What if we win the game by 1 point? Would you be worried about us against Tenn? Against ACC teams? What about 7 points? 10?
Other than the obvious answer (45-0 etc), what type of margin would you be comfortable with in the first game?
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Yes. It would not exactly inspire confidence. Would probably be followed by a pretty embarrassing loss to Tenn.
last time we lost to a FCS team we ran the damn table afterwards
That being said, yeah, I'd have to talk myself off the ledge if we don't breeze through Liberty this weekend. This is a game where you really should cruise to a win on talent alone.
We had also just blew one against a top 5 team. JMU was the proverbial trap game. That team wasn't bad. If this team loses to Liberty with no frame of reference to how good they are, then, yes we can be worried.
I refuse to worry about having to worry about an unlikely outcome.
My worry like is about (-19). Win by 20 and I'm fine.
Coach Beamer had always shown respect for the "lesser" team by calling off the dogs. I think Coach Fuente will not be like that. I think with our talent and the excitement inside Lane Saturday, anything less than 50 points will be a disappointment.
Fuente will call off the dogs...
... after they've all eaten their fill.
I can't tell if this is an exaggeration but I would heartily disagree. First game with a new coach, new system, and new QB shouldn't garner too much criticism. I'd like to think we could comfortably score 40+ on Liberty. That said we lost to a 6-5 JMU team with Tyrod as a senior QB and I won't soon forget the Furman or Western Kentucky games of 2008 either. Both of those seasons we actually won the Coastal Division too. Sports are crazy and you can't take any game for granted. I hope we win in impressive fashion but the most important thing is to get the win.
To go a step further, we won the ACC as well.
If the Hokies don't hang 50+ on this Liberty team, and the defense allows more than 2 non garbage time TDs, then I will be very worried about the UT game.
Coach Foster and Coach Fuente can sing the praises of Liberty all the live, long day. They are supposed to do that. However, Liberty has lost integral pieces of the OL, they're installing a new offense and a new QB, and the defense is slow as molasses. Should be perfect for a Fuente offense scrimmage. Liberty will try to keep everything in front of them. So, while I don't expect to see 50 yd deep throws, there should be plenty of 5and 10 yd completions that turn into 85 yd TDs. Liberty should be gassed before half time, and Coach Fuente will probably pour it on.
How many times a year do you think a 5-10 yard completion turns into an 85 yard touchdown?
This year, if this new offense gets rolling, I expect an average of two of these plays every three games.
Conservatively, probably 50-70 times.
I'm jacked up this morning. The coffee is going down smooth.
as long as it's black, respect.
I'm guessing he meant 85-yard TD drives, but heck, if we can consistently get those kind of yards after catch, then who are we to complain!
I think the game's final score will be much closer than the actual game itself. Liberty will get a few 4th quarter points against backups to cut the lead but it should be obvious who the better team is and we should feel comfortable about the team moving forward. Trading points through the 4th quarter with starters still in just to secure the win will make me very concerned.
That said, there is a part of me that believes we can pull off a 56-0 shutout with Liberty obviously checked out after halftime.
I hate when our backups come in and give up points. I mean once ok but they shouldn't allow the score to be closer.
I agree with this sentiment. Maybe things will change with Fuente but with Beamer, it seemed he was never keen on running up the score and would rather get everyone a chance to play as long as the game was still a couple scores in control.
I feel like 15 points would be a good margin, if we don't give up
more than 15.
I'm oddly very calm about this game, and even this season. And not because I think we'll be great. I just fully expect it will take a while (several games? a season or two?) to adjust to a new HC and offense. I fully expect to see some great, some average, and some poor play which could equate to some unexpected losses and surprising wins.
One thing I'm most intrigued by is how well will Foster's defense do. It's been in an arguable state of decline for the past several years. Will that trend continue? If so, it could be a long season. But if Foster is re-energized (not sure I saw that in the press conference footage yesterday, mind you - maybe just tired from all the effort he's put into this off-season, i hope), and he and his staff are indeed pushing the kids harder than they have in a while, it could be fun to see our D give this O time to fulfill its promise and potential.
Worried!? Really!?
Seriously, though, I'm more worried about Fuente showing ALL the cards in a massive blow out, then getting carcass handed by the Vols. I've said it before, I would rather a close to the chest game against Lib, then an ALL-OUT including the fridge and kitchen sink at Bristol that makes them shat their-selves and lose in front of everybody. But that's just me.
While I understand your concern, I don't share it. I don't see why Fuente would show all the cards against Liberty. Once there's a 2 touchdown lead, I don't see why he wouldn't just run basic execution plays and establish drives. I also see the defense taking charge. The first two scores will be important.
I agree about the Vols. Throw it all at them.
I could live with this.
I think this is exactly what you will see Saturday. With all the new personnel and a new system I expect a vanilla gameplan with a heavy focus on proper execution: get the playcall in, get lined up correctly, get the timing down, no mental errors (e.g., false starts), and so on. If/once we get rolling, I expect that they'll work in key backups and keep the focus on execution vs. trying out the more exotic stuff hidden deeper in the playbook.
this... work on fundamentals. Whether the win is by 1 or 100 doesn't matter. For everyone new to the program (coaches, players, and even fans) just get that first "W".
Nope. I will take a win by 1 point every damn game.
Same here. I would love to blow their doors off, but a win is a win.
You must have nerves of steel (and nothing to throw at the TV) if you can handle twelve 1-point games.......
If by "nerves of steel" you mean "bourbon always on hand" then yes, yes I do have nerves of steel
I've been clickbaited again
10 Reasons Virginia Tech will go undefeated this season, number three will SHOCK you
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I'll just do what I always do when there is concern....
via GIPHY
I mean, I've never had to use it since we have never lost to "warm up" teams
No.
In all seriousness though, we are absolutely capable of hanging 50+ on these guys but I dont know enough about CJF to know whether or not he's game for that sort of thing. I think until proven otherwise, I will assume we'll win 27-3 and pray to 8 pound 6 ounce baby jesus that I'm wrong and we hang 63 on those bastards and the post-game bourbons will be happy bourbons and not sad bourbons.
As long as it's not a game where we seem to stuggle and you look and the score and it's a comfortable lead....I hate those games. That's how I felt with Austin Peay of all teams. Watching the game solely I thought we were struggling but then you look at the scoreboard and we hang 45, of course they scored too.
That being said, we should be in the 30 pt range at a minimum. I'll give them 10 points, an early FG and a very late 4th qtr TD. Ultimately I would like the backups to be playing by mid 3rd quarter because we are just dominating as it should be.
1-0 heading into Bristol works for me.
The score doesn't worry me nearly as much as what we look like. If we blow out Liberty but we're sloppy and undisciplined doing it, then there is reason to be worried. If we look sharp and execute well but don't score as much as we could simply because the coaches stick to a vanilla gameplan, that's a different story and no reason for concern.
For example, the key takeaway from French's analysis of Fuente's run game was how unpredictable Memphis was; they ran 20+ different plays out of the same formation to keep opposing defenses guessing. In order for VT to duplicate that success, each player will need to carry out his assignment even when he's not involved in the play, whether by selling a fake or blocking away from the play, etc. If we do those things well then the points will come. It might not be enough to beat the viles, who unfortunately look like a legit top-10 team, but it would certainly bode well for the rest of the schedule.
Yeah, well I obviously have no idea what the hell I'm talking about. Last night UTe looked like anything but a top-10 program. Let's hope that continues next week.
Agree with you on that. We could beat them badly based on sheer talent
but if the plays aren't run well and we have some turnovers, that wouldn't be good.
Mixed bag responses here.
"Click bait. I'm not worried. I'm worried."
It's football season!
I'm worried we will lose but only because I'm from Lynchburg and I shudder to think what LU fans would think of their team. They already think they're a FCS powerhouse when in all reality they're *maybe* the fourth best FCS team in the state behind schools like JMU, Richmond, UVA, and William and Mary.
Hell, even ODU who started a football program in 2009 is already in FBS.
I see what you did there
Well I'd say no to this, if I were somebody else. But since I'm me, I'd have to say that yes, I would be worried. I've been so conditioned to the anemic offenses over the years that I don't honestly know what to expect. But yeah, a sixty burger would be nice
As long as it is a W I will be happy
Liberty is a well coached team and they get decent talent. I'm a bit worried about their new fast pace offense. I hope Bud has an answer for Mobile Qbs now because I'd bet LU runs the Qb a ton Saturday. I hope I'm wrong but I could see VT playing it very vanilla and some expected slopp makes this much closer than expected.
It seems he does have a plan, and that plan is called MOOK.
A wise man once told me "don't worry, just work"!
hey.... a win is a win.... AM I RIGHT?
lol
It's the first game with a brand new offense. Maybe I'm being overly pessimistic, but I wouldn't expect us to be clicking on all cylinders. I don't expect there to be that much cohesion between Evans and the receivers, either. To expand even further, I also don't expect that we'll be in the game with UT in Week 2. Hopefully, we'll show a lot better in both games than what I expect, but with a new offense and a new QB, I feel like we're going to be leaning on Bud and crew pretty hard until we get into the ACC schedule.
I'm going to be worried about the UT game regardless of the score of the Liberty game.
I told you already. We WILL win that game. Period.
More importantly,,, whats the spread?!?!
I read VT -28.5
This is the ACC Coastal. Nothing is safe, easy, or fun.