Not just Xs and Os

French does a great job with his game previews and reviews every week. He breaks down the Xs and Os better than almost anyone I know who's not a coach or former coach. Much like everyone else on TKP I appreciate the effort and work he puts into keeping Hokie Nation informed. But as helpful as a level headed film review can be to explain why a certain play broke down or was successful, there's also some things that happen during a game that can't be attributed to a certain technique, allignment, or play call.
I want to address a few of those intangibles and get some feedback from my fellow Hokies. Part if this is venting but mostly I'd like to hear y'all's opinion and see if maybe others feel the same.

I spent a lot of time thinking about the past two games after the clock hit zeroes on the VT jumboton yesterday. A lot of frustration, coupled with wanting explanations about personnel management, why we can't stop the big plays on defense that seem to be the difference in close games, and wondering why we can't clean up the penalties.

I'm not sure about the rest of you but I had pretty high hopes for this year's team even after losing to OSU and Brewer getting hurt. I was sold on all the hype coming out of the spring and fall camps about the dominance of this defensive front, and even though the linebacker depth was a concern, I had faith that Bud could overcome that. I never had any expectations of making the playoffs this year but I figured we could absolutely make it to Charlotte and build for next year. Well here we sit, 5 games in and we aren't even a .500 football team. But for me the letdown isn't even the biggest disappointment, it's the way in which we lose these games.

I made a comment after the ECU game that on the long 40 something yard TD run where ECU's QB straight embarrassed a couple of our DLs and used one arm to throw a DE off of himself like he was a super hero, that maybe it was a combo of poor tackling and lack of effort. While I certainly don't think that any of us are connected enough with the locker room to analyze effort, it doesn't take a geneous to see when a player kind of gives up on a play or lacking intensity. So I'll stand by my observation.

Then yesterday, after Motley was blasted back to back to back, his own teammates didn't even bother to walk over and help him up. Well there's no explanation or excuse for that. No game film in the world can convince me that the act of leaving your brother laying on the field in physical pain is not attributed directly to a weak, soft, and selfish culture to a certain extent. You just don't do that. I've coached Pop Warner football for a while and one of the first things we teach our kids is toughness, sportsmanship, and the concept that no one player on the team is more important than the team. I'm sure those Virginia Tech players learned the same things coming up.

Watching this team play this year really has made me start to question the culture and direction of the Hokies football program. Do I think it's time for wholesale coaching changes? Maybe. Do I think that Frank Beamer has allowed the game to pass him by? No. I think that Frank and Bud might have gotten a little too comfortable though. I'm starting to get the feeling that they don't feel like there's much preaure for them to perform. If that's the case, that's is dangerous.

I don't know what's going on with this football program that used to be a smash mouth, hard nose, blue collar bunch that didn't mind an opponent knowing what was coming at them because they knew the other team couldn't stop it. All I know is what I've noticed lately isn't even close to what I grew up knowing about VT football. We still carry the lunch pail but is that just a meaningless symbol now? Is the bring your lunch and be ready to work mentality really being pushed by the actions of the staff during the week? Doesn't seem like it on game day. Is there any doubt in the players mind that they will be held accountable and even benched for taking plays off or leaving their QB laying out on the field? I'm not sure anymore.

I won't get too deep into play calling because I don't sit in team meetings or watch these guys practice. I'm not in the film room when the coaches are preparing their groups for the upcoming opponent but I even see the change of mentality in the play calling. We're almost telling the other teams that we're not able to run downhill. How many times in a game to we see them march a fullback and a couple tight ends out there to block and pound the rock between the tackles? That type of play calling is a state of mind. It's a tough, gritty way of sending a message to your opponent about what kind of team you think you have. Whether it's effective right away or not, I'd rather see that than 20 jet sweeps a game that lose yardage with a couple QB draws mixed in. Those plays are fine as a way to mix it up and keep the defense guessing but that shouldn't be your entire offense. Especially if it's not even moving the ball.

I don't know what's in store for the rest of this season. I refuse to give up on my team and I'll hang right with them til the bitter end but I want to see that mental toughness and determination reciprocated. Look at what Jim Harbaugh has done with a Michigan team that was an absolute joke last year. That should be evidence alone that with the right mentality, and right culture, you can't help but to improve in this game. Regardless of injuries or adversity. Go Hokies!