5 - All of our goals at the start of the year are still on the table. Nobody really expected us to make an undefeated run to the playoffs, right? I know yesterday sucked, but we can still ball out in the ACC. This wasn't an ACC game - the Coastal is still ours for the taking. The sky isn't falling, everybody. We're right on schedule, so lets fucking go beat the tar out of some Bumblebees.
Comments
Dude, we got GT next week. This must be kinda like thinking its Friday but it's actually Wednesday for ya.
Holy shit, youre right! Damn, i was on a roll too. Ah well, fixed
Thanks for writing this. Dead on, and exactly what I needed this morning.
1 - This
2 - This as well
3 - This Jr
3b - This III
4 - This, but I think they're AAC, not CUSA?
5 - Wait for it....wait for it....yes, this as well.
Great levelheadedness here and excellent points.
I was discussing this with a buddy of mine who I drove to and from the game with. I hate how the fact that ECU is not in a "power 5" conference is why everyone is melting down about this loss. They're a really good team. They gave an SEC opponent everything they could handle last week. I think you hit the nail on the head with this article Hokieshibe
Very realistic and agree completely.
I may be one of those old guys infesting the fan base, but being around that long helps a lot with perspective. That's why I reveled in that anOSU win. All of the stars aligned. I will always remember that, but I will easily forget this loss to ECU. We will likely lose again somewhere down the road, too. Perfection is nearly impossible, even with the deepest, strongest teams, among which we currently are not.
If anything, that anOSU win should look even bigger now, IMO. It was a great accomplishment for a young team trying raise a program to a higher level.
I think this is what I needed to hear. I don't particularly remember every Hokies' loss, except for Matt Ryan and BC, USC @ Fed Ex, and Boise State. But I do remember ALL of the big wins.
By the time next off season rolls around, no one will care that we lost to ECU. We've lost to them before and it didn't matter a year later or right now. Gotta win some ACC games.
I made a point not to even post yesterday. I knew my posts would have been emotional, irrational and filled with cursing. It is amazing what a little sleep and a sober mind does. You hit the nail on the head. We still have the youth that we were all worried about as the season started, but that youth hung in there and erased a 21 point deficit. I'm proud of this young team and how they hung in there. Let's learn, move on and take out our frustrations for this one out on GT.
I'm still pissed off. No it's not better, it is still just as bad as yesterday. There is NOTHING positive about a loss (only losers say there is). LOLUVA actually won their game yesterday against a better team than ecu. What REALLY made this loss unacceptable was that it was a great, big, fat, fuckin goose egg laid in front of our men and women in uniform. You're supposed to stick to the damn script and win those games. Unacceptable. The W over GagTech next week (which is expected) will not make up for this.
^Clearly had expectations too high after beating OSU.
^Clearly considers losing positive and good experience.
Every team in the country loses. The only team that can say that they haven't felt losing in a while is Florida State. Now getting to my point, we are a young team. Spin it any way you want but we weren't going to run the table to win a NC this year. We lost to an experienced team that could finish in the top 25. We got beat by the better team yesterday, and if you can't give ECU credit for what they did then you should. There were positives from yesterday, I thought we were done for good when ECU got up 21-0. But the Hokies fought hard and tied it up. Cam Phillips, Isaiah Ford, Bucky Hodges, Ken Ekanem, and more gave us a good glimpse of what the future could hold. Point being, we are a young, talented team that will have their up and downs this year with probably more ups than downs. This loss could be a good learning curve for the young players and should motivate them to move on and take it one game at a time.
Call me and others a loser all you want, but the positives are in almost every game win or lose and yesterday wasn't an exception.
If you, Beamer, the team and anybody else want the "tempered expectations" y'all preach, then the team should've lost the first 2 games and then won this game. That, my friend, is tempered expectations. But I guess you're partially correct. I mean, hey, what's Beamer's record in games following a rare W against teams in the top 10 again? Yeah, can't be all that bad carrying that around.../s.
Btw, never called you or anybody else a loser. You did that yourself. Also, no I don't have to give the purple pirates any credit, and you know why? The very fact that we came back and could've won the game shows that we are as good, if not, superior to them. So, there's no excuse. If you can hold their "air attack" and O scoreless for that long you can sure as shit beat them.
Have fun being angry, disappointed, and pissed off and depressed after every loss, every season.
I don't feel that way after every loss. Just some more than others.
^^And I'm not so sure UVA beat a better team than ECU. At the end of the year we might look at ECU's record and see how good they really are. Yes we should have beat ECU and there is no silver lining in a loss but its not the end of the world. No one really believed VT was going to run the table and win the NC this year. All of us would have loved it but this is my team win lose or draw. Does it hurt to lose? Yes!! Is it the end for our Hokies? No!!
Never said I was expecting them to run the table. I did however predict them losing to halFaSsU in the ACCCG. If you're gonna lose, lose to a really great team. Not to a team like Ecu, BC, MD, Wvu, Louisville, Duke or UNC.
Weird, we've definitely never ever ever ever lost to any of those teams
WoW! So, expecting to beat ECU is going for broke around the Burg now aye?
Or perhaps...only losers learn nothing from their experience.
That only works if you beat them the next time. Me, I will be bothered by this until A) we kick the shit out of LOLUVA and B) we go down to Greenville and beat them by a score GREATER than what they barely escaped by and then continue beating them the following years.
I'd rather have it "work" in the film room today and practice this week rather than have misery carry over to the next game. Why give ECU more than 1 win?
You may not realize it but that goes in hand with the point I was making.
Honestly, I don't post a lot, but it really makes me mad how this post instantly made this positive thread into a negative one. You've already made your opinion on the game yesterday and the fans reaction clear on other threads, don't go around stirring things up just to piss of people who have actually found a way to reconcile after a home loss to a team none of us enjoy playing ever. I think you often provide great insight, but posting just to post doesn't make the key play the great site it is. That is all.
He ruins too many posts with his douchery. got old a long time ago.
Why fern, I never expected you to debase yourself to mere namecalling. I hope you have a wonderful week, sir.
"Why fern, I never expected you to debase yourself to mere namecalling. I hope you have a wonderful week, sir."
There. Much better. I knew you guys could play nicely. lol
Lmao like that.
Using facts is never debasing. You ruin too many threads with your immature trolling.
Fascinating. Some might even consider your choice of labels like "troll" and "douche" uncivil.
Irony is that we could still be in the playoff. USCe beating UGA makes ECU's SOS go up, and in turn ours as well. If we win out, we would have won a powerful conference (the ACC is bringing it this year, seems Wake is the only bad team) and of course beating FSU. So it's not out of line to think we could still be in the playoff.
Anyway, I'm not that surprised this happen. I felt sick watching it, probably because I've gotten used to this. Not sure if it's the fan base going ape after a big win that influences, or if the coaches are not managing expectations of the team, but this seems to be a regular occurrence.
It takes events like this though to wake the kids up. I'm sure they are pissed, and I'm sure they won't be messing around any more.
In addition, we picked up a top 2016 recruit at this game.
This is probably the quickest I have ever gotten over a loss. Reasons why
1) We are a young team, a loss like this was possible
2) This year was not the national championship run year, ACC coastal/championship should be our goal.
3) Not an ACC loss, so not as devastating.
4) ECU is a very good team, My friends have given me shit for this loss, but they don't realize how good this team is/was. Almost beat a USC-e team that just beat UGA.
5) As bad as we started, we showed resilience by coming back from 21 down, which past hokie football teams would most likely not.
I am also going to the GT game, so having to look forward to that is helping as well, even though its a nooner.... ugh.
If I were an ecu (or even an LOLUVA or wvu) "fan", I'd sure as shit post this up for Hokie fans
What's the "if" for? You did post it up for Hokie fans. You're a fucking troll dude. This post is about having perspective. You my good fellow have the perspective of a 13 year old boy so I guess it's of no surprise that you would have zero perspective on something as trivial as a football game. Enjoy your Sunday.
I just wish everyone would calm down and try not to be confrontational. This stuff spirals out of control on message boards and ultimately ruins everything.
This is a great place, but it takes a bit of work to keep it that way. We all have opinions, but we need to keep things civil. Let's all do our part.
You're right mcguirk, 100%. Normally I ignore threads where people start arguing, I think the Clemson religious one and Redskins name change threads both got over 300 unread on my end. Now that I think about it, it's only been after losses when I've allowed myself to get pulled into an argument.
I guess it just gets old. Usually when knight gets going and people start responding I think to myself "geez guys don't feed the troll." I myself got pulled down the rabbit hole this time so I'll go back to holding my tongue. To the vast majority of you I apologize for the negativity.
Let's get on with making fun of Georgia Tech.
Of your analysis of my perspective is "that of a 13 yr old" then I'll just assume you're in the professional field of psychology, would that be correct? If so, what books or articles have you written on such topics? I'd like to read them myself.
stop.
Or...
The sad part is that you are a Hokie fan, but yet do the exact same thing
Because I'm making a point. It's important not to forget these feelings until we go back next year and beat them by a score greater than what they escaped by and continue beating them the following years.
"...It's important not to forget these feelings..."
for you perhaps. having a short memory can be very important in performing at a high level. there is a reason why coaches don't teach visualizing failure.
after today's teaching opportunity in the film room, it is probably best to completely forget about the loss until the next time we prep to play them. then last years game can become bulletin board material.
You're just a fan on a message board, your feelings aren't going to win or lose next years game... if you want to carry them around til next year that's up to you, but make no mistake it matters absolutely ZERO to next years game
In part I agree, minus that there's this little tiny thing called "the revenge factor."
For the first eight years that I followed Hokie football, we could never come back from 17 down. I knew that if we got down by 17, then we were done.
But in 2010, we overcame that during the Boise State game. We lost, but we at least got those 17 points. Then, we had the NC State game where we got the 17 points and won.
We came back from 20 down against Duke two years ago.
Yesterday, we came back and tied it at 21, which was something new.
So, it's a process. Hopefully we never get down 21 points again, but if we do, we have a chance of actually winning.
I honestly think this loss is on the O line. The D is going to give up some points but the O has to respond and Brewer was getting POUNDED. After the D shut down the Pirates the our O line couldn't dominate ECU's front four. Now did they come back and tie things up- yes (a monumental accomplishment) but you have to figure that ECU was kinda putting it in cruise control being up so big early. I just don't see any 'push' and getting stuffed at the goal line, turning the ball over on downs when your behind is no way to win ball games. I hope Searles can coach this line up because until they improve the inconsistency that playing all these young guys is going to bite us again. ECU is a very good team and I wish them luck. Let's get over this hangover and stomp some Jackets!
It seems that good or bad, our team seems to play to Brewers play, I don't mean this so much as a jab at the team, but more as credence to their youth and susceptibility to periods of woe.
Great way to say it. Great first post.
I made these same points yesterday while trying to talk another Hokie down off the ledge. Do I know you?
haha doubt it. Watched the game alone. Great minds must just think alike.
Feeling better this morning, but still kind of hung-over about the whole thing. All this shall pass and we will see what happens next week. Like I said last week, everything needs to be taken week by week, whether it's a win or a loss. I'm certainly nervous about some of the games we face in the rest of the season though. The team's got a lot a lot of work ahead.
Off-Topic note: I've been seeing a lot of unnecessary down-votes in nearly every thread. Down-votes for rude or hateful comments are one thing, but down-votes for opinions are another... I think everyone needs to take a chill pill.
2 days later: I just found this post and read it, and it lines up perfectly with how I'm feeling going into the rest of the year. I let my wild expectations get the better of me heading into this game and was pretty bitterly disappointed after it ended, but the future is definitely bright. And it'll be even brighter when our OL improves. Thank you for a well written post, sir.
Some bulletin board material:
http://www.ncaa.com/top-performers
ECU is no slouch. They were 10-3 last year, won their bowl game, had 25th ranked total offense (11th passing, 8th scoring) and 36th total defense (13th rushing). We won 15-10 last year. They thumped both UNC and NCSt. Lots of starters returned. I expect they could be ranked soon or at the end of the year.
The loss hurts but there is a lot more football left. Need to take it to GT!