The Hokies put on a masterful defensive performance against UNC Saturday, but with the unrelenting wind and rain brought on by Hurricane Matthew, Bud Foster's group certainly had an assist from the elements.
That doesn't make Tech's effort any less laudable — after all, the Hokies managed 34 points and 264 yards of offense when they had the ball — but there's little doubt that last week's matchup didn't offer the cleanest comparison of Foster's scheme and Larry Fedora's offense.
But when the Hokies head to the cozy confines of the Carrier Dome this weekend, the team is well aware that they won't get any such help from Mother Nature against Syracuse's high-flying offense.
"It's difficult just because every down is a threat," Facyson said. "They like to pass the ball. Very wide open team...Tulsa was a very fast-paced offense. They like to air the ball out. This team likes to air the ball out, so we wanna limit what we can limit. We will have a great gameplan going out there. We just need to execute like we've been doing."
Indeed, if the Hokies hope to live up to their new standing as the 17th-ranked team in the AP poll ahead of their mammoth matchup with Miami, they'll have to slow down Dino Babers' passing attack first. The Orange are averaging 466.8 yards per game, good enough for 36th nationally, and are paced by WR Amba Etta-Tawo — his 876 yards are leading the country these days.
"He's dynamic," Facyson said. "He's fast and has great hands. Haven't really watched too much on him this year. We'll start that today. That's all I've got to say about it right now. I know he came from Maryland, so I do remember him. Looking forward to the matchup."
Yet Fuente cautioned that his team can't focus solely on Etta-Tawo. While Fuente thinks that could be an easy trap for the team to fall into, he also feels the Orange have plenty of other options.
"I think you have to be conscientious of the other weapons out there," Fuente said. "If you're too dialed in on one guy, you can make yourself open to be exploited in some other places. To me, we know they're gonna put the ball in the air. We know they're gonna play at an incredibly fast pace. They do wanna run the football as well. We have to be a little bit careful. When you pigeonhole this scheme as purely throwing the ball, they've put up big numbers, but they do like to run the ball between the tackles."
And, just like last week, the Hokies will have to line up quickly on defense to deal with the tempo-related issues that Syracuse likes to create.
"I think they could be pretty dangerous," Motuapuaka said. "You've got to make sure you get lined up really quickly, tempo has to be on point and execution. Making sure we're executing and trying to get them off the field as quick as possible."
Brandon Facyson
ON IF ANY RECEIVER HE'S PLAYED AGAINST THIS YEAR STANDS OUT:
"I don't really have anyone in particular. Every week is a new someone. There's multiple guys on teams that have impressed me and are actually dynamic. I just take it one week at a time. I don't really worry about all of that, who's the best receiver. Just take it one week at a time."
ON IF THE DEFENSE IS WHERE THEY WANT TO BE:
"Our thing is, no matter how good of a game you play, you don't want to get complacent. We always want to keep getting better each and every game. There's always something to work on that will make our defense better than what it was the week before. Each week, we just go into it and fix what we can fix, little things that we can fix that can make our defense go to a step up from last week's game."
ON HOW SUCCESSFUL THE NEW COACHING STAFF HAS BEEN AT ESTABLISHING THE NEW CULTURE:
"Very successful. We had to buy into it. I think we've done a great job doing that. These coaches are great. They put us in the right position. They tell us what we need to know. We trust them, we follow them. They're going to do what's best for the team. Each and every week, we just need to keep improving and trust them. They trust us. We're gonna go far with this team."
ON IF HE HAS ANY COMMENT ON THE DONALD TRUMP VIDEO THAT BROKE ON FRIDAY AND THE "LOCKER ROOM TALK":
"I have no comment on that."
Andrew Motuapuaka
ON HOW MUCH IT HELPS HIM WHEN THE DEFENSIVE LINE IS PLAYING AS WELL AS IT HAS:
"They do a very good job of getting after those guys, the o-line, and getting pressure on the quarterback. I just have confidence in their speed and just all of the stuff that they bring to the table. On the back-end, I'm just very confident in them (with) the way we communicate across the board, we're on the same page at the same time with the same coverage."
ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF TREMAINE EDMUNDS:
"I think Tremaine does a really good job of going to get plays that come on the back-side, like outside runs and stuff like that, he does a good job of going to get it right now. He looks flashy, fast. I like him. He's getting better at knowing his responsibilities and stuff like that. I still communicate with him, things that you've gotta watch out for and stuff like that, but other than that, he's starting to get a good grip at the position."
ON HOW SUCCESSFUL THE NEW COACHING STAFF HAS BEEN AT ESTABLISHING THE NEW CULTURE:
"I think Coach (Justin) Fuente did a good job at — I think one of the things I like about Coach Fuente is he never wavered on what he believed in. When he first got here, he just laid it down plain and simple how he was and how he wanted things. How he wanted to change things. We kinda just went with it. We were all in and I think that's how we're making big steps now is because we all bought into his plan and what he had for us."
ON IF HE'S SURPRISED ON HOW QUICKLY THE DEFENSE HAS TURNED AROUND LAST YEAR'S DOWN YEAR:
"I'm not really surprised. We already had a pretty good chemistry between each other and know how each other played and stuff like that. Tremaine is the only guy who is the least experienced, but he's coming along and we keep taking him under our wing and showing him the right ways. I'm not really surprised. Coach (Bud) Foster, he's a genius. We're just always confident in his gameplan, just (have to) execute like he wants us (to)."
Comments
In Coash Foster, we trust!
Some reporter didn't read the Community Guidelines
What the actual fuck.
If only Facyson had leaned back and started shaking a la the Triggered gif
It was a test, and Facyson handled it like a pro.
Bingo, dude was fishing for a sound bite. Facyson shut him down like a middle school WR.
I'm not entirely sure who asked it, exactly. I don't know the guys name. He was around for media day and then again for Bristol week. But I haven't seen him since until today, and he seemed more into the basketball media than the football presser.
was it our favorite hobbit?
Nope.
Cigarettes
Somebody mention fishing?
OK, I'm out, sorry.
FTFY. Though if we're going by the quality of education they receive...probably not much difference
I hope whoever asked the Trump question got downvoted into oblivion. Doesn't anyone read the community guidelines anymore?
EDIT:Dammit...too slow
Have a leg anyway
Have another one. Somethings are worth repeating.
Great interviews. It's gonna be an interesting matchup. If I am correct, Syracuse does a lot of pressuring the alley/slot defender iso stuff with "win" routes. The offense is designed to create one on ones. Will be a good test for our secondary.
Just keep scoring. Just keep scoring.
Speaking of this, is there any analysis on this game that shows probability that we win being dependent on the score of the game? For instance, do we want a high-scoring game or will we likely do better if the score stays low?
I think so long as our score is the high one and their score is the low one, we're gonna win.
#science
I just can't see it being a high scoring game, a la shootout.
Bud will stop their run game (which is not strong) and force them to be 1 dimensional. then the pressure and misdirection will start the INT/passes-defended portion of our broadcasting day.
SYR stays in it if the they can stop the offense.
If our guys stay focused and on THIS game, we win. They will not out-coach us and they do not have enough top athletes to beat us that way. The only way is if we do not focus on this game.
Agreed, their offense is designed to create one on one vertical opportunities, the only way they stay in it is if our offense sputters/gets stopped often enough for a few random big plays to keep Syracuse in the game. I have a hard time being confident about any game after the last few seasons, but I think this team is different, it's just hard to break that mentally haha. I trust the coaches though to have this team ready to go.
We seem to do best when our score is high and the opposing team's is low.
I'll see myself out.
Ssshhhhhh! Don't give away our secret!
WR Amba Etta-Tawo is a local boy that I typically root for. He went to school with my daughter at McEachern H.S. here in Georgia. Interestingly, he was a teammate of Duke starting WR T.J. Rahming at McEachern. (both T.J. and my daughter are two years younger than Amba, though).
We've played him before, in a game most of us would like to forget.
Nope. You're wrong. The Hokies have never played him before. I am sure of that fact as much as I'm sure that Virginia borders Pennsylvania to the North.
McEachern is right down the road from where I just moved. They seem to turn out some talent.
They churn out 4* and 5* star talent at McEachern. There's something about Powder Springs and football. Hillgrove H.S. (also in Powder Springs) is responsible for Alabama-turned-Miami Dolphin RB Kenyon Drake. We moved from there to an area about 10 miles north a couple of years ago, so as a result my sons won't go to school there, but we still root for McEachern.
I didn't realize there were so many Hokies in the area. My kids went to Hillgove and now my daughter teaches English there.
Nice job Ryan. My sources tell me that Motuapuaka is playing so well that Mack Brown is actually learning how to pronounce his name.
*Reads all the questions with a screaming voice in my head*
I'm glad I'm not the only one. Haha.
We need to dispatch these orange people from Canada quickly so we can send the coaches and starters home at the half to begin preparing for Miami - 4 days prep. I'm not saying look ahead.. just get your work done and get home!
This matchup against a wildly ineffective Syracuse defense in the Carrier Dome will be a great chance for Virginia Tech to really test their potential on offense. It'll also be a great chance for the secondary to get some good work in against some pretty talented Syracuse receivers (mainly Amba Etta-Tawo). I'm really looking forward to what Fu and Corny come up with in terms of establishing a formidable run game and if our defense can continue to dominate.
Fu and Corny. Sounds like a cartoon. Love it!
I'm hoping that VT can dominate with a vanilla O. Doing so gives Miami less video to use for prep. They certainly can't use video from UNC game, unless we're getting another hurricane, in 2 weeks. Prior to that Fuente/Corny changed up the O a bit every week, so BC and ECU probably aren't great prep videos either.
More like we'll be giving it to the hurricanes in 2 weeks. Amirite?
We haven't played him before but Fu beat him last year when he was at Memphis and Babers was at Bowling Green . Score was 44-41 and BG put up over 500 yards of offense.
because Fu didn't have Foster yet.
More of that coming. Mr Dungey, meet Mr Ekannibal, Mr. Motu, Mr. Mihota. and just now entering the room, Mr Clark. Party at your place.
Whatever Wake Forest did this past weekend, lets do that!
How are we going to get tropical storm conditions inside the dome? I mean before they start crying?
We sent the roofing crew up there this morning for "repair" work.
Stand back everyone, I'm going to get serious for a moment.
This game, more than some on our schedule, has shootout potential. If we can't hold their passing attack down, it could be a race to 30+. Or (gasp) 40+. And of course, I'm nervous about the Carrier Dome factor as well (the travesties of 1998 and 2002 occurred in my formative football fan years). I've seen it all over the place lately, but we really do have to go 1-0 this week.
Moment over. Back to your regularly scheduled hurr durr beards
Syracuse gave up 850 yards to Louisville & 650 to Notre Dame. I think this is not a good match-up for Syracuse.
Miami concerns me though.
That's a lot to Notre Dame
1998-2002.. I dreaded when we played the Orangmen in the carrier dome. They were like ECU before we started hating playing ECU every year.
I was there in 2002 for the 3 OT loss, so painful.
I'm not sure what number of points allowed is on Bud's big board for SU, but I hope we shut them out.
Beard, my brother, I urge you to chill. If we can't hold their passing attack down, we wouldn't have been able to slow down ECU, or even NCU, hurricane notwithstanding. The Dome stuff is pre-Fu, and I really, truly believe that pre-Fu jinxes were negated when he stepped aboard.
Seriously? Comb out the beard, enjoy the soggy crumbs of this weekend's dominant victory, and prepare yourself for the glory to come. This homer expects a solid win this weekend, setting up a great Miami game....which I will personally attend to keep quality control in order, and a continued march toward no less than a Coastal Championship.
Edit: Yeah, I was drinkin' and while I could fix it, it would screw up the next few posts, so NCU stays to keep me humble.
Leg for NCU...can this become a thing like anOSU because we beat them?
ELI5
North Carolina University. It's a small basketball school in Chapel Hill with a history of NCAA violations that go unpunished.
Northern Carolina University - a joke name for UNC based off of Eastern Carolina University
Meh, NCU is a thing, and they actually say it during their Alma Mater
not that we got to hear it this past weekend
True Jobue protects The Fu!
](https://postimg.org/image/gtk0f73gf/))
Way to kill it, Rye. Love that interview with one of my fave DBs, Face.
I love it when a plan comes together
**obligatory its a trap game watch out comment**
but for real, when we beat them 63-0 there will truly be no getting off the hype train. I'm personally not prepared for this potential level of hype, are yall??? It's unfathomable. lim f (hype) does not exist
Team Doughnut!!!
This gives me an idea. Victory Doughnuts! Much healthier than victory cigars*.
if watching in Blacksburg - Carol Lee
if watching in NoVA / RVA - Sugar Shack
* unless you are diabetic
New era, Fuente and Bud , VT might not keep them out of the end zone but I see VT controlling the Time of procession and making some big plays. Hokies should cover the spread easily.
I will not value time of possession.
I will not value time of possession.
I will not value time of possession.
If you look carefully, he actually mentioned time of procession. Much different and crucial to winning this football game.
Personally, I find the procession of time crucial to just getting through the day.
Although they can threaten teams I wonder what caliber of defenses they have played? I don't think the caliber of Fosters defense. As long as they stay focused I don't think they'all have a problem this weekend.
Looks to be somewhat similar to the other high-powered offenses we have faced so far. They normally don't have a top defense backing them up. That matchup has favored us lately. I like the Hokies in this one. Do we get a shutout, probably not but I think the DL gets to the QB a lot.
The VT defense is perfectly built for a scheme like Syracuse's. A 4-2-5 with essentially five cornerbacks in the secondary and a front line capable of stopping the run and moving the QB from his spot with just a 4 man - or even a 3 man rush.
Match-ups are everything in football and I see this as a very good match-up on both sides of the football for VT and a very bad match-up on both sides of the football for Syracuse.
I am much more concerned about the match-ups with Miami.
This.
It was good to read French's analysis of our defense just before this thread. If we can stop the run with 5 in the box we can keep the dime package on the field and play zone all day long. What's the school record for interceptions in a game?
Louisville's defense is not slouchy.
I watched the ND vs Syracuse game and the announcer said (paraphrasing here) I have never seen two defenses work all week long and look so bad. They must not be paying attention in practice. That said we should beat them by at least 30, but a shut out will be very difficult like it was with ECU.
From seeing the scores and yard totals from their games, it does
seem like they could surprise us, or catch us off guard on some plays.
Will be interesting how our defense plays them.
Anyone who is worried about Syracuse has not watched them play this year.
They'll put up some points. Maybe 24 or so. But if their defense gets one stop ill be shocked.
I would rather not get in a shootout with anybody.
While I don't want them shooting back, I'd dearly love for us to shoot it out all over them. After all, what's the use of having all those guns if we don't be blasting away. I suspect we'll score early and often, while Bud's D will have them scrambling and wondering where their next first down will be coming from.
Ummm, phrasing was intentional.
You go fish!
Welp. I just realized now that I'd been thinking you two were the same person.
True. If Notre Dame can put 650 yds on their defense, I would love to see our first team get at least 500 yards, the second team 200 yds, and the third team 100.
Their offense isn't up and running yet. In a couple years Babers might make them a dangerous game. But right now their offense sputters plenty and defense is hurt by it.
Just hope Ford is OK. Fuente went kinda cryptic when asked about him on Tech Talk.
This could be a very special season if the injury bug stays away from Blacksburg. Evans is taking A LOT of hits and we're one sprained knee away from linebacker doomsday. Also, I'd be perfectly OK with Mike Goforth storing Wyatt Teller in a cryogenic freezer during the week, and then thawing him out on Sat mornings.
GODS OF FOOTBALL... HEAR MY PLEA!!!!
Would it be a bad idea just to sit Ford and Settle this game?
I have only watched the Orange vrs. nd game. Their offensive ideas were obvious and that was to stretch the field. They showed glimpses of brilliance at times but remember the D they were playing is akin to this.
nd ended up blowing them out with an offence that resembles this.
](https://postimg.org/image/ticu1mnub/))
If in fact Fu has this team dialed into the present and playing for each other we should have no trouble here. So, grab a whiskey and relax. Don't get too high or too low. Keep cutting right through the middle of the sine wave.
](https://postimg.org/image/7jwdzd9ad/))
Onward and upward. "One Day at a Time"
](https://postimg.org/image/d6aicf6ul/))
Oh and cannot wait for the Hatin' on Chip Kelly tread...sorry looking ahead there!
Let me start anyway. Fuck Chip Kelly's wet ass and Matt Ryan.
Does anyone else think UNC's not being given sufficient credit in this week's match up with Miami? They did go into FSU and get a W. They have a very good O, especially passing game (significantly better than anything Miami's faced all year). They got a starting DL back last week, which should help their run D. And they will want to prove that last week was a "fluke". I'm not sure that they'll win, but the talking heads are all touting Miami and giving UNC zero chance in the game.
Having Miami -7.5 is crazy to me. -4 at most.
Heard Tom Lugenbill on Sportscenter this morning talking about the UNC-Miami game, and he was asked how much credence he put in the UNC loss last week. He said "None. Carolina didn't lose because of the defense, they lost because of the weather. "
Unbelievable.