So let's get this out of the way first:
and with that out of the way here are my thoughts
- Fuente and Foster are definately 'Shake and Bake':
I was not a big fan of promoting foster to HC given he had been passed over at other places and that he didnt have the experience but I remember reading a qoute by him saying he would run the type of Offense that Fuente has brought to VT and it seems to be working.
- The new Offense is awesome and has been something we have all been clamoring for for years. A consistent approach that has answers for everything the Defense throws at them. (Side Note: How cool is it to see a screen pass executed properly consistently by our Offense?)
- Offense no longer ask to burn clock and score enough to win
- Get the ball to play makers
- The attitude that we should be scoring every time we have the ball
- Attention to detail: (see the screen comment above. Also French made a comment about a wide receiver during the BC game doing a rub route then turning towards the End Zone to avoid a holding call.)
- Finally younger guys getting involved late in games against quality opponents and earlier (Ford, Phillips, Hodges, and Rogers are contributing a lot but younger players are seeing the field as well)
- To Early to tell but this may also have a positive effect on recruiting in the 757 and other areas where kids feel like they can go to Tech and get some quality playing time in a great system close to home.(Again I know these are 17/18 year old kids from all sorts of different situations but I can dream)
- With the improved Offense the Defense will look better as well given that we can build leads and force teams out of their comfort zones and into calling plays that our Defense is better built for.
- Special Teams looking better now
Change in Offensive philosophy and the effect on the offensive players:
I guess to sum it all up I haven't been this excited about VT football in years and I feel like there is a new energy in the program and the players are buying in and with that:
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Comments
So nice having an offense that can adjust to what the D is trying to taking away. I was getting really nervous with our three straight 3 and outs and our D potentially getting worn out early, but then all of a sudden the score board was lighting up with points like the 4th of July and we head into the half up 38-0 bro!! It was gloroious!
I'm going to be so bored next Saturday with no Hokie football game to watch, but I'm sure I find some games to occupy the time.
Under the old regime, three 3-and-outs to open a game had me reaching for the Pepto. Now, I just assume Fuente and Cornelson haven't found the crease yet.
For years we've seen our defense give up a long scoring drive to open the game, then Foster figures out what the other side is doing, adjusts, and it's on lockdown the rest of the game. Now our offense does that same thing in reverse.
I felt like there was a lot of hot and cold with the old regime. The Offense would get hot get us ahead a couple of scores then we would rein it in and the other team would catch up. I feel like we had a lot of games be closer then they had to be and wore out our starters much faster because they were playing the entire game instead of resting the last quarter.
The sweet part is our defense hasn't been giving up that early TD drive this year either. Like you said, we could always rely on Bud to figure things out and it is awesome having offensive coaches that are close to Bud's level of exploiting the other team's weaknesses.
Im not gonna be bored nex weekend because il be flying to an all in seclusive resort
.................?
Speaking of other games to watch, check out north Carolina and FSU at 3:30 and then Louisville and Clemson at 8pm. Could be interesting.
Nice summation, plus I give you a leg for the Joe Bereta gif.
Just looking for a mike drop gif
Nice to see Devin Wilson making a grab.
There have been a lot of drops by opposing receivers. That won't last forever; our mettle will be tested.
Agree here. Both BC and ECU dropped big plays. Probably wouldn't have mattered in those games but will be a diffetent story with other teams like UNC.
To be fair, we've dropped some wide-open TDs too. It balances out.
agreed, that one reverse run with Ford and then he threw it down field to a wide open receiver and completely missed him. Easily could have under threw it and give the WR a chance to come up with it, but ill give him pass this time since we scored shortly afterwards on that drive anyways
And some drops by Bucky too.
The run defense has looked fantastic, Tim Settle in particular is looking dominant against the run.
I do have some concerns about the pass defense though. I'm still not convinced the front four can consistently disrupt an offense's timing in the intermediate pass game. I also have issues with the amount of press coverage Foster is relying on on the outside. I understand wanting to dictate terms to an offense and trying to bait them into a low percentage throw, but I think he'd be better off playing more conservative coverages and giving his players with great ball skills (Stroman, Adonis, and Facyson) more opportunities to break on the ball and make a play rather than to just turn and chase a receiver.
Yeah, Jimmy Williams probably hadn't even made it to the endzone on that first play in the 3rd QTR TD when Fu went to the headset to say "Uh, Bud, why don't we back off that press coverage for the rest of today? Thanks."
I'd like to think that the new game plan is that the offense is expected to go out and score points on every drive, and Fuente just wants Bud's defense to get a stop. I dont think he cares all that much if the other team is scoring every now and then. It's the opposite as what it was with Beamer.
"Momma told me...be a simple kind of fan..."
Love your post brotatoe chip!
I completely agree with the new energy in blacksburg! Should bode well for future commits. In state especially! I believe we will have top tier talent rolling in more as well!
LETS
GO
HOKIES!
I believe you are a super fan masquerading as a simple fan!
Really like this post, and legs for days.
My only thought to the contrary is that there are many times the O is not taking what the D is giving them; our O is showing schemes, waiting for the D to react with the ace up our sleeve. Lure them to sleep with the run, go play action to the flat. Shut down the out, QB draw up the middle. Shut down those, and go back to speed option. On and on it goes. Although the play alternatives are vast, it all seems to come back to showing a relatively limited number of formations. Seems to me that is the only way you can install this diverse of an offense in such relatively limited amount of time.
A long, long time since I've been this excited about a Hokie's O.