Virginia Tech associate athletics director for sports medicine Mike Goforth released an injury update Monday evening, and mike linebacker Andrew Motuapuaka could miss up to 4 weeks with a sprained MCL. Motuapuaka injured his knee Saturday during Hokies' 42-3 win over Furman.
Mike linebacker was a dangerously thin position for Tech this season, and the Hokies will be tested to find a replacement for Motuapuaka.
Motuapuaka had a rough game against Ohio State, but defensive coordinator Bud Foster noted his improved play against Furman.
"It looked like to me he was playing better," said Bud Foster. "They (Furman) ran what we call a 'Belly G' and he fit up in there nice and he secured his gap."
Sean Huelskamp (R-SO, 6-1, 207) and Trent Young (R-FR, 5-10, 212) are listed as Motuapuaka's backups on the latest unofficial depth chart and they have very little combined game experience. True freshman Carson Lydon (6-2, 233) might be Tech's best prospect at mike.
Lydon, a 3-star prospect at East Lake HS in Tarpon Springs, FL, enrolled early in January and seemed poised to avoid a redshirt season. On national signing day, Bud Foster said of Lydon, "He is a guy who will compete for a starting position at that spot (mike linebacker)."
Although, over the course of preseason camp that sentiment changed and Tech planned to redshirt Lydon.
It's also feasible that Foster could move one of his backups at backer to fill in the spot at mike.
Comments
Dagnabit
Time to pull the shirt on Lydon and see what he's got.
That's a shame. Both for him and for our team. We're not exactly deep or experienced at Mike. Wishing him a swift recovery.
good it happened now rather than after the ECU game. Someone's gonna hafta learn in a hurry.
Sh*t. F-k. F*kdammit. Fine, activate Lydon.
Last year, this year, so many injuries
Actually, don't feel so bad this season as last season (so far and knocking on wood as being typed).
Well, let's see what Huelskamp's got, or if Lydon feels like being a 3.75-year starter.
saw it Saturday and it wasn't pretty. Hopefully lydon is able to step it up and provide better instincts because he definitely has the size we want.
I'd like to see what McKinnon's got.
This, indeed. I know there was some discussion a little while back (preseason?) about this, and I think it might be the best route. Coaches always say to get your best players on the field, and I would guess Dahman would be a better fit for this than a true freshman or an undersized Hueselkamp
Sorry, this was supposed to be under VTFLY's post. I'm such a rookie.
Way to go noob!
Just kidding, welcome and have a leg for agreeing with me!
Noob /s
Yeah, yeah, to all the above. I really hope this kid get's better and has lots of time to see himself on film and gain new instincts.
That said, I also hope Bud Foster comes up with something new. I'm starting to think he's getting a little stale with the way he does things (and I'm not ducking so flame on) and as well needs to hit the recruiting trail and go himself and grab the type of bodies by the balls he wants for his system and bring them to campus.
Edited.
It will be interesting to see how Foster replaces him.
Also, I didn't talk much about this, but Furman got away with several high-low chop blocks and were often cut blocking the Hokie defensive line. On the Motu injury, he got cut on his right side and was able to avoid most of the block, but as he did he got caught on his left side with a shoulder pad to the knee. I think that got him. Ekanem got cut on the same play and also limped off.
Can/would you please begin an in-depth thread surrounding the ever pervasive mystery of Tech being weekly fucked on calls by the stripes and what (if anything) can or will ever be done about it? Please. It's been bothering me since the late 90s.
It happens to us just as much as every other team.
People say that, but it never seems that way in the games. Against Furman we had almost double the fouls.
That doesn't mean the refs were against us when we were playing Furman. Every fan believes their team gets cheap calls from refs, that's football.
Of course everyone here views things through O&M glasses, but doesn't mean they don't have a point. When fans of the opposing teams point out you're getting screwed there just might be something to it.
This ^. Thank you. But the question: what the hell can or will be done about it? I presume nothing.
We could follow the recent trend of having the players hit the refs. /s
As of last Saturday, we decided to go with the refs hitting the cameramen.
Very true. That was a pretty decent lick too.
Maybe he was upset that the cameraman was showing just how much of a BS call that PI was.
For the last several years, the coaches put together a package of questionable calls or non-calls and submit it to the conference after every game. The conference then evaluates the claims, makes a judgement call, and then meets with the officiating crew to go over the calls and educate them on what might have made it a bad call. It's an ongoing process throughout the season, and is one reason why you might see a lot of a particular call at the start of the season that diminishes as the season progresses, or vice versa.
As for its effectiveness, that's basically the process through which GT finally got called to task for CPJ's chopblockalypse. So the process can be effective. Unfortunately it's an inherently reactive process. Nothing can be done to correct the errors of the previous game, just attempt to prevent the same errors being made going forward.
No it doesn't happen as often to other teams because I don't watch their games. I watch our games and it happens to us more than anyone else. /s
Sorry, I've always felt complaining about officiating is a pointless endeavor. Officials make bad calls. Players make bad plays. You have to play through them. It's not like it's a new thing. They can't see everything and have the benefit of replay to make the call right.
RealDiehl endorses this statement
Any chance Bud says "F it" and goes with a full-time nickel and Clark/RVD at LB? Or does he really need somebody who's a "mike"?
The mike is still on the field in nickel. It's whip that subs out.
Just get the feeling Bud is going to give Lydon his chance.
What about Donovan Riley at Mike? He's played every other position on the defense...
The way Durkin played, kinda interested how he would do at linebacker...
Nope. He's never played a down of defense, so it would be years before he would see the field there.
Not to mention the fact that the Mike has a central role in communication. Playing there requires experience (or an insane knack for picking things up fast) and comfort with the scheme. A lot of names being thrown out on this thread, but athleticism is not all that is required to play the Mike.
Was that the only injury from the game that will keep anyone out?
Throw Caleb in at Mike. /s
He would be the shortest, lightest VT starting defender in the front 7 since David DeHart. - Smallest DE in Division 1 football. Heart of a Lion. R.I.P. Let's see what Carson has.
Well for those of us that have had our concerns about Motu...guess we'll see what we got behind him.
Hopefully he recovers quickly and is back inside of 4. That or whomever is his backup blows it up. At least they have the full week to take 1st team reps.
I've had concerns about him the entire offseason. I've also never advocated to see the alternatives. In no way whatsoever is this a good development.
No it isn't. If bud believes Motu is the best guy for the position right now then that's it. However, his in game play is sometimes questionable. As pointed out in other threads Motu doesn't seem to have the knack for finding that bubble and blasting through it as we like our Mike's to do.
But we'll see.
That's why I had concerns about him...
Unfortunately the best alternative isn't always a good alternative. Let's hope the coaches whiffed on this one...and either the small guy is much more capable of punching well above his weight class or the young guy is much more capable of playing beyond his years than they thought.
What about Dadi at Mike? Mihota or Dooley takes his spot on the line. Give Dadi the dive assignment or the QB assignment if they roll out.
Why take one of our best players from the position he is best at?
Oh, wait! I meant using Dadi like that for the GT game if the others LB's are not going above and beyond by then. My bad on the specifics. I was on the go.
Hey Joe, don't you think Foster's comment sounds more like a coach looking for something positive to say about a kid who just got hurt than it does an endorsement of improved play?
I appreciate the position Bud was in, but "It looked like to me he was playing better"?
Bud knows if Motu was playing better or not.
Good point. I hate to see anyone injured, and I think Motu is big talent. I just don't think he's shown he's a big talent in this defensive scheme.
Cupboard is pretty bare though.
It's getting very hard to picture us defending well against GT unless they just make a lot of mistakes after the last two week's struggles on D in situations that GT is deadly at.
It's possible, but that's part of what he said that immediately after the Furman game. I don't make it habit to read into direct quotes. And as good as Bud is, I don't think he could give a definitive analysis of every player on the defense immediately after a game. There is a reason why coaches watch a gross amount of film.
That's a good point; he might not know how the kid played.
Still, he adjusts so well, he must he know a lot of what's happening out there.
Get Jack Tyler a fake ID. Reenroll him as Nazbisch Blazekowski from Algeria.
What's Cody Grimm up to these days?
Give him a 3 month spray tan membership to go with the ID, preferably before he has his picture taken~
I ran into Chase at a restaurant in Roanoke Fri night, jokingly asked if he had another year. He seemed to find it entertaining.
I ran into Cody.....with my car......I now need a new car
Bummer. Get well, Andrew, and next man up
Lydon is a monster. I am serious. Mothers will cry for their babies, and other epically dramatic scenes will unfold when he takes the field.
But there is a reason he wasn't starting.
MLB has tons of calls and etc to make in buds d, but anywho its Lydons time is now ready to watch him!
Speaking of...
edit: hope motu gets well soon but if he's out and Lydon gives us the best chance at that position and he's as beast as everyone says then I'm excited to see him get reps.
Just read his 'hokiesports' BIO. Guy seems to have a little of that 'IT' factor. FWIW
May be a real gamer.
Joey Syle for MLB
Best tackler since Joe Montana!
You mean Joe Montanya?
you owe me 50 bucks!
I like that there's already a good reason to steal this from vtfly!
Funny thing.
At the OSU game, the onside kick.
The Bucks in front of me turned around and asked if that was the kicker they just saw go in and whack the guy that received the ball. They were amazed.
I wouldn't be surprised if Bud gave him a look as they search for depth and options. The kid was an all-state linebacker.
Next man up
Damn, rough season for this kid so far. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. Next man up!
Man. Tough break for Moto. Wish him a speedy recovery.
Let's find a way to put Clarke back there. He's one guy where size doesn't matter.
Tim Settle at MLB
Should fill those gaps just fine
Ready to see Lydon chill someone's shat. Also wouldn't mind seeing Tremaine.
5 DL, 5 DB, Dean Clarke.
The voiceover actor of Berlioz in the Aristocats?
Trying to get my kids to enjoy this movie as much as I did.
Haha oops.
Yup, that's the guy I meant. 5 DL, 5 DB, one angry cartoon kitty.
Interested to see Lydon but would also like Bud to move over TREMAINE MAW-FUGGING EDMUNDS.
Sam Rogers for MLB. He played it in high school. He has the smarts and the boom. It is about time we had a 2 way player.
Stroman? Tremaine Edmunds?
I get what you are saying but Stroman played but a few snaps in 1 or 2 games on offense? Tremaine played 1 play on offense and is likely not seeing the field on defense unless it is a throttling.
I implied a guy getting decent playing time on both sides of the ball in a semi significant role. Miles Jack being the closest comparison.
ah yes, miles jack. My favorite example of conservation of momentum at work
I was even going to put a disclaimer excluding this play when I mentioned him but the fact remains he was still a very good player for them (still is? maybe?)