One week after writing about how emotionally damaged Hokie Nation is, the Hokies emphatically reinforced our feelings of mistrust and endless delusions of turning that vaunted corner.
Despite jumping out to a quick 14-0 lead thanks to a dominant defense and an efficient offense, the skies opened up and washed away the Hokies' momentum. East Carolina scored 28 unanswered points following the Hokes' early scores and ultimately hung on to defeat Tech for the second consecutive season.
Through the first eight minutes and 14 Tech points on the board, the Hokies looked like they were picking up where they left off a week ago at Purdue. From that point on, it was all ECU for over 30 minutes.
It was a stunning turn of events, as if both teams switched uniforms during the television timeout that followed Joey Slye's extra point. It took East Carolina a few drives to shake off their hangover, but once they settled in and got their sea legs, the Hokies didn't stand a chance.
Starting quarterback Blake Kemp — who turned the ball over in each of the Pirates' first two drives — looked like an All-American after digging ECU into an early hole, effortlessly leading the offense downfield for their first score of the afternoon.
From thereon, it became the James Summers Show. A guy who entered preseason camp third on the depth chart, Summers took over the reins from Kemp and ran roughshod over a hapless Tech defense. Frankly, it was embarrassing. Summers is no doubt a dynamic athlete, but the manner in which he broke tackles and repeatedly converted third-and-longs makes me cringe just thinking about it.
Something about this Tech team was different yesterday. The swagger disappeared almost as quickly as their two touchdown lead. Both sides of the ball looked paralyzed once the weather made a turn for the worse. Murphy's Law took hold and with it came a disastrous turn of events.
Everyone was at fault yesterday. Everyone. This was a team loss, produced not by an isolated gaffe or key injury, but a confluence of mistakes made by both the play callers and those executing them.
Scot Loeffler seemed completely befuddled by the rainy conditions, abandoning his cerebral approach in favor of an asinine recurrence of QB power after QB power. Motley, to his credit, stood up to the challenge and had an impressive game. He wasn't the most accurate passer — missing his spots on a number of key plays, none bigger than a wide open Sam Rogers down the left sideline — but he continued to find ways to make plays and keep the Hokies in the game.
Loeffler's playcalling painted a picture of an underprepared coordinator, unsure of how to use his offensive ammunition in less-than-ideal conditions. Instead of mixing things up and keeping the defense on it's toes, Lefty stubbornly relied on inside zone reads, jet sweeps and flanker screens. It felt like 2013 all over again, causing me to worry that the man still hasn't really figured it out.
Shane Beamer continues to have absolutely no clue what he's got in his running backs, giving J.C. Coleman seven carries despite none of them going for more than three yards. Why Travon McMillian hasn't assumed the starting role by now is unbeknownst to me. Apparently Shane feels the only way to use Travon is on sweeps, which has become stale and predictable through four games but has done little to slow down the talented redshirt freshman. Maybe that says something, Shane.
A year after being bombarded through the air, the Hokies were beat on the ground by an ECU offense that seems to have Bud Foster's defense figured out. Foster struggled to counter East Carolina's dynamic quarterback James Summers, despite the fact that everyone watching knew what was coming from Ruffin McNeill's offense. Summers gashed the Hokie defense to the tune of 179 yards on 21 carries, punctuated by a 41 yard touchdown run late in the third after Tech looked primed for a comeback.
There is no doubt Kendall Fuller's absence was a major problem for Torrian Gray's secondary. Though he intercepted Kemp early, Fuller's replacement Greg Stroman was repeatedly picked on by the Pirates with increasing success. Stroman looked helpless in coverage, unable to stick with his man and make a play on the ball.
Poor coverage. Missed tackles. An inconsistent offense. A week after a promising performance, Saturday felt like this team had taken a dozen giant steps backwards.
Listen, I'm a pragmatist. Heading into this season, I understood that this team was far from perfect and had a ways to go before becoming a perennial powerhouse. But this year's team has so much promise, and with that comes an overwhelming feeling of hope. Saturday's loss to ECU reminded me of one of my biggest concerns heading into the year: That the staff, as a collective, still isn't entirely sure how to put it all together.
I woke up Sunday morning wondering where this program is going. Does the staff even know? Are we even entering each season looking to run the table, or are they content with a strong conference performance?
This program is stagnant, mired in a cesspool of mediocrity. This team has gobs and gobs of talent, but I'm running out of patience as I watch it struggle to put it all together on a consistent basis.
Hokie football has become the crappiest box of chocolates and I'm tired of not knowing what I'm going to get each and every Saturday.
I'm tired of not knowing who this team is and how they're going to beat their opponent week-in and week-out. In recent years, it's been different game-to-game. If something is truly great, it shouldn't selectively come-and-go. It's a staple; a calling card; an identity. What is this team's identity?
This staff needs to get back to basics this week. They need to figure out who this team is; what this team is; and what their biggest strengths and greatest weaknesses are, both individually and collectively. They need to figure out how to put it all together and put each player in a position to succeed.
It's how Virginia Tech became a household name, and it's how it can become one again.
Comments
Pretty much sums up my thoughts. Unfortunately, I no longer have hope that the coaching staff will be able to figure out what needs to be figured out. Too much evidence to the contrary.
I'm out of excuses, explanations, etc. VT hasn't been the same program since Clemson walked into Lane in 2011 and beat our ass. Take a look back and see if you are impressed by very many VT wins since that day. There aren't that many. The talent level is back to a respectable level and the results should be better, but they aren't. Has the program fallen into mediocrity and can't get out of it? I feel like we are treading water as a program until the next HC arrives. Reality hurts.
I read this. It sums up my thoughts so well.
I want to go back to sleep. Uggh!
via GIPHY
It's sad to say, but the more I think about it and the more I realize we have had games like this at least once or twice a year for quite a while now, even going back to Tyrod, where the offense does their part and the defense seemingly doesn't show up.... These problems should have been fixed by now. We have the talent to not let this happen. And yet, here we are... Again.
The more I think about it the more I question whether or not Bud Foster should be our next had coach. The more I see things like this happen, and the more I shake my head at comments from the coaches, the more I believe the next coach must come from outside. The regime here is to set in their ways. Right now we do not have the mentality needed to be where we need to be as a program.
Yeah, Bud does a lot of things right, but over the last few years in particular, it seems the biggest plays we routinely give up are the QB scrambles or designed runs. Regardless of who it ends up being, I sure hope Whit aims for top talent when it comes to the next coaching staff (whenever that might be). His inclinations seem to indicate he will do just that.
Im giving a pass to the offense, heck, I know the refs were bad... BUT WHAT THE HELL DEFENSE!
How does one of the 'best coordinators' in the business allow ECU to run all over us? Ive been asking myself that since halftime Saturday.
All hope is not lost, but Bud needs to build up the confidence and for Gods sake, make some in-game adjustments. Don't think the bear was working Saturday... maybe 2 LBs might help?
BC last year comes to mind.
Come on. Have we already reached this point in the season for you? Two years ago, it was fire Scot Loeffler. Last year it was fire Loeffler and Beamer. Now it's fire Loeffler, Beamer, and Foster? What's next? Fire Loeffler, Beamer, Foster, Whit, and the volleyball coach?
Look, I get it. Everyone is down in the dumps over a loss to ECU, but the fire everybody approach isn't going to cut it right now. Every team goes through its peaks and troughs. We've reached our ultimate peak (thanks MV7), but we're not even close to reaching our deepest trough. Head on up to Charlottesville if you really want to know what that looks like. Speaking of Charlottesville, I think they've tried the fire everyone approach and it really hasn't worked out well for them.
I'm okay with the coaches we have until the bowl streak ends.
So you're okay staying a 7-6 or 8-5 team for years just because we reached a bowl game no one cares about?
Yep. I'm certain that we'd go backwards with a chance of never coming back again if we cleaned house. Look at Tennessee after getting rid of Fulmer. They could hire coaches we couldn't even dream of landing, but they're getting no where. Look at UVA. If you want Virginia Tech to enter the coach's carousel, then be my guest. I'm just going to sit here and be happy going to bowl games.
I see your point, except that UVA was never on the level of program that we have here.
That's not the right attitude to have IMO, but so be it. I would much rather take a risk and try to get out of our rout instead of staying irrelevant for years to come with the same coaching staff.
The fact that we are comparing ourselves to UVA, one of the worst P5 teams out there, and are keeping ourselves happy by saying we are better than them so its ok, is not good.
Beamer is following a bad path. Bowden, Brown, Fulmer, and Paterno
Between the 4, There were - 19 Conference Championships won, 6 National Championships Won, and 4 Heisman Trophy winners, yet in the Last 6 years of each of their careers they won only one conference championship before being forced out. Except Fulmer who couldn't win one of the 3 Conference Championship games he Coached in during his last 6 years
Compare the approach of FSU and Texas above
FSU saw it was time and stepped in and had a plan. They didn't wait til all of the teams power/hype/feelgoods/top rated team had been lost. Texas refused to move on Mack Brown, and he year after year, eroded away at the power of Texas Football. VT is moving from FSU spot to the Texas Spot
Don't forget that FSU and VT played in the same championship game, had the same top recruits, had top draft picks. FSU adapted and changed to stay relevant to the Top of College football. VT stayed relevent to 1999 and winning in the ACC.
FSU rebuilt to the championship game
USC is rebuilding now
Tennessee is back focused
Texas finally made the move
I understand that everyone wants a national championship, but I think we also need to be realistic. Our program has never been anywhere near these programs. These programs have histories of winning titles. We have one year where we went to the national championship - and lost. These programs can afford to go out and pull good coaches away from major programs. If we're being realistic, I think the best we can hope for is pulling a winning coach out of a non P5 program or getting a successful coordinator from somewhere and hoping they work out in the ACC. That's what Tennessee did, and they've only been to 3 bowl games since they fired Fulmer.
I want stability more than I want championships and to me our bowl streak is stability. I'm not getting on the "fire everyone and their mother" train until our bowl streak ends. But I would bet that Beamer would retire before that happens.
Some teams would kill for that. Of course it could be better, but don't lose sight of the fact that it could be a lot worse too.
Sure, but IMO the fact that we are comparing ourselves to those teams and are saying that we have it better for them so we're fine is a poor attitude. We're Virginia Tech, not Virginia, not Purdue, not Pitt. We shouldn't be happy with barely 0.500+ seasons just because a lot of schools are worse. We should have high standards and stick to that instead of lowering our goals just because things are looking bleak.
No, but it is time to regroup and get guys ready to play next week.
We all knew there would be days like this so why are we surprised when we get a game like this?
Frustrated, certainly - particularly after a decent performance against Purdue. I have more hope for this team at this point than I did after the loss to ECU last year.
Man, the hangover endures into the workweek.
My question is, for a team that's gone 24-19 over the last 3.33 seasons, why do we still act like a loss completely derails us? It was one thing when we were winning 10 or 11 games a season and the losses were knocking us out of BCS championship contention, but I can't think of another 0.560 team whose fanbase still melts down like this after a loss.
Has Lefty ever called a game in that kind of weather? I'm trying to think of another VT game since '12 that was played in that kind of slop. I didn't follow Auburn or Temple during his stints there, so I don't know the weather conditions he playcalled in. But consider this might have been a completely new experience for him. He might have actually been completely befuddled by the conditions. I mean, that does happen. As a young coordinator, he's still going to be having experiencing things for the first time. Don't dismiss that possibility.
The offensive numbers were okay if not great. 429 yards and 28 points. We exceeded each of those numbers three times in all of 2013, under far better playing conditions that we played in at ECU. It might have felt like the 2013 playbook, but as is the theme this season, the offense is outperforming previous years.
All that said, the offense left a ton of points on the field Saturday. Dropped passes and the interception were killers. After stalling for too long in the second quarter, we didn't operate efficiently enough to mount a comeback in the second half.
Don't kid yourself, though. The loss is more on the defense. If we weren't forcing a turnover, the Pirates were scoring. And we only forced two turnovers.
The defense, not the offense, has been our primary liability this season.
Marshall 2013 comes to mind. But that was an ugly one that we miraculously won. This weekend's ECU game just seems to be the other side of the same coin.
Miami 2013.
Oh yeah, I remember Miami fans bitching about playing in the rain after that. Coupled with VTGM's suggestion of Marshall above, it's pretty clear Lefty's only ever called QB power in the rain, so the ECU playcalling makes sense. He'd been there before and fared well relying on that strategy. Kudos to him for going back to the well instead of sticking with a game plan that was clearly not working in the first half.
Well, Loeffler was a coach at Florida for two seasons. The stadium is called the swamp, for what it's worth. I'd think he would have seen some rainy conditions there at some point.
Never a play caller at Florida though.
The difference between the losses before was that the losses dashed our BCS hopes but not our chance to have a good season. The lossea now continue to cement our place in mediocrity. Huge difference. People are getting sick of the same excuses year in year out, except this time we aren't even able to win enough to mask our errors.
Our place in mediocrity is pretty well cemented, I just think some people are still in denial about it.
The first step is admitting you have a problem...
Yes, which is exactly why many VT fans frustrations with the coaches are really starting to boil over.
I don't get this statement, you pretty much just agreed with everyone that is upset while spending an entire post asking why people are still upset.
If VT fans shouldn't get worked up over a loss to a average at best (and I stress "at best", they are not a good football team) ECU team, perhaps we should all just go join Coach Beamer on the "It Doesn't Matter" train. Should we just sit down and accept that we are just plain no good but just good enough to go to the toilet bowl each year?
Seriously, I can't tell if you are saying its a bad thing that VT fans are getting upset at losses or if we should just lay down and take it at this point?
Yea that was against ECU
ECU Current Defense Stats (Through 4 games)- Rank - 93
- Total Yards allowed per game - 421
- Points allowed per game - 31
Pitt Current Defense Stats (Through 4 games)- Rank - 17
- Total Yards allowed per game - 291
- Points allowed per game - 24
VT Current Defense Stats (Through 4 games)
Rank - 66
Top 10 Defenses in the ACC
BC
Duke
NC State
Pitt hasn't exactly played a tough schedule to this point either, so I'm not convinced their D is that good
Agree.
Remember how everyone thought Georgia Tech was good because they blew out Alcorn State and Tulane?
I did.
They may not be, but to be excited about the offensive performance when we played to the average of the opponent isnt a good sign. The offense should have had the same performance against ECU that was on display at Purdue. That would show that as the opponent got better so was the offense
To play to the average of the opponent when we had right around 160 or so yards at the half is good. It showed second half adjustment. Lefty and Motley put together one of the better halves of football we've played, but dropsies and a pick prevented it from being enough.
Not to mention that stupid muffed punt rolling out of bounds.
That's a rule that needs to be changed. If you muff a punt and it rolls out of bounds in your endzone, that should absolutely be 2 points for the other team.
So I am not the only one who assumed we were getting a safety instead of a TD?
You gotta admit, though, the kid that muffed it did a good job swiping it out of bounds. If he hadn't had the presence of mind to do that, it would have been a touchdown. That ball was barely out of bounds when Sam jumped on it.
or it shows playing from behind and playing with desperation. we got outscored in the 3rd quarter after already being down and ecu loosened up IMO and went to a bud foster-esque defense too early. So again scoring 14 points in the 2nd half against a team that averages giving up 31 is one of the better halves of football we've played?
I know this sounds, excusey, but really, when talking about these offensive stats, the weather needs to be taken into consideration. It was POURING rain, especially in the 2nd half. Pretty hard to throw and catch. I was impressed with +400 yds and 28 pts.
281 passing yards. Admittedly, mostly after the downpour passed over. But still. Damn, Motley.
Motley's only mistake was the interception more than anything. He had one or two behind a receiver and missed the wide open Sam Rogers. But the pick was tipped by the first ECU defender who should have caught it and caught by a second. That ball should never have been thrown into that location.
But otherwise his numbers were good.
Idk, I think given the circumstances the game was played under when added to the fact that the offense had had pretty solid numbers no matter if the opposing team was OSU or Purdue is a reason for optimism
Against ECU in the equivalent of a hurricane, at least for the 2nd quarter. I'm with those who say the offense did OK, and Lefty probably did the right thing adjusting his playcalling to the circumstances. I think this offense is one coach away from really putting it all together. If we had a running backs coach, we would have an offense.
Could be because we have seen flashes of how good we can be, but we are never able to maintain it. That and we constantly play down to our opponents. All of that is on the coaching staff.
I totally get frustration. But in general, we still blow the fuck up after a loss. I really hate to say this, but we simply cannot be surprised at this point, can we?
If anyone is surprised they haven't been a Hokie fan for very long. That doesn't mean it still doesn't piss me off every time it happens. I guess I shouldn't do that, because it's basically like getting pissed because the weather changes in Blacksburg. Pointless as they are, both will still happen.
Because every loss is unacceptable. You mistake determination for anger. We won't, as fans, alumni and students, accept "average" performances, not because we've been spoiled by previous years performances, but because average performances are unacceptable. No mountain can be climbed without wanting to climb. We want to be the best. I for one won't apologize for that.
Lefty called a solid game. I don't understand the hate on Lefty at all, the RB ROTATION is the issue with the running game, dropped passes and bad reads from a still inexperienced quarterback the issue with the passing game. The player's didn't execute, see all the LEGIT penalties called. We expect issues if our RB coach is an idiot, the same we expect issues if our QB isn't reading the D fast enough, and our receivers are dropping passes (even if it's a monsoon). We'll even forgive the inexperienced QB his growing pains, 3 starts in, and the receivers their drops in a monsoon, and the RBs lack of rhythm and feel for the game. We won't forgive the idiot coach who won't let them play for more than 2 plays consecutively. 429 yards and 28 points is way better. Just like the average performance of the team as a whole however, we won't accept average. You sir, won't accept average, as your comments attest.
The defense needs depth everywhere. It's like Frank head all the raging about horrible offensive player recruiting, and decided to divert defensive player recruiting time to it. Sacrificing the D to fix the O doesn't and won't work any more than sacrificing the O to fix the D did. No more than hiring Shane to coach RBs worked. No more than blaming the players' failure to execute rather than standing up for them when given the chance works, worked, or will work. No more than pretending that some games don't matter worked. Honestly....how dare any one, fan student, or alum blame anything other than Frank-fucking-Beamer. I love that old man, and the method he has stood for, so it hurts to say, but it's time.
I mean, in general, I agree with the consensus that this team under-performed and should have made some plays that they didn't. At the same time, it can't be understated that officiating had a measurable impact on the game. There were PIVOTAL moments where a stalled Pirates drive was given new life by head-scratching penalties. I have to believe that our defense lost a lot of confidence and fight when they kept being unfairly penalized. What is a kid supposed to think when he's done everything right to get off the field only to find out that they were flagged and have to come back out and stop the Pirates again and again. I haven't rewatched the game, but I believe there were 2 scoring drives that the Pirates had which were kept alive by phantom penalties that, if they hadn't been called, would have resulted in no points for ECU. Those two calls, alone, accounted for 14 points. Momentum is huge in College Football. I have to believe that the momentum wouldn't have been against us as much as it was if the Pirates hadn't scored 28 un-answered and partially assisted points.
Also, on the Personal Foul against Teller that started the avalanche of penalties against us, did anyone see what he did? From the replay that I saw, which was incomplete, it looked like he was just finishing his block. How can you penalize a player for finishing a block. Was there a whistle? Could he have heard it? He wasn't watching the play so he couldn't have known that we had scored. He wasn't watching the play, because he was DOING HIS FREAKIN' JOB. Tough situation for that kid. I love his mean streak but I think other coaches are warning refs to keep an eye on him. He's been penalized for being too physical before and I expect to see him get more Personal Fouls throughout the season. It's a shame, really...seems like refs are reluctant to let football players play football anymore...
Without going back and looking at it, I think the penalty on Teller was because he (legitimately) knocked the defender down as Motley threw, but then the guy started to get back up and Teller pancaked him (which drew the flag). There was no whistle, if the comments from the beat writers I saw on Twitter are correct. The whistle blew after he fell on the guy. As far as I can determine based on that, he just played to the whistle. But again, that's without going back and watching it again, but I recall the camera cut away before we saw what the penalized action was.
Let's be honest, the penalized action was attempting to interfere with ECU winning the game.
So a VT team on the verge of returning to the TOP 25, versus a rebuilding ECU on the verge of not being a Top 100 team is decided by the refs.
I wonder if that's what Purdue said last week. That loss put them out of the Top 100.
Games with that much disparity don't come down to the refs. Either the players weren't playing their best and the coaches didnt want to address it, or the coaches didn't prepare for it themselves and then make the neccesary in game changes. Either way it sounds like a lot of it falls on the coaching staff.
On the other side the coaches did seem to adapt in game to find weak spots, and also keep there team in the game after getting down so fast.
I think that is absolutely true, and it is exactly the problem. If the kids lose focus every time a call goes against them they should quit the football team and play baseball or something else that doesn't require the same type of intensity.
He's supposed to think, "Wow, that was a bad call. Now: what's the formation? what's the personnel? what's the call? what is my responsibility?" He's supposed to shake it off and do his job. He's supposed to fly to the ball and arrive with bad intentions. That's how Bud Foster used to coach his players.
I hate when we lose to teams that remind me of how we used to play. not talking scheme, talking grit. this is a down year for ECU and they came to play. I remember when we did that routinely but somewhere in the 2000s we started playing up or down to our level of competition. i think that is the most infuriating part of VT football now and for many years prior. I wish so much to be the team that came out with a chip on our shoulder ready to punch someone in the mouth. I see glimpses, like OSU last year but then it's gone. We are team that has been boiled down to being a litmus test. How many times have we heard that beating VT would constitute an arrival of some kind. Boise, Kansas, Stanford, ECU, Purdue, etc. Sometimes we win, most we lose. I HATE that aspect of where we are as a program. If we can't start winning the games we are meant to win, and handily, then we will always remain a middle of the pack conference team that is perennially in the hunt and no more.
I felt it in the ECU Q&A last week on TKP. The ECU beat writer said it was going to be a one score game, could go either way. I thought, "This is a rebuilding ECU team and a resurgent VT team. Why do they think they can win this game? We should win by 2 scores. It used to be that the opponent would have no hope in a game like this."
Then they went out and won. We never used to be worried about ECU, BC or Duke. Pitt is coming to town down one RB and we are nervous because they have one great WR and they may play their mobile QB....and woe is us if that happens! NCSU has recruited as well or better than us and has a better QB. Miami is mired in a massive coaching issue and will play in front of 5,000 people, but we are worried about that.
It hurts to not be where we used to be. Can that be reclaimed? Can we shut down Pitt's offense and roll up 30+ points this weekend...even at noon in the rain? 52 weeks ago, GT was about where we are. They got better week after week. We can do that.
Speaking personally, I'm nervous about Pitt only because ever since I became an official Hokie in 2001, we've beaten them exactly once.
Precisely. Even in the Big East days, Pitt was always our Achilles' heel.
I think we lost a lot of grit with Marcus Davis - and that continued with the wide receivers until Ford and Phillips pulled into town.
On the other hand - Sam Rodgers.
That might be the only time I've seen grit associated with Marcus Davis non-sarcastically.
Or was it sarcastica and I just missed it?
I meant that we lost grit when he arrived, not when he left. Phrasing is not my best virtue.
Oh. Well that makes sense. Leg!
Dear Bud, please learn to defend against a mobile QB.
Signed,
Hokies everywhere
Dear all other teams,
Please learn how to play like Bud's defense does currently against mobile QB's. Ignore anything we change on defense going forward.
Signed,
Hokies everywhere
All due respect, this letter should be addressed to just about every defensive coordinator at any level of football. There's a reason mobile QB's have completely changed the game.
I know we keep saying we have the talent on defense, but do we really? I think the trouble stopping the run and mobile QBs directly correlates to the lack of LB talent/recruiting recently. Our secondary has had to make up for the lack of talent, size, or speed which makes us susceptible to the teams with big RBs and mobile QBs as well as the long pass plays that seem to be the breaks to our bending defense. Since the Adibi and Hall days we have been able to make due with one good LB and an amazing secondary, but as soon as that LB is out or graduates we struggle mightily. We are missing the speedy LB to keep their QBs in check and slow up the big RBs until Buds defense can swarm like it does best.
Agree 100%. Don't get all the comments about so much talent everywhere. I do think it is better offensively than it has been the last few years, especially WR and RB and that is where I really question the coaching and their utilization of these guys.
As bad as I hate to say it (again) its time to clean house. The whole program is stagnant and predictable. Without widespread changes the talent level in the program has actually peaked IMO based on next years class and our non existent recruiting of the top 757 players.
I dont want to clean house and end up like Texas. They have WAY more resources and still remain stagnant after all their "changes".
It'll take a few years for Strong to rebuild that thing. It was on the way down well before Mack left and since then they've had to replace their AD twice. I do think Strong will return Texas to being very competitive. I just don't want to end up like Arkansas.
I feel ya Horse. In this microwave society of ours, I am afraid they wont give him the time. Which Is fine by me because I would love for him to replace Frank when the time comes. (2016)
I think if you honestly take a look at the players from each team in that game, you really can't find a big gap in talent. Were their QBs better, the same, or worse than ours? Go down the list of players.
We just are not getting impact players, and it is not working.
another example of the coaches not getting the players laser focused and the players still living off the Purdue high the week before.
It is absolutely disgusting that after a 14 or lead. We couldn't out physical the ECU defense and just pound the ball with occasional play action. TM was getting hot so he had to sit on the bench. Can't have that.
Being high after a victory over Purdue says a lot about expectations of the fans and the team.
Exactly right. Very few Hokie fans DONT cringe when we play ECU any more. I know part of it is youth but the coaches know this as well. Total team loss.
I understand that expectations were high going into this year, and I have to admit that I was on board the hype train. However, I do remember 2010 team that opened the year 0-2 and it seemed the sky was falling. I have optimistic views that we can still put together a 8-9 win year and return to being relevant before the big game next year. Keep your heads high Hokie faithful and we'll all count down the years until the hated 100 year ECU home and away series is over!
I'm pretty sure that all of us on message boards will never give up, never quit, and always hope that the team does well. We're all kind of nuts like that. I bet that most of us, me included, think we will win the ACC. Even after the Pirates. Delusion defined, I say.
But as far as quitting the ECU series goes...the LAST thing I want is hearing how we couldn't beat them so we ran from them.
I'd wager that most of us think we can win the ACC. I don't think, only knowing what we do right now, that we will win it. I do think we have a great chance of winning the Coastal, though.
Fair point.
I think the single most frustrating aspect of our mediocrity isnt simply the fact that we're mediocre, its that the same. damn. issues. keep showing their ugly faces. And JUST when we think the staff has them figured out, they rear their ugly heads all over again. What needs to happen to finally fix all this?! Its as the staff is constantly channeling their inner coach Klein
Exactly. Through the first two games, it looked like we had the stupid offensive penalties under control. Until they all came back in the last two games.
I was there . The Defense was scrambling around getting setup late and sometimes not getting set. Looked like we were unprepared on defense . I don't blame SL after we got up by 14 for taking the approach to make them come back long drives against out defense and not turn it over. The 2 drives that ECU tied the score with were sickening we were playing zone and dropping alot of guys and they had guys wide open on the first options because our pass rush was getting in quickly. They went long fields against our defense in the rain and into the wind and that was that. The officiating was terrible but we can't get it done against a team we have more of everything. I am talking coaches we get players that ECU can't get they have a fraction of the resources that we do but in the last 4 games we are 2-2 and very easily could have lost the 2 we won . The telling stat was I looked at the scoreboard middle forth quarter and they were averaging 7.2 yds per play and VT was about 5.6 . You don't win games when you give up 7.2 per play . In a year that we were going to be maybe excellent to elite defense we are anything but that . ECU did this with what was a 2nd and 3rd team QB at the season start . and lost of some of there all time best players. I would have to say that Ruffin is a better coach than Frank at this point 5 straight ACC wins and he gets no one that the ACC offers and beats us with players that are inferior in recruiting ratings . He knows offense and that defense stops us every year they should have been 12-1 last year and lost 3 game they should not have. This is a big step back for the program . We still can win the Coastal but we have a Pitt team coming in that has had 2 weeks to prepare and we are coming of a hard Loss . You have to wonder why we schedule someone like ECU because it can't ever help but can hurt a bunch .
While I don't have an overall problem with your post whatsoever, I do have trouble reconciling the point that we could have just as easily lost to Purdue, or Furman, as won. (Especially Purdue. The Hokies could have literally taped hands behind backs and won that game.)
Seems to me he was referencing the last 4 games against ECU only.
Oh well then... nevermind. That is a good point.
lol we werent going to lose to Furman and Purdue. Purdue was only close because we fumbled it at the 2 which resulted in a 10-14 point swing.
We are 5 1/2 point favorite over Pitt right now....
Maybe have to take Pitt and the points.
That's where the smart money is going
This game was emblematic of the end of the Beamer era.
I don't like saying, writing, or thinking that!!!
Certainly doesn't mean the ship can't or won't be righted for our remaining games, but in the "glory" years we don't lose this game!
All I know is if we lose to Pitt, I'm not watching another of our games this year
don't really understand this. If this is your team than support it through thick and thin. It may suck and the team could be absolute shit but it's your team.
Well, there's two ways to interpret this:
I'll admit I did the latter in 2012. It got to the point where it was too much, felt like Frank was going to try every little wrinkle with assignment of duties he could to get out of staff shakeup. Felt like more of the same, and would continue to be more of the same until Beamer was forced out a la Bobby Bowden. Still a Hokie thorugh and through, but had to reassess my emotional investment and the negative impact poor performance of the team was having on my life. Stepping away was healthy for me.
Based on some conversations I've had in the last 48 hours here, I think some people really, really need to do the same. So if he means it that way, good on him.
I dam well need too. good thing I'm going back to work every other weekend so i won't have to deal with it but twice a month after this weekend...
Because football is an enjoyment I wait for 8 months of the year. I want it to be good and enjoy watching. Right now there is atleast one good game on at any of the game time slots. It's no fun to watch VT struggle against a rebuilding team when I can watch Florida / Tenn go at it in an exciting puzzling game.
I'll watch VT as much as I can, but when it becomes more exciting to watch a different game and follow the VT game on my phone because of the poor game the VT brought. it is how I have to adapt to enjoy the game
Well realize that we *should* beat Pitt pretty handily this year. I intend to watch every single game this year. However a loss at Pitt completely throws the season. If we lose this weekend we won't run the table, and it'll be at the point where can win 80% of the rest of our games and still not win the coastal, or make a good bowl.
On top of that we've been through 6 pretty stressful seasons, and all with at least some early season national title aspirations (at least one point in each of those seasons we had people thinking national title). In fact this year is the first in a while where no one has said title, but expactations are still high (as they should be). A loss to Pitt means another season like the last 3. I'm not sure it's worth it to go through more games like ECU in another season where we didn't live up to the hype, and are just fighting to make a bowl again. It's too much like last year, been there, done that, and it sucks.
I have to admit, that I will be missing the Pitt game this year, in person and on TV because of other obligations, and I'm not that upset about it.
I really don't get how you can put any of the offense's struggles on Loeffler. The offense wasn't good enough to carry a bad defense to a win, but they played fairly well, and better than pretty much all of last year. If it wasn't for some missed throws, bad decisions, and a few truly terrible refereeing calls, they probably put up 42. You can't really blame a lack of execution on the coordinator when the opportunities were clearly there.
And again, you have to adjust for the weather. Some of those plays would have been executed with a dry ball and less wind. It's not an excuse -- ECU had to play in the same weather -- but if you're comparing them to what you wanted to see, they deserve a little bit of a break. If the weather had been better we would have lost 49-42 rather than 35-28.
I apologize to everyone, including our team. I let everyone down.
I hate to admit that our record when I can watch the games is 0-2, and our record when I haven't been able to watch the games is 2-0.
I hate myself for not recognizing sooner that my watching the games is our downfall. If you petition to not have me watch games this year, I will understand and solemnly disregard any live performances of our team, opting for recaps and perhaps following Gamecast from time to time throughout the games for the rest of the year.
Please accept my humblest apology.
I never shave during the season...the last two times I did? 07 BC and 11? JMU....
I will always love VT Football but I will have to step away for a bit. Not because of the product of the field but the extreme coach speak that is total BS. Just own you baggage and stop with the excuses.
Virginia Tech Football the past few seasons has really fallen down my list of priorities due to the optimism at the start of the year followed by consistent bed wetting by the team and then the attempt to excuse it all away.
Words hurt more than losses and the excuses I have been seeing is really want makes me care less than the actual loses.
Damn take a page out of the BB Coach and tell me like it is. You want Hokie Respect from us as fans then give us the Respect to talk to us like adults and own your shit.
I was at the bowl game against Rutgers a few years back. It was messy (both in play and in weather).
That was one of the worst football games I've ever seen, second only to the UCLA/Illinois Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.
Rutgers vs VT was the worst game ever. 13-10 in OT. Rutgers only td was on a botched VT snap 15 seconds into the game. Both teams had 196 total yards and had under 2 ypc and under 5 ypa. Teams combined 32 for 80 passing. VT ran for 3 yards on 32 attempts
http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/2012-12-28-rutgers.html
Ugliest box score you'll see
I don't know.
Seems to me that it's difficult to beat last year's Wake Forest game, in terms of "bad" games.
Yes, it was last year. And yes, I can understand why nobody remembers it.
This might help you remember just how horrible it was:
Both of those were truly bad games (Rutgers and Wake). Wake was a snoozer, I fell asleep at one point during the game. The Rutgers game didn't put me to sleep, but I got up and walked around, did chores, made food, etc.
However, the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl was so bad, I couldn't look away. It was one of the most entertaining displays of pure ineptitude that has ever been displayed. If you didn't see that game, you're missing out on a unique experience as a watcher of college football. I stand by this claim.
I genuinely think we still win the coastal. The defense might not be lights out like we expected, but I can't remember a time that we were down 14 in the fourth quarter and I believed we could get the points. I think Bud will adjust for our current weak link on defense, and our strong senior leadership will rebound us like '10. Time will tell
That's the style!
I have to admit tho that I was pretty discouraged by last week's performance. Football is a funny game. When you have mo on your side, everything is easy and you can do no wrong. If it switches, everything becomes hard and everything is wrong.
Depth is so important in CFB because of injuries. It seems to me that VT has had injuries where they couldn't afford them this year and last. One silver lining I see is that Brewer will get back in a few more weeks, and he will have an experienced back up the rest of the year.
Another thought I had is that ECU believed they could beat VT - and that belief was not shaken when they were down. A team that believes is dangerous. When you get up on them 2 scores, you have to make it 3 scores and then 4 to kill that belief.
We have finished the pre-season. VT is 2-2. That kills any playoff fairies that have been dancing around in fans' heads, but the Coastal and ACC titles are in play. Get some guys healthy, get some guys to develop, and things could look a lot better in a month.
I go to a wedding Saturday up 14-0 and I check the score after and its 14-28. Why is being a fan so hard? Why?
This is on point:
It IS hard to be a Hokie fan...and that hasn't changed since I first became one in '89. The reasons have changed since, from a season of losses being redefined by 'upsetting' a ranked UVA favorite to finish the year (actually tore to goal posts down on that one), to national title aspirations (a.k.a. hype train) being derailed by playing down to the competition (before 'Pitt happens' and JMU happened, Temple happened...more than once).
But, being a Hokie fan is much more than the lows. It's remembering where this program started from, the blue collar work ethic with non-recruited walk-ons. It's when fans were calling for Frank Beamer's job and he responded by improving from 2-8-1 to 8-2-1. It's the Miracle in Blacksburg, David Wilson telling Tyrod he's taking it to the house late in a frustrating Georgia Tech showdown, it's Logan making an improbable untouched run through the U's vaunted D to seal the W, it's DeAngelo Hall guaranteeing a W against a future NFL team disguised as Miami (and delivering), Cody Grimm causing 4 turnovers in one game, Ryan Williams taking a defender (by jersey) 10+ yards for a score, Lee Suggs 'quietly' accumulating 22 touchdowns while the Michael Vick hype train rumbled on, watching an underdog VT team beat a ranked WV team (in Morgantown) by maintaining a goal line stand as time expired on the clock, etc, etc, etc...
Every single one of those (and many more) happened during seasons where it was hard to be Hokie fan on more than one occasion. Just like it is this year. But despite the heart breaks, there are many more immortal moments that lift us back up (there will be some more this year too). If there weren't, there'd be no off-season hype train to derail. That's a much better place to be than when I first started out as a Hokie fan.
OK, rant over. Thanks.
That's a hell of a post for a guy with three turkey legs. Mine makes four, so at least you can walk steady.
The summary of this article is let's bash the coaching staff