Virginia Tech wrapped up its ninth spring practice on Saturday with a closed scrimmage in Lane Stadium.
Day 9 is in the books... Great to be back in Lane Stadium!!#HardSmartTough pic.twitter.com/FvfaB7Cb4y
— HokiesFB (@HokiesFB) April 8, 2017
There are less than two weeks until the Hokies' spring game. Until then, discussion and takes on the topics de jour past week.
Tavante Beckett got down to the brass tacks of mike linebacker play. Beckett, who moved from backer to mike this spring, described many of the intricacies and responsibilities of the latter to the media on Tuesday.
ON ADJUSTING FROM FOLLOWING HIS INSTINCTS IN HIGH SCHOOL TO PLAYING DISCIPLINED IN BUD FOSTER'S DEFENSE:
"Understanding what gap fitting is and spilling and giving yourself up for the next man, because he has a better chance at making the tackle than you. It took a while to understand it, but now that I understand it, now I'm at mike and I really like get why I'm doing this, it really makes sense."
ON THE MOST DIFFICULT THING ABOUT THE MIKE POSITION:
"Responsibilities. ... You're really the quarterback of the defense. You got to watch the linemen, you got to know where the receivers at, the formation, the personnel, the play call.
"It's kind of a lot. In 5 to 10 seconds you got to know a lot and call it out. Those (defensive) linemen, they're kind of relying on you to call out the shades. And I never had to call out a shade ever in high school or at backer. I kind of relied on the mike to call out the shades. Now it's like I'm calling out the shades, I'm looking at the receivers, tackles, running back, quarterback you got to look at all that at mike. As tough as it may seem, it's good that it has to be like that, because you know what to expect."
Justin Fuente also dropped knowledge on the mike's role and Beckett's fit.
"He's got some football savvy," Fuente said. "That's the first thing that you notice. Part of playing linebacker is somewhat instinctual. He seems to have those instincts being able to navigate those tight spaces and the line of scrimmage and avoid blocks and find a way to slide in there and make tackles. He's very quick, short area quickness is something that stands out for him. He's made huge improvements, obviously another year in the system and understanding what's going on has helped him. He was a productive player for us last year in a limited role as a true freshman on special teams. He has continued to improve in both roles defense and special teams."
French detailed how the mike needs to identify and fit the bubble against runs in his film review of Tech's 2017 linebacker crop. (Obligatory The Key Players Club pitch. Hey now, 460.)
The devil is in the details for Fuente's new deal. Last Monday, Virginia Tech announced a contract extension through 2023 for Justin Fuente. However, Tech buried the lede. While two more years on paper for the Head Hokie certainly offers the guise of stability, the addition of a new recruiting staffer and bump in assistant salary pool is the upfront commitment from the Merryman brass.
Fuente's new contract includes assistant bonuses for making ACC title game, $167K more in salary pool & new recruiting position. #Hokies pic.twitter.com/j6k0XRDBt8
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) April 7, 2017
Read what Fuente said before the specifics were made public.
"Whit (Babcock) and Desiree (Reed-Francois) came to me it, certainly wasn't something that I was anticipating," Fuente said Tuesday. "We had a good talk about our program, about our coaching staff. I couldn't be more proud of our staff here and the fact that they are all back. I think that speaks volumes. Many, if not all, had opportunities to go somewhere else, and it speaks to Virginia Tech and continuity. I think those are all good things. They approached me at the end-of-the-year meetings, and we had a good conversation about where we are going and what we are doing."
That statement seemingly reflects the allocation of immediate resources.
Former Duke signal caller Thomas Sirk reunites with former Blue Devils offensive coordinator and current East Carolina head coach, Scottie Montgomery.
Beyond blessed to have another year to play the game I love. I will spend my final year at East Carolina University #Pirates
— Thomas Sirk (@tsirk_1) April 7, 2017
The likelihood of Sirk being a pain in Tech's ass come its matchup with East Carolina is high. That deduction is equal parts East-Carolina-¯\_(ツ)_/¯ and Sirk threw for 270 yards, tossed 4 touchdowns, rushed for 109 yards, and led Duke to a 45-43 win over the Hokies in 2015.
Buzz Williams and Tech's men's basketball assistant coaches embarked on a thank you tour.
Stop #3
-Ahmed Hill's (@MED_XIII) Mom
"2017 #Hokie Player Parent TY Tour"
We brought the entire 'Folk Band' to see her! pic.twitter.com/JpjcPJwc35— Buzz Williams (@TeamCoachBuzz) April 8, 2017
Williams is out recruiting, and out recruiting. The latter effort is brilliant marketing for his program's family culture, and it has to make the players' parents feel extremely important.
Incompetence in Charlottesville. At best, Bronco Mendenhall is mismanaging the hell out of Virginia football. There's a plethora of bungled recruitments coupled with oddly timed departures and an unresolved hazing allegation. UVA's self-reported 32 NCAA violations, its latest blackeye, spurred The Sabre's Kris Wright to declare Mendenhall's honeymoon is over.
On the surface, nothing outside of the hazing lawsuit carries much significance by itself. Bad games happen. Strategy moves backfire. Recruits mistake offers or conditions. Players transfer. Even the recruiting infraction is understandable in the social media world. Per the news release: "The violations involved assistant football coaches, after a brief greeting, engaging with prospects to take a photograph. The action was deemed contact beyond the standard greeting."
In isolation, most of those can be categorized as nothing really. Collectively? Collectively in your first 15 months? Collectively in your first 15 months when you're running a program with five straight losing seasons? Collectively in your first 15 months when you're running a program with five straight losing seasons and nine in the last 11?
Collectively, well, it builds.
Comments
Hey Whit! Call ecu this morning and walk away from the contract!
I am a little confused on what exactly UVa did, I know I have seen Fuente tweet pictures of his staff with recruits so what exactly is the violation?
Every time I see some silly NCAA infraction like this it just blows my mind that UNC has skated for so long....
There are periods of no-contact that are mandated by the NCAA, to prevent coaches from hounding kids all year long. During these times, they are allowed a "standard greeting" if they run into each other ("Hi, how ya doing? OK, see you later.") Posing for pictures during this time is a violation of the no-contact period. It's a very simple rule and a boneheaded mistake by UVA.
Bone head, yes, but do we really expect anything different from UVA? A place where they think the rules don't apply to them..
Dear The Sabre,
First, as always, you suck.
Secondly, ftfy:
Sincerely,
Your Hokie Overlords
Toilet bowl? They can't even achieve that.
I'm having flashbacks of Sirk muscling through two tackles to cross the goal line in the 4th OT to win now. Happy Monday.
I'm addicted to the whole escape room thing, so the title speaks to me. If you haven't done it yet, do "the Kings ransom" at Escape Quest in Old Town Alexandria. Also anything at the Escape Room Live locations in the DC area are legit af.
I've done it once. It was fun. We did not escape, however. I'd like to do it again sometime
There's a good one in Leesburg too, called Exit Plan. I've done two of their rooms, both were good.
I think I saw that Blacksburg now has an escape room when I was down last year. I believe it was close to the Washington St/Main St intersection.
commonly referred to as "Hokie House"
could never seem to escape that place...
thats because your shoes are always stuck to the floor
I always thought the stairway at hokie house was just a cruel joke, with TOTS being a close second. At least at the cellar you just had to make it up a couple steps to get outside.
Maybe it's just me but I have a much, much harder time making it up stairs after drinking. That said, Cellar is still my fave even with the slow service
I think the Cellar also has the best food of those three.
I always thought TOTS was the worst before they redid the stairwell a year or two ago. In the winter the stairs could get icy. Stumbling down after a rail or two was a real hazard. At least the steps at Hokie House are solid and you're inside. I'd agree now that TOTS has nicer steps that Hokie House is the worst though. That's a much bigger distance to go down.
Based on my experience Tonne 80 gets my vote for worst food and stairs, though I have never eaten at TOTS. I assume they did not change stairs while The Balcony.
TOTS has an All-You-Can-Eat-Ribs Night, so they're automatically disqualified for any worst food consideration
I have been to more than one DieNasty Asian buffet that has all you can eat ribs on it. Not comparing to TOTS, where again, I have not eaten, but not willing to cede a free pass for all you can eat without at least some quality control.
Mass-produced buffet ribs: generally very bad.
TOTS ribs: good.
Source: personal experience.
I always remind myself of the following side effects before partaking in all you can eat ribs.
Laziness
High Cholesterol
High Blood Pressure
BBQ Stains
Wile Bowels
DooDoo Smells Worse
Mud Butt
It was risky. . . But so is mudbutt.
I escaped pretty quickly the handful of times I passed out in one of the booths
I did the Edgar Allen Poe one in Old Town last summer, it was hard but definitely fun.
RE: Thomas Sirk
SHIT.
IDGAF this time. Foster's unit should be able to kick his ass. I ain't scared and neither should our defense.
After the thrashing last year I think the curse has lifted. They can go back to being our early season punching bag.
I know it's not the case, but it feels like ecu went and got sirk primarily to beat us
Kinda like how LOLUVa got Ruffin primarily to get someone one staff who has beaten us? Hope ECU's move works just as well.
Nice work. I said from the start, Beckett was better suited for the mike. He is a good football player who just happens not to have ideal size. Foster has made many a player with a similar profile a star.
If this was 2003, Beckett would have been an amazing whip back when the whip was a 230 pound guy like James Anderson and Ben Taylor.
Hell yeah, the unsung heroes of 9-11, Hall and Adibi certainly didn't do it alone
Anybody else find it weird that Buzz & Co. didn't visit Blackshear's family? It appears everyones family they met with is poised to return next year, so why not visit Blackshear?
Sy makes sense given his family is out of the country. I guess the younger LeDay would be someone as well.
Am I reading too much into this? It would really hurt to lose Blackshear.
I could be wrong, but I think the graphic is detailing only 'the progress thus far' (and the next stop). More places to go
Buzz is not Torrian, he's gonna say hello to everyone's mother.
I'm still convinced it's selfie-coach until proven otherwise because he doesn't seem to have a grip on reality or logic.
da fuq he just do?
#HoosRising = #IQHoosFalling
The only way this can even remotely make sense is if this football coach has a law degree from BYU...
edit: which he does, JD 2011 BYU law school.
and he was very lawyerly with his post. Intentionally misleading and obfuscating with his response
But he was very LOLUVA like in his attitude about the response.