Before everyone tells me to step off the ledge, just hear me out. I am not saying we are going to lose, just bringing up a discussion.
I know everyone is freaking out about losing Brewer, our D's performance on Saturday night, and losing to OSU. I am too. However, this is not one of those panic moments where I think we will lose all of our games now. I have faith in the Defense, Offense, Special Teams, and Coaching. However, I am seeing some eerily similar/discouraging signs of a week back in 2010...JMU. Here is what I see:
--- Hype+AllOffseason+Letdown: Just like the Boise State game, the OSU game was EXTREMELY hyped up ALL offseason, leading up to a huge matchup and major letdown.
---SHORT WEEK... EXTREMELY SHORT WEEK: We have to turn around and play 5 days later (luckily not a nooner), but I am sitting here thinking wow, I just got home from Blacksburg last night and in 4 days I will be right back to watch a game, it feels like a quick turnaround for ME, let alone the guys playing on the field.
---Weather: Right now on Weather.com and Weather Underground have Saturday as 90% chance of rain and thunderstorms. (I know it is "early", but if that forecast stays true, I don't like it) Weather levels the playing field a little bit... JMU.
---Team with nothing to lose: Furman put up 520+ total yards of offense this past weekend. I know it's not against some P5 team, but still, that's a good number. I looked into their highlights and it looks like they run a spread passing offense, with some RB runs out of shotgun (ECU). Furman has nothing to lose, I'm sure they smell blood after our loss and loss of our starting QB.
Counterpoints to all of these: Tech is pissed about the loss on Monday, they don't want to have another JMU, they will rally around new QB, weather could benefit Techs offense too, etc. I just wanted to see all your thoughts on this game. I am not on a ledge, I am actually one of the few that has faith in Motley, I just HATE how I felt after that JMU game and I am just seeing a lot of similar signs to that becoming another possibility. I am excited and anxious for the rest of this season. What are your thoughts?
Comments
the difference in my mind from Boise st to now is that we were deflated by the loss that we had in our grasp against a team we should have beat and expected to, rather than deflated by losing as expected to a defending national champ as our qb1 gets injured. to me that's as apple to oranges as the two hokie teams that are playing in those respective years.
i get what you are saying but i think we come out and bring the boom to Furman.
Add in players who have heard that their program is on the decline, how GT and Duke are better than they are, and the sting of ECU last year?
Our guys better come out hungry and they all sounded like they want to prove they belong.
Great point. I do agree.
we played against the most talented team to step on a football field in probably 4 or 5 years. They are a unanimous preseason #1 which is unprecedented. They were out lookin' for blood since we beat them at their house last year. Urban Meyer is a good coach and he wasn't going to be befuddled by Bud Foster's Defense two years in a row. He made a point to embarrass our defense and that's precisely what everyone outside of Blacksburg expected. We had a chance to make the game close with Brewer but he went out early in the 3rd and the game quickly got out of hand from that point forward. This is a much different team from the one that lost to Boise and JMU. No doubt, it will be tough for this team to pick their heads up and get prepared for a game on a short week, but I have faith that this team will do just that. Bud's defense was embarrassed on Monday and they are going to go through hell this week. I fully expect them to take it out on Furman. I would not be entirely surprised to see a very lopsided blowout in favor of the Hokies.
A little rain wouldn't be the worst thing. That tends to benefit the receivers over the defensive backfield, and we've got the WR's and TE's the take advantage of it.
Rain also benefits the power running game. Even without Brewer, if the OL can keep progressing along, this team has the tools to open up a considerably large can of power-running, smashmouth whoop-ass on Furman.
*Opens thread*
Oh dear god, no....
*throws salt over shoulder, knocks on wood, taps every item on desk, spins around chair 3 times in a counterclockwise motion*
Haha, I tend to be a pessimist some times, so these thoughts come into my mind unfortunately... Love the gif
Could have sworn it was clockwise. We're screwed now.
Is there a chance? Sure. Going into every game there are 2 true outcomes, a 'W' and a 'L" ( I watched a lot of John Madden to prepare for that)
Do I suspect it. Not really.
Can I influence it. No.
Will I watch the game and cheer VT. Yes.
Madden: "If you don't tie, you will win every game that you don't lose."
Pat Summerall: "Thanks, John."
Why this won't happen. Boise was my oldest sons first game (he was -1.5 weeks) and we were in the hospital waiting for him to be born during the jmu debacle (though he did not come for a few more days). I am not having any kids this week that I know of so we therefore cannot lose to a div II team (or whatever the hell they are called now). #sciencefact
Along these lines, every game that the Hokies have lost the week after Labor Day, I've either been at the beach, or doing a triathlon. For the wins, I've been at the game.
Here's my 5 yr track record-
2009 Marshall win - at the game
2010 - JMU loss - at the Beach
2011 - ECU win - Stopped by Greenville for the game, then went to the beach.
2012 - Pitt Loss - triathlon at the beach- double whammie
2013 - ECU win - See 2011... same plan.
2014 - ECU loss - triathlon
This year, a beach trip would conflict with work schedule, and I'm currently on the shelf with a knee injury, so no triathlons right now. And... I'm going to the Furman game cause I need to watch football and eat at Mike's... NOW.
Leonard Lock. It's all good.
So are you going to the ECU game this year????
Rock solid maybe. One of my nieces is a junior at ECU this year, and she wants my youngest son and I to visit for the game that weekend. (My 16 yr old son would hate that... visiting his cousin and her sorority.)
Just depends on game time. Actually hoping for a nooner. I've gotta be back in the Triad that evening for a thing.
high chance of this being a nooner.. unless ECU wins out vs UF and Navy.. they would have to be ranked and it would be a rematch for 3:30..
ECU's provider will control the TV, which I believe could be that CBSSports channel. I think they play a night game, 6PM?
Could be CBS sports or ESPN.
I'm hoping for 3:30 myself, as I have a toddler birthday party centered around lunch time.
via GIPHY
I'm gonna need more turkey legs to upvote things.
Because this.
dont trust those weather sites! but seriously I havent looked at the forecast yet, expect it tonight/tomorrow
Yeah, it won't be as pretty as it would have likely been with Brewer in the game (seriously, against just about anyone other than that defense, our O rolls that game), but we'll get it done. Having such a short week is the absolute best thing for everyone not in the QB room. They're out, practicing and putting the OSU game behind them already. This isn't like 2010 where they got home super late, were basically hung over and upset for 2 days, half-assed a practice or two and then tried to show up and win. Completely different team, completely different situation. Add in that Furman doesn't have anywhere near the horses to compete up front, and this one should be comfortable if not the most impressive of victories.
I'm expecting the defense to come out like their heads are on fire. They almost definitely feel embarrassed and will be out to prove that their performance on Monday night will only be a one time thing.
I'm not sure Buckey likes going the whole game without getting into the box score. Expect him to break out this game.
And as every kid knows, if Dadi is mad, best not to be next on his list.
i don't think that'll happen, cause i think our D line and running game can get us through it.
That being said, it might be a 10, 14 point win.
We need to be patient because there are going to be lumps these next few weeks, no matter which qb is playing
Frank is 11-1 all time on short weeks, with the one loss being who you expect per Andy.
I like our chances of being ok. Not pretty, not dominant, and in stops and starts probably, but being ok and growing.
Nice, thanks for the stat. I had no idea of that record. Good to know.
Firman is not as good, especially defensively, as William and Mary was last year. Take that for what it is worth.
Thanks French. I honestly have little knowledge about them, glad you chimed in, looking forward to any future analysis of this game (and future games obviously) to come.
3-9 last year, played a good FCS team close last week in Coastal Carolina, but they are still an FCS team with a losing record.
Two words.... Sam Rogers.
I am not worried about a let up with Sam leading the way!
A number of differences have been pointed out so I won't rehash those. The similarity to JMU did pop into my mind when I saw the weather forecast. However, I think the biggest difference is that the game against OSU was at home. Having to come back after losing to Boise St in DC making Tuesday an even shorter day had a huge impact. Instead, this time around Tuesday was a complete rest day.
I think you may see VT slightly sluggish out of the gate but they will take care of business against Furman. Don't forget that Motley and the offense have something to prove with Brewer out. That could have a huge impact.
Furman is... kinda bad.
So to summarize the differences:
1.) Expectations were higher against Boise, and victory was much closer to our grasp.
2.) Team had to travel back from FedEx, making it an even shorter week.
3.) Furman isn't as good a team as JMU.