- The defense was so incredibly sound tonight. Jones popped a couple of runs (note, two of them were against the 2 DL) but otherwise you can't ask for any better. Tremaine Edmunds had a half dozen terrific plays where he was engaged with a blocker and still made the tackle in the box. Ricky Walker and Trevon Hill were monsters. The secondary was sound. If a team doesn't have slots that can attack from the boundary side (on Floyd) passing the football will be a slog for most teams.
- Offensive line had their best game since West Virginia. I know there were some negative plays. But at game speed, it looked like when Duke jammed things up, it was with more defenders in the box than there were blockers to account for them. Wyatt Teller really had a strong game. Duke has a couple of great DL (Dimukeje and Ramsey) and maybe the two best LBs in the league. Despite a myriad of blitzes, the OL was engaged and sound coverage. Fortunately a good number of the misdirection runs popped free.
-The issue was the lack of vertical passing game. Duke blitzed all over, and then went man and robber down the field. Beside the Phillips fade and the Savoy TD, Duke didn't get hurt when they loaded the box.
-I thought it was odd that McMillian didn't get more touches. I thought he ran hard. But McClease looked his best in weeks. Peoples was really strong before getting hurt again. Fox ran well. Holston protected the ball. Still, McMillian had some wiggle and was still in on kickoff. Fuente and McMillian's relationship is certainly an oddity.
-Special teams- every kickoff finishes at the 25. Stroman saves yardage by fielding kicks and then gets his +10-15 yards when he can return. Punt coverage and Bradburn is killing it. The Hokies are winning field position and Shibest's bunch can't be underappreciated.
Comments
Idk how we got anything from that game, the weather was so bad
Sometimes the most telling things are those that are revealed under duress. Leadership is a great example. When everything is going one's way it's easy to be a great leader. The true measure is how well one leads under adverse conditions. The same is true for followers. Will the team respond to leadership under adverse conditions? I think the answer is yes. French has an eye for this stuff and he knows how much weather can compromise performance but I think what he's seeing is that in what became a kiddy pool of a field all units found ways to perform and even excel in their roles.
The defense is really swarming like days of old, it seems.
I noticed Gaines more this evening, LBs seemed to be playing downhill....even the QB runs didnt scare me b/c i knew he'd get caught. Jones played tough, much respect.
The D seems to be finding their identity...they're really fun to watch.
Thanks, as always, for the analysis.
Quick question: With Peoples back, we have FIVE running backs. How difficult would it be to convert one or two to WR? It seems like Fox would make an incredible slot receiver.
Peoples is hurt again. Down to four. What if one of them gets hurt?
They aren't WRs for a reason.
That's what I'm wondering. Is it that hard to rotate positions? It isn't uncommon to see DBs play some WR. Our backs already run routes and catch passes as RBs.
It just seems like a waste to leave quick, talented players with demonstrated ball skills on the sidelines--particularly when we have depth issues at WR.
Our offense could use a boost.
It's like asking a mechanical engineer to be a chemical engineer. Can it be done? Sure, but it's better to have someone that specializes in that position than changing roles mid-project (or season).
I thought all you nerds were the same.
Generally running backs are catching slip screens or swing routes, and usually with no coverage. They aren't wide receivers because they aren't wide receivers. That sounds dumb, but they are running backs. Sure, running backs can catch the ball. Le'Veon Bell is a great catching the ball, but he isn't doing what Antonio Brown is.
And I don't know who you are referencing about leaving quick, talented players with demonstrated ball skills on the sidelines...but I think our best players are playing. And I'd even argue our depth issues are really not that apparent at WR. When you consider our likely 3rd, 4th, and 5th options aren't playing (Carroll, Hazelton, Farley). So we're already deep into our 6th, 7th, 8th best WRs.
Ask Joel Caleb how easy the transition was
This can't be stressed enough! Other teams will be copying this in the years to come. I'm not saying we invented it (because we invent the future). However, when we are pinning back the opposing team behind the 10 yd line and forcing them to drive 90+ Yds after each punt almost consistently, we give ourselves that much more of an opportunity to win. The punt returner can't even return positive yds. This is such an underrated part of the game. And to think Shibest says there are somethings they haven't unleashed yet on the field...
It helps that our offense seems to consistently stall around the 50.
someone said what we are all thinking. props.
It's a nice thought but I don't see anything revolutionary that we're doing. The unit is well coached and executing, and Bradburn has been excellent but is far from the first Australian punter. Ultimately every team is aiming to pin the opponent as deep as possible on punts. i specifically remember with AJ Hughes fans speculated on if he was being coached to punt for more hang time to allow better coveraged. Anyway I'm glad to see the enthusiasm and excitement for special teams and think Shibest deserves praise. I just don't think there is some strategy that is ahead of its time here.
Sure the goal of every punting squad is to pin their opponent behind the 10 yd line. But tell me when you have seen a punter on our team do it consistently and naturally with that kind of hang time? I am going to make a prediction that our future punters will now follow Bradburn's mold.
Did Coach Beamer reinvent special teams? No but he did put the best 11 on the field and that was a strategy that many schools copied. Hence, we have Beamerball. The point is that any strategy to give a team the slightest edge gives that much more of a chance to win.
In the case of Bradburn, a rugby player can punt the ball and put different spins and rotations on the ball that our homegrown counterparts can't. Why? Because kicking in rugby is a common way to advance play and just as important as the forward pass in American football. I am no expert but I do know that punting/kicking in rugby is an integral part of the game. Read the article about Sam Koch. Shibest may not have been the first coach to use an Aussie punter. But given the Beamerball style of play the nation knows us by, our team will get more attention than others.
http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/191948/sam-koch-has-changed...
I interpreted "other teams will be copying this" as saying VT is revolutionary on punt team strategy when I would say we are closer to being one of the teams copying the idea. Shibest started at Memphis in 2012 and Tom Hornsey (Australian punter; 2013 Ray Guy award winner) was already on campus. Anyway it's great if you can find a punter with those skills but I don't think Bradburn's are a dime a dozen either.
I was very impressed with the linebacker play. Reynolds, Edmunds, and Motu were all over the field.
Your eyes didn't lie to you. I think both of the two long QB runs were in part due to how VT was rushing the passer and in part to Reggie Floyd getting sucked out of position by some backfield motion that Duke used (film review spoiler.)
Bud was PISSED on the second one.
The team was solid if not spectacular. Would have liked to have seen better play calls on the fourth down and mediums that failed. Still not 100% sold that JJ can find and hit receivers on throwing downs when it is obvious we will be throwing. Looked a little indecisive tonight, I think the over stressing of ball security got in his head. Pretty sure he was told to play it safe and not throw anything that Duke could INT which affected his game all night. Coaches should trust him more seems like he has earned it.
Nope, not in a game like this. Always play the ball security game with the lead. The last thing you need is to give up an INT, and give them hope.
People need to go watch the UNC game from last year. Their biggest failing was Fedora refusing to adjust to the conditions. We sat back, let them make mistakes and then punched them in the gut. In the same position as Fedora was last year, CornFu played ball control, low risk O and let the D work. Notice that with < min at the end of 1st half, we took shots downfield and won. At that time, even if JJ had thrown a pick on the 5 yd line, there was no real chance of Duke, scoring, unless it was a pick 6 (or neat pick 6).
"Wait so you're saying weather impacts the way you should play a game?! Nonsense just use it as an excuse should your team lose" - Larry Fedora probably
I (vaguely) remember being giddy through the second half and openly gloating about layfed insisting on jacking it all over the yard in a hurricane. Yeah, trubisky was good. Still dumb to rest your entire offensive strategy on receivers being able to consistently catch a greased cinder block.
I'm glad we didn't do the same stupid.
Don't forget when the forecast calls for rain we practice with a wet ball. I don't think Fedora has ever thought of doing that...
The rain didn't start until the second half. I'm talking about the first half. When we had about five drives stall at Dukes 35.
Given the post game comments, I'm guessing that Fuente told JJ "I don't give a damn if you complete less than 1/2 your attempts. DON'T TURNOVER THE BALL". It may not have been raining, in the 1st half, but turnovers that result in Duke points that have them with a lead at half time, might be very difficult to overcome in a rainy second half.
RE: protecting the ball - this is how you plan for a game in the rain. Larry Fedora would have done well to take a few notes.
There is definitely something off between McMillian and Fuente and it could be blocking. I distinctly remember McMillian's blocking looked a day late and a dollar short on the Savoy jet sweep. Maybe running style too. It seems McMillian is better when he an take of run. McCleese seems to handle delays (perhaps reads?) better and maybe a better fit? Not sure.
Another, very important thing to note per the IMG broadcast:
Bradburn has given up a total of 4 yards on punt returns so far on 35 punts. Of those 35, only four have not been a fair catch or downed by the Hokies. That's an average of 1 yard per punt return by the opposing team.
THIS. It's so good that it almost takes away the frustration of having to punt. He just keeps lob wedging it to the 5 yard line. Then you can see the D's Fangs really come out! At this rate, I'm not sure we'll get to see him 'put a guy on his ass'.
I hope we never have to seem him put a guy on his ass. If he does that means the returner is off to the races and at a minimum gets great field position. I'll gladly take the fair catches and downs inside the 20.
Going into this season, I was concerned about starting a new, inexperienced punter. Midway through the season, Bradburn is my leading candidate for surprise breakout player if the year. He is performing at near MVP level in my opinion. Not only is he reliable, he can position balls and generate the appropriate roll and spin. Watch when he drops his balls to punt. He mixes up his drops to produce certain types of punts. Pretty advanced, and ballsy for a rookie. A few more years with Shibest and Hilgart, and he will have a shot at a pro career.
Agreed. If he is not on the Ray Guy watch list he needs to be. His distance may not be eye popping because of where he punts from sometimes, but he has been spectacular at pinning the opposing team inside the 15 this year. And our D won't give up many 85 yard drives.
Paging stat geeks:. I wonder what our net yardage differential is on punts and kickoffs. Has to be huge.
I have a feeling we will feel the same way once Stout takes over for FGs next year.
EDIT...... repeat.... drink alot
Bud Foster
Bud said this in the post game press conference, looking forward to seeing what it is.
Bud also said on the IMG post game interview that there is not a better special teams coach in the nation than Shibest. He gave him a ton of praise for what he's been doing with those teams.
Yeah, this is getting real obvious real fast.
So we have the best DC, the best Special teams coach ( I vote we change this to cordinator now, as well) and a good OC head coach combo.
Win!
He is the special teams coordinator.
http://www.hokiesports.com/staff/shibest_james.html
I did not expect the guys to respond to my suggestion that fast. This AD is kicking it big time.
The only wrinkle that I noticed was that Motuapuaka shifted out to the edge on the field side several times, especially when Duke motioned the run strength to that side. Outside of the opening drive (when Jones bootlegged right into Motuapuaka for a TFL), I don't know how that alignment tweak changed anything. I chose not to address it in the film review, but VT did use that look pretty regularly.
The biggest takeaway I had from this game is that we marched the ball right down the field with our first 2 drives and should have been up 10-0 immediately if not for the decision to go for it on 4th. In a game where the weather had as much of an impact as it did, giving ourselves an immediate cushion was necessary and we did.
The ability to do that against a defense that hasn't been terrible this year is extremely important going into the GT game in a couple weeks.
Mook got lucky there, midway through the 4th quarter. He had a vicious helmet to helmet collision with Duke's QB that looked like one of the more obvious cases of targeting that I've seen.
Losing him for the first half of the Miami game would have been bad.
If it's the one I remember, it was only because the qb was being tackled from behind which changed his entire body angle when Mook had already committed to his own line.
Told my buddy when it happened that most refs would call that targeting, even though the defender had zero intent. Yes we got lucky it wasn't called because refs always assume intent.
There was another game yesterday (forget which, probably the ND or PSU game, but we were surfing like crazy) where the running back was getting tackled in the open field and obviously and intentionally lowered his own head into the defender's head. No call.
There is still just a blatant disparity in how this penalty is called. Ball carrier always get benefit of the doubt. Tackler almost never.
I've never been a big fan of the targeting rule, and I was surprised that Mook wasn't called out for it. They can write that rule as clearly as they like, but it is so subjective, and when you have crews that can't even call holding or possession rulings correctly, it makes for a wildly inconsistent penalty/ejection call. Worst one was the one on Huelscamp a couple years ago (forgot the game). We'll need Mook and the rest of our D playing like that to have a chance to win our next couple games, so hopefully we'll keep everybody healthy, and eligible.
I'm still waiting to see a targeting call go against the 250-pound FB or TE for running over the 180-pound DB, but I guess it's not intended to go that way.
I thought that it was shoulder to helmet. I do agree that I was surprised that the flag wasn't thrown because the hit was vicious and it was a QB running the ball.
I was very happy when they snapped the ball and went on. I was dreading a review/flag from upstairs.
i thought they might review it. i didn't see any of the required elements under the rule, but i've seen officials make that kind of call.
edit: should be a response to vths above
honestly it was the kind of hit that usually gets flagged and reviewed for possible overturn. If it had been called and reviewed I believe it would have been ruled targeting.
Quite plausible...once the flag is thrown, the rebuttable presumption is it is targeting...which is the one aspect of the rule I take issue with...as we have discussed/debated ad nauseam
I think it was a gray area play, a fair assessment I believe given that the booth did not choose to review it. Everyone watching the game on TV saw it so its not like it was an obscure thing that would be overlooked. But had there been a flag, it could have easily been upheld given that the "stands" option defaults to confirmation of the flag.
I didn't see Cutcliffe making a big deal out of it. At least TV didn't show it if he did.
We won a game in terrible weather conditions. I don't care what the stats are. We got the W, that's all that counts.
hmmmm good thing the weather was this week or UNC fans...nevermind!
Every time this team takes the field, the W is all that matters. The offense isn't going to sustain drives (the defense generated short fields and turnovers that put up points vs UNC) so every game is going to have a slog. That was kind of the MO at Memphis too. You would watch the game and it would feel ugly, and then you would look up and the offense had 35 and you couldn't figure out how they did it.
I expect the next three games to be fist fights. If we can go 4-0, just be really damn happy about it. There won't be style points.
My immediate thought was that it was weird to see ACC Network graphics after dark.
Looked like there was a lot more wrapping up when tackling. Also, on one of those QB runs Floyd looked to have got taken out by the ref.
And Bradburn has some guns, he's apparently hitting the weight room as hard as anyone
He got picked in part because he shouldn't have been inside in the first place. He busted that one and the next draw that popped, and Bud blew a gasket.
Freshmen gonna be freshmen?
He a sophomore but 1st year starter
I noticed the tacklers doing a much improved job of wrapping up as well. I think they probably emphasized it extra hard this week knowing that it was going to be wet.
Tackling has been good since Clemson. Putting Travis Homer on the ground is critical.
Making Miami one dimension is definitely key. Even better if playing with a shaky Rosier or his backup.
I thought Mook Reynolds played one hell of a game on defense tonight. That kid just seems to be flying around everywhere.
Mook may be my favorite defensive player this season. He just reminds me of some of the old school, Bud Foster-prototype defensive players we've had in the past like Kam, Flowers, Jimmy Williams, etc. Flying to the ball, delivering hits, having the tough nosed attitude. Mook would have fit in just fine on many of our other great defenses.
I know his tackling has been knocked at times, but when it's 1-on-1 in the open field, I think Mook is our most reliable guy to get a ballcarrier on the ground.
His coverage has always been the question mark, and he has looked worlds better the last few games. He has a huge challenge this week. Berrios and Thomas can ball from the slot.
French, this may be covered later in the week, but how do we stack up on the line of scrim,age against Miami?
Our DL dominated their OL last year and I hope to see the same on Saturday. I feel like our DL has been peaking over the last two weeks and I'd love to see them take Miami to the woodshed
I have been very vocal, I like the matchup of VT's defense versus the Miami offense. The key is stopping big plays. They have some burners down the seam that could be tricky.
True. I also feel that Malik Rosier is making somer very risky passes that thus far have payed off. To your point about the next three games being fist fights I suppose the luck factor (such as that late reception vs. GT) may be the deciding factor in this game.
So was this targeting? Cause that's the only "Personal Foul" I can see here...admittedly not a rules expert.
https://youtu.be/EHsCIdVNKow?t=2h2m18s
That's not the hit I was taking about
I know, but it was such a weird second down...
Targeting? Illegal Hands to the Face? Generic Personal Foul.
A conduct- or safety-related infraction. Includes unnecessary roughness, such as hitting a ball carrier after he is already out of bounds, "piling on" a ball carrier who is already down, or violent contact with an opponent who is away from and out of the play.
The above is not from the NCAA rule book, but I'm supposing that "violent contact" in a dead ball situation would qualify for the above definition.
So, General Personal Foul then right?
Your guess is as good as mine, but that's all I can come up with.
The hit in question is at 2:14:00
And the one I'm curious about is at 2:02:50
That's the one I was remembering.
Slow the play down to quarter speed starting at 2:14:11.
QB is being tackled from behind just as Mook sets and starts to tackle low.
The tackle from behind drops the QB's head level significantly, while Mook appears to have dropped about as low as he could without losing his footing, in an attempt to take the QB's legs out from under him.
Not a form tackle, but most definitely not a bad tackle attempt given the wet conditions, nor one with any intent to "target". Without Edmunds on the QB's back, you would have likely seen just a garden variety ball carrier go ass over teakettle on a low open field tackle.
So, that said, it was a good no-call if the officials saw the helmet-to-helmet. I'm guessing they didn't, and it's just luck that we didn't lose Mook for the rest of that game and the first half against Miami due to what would have clearly been a bad call.
Haven't targeting calls been called in from replay without being called on the field before?
Yes. It actually happened last night in the Oklahoma game.
Mook didn't launch in any way, and really Jones put the crown of his helmet right into Mook's ear while lunging forward, so that's a pretty clear targeting on Jones. (/s...kind of)
stopping it at the moment of contact, Reynolds' helmet is underneath Jones' helmet and Reynolds has turned, leading with his shoulder/back (like he usually does). Most telling is that Jones doesn't complain, and Cutcliffe's expression doesn't change.
i think it looked worse from a targeting standpoint in real time from the primary camera angle than studying the replay.
I thought Facyson played his best game since NC State in 2015. Injuries have definitely hampered what looked like could be an awesome career after the 2013 season, but it's good to see him finishing on a high note.
I said the same thing while watching. I felt like he played his nuts off. I seemed to notice him getting targeted a lot and he performed very well.
He was pretty confident as well. He was talking trash and having fun. Facyson hasn't ever been the player to talk trash, but it seems like he's enjoying the hell out of his final season and thinks that he can defend anyone. He might be the healthiest he's been since 2013.
I did not realize Facyson was that close to the career PBU record, and I did not realize said record was held by Antone Exum.
I'm not too surprised about Facyson. He's been at Virginia Tech since I was a sophomore in high school, and, as a sophomore in college, that now seems like a long time ago given how much changes from the beginning of high school to college.
Exum does surprise me though given that he played backup safety in 2010, starting safety in 2011 (safeties often don't get as many PBUs as cornerbacks), and he had to sit out for a large portion of his senior season. It seems like guys who played corner their entire career would be ahead of him.
To get PBUs, they have to be thrown at. I assume the guys that started at freshmen, that we would expect to be lock down corners, also left school early. That leaves us with Exum, who was a safety when the spread really started taking over college football, so he did have to cover. And then Facyson, who is good, has been here for a while, and one of his attributes since freshman year was having an insane closing step. This bated a lot of QBs to throw in his direction, who were also trying to avoid the Fullers.
You know how last year we had fumbled snaps or dirtballs snapped to jerod multiple times a game last year and how that seriously hampered and stalled some of our drives. I haven't really seen that once this year.
We have had a couple of borderline high snaps.
It looked to me like Tremaine was spying Jones a lot during that game......and he did have a heck of a game. But I also noticed on the second Jones run for big yardage, Tremaine got sucked inside a little to much and had to go round an OL to get back into the play.
Hill had his best game of the year and Walker as a beast.
I've seen a couple comments, including one from French, that it was Floyd that was suckered inside. I distinctly remember seeing the 49 on the jersey, for the 2nd one.
Edmunds had inside leverage and Floyd was supposed to have outside. Instead, Floyd backed up and moved inside. On the first one he also got picked off by an official.
More coming in the film review.
It looked like the OL was more effective in the run game with Osterloh in there. I hope he can stay healthy for the rest of the year.
Eh... not sure about that. Osterloh had some yips moments. I thought Nijman was having his best game in a couple of weeks before he went down.
You're the expert, but the coaches repeatedly have praised him since the game.
Teller really seems to like and play well in the rain.
He's definitely a mudder.
His mother was a mudder.
He loves the slop, eats it up!