Locker Room Wrap: Hokies Best Bearcats on Back of Two Big Plays

With Frank Beamer absent from Virginia Tech's sidelines for the first time since 1989, it was inevitable that some things would be very different for the Hokies during the Military Bowl.

Yet even with Shane Beamer stepping in for his dad on the field at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium, the team delivered a performance evocative of Frank's glory days with excellence in all three phases of the game.

"7-6 isn't what our fans wanted, nor us as coaches, but the toughness and resiliency that our guys have shown, ignoring the outside noise throughout the season, for them to come out and play the way they did today, I couldn't be happier for a group of kids," Shane said after the game.

It did feel a little bizarre to see Shane reading a statement from Frank (who had already departed for the airport) immediately after the game ended, but the sentiment he expressed through his son is one that speaks to the good feelings the team's 33-17 win over Cincinnati engendered in the whole staff.

"I've had many proud moments in my time at Virginia Tech, but this is one of my proudest," Frank said via Shane.

Wins in bowl games are hardly impactful for the state of any program, but it's hard to shake the feeling that this could be a sort of tipping point for the team after a frustrating 2014.

The Hokies showed offensive versatility, defensive aggressiveness and special teams competence, a trio of attributes not seen since the Ohio State win that could be very promising if the squad can display them again in 2015.

But the elder Beamer made it clear that it wasn't just his team's performance that resembled Hokies squads of old. Even though he could barely speak in the press box, the rest of his staff says his demeanor remained the same.

"He made sure to let me know to run it in the second half, especially when the quarterback went out, just 'make sure we run the ball here, Scot,'" said offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler. "There were a few grunts and groans on some plays as well, but he's awesome."

Beamer's values clearly haven't changed, even as the rest of college football has, but the bowl game did provide a few glimpses of the kind of team Frank wants to field as his career enters the home stretch.

Ford's Throw

Even as Frank wanted to keep things simple with the running game, Loeffler wasn't afraid to mix things up.

He flashed that creativity early, reaching deep into the playbook on Tech's third drive of the game.

The Hokies' first two offensive outings produced a three play drive that gained just three yards, and another three play drive that ended in a Michael Brewer interception.

Cincinnati scored a touchdown on their second drive of the day to go up 7-0, and it seemed like it would be the start of another long afternoon for the offense.

But then Loeffler shook things up. Brewer hit receiver Isaiah Ford on a 15 yard pass to open the drive, and a roughing the passer penalty by the Bearcats pushed Tech to Cincy's 34-yard line.

Loeffler called for a Bucky Hodges wildcat run, netting two yards, and then dialed up a play the Hokies have been practicing for months without ever deploying.

The Hokies faked a reverse to Ford, and sent Brewer running deep downfield on a very unusual gadget play. Ford never thought he'd ever get a chance to try it out.

"In practice, my hands were really cold, so I wasn't throwing it as well, but when he called it, I got excited," Ford said.

Ford uncorked a 30-yard bomb down the field in his quarterback's direction in an interesting role reversal, with one thought stuck in his mind.

"'Just don't get Brewer killed, that's the only thing that was going through my head,'" Ford said.

But he did more than just prevent Brewer's demise, he completed the pass, giving Tech the ball at Cincinnati's two-yard line.

Brewer says being on the receiving end of a long pass was a little different for him, but it wasn't an entirely new experience.

"I had a catch back at Texas Tech, but that was definitely my longest catch," Brewer said. "It was a great call from Coach Loeffler and it worked perfectly."

Ford has some prior experience throwing the ball too.

He played quarterback every year leading up to high school, and even threw a touchdown pass during his senior year at Jacksonville, Fla.'s Trinity Christian Academy. That provided the impetus for Loeffler to install the play.

"I remember telling Coach Lefty about it, and he said 'we might have to put that in,'" Ford said.

It's a good thing he did. The creative play call energized the whole offense, and gave an early spark to a unit that was off to a thoroughly sluggish start.

But the next big play of the day came courtesy of the defense.

Clarke's Forced Fumble

One aspect of the team that looked very much like Tech's teams of old was the Hokies' dominant pass rush, and their intensity on that front created one of the more memorable plays in the program's bowl game history.

On the Bearcats' first drive of the second half, quarterback Gunner Kiel was attempting to help Cincinnati answer a Ryan Malleck touchdown that put the Hokies up 20-10.

He helped the team pick up one first down, but on the fifth play of the drive, linebacker Deon Clarke derailed those hopes and changed the whole complexion of the game in the process.

Clarke barrelled through Cincy's offensive line to deliver a big hit on Kiel, jarring the ball free.

"At the beginning, coach called a blitz. Love blitzes," Clarke said. "The defensive line opened a big gap for me and I came through and did what I had to do."

Defensive tackle Nigel Williams looked up, found the ball right in front of him and somehow managed to scoop it up while staying on his feet.

"First thing was, 'got to get the ball.' I was trying to get the ball and not fall as I get it," Williams said.

Williams rumbled 26 yards down the field, but Cincinnati running back Rod Moore punched the ball loose on the team's 15-yard line.

"The running back ran me down and got the fumble, but I trusted the guys behind me to pick it up and finish the play," Williams said.

That's exactly what they did, as cornerback Greg Stroman was able to grab the ball and take it the rest of the way for the score.

"I was running after to go block and it came loose and I was in the right place at the right time," Stroman said. "They were ripping at the ball, and I was trying to get in there, and my teammates helped push me in."

Williams was frustrated about not being able to get the big score himself, but it still evoked fond memories of his high school days.

"I played a little tight end in high school, had a few returns, so I had a little flashback when I picked the ball up," Williams said. "I would've liked to finish the play, but I'm glad that we got a touchdown off of it."

The play was also a vindicating one for Clarke.

He'd been filling in on the kickoff team during the bowl game, but right before the second half started, he pleaded with Shane for one play off.

"Last year, I used to always play kickoff, every down. This year, they just put me on it for the last game," Clarke said. "I forgot how kickoff was, I was winded a little bit, so I asked (safety Der'Woun) Greene to come in because he was my backup."

Shane granted him some time on the sidelines, with one condition.

"I said 'if I'm taking you off kickoff, you better make a play on defense,' and he backed it up," Beamer said. "That was a huge play, it swung the momentum."

There's no doubt about that. Not only did Clarke's hit knock Kiel out of the game, but it helped give Tech a commanding 27-10 lead.

It was a testament to the way the defense played all year. Defensive coordinator Bud Foster never shied away from bringing pressure, no matter the circumstances, and that helped the Hokies accrue the fourth most sacks in the nation with 48.0.

This offseason, the program will lose four players (Chase Williams, Derek Di Nardo, Detrick Bonner and Kyshoen Jarrett) that produced 10.5 of those sacks.

The rest? They'll be back for more.

A Look at 2015

While the bowl win itself was encouraging for the program, it was some of the changes the team showed off during the game that are truly exciting.

"We talked about it in the whole bowl week preparation, the month leading up for it, this game was really just important to springboard us into the offseason," Brewer said.

Unlike the team's demoralizing beatdown at the hands of the UCLA Bruins in last year's Sun Bowl, there were a number of positive signs that could bode well for the coming season in this postseason matchup.

The first is one that's been evident for the last few weeks: J.C. Coleman is alive and well.

"I'm super proud of J.C.," Loeffler said. "That guy's a true Virginia Tech guy inside and out."

His 157 yards against the Bearcats set a Tech bowl game record and earned him MVP honors on the day, but his excellence over the team's last four games could have a real impact on the team going forward.

Tech certainly has plenty of options at running back going into the new season, but that doesn't mean there's any certainty about how much each back will actually play.

Marshawn Williams and Shai McKenzie are both nursing notoriously nefarious ACL tears (with McKenzie healing from his second tear in two years) and it's no sure bet they'll be ready for spring practice. It could hardly be considering a surprise if at least one of them ends up redshirting.

Trey Edmunds will likely contribute more next season, and he did get his first work since October against Cincinnati while turning four carries into 11 yards, but he's essentially been out of commission all year. He had a healthy redshirt freshman campaign in 2013 until the final game of the regular season, yet his lingering injury issues in 2014 have to make coaches concerned about his durability going forward.

But Coleman's emergence over the back half of the season, capped off with a dominating performance against the Bearcats, changes the equation.

He's proven that the team won't have to rush Williams or McKenzie back before they're ready and that they won't have to put the full rushing load on Edmunds.

"I feel like I can be a great running back here," Coleman said. "I'm ready to go to work in the offseason, and everyone knows how hard I work."

His hard work over the last few games has certainly been noted, but the offensive line's improved play is also worth getting excited about.

"The offensive line was awesome today," Coleman said. "Coach Searels got those guys going."

Stacy Searels' group really seemed to find its footing just as Coleman got more involved in the run game, and that's a pairing that will return mostly intact in 2015.
The unit loses David Wang, Caleb Farris and Laurence Gibson, but the squad got a quick look at how the shuffling might go next season when Wang went out midway through the game.

"It only figured the one guy we said we couldn't get hurt was center," Loeffler said. "But I think our kids rallied together, they've rallied together all year long."

The injury forced Farris to move to center, Augie Conte to move inside to guard from tackle, and Wade Hansen to rejoin the starters.

While Farris may be leaving, Conte and even Hansen could be big parts of next year's line, as tackle Jonathan McLaughlin returns from injury as well.

At the skill positions, the team loses promising receiver Josh Stanford and graduating senior Willie Byrn, but the bowl game may have provided answer about one potential replacement on the depth chart.

With Deon Newsome suspended, Loeffler turned to Stroman for an added dose of speed, and he made a real difference on offense.

"We had to bring Stroman over to the other side to help us with the jet sweep game," Loeffler said.

He only had two runs for 13 yards and one catch for six yards, but the former high school quarterback could add some much needed depth at position. Loeffler joked about "recruiting" him for offense after the game, but it's still unclear how much that will carry over into 2015.

"He jokes here and there, I'm not sure how it'll go," Stroman said. "I just do what I'm asked and play football."

But Stroman's also been asked to contribute on special teams, and he continued to excel in that area, returning three punts for a total of 30 yards.

He's been a marked improvement over last year's punt returners, and that's made all the difference in a special teams unit that's been awful the last few years.

"Greg's a talented guy, but I think he surprised us with his speed and big play ability throughout this month," Shane said. "He's a guy that seemed to make plays in practice throughout the month of December, he's a talented punt returner."

Stroman got some help in the return game from Der'Woun Greene against the Bearcats as well. Greene's time on the kickoff team netted two returns for a total of 73 yards, including his 46-yard dash right before halftime that set up a Joey Slye field goal.

Speaking of Slye, he had his finest performance as a Hokie against the Bearcats. He set a career high with a 45-yard kick in the second quarter and promptly broke it with that 49-yard boot just before the half. He'll be just a sophomore and should enter the spring entrenched as the starting kicker after a reasonably successful year, going 20 of 28 overall.

Now that this difficult 2014 is finally at an end, it would seem that that's exactly where the staff's focus is: March.

"Normally when you go through the kind of adversity we went through, it makes you tougher, makes you stronger, it gets you ready for good things down the road, and that's the objective, is 2015," Loeffler said.

It's easy to get carried away after a big bowl win, and even easier to put stock in the "just wait til next year" mantra of the staff with the amount of youth on the team, but (for once) it just might be worth buying what they're selling.

"We've got a lot of work ahead of us, but the pieces of the puzzle are starting to fall together," Loeffler said.