The regular season is now half over. As sad as that is, Tech's 5-1, which is good news.
Thus far, this season has been a blast to watch, and not just because we're winning. Unlike past years, I had no expectations of a national, or even ACC, championship. I just wanted to see the team improve each week and have the new coaches prove they were good hires by developing talent, instilling toughness, and demonstrating a solid game plan via play calling—which they have.
I've been pleasantly surprised by the defense. I knew they'd be good, but not elite. Starting two freshman in the secondary left me with doubts, but Facyson and Kendall have been terrific. Tariq Edwards bounce-back senior season makes me smile. Unlike last year, the defensive line has lived up to its billing, and J.R. Collins has made a case for first-team All-ACC if not national recognition.
I've been on the edge of my seat every game, but have enjoyed the winding, bumpy ride.
What are your thoughts on the first 6 games? What has surprised you? Do you think the program is headed in the right direction? What, if anything, has left you disappointed?
Also, this is obligatory.
Comments
I was - and still am, to a degree - prepared for this to be a transition season. New OC/QB Coach, New OL Coach, New (Old) Offensive Philosophy. As we announced new coaching hires, I cautioned myself and others repeatedly not to expect miracles straightaway. These guys would need time to get comfortable with players already on the roster. These guys would need time to recruit their guys into their system. Time. So, to find ourselves 5-1 with a loss to the top team in the country and 2 wins over ACC Coastal Opponents who aren't Duke and UVA? I'm very pleased.
TO 1,000 YOU GO
Pretty good start, and the passing game is really night and day from the start. Defense needs to just keep doing what it's doing.
I agree. Transition or not, ACCCG is a reality right now
Potential. If we don't find a running game to go along with the improved passing game we will not get past Miami.
Thoughts on first 6 games...About what I thought, except I thought the Hokies might trip up at ECU or Marshall before the season started.
What has surprised me...UNC sucking so bad. That was a bad football team the Hokies played this weekend.
Heading in the right direction? 5-1. Yes. The D just needs to keep that fire burning. Two trap games - Duke, BC have me worried. I'm with you on Tariq. He's been one of my favorite Hokies, and I love watching him fly around full speed. He's a MAJOR reason why the D has looked so good this year.
Biggest disappointment...D.J. Coles. I really wanted him to be a full go this year. He's a very talented player, and I think his limited action hurts the Hokies and his NFL chances. Hopefully he recoups every week and shows everybody what he's got.
The man does have 5 touchdown receptions this year, leading the receiving core. But yes, he only has 11 total catches and that number could definitely be higher.
DJ Coles play in the redzone has been one of the pleasant surprises for me this year. After all he has been through injury-wise, I'm so happy for his success.
how about the simple fact that they are throwing it in the red zone. never thought i'd see the day.
Seriously, I thought there was some special rule that disallowed the Virginia Tech Hokies to attempt a forward pass in the red zone. Turns out we just had crappy coaching.
Turns out, we had a Stinespring that was loose.
I'll admit I was definitely concerned heading into ACC play. Facing GT in Atlanta on a short week after a physically and emotionally draining 3 OT win? Tough, but it'll be a nail biter if we pull it off, I thought. Nope. The Defense did an incredible job and the new offense put it together, turning it into a fairly one sided affair. The UNC game was in our hands from the start, and we didn't look back. I'm thrilled with how our offense is looking (especially after reading the breakdowns from Mason and French) and I'm ridiculously overconfident about our D matching up with anybody. If we aren't going in the right direction toward contending with Clemson and FSU in the next few years for an ACC championship, then call me Cartoons Plural.
@vtdirk12...Did you see that the Hokies are getting a transfer: Benedict Cumberbatch, out of Oxford University?
"Smashing news, I'm glad the colonies have come around. He was a bit rough for us footballers over here so we thought we'd ship him across the pond."
Is this true or did Key&Peele make an East/West Bowl III that included Europe?
Pleasantly surprised and becoming more optimistic each week. Going into the season, I thought the best the team could do was win the division. Still a lofty goal, (especially in this year's ACC) but it seems far more obtainable than I had predicted. The coaches, players, fans, and even media seem to be taking each game one at a time, focusing everything on the next Saturday, and only the next Saturday. Can't think of the last time this has happened.
The long term future seems bright, provided our coaching staff stays intact (not suggesting anyone's leaving, but who knows what will happen this offseason). Our offense has an identity. Our coaches and players are set on being a physical team once again. We could see a very special team in the next 5 or so years.
Off topic side note about this season:
It's nice to see the ACC perform well in football. I've always felt that the ACC is where VT belongs, and that if the other 'football' schools carry their own weight, the ACC will be the premiere conference, offering the best opportunities (athletic and academic) to the largest variety of athletes.
I don't think we realistically could have asked for a better start to our season. I came in to this season expecting the worst but praying for the best. This is a 5-1 football program that has continued to grow each week and has some serious momentum building both on the field and on the recruiting front. However we are only half way home and must fight off complacency and inflated egos.
The one thing that gets me excited the most is you can tell that this is a TEAM and they love competing and fighting for each other something that was clearly missing last year.
I expected at least 2 losses at this point, with 7-9 regular season wins being my range of expectation. The defense is playing way better than I could have hoped for, especially the young secondary, though Tariq and the dominant DT's have been very pleasant surprises. The offense is definitely improved, mainly due to improved coaching leading to better execution and play-calling. With continued good coaching and some upgrades through recruiting, I could easily see in a couple of years the Hokies qualifying for the 4 team championship playoff after winning the ACC. A lot will depend on the QB play and finding some blue chip WR's and RB's, but I believe that multiple ACC championships and the playoffs are in our future. (Anybody wanna bet that nobody in Hooville is talking like this?)
As others have said, I expected growing pains this year. We're still seeing those on offense, but I think having a senior leader like Logan (and Coles, even if he hasn't played much) has helped that side of the ball progress week to week. Make no mistake though, we could just as easily be 2-4 if not for our defense, which I will get to shortly. As Joe said, as long as we see improvement every game, that is a step in the right direction. Loeffler & Grimes are doing the best job they can with guys that don't necessarily fit their system, but they are smart enough to coach to the strengths of this team. THAT, in and of itself, is the other positive that I have taken from the first 6 games this year. Those guys know what they're doing and once the incoming talent on offense arrives, Frank will look like a genius with these hires.
On to the D: they have exceeded expectations, with the play of Kendall & Brandon more than filling in for Exum. After last year, I was discouraged in some of the performances, especially considering the level of talent - I'm glad to see that they've returned with a fire in their belly and it doesn't seem like they're going to repeat year's mistakes. They've been playing exceptionally well and I think they have a chance to be one of the best we've had at VT.
Final thought - despite the offense's shortcomings and the need to rely on the D so much, I have been most encouraged by the heart & spirit of this team. Last year's squad wouldn't have found ways to win some of those close, ugly games, but this year we've been able to get Ws. While the results haven't been very pretty very often, this team gives more effort than any other in recent memory. For that, they've got my appreciation & support as a fan - they're also on my short list of favorite Hokie teams for that very reason.
B Jov's hair game is the strongest
I remember during the Marshall game standing there with 12 minutes left and saying "Man, this offense isn't any better. They're just as prone to long, terrible stretches as last years was. And Logan is just as bad as he was last year." Maybe they heard me, because ever since I said that the offense has gotten better each game. I'm excited for this season. NOW CAN WE HAVE A DAMN NIGHT GAME?! Hell, I'll settle for a 2:00 start at this point.
You said this to me, and if I'm not mistaken, you said the offense was "worse"
Yes, yes I did.
Turkey leg for owning your mistake. Boy, am I glad you were wrong.
I thought we'd go 10-2 with a loss to Bama and a loss to Miami but make the ACC-CG because Miami lost 2+ games in the ACC. Still might happen.
Surpassed expectations: Collins, both Fullers, Facyson, Edwards, defensive coaching staff
Slight disappointment: RB's, OL, Loeffler.
Special LT thought: I thought LT would rebound to 2011 levels, but that was in large part based on the thinking that DJ Coles would be healthy and demolish all the VT WR records. Mostly without Coles, LT has done about as well as you can expect. The lack of a running game is very disconcerting, though. That's my disappointment with Loeffler, he seems to want to out-scheme everyone instead of out-execute. I would prefer fewer formations and just wearing out defensive fronts, but that does not seem to be the direction Loeffler is leading us. It may be due to talent/health and eventually may work itself out, but unlike most readers on this forum, I'm concerned from what I've seen from Loeffler so far....but with a 5-1 open mind and fingers crossed.
Program Direction: I was quite concerned after last year. The program is due for a significant lapse and the summer recruiting period was a big downer (damnit, DaShawn Hand!) But it feels like we have regained some momentum and started to restate our brand. I'm really excited from what I've seen of Andrew Ford's senior year (LT will have all those VT passing records for only a few years.....) and the relative youth of the team in general.
I think Loeffler is doing what he can with what he has. Perhaps the OL doesn't give him the option of "wearing out opponents". Also, just a thought, the scheme he's running takes quite a bit of execution to run. Loeffler finds match ups to exploit and needs the WR and QB to be on the same page in order to execute. I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum since I think he's done a bang up job and has done about as much as you could realistically want.
Agreed. The lowest I have rated Loffler is about a B and that was second half against UNC. Most his play calling has been inspired. He and the other coaches are working with the talent they have and are experimenting to see where they can improve.
How could the Fullers EVER surpass expectations? I expect them to fly (literally fly) out of the stadium after every win and they consistently disappoint, although I know it's to avoid revealing the full extent of their true talents.
Offense- shaky at the beginning of the season, but improving with each game, especially passing the ball.
Defense - never thought we'd be playing this well - very pleasantly surprised!
Special Teams - primary issue is the extra point/FG team. That needs to be corrected and soon!
Don't forget, this team has been lucky as well as good.
The record could be 3-3 if the ball had been bouncing against us. 5-1 is the best any Hokies could have hoped for with all the injuries, freshmen, and new offensive coaches. What's been nice to see is the defense has been playing lights out right from the start, and the offense isn't shooting itself in the foot this year. Loeffler has got Logan comfortable in his ball control offense, and the play calling has been efficient enough to win games.
With no running game (outside of our QB) and a terrible kicking game, this team is about where I expected them to be. The 5-1 record has been a pleasant surprise.
While they've had some luck, they've forced 11 fumbles and have only recovered 3 of them. That's unlucky. They're also 3-9 on field goals, and while none of those misses have swung the outcome of a game it's hard to be that bad kicking FGs.
I'm not sure we've been all that "lucky". We've had season ending injuries to our starting TE, our starting Whip, and back-up Mike. On top of that we had our All-ACC CB tear his ACL in the off-season and had a bunch of attrition from the program. Looking back the coaches and players have done a tremendous job of filling each of those holes, but if you go back and read the boards we were feeling rather unlucky when this season began.
You create your own luck.
I am really enjoying the ride; First season I have had in a while with no expectations.
Surprised - 1. The outstanding play of the really young Secondary 2. actual progression and growth of Logan in his Senior year 3. how much better the ACC has looked nationally
Disappointed - How bad our running game is
Outlook - Just excited to be in the mix, bring it on!
At 5-1 with the only loss being against the best team in the nation it's hard not to be excited about the team. The defense has played lights out and over the last 2 games LT has carried the offense. There is of course the problem with the running game but it might be something in which Grimes needs to have more time with current OL or possibly a personnel issue that will be fixed through movement on the depth chart or recruiting.
At this point VT is a favorite against every team on the schedule besides Miami. Miami does have a huge game against FSU week before they play VT, I could see the FSU game having lingering effects on da U. If everything fell the way people project right now VT could end the year 10-2 in regular season with a chance to play in the Chick-fil A or Russell Athletic Bowl (please no Sun Bowl!!). Of course there's still a whole half of the schedule and can't assume any wins but the team tends to be trending up. Pitt does worry me of course #becausePitt but I feel good about a revenge win before bye week. Hopefully VT has a 3:30pm game against a Duke team coming off a win against uva, right now the Duke vs uva game is at 3:30pm so there is a chance.
I really like the trajectory of the program as a whole right now. VT has played a lot of underclassmen and I like the recruiting class coming in so far. There are a lot of high level recruits left on VT's board for defense this year and 2015 is looking like another good year in the state with less competition coming from a floundering uva program. Think the new coaches coming in have done a good job from what I've seen. I hope that Bud Foster never leaves VT as well!!
Yes! Agreed fully, especially with your point about the potential for Miami to have a hangover. I just posted almost exactly the same thing like two minutes ago on another thread.
I like to imagine Miami beating FSU and ranked close to 5 - a prime piece of meat. Us heading into the game at 8-1 and knocking them off. Also, I am eating hot wings.
If only we could have them at home.. but instead... #goacc
Although offense has shown flashes and defense is terrific, I was curious what last year's numbers through 6 games were. Before we crown the O and short change the D, look at this comparison:
(same numbers, highlighted two different ways in official RGB colors for ease of viewing)
The defensive numbers have improved significantly, BUT the O's numbers have also declined considerably. Granted, there was one less "patsy" opponent on this year's slate and one more "power house". Analysis?
Note: Data taken from www.hokiesports.com, table compiled by ME in Google Drive spreadsheet, photo created by ME in MSPaint, hosted by www.imgur.com. No rights reserved.
What are the turnover numbers? I think that's where the offense has improved over the last 2 games.
Edit: I just looked it up. We turned the ball over 11 times through 6 games last year, compared to only 7 times this year. That, to me, is the most important stat of all. Scoring points is nice, and I would love to score 50 ppg, but that's not realistic. What is realistic is for this offense to take care of the ball, eat the clock and put all the pressure on the other teams offense to beat us.
It's like playing blackjack. You have a 12 and the dealer is showing a 2. You're supposed to stay, don't take the risk. Make the dealer beat you.
Yep, and the turnover margin also shows the same. We were +1 through 6 games last year (not bad), but +9 this year.
EDIT: apples-to-apples comparison of first 6 games (not 5).
I can see that. You don't have to score as many, if you aren't giving away as many. Plus the defense gets a rest, and as we can see improves greater than the offense (on paper).
Yup, turnovers killed us last year. we put up over 400 yards against both Clemson and Miami, but had a combined 7 turnovers in those two games.
it's no surprise the offensive numbers are comparable, if not a litttle worse, than last years. new system, lots of inexperience, and complete rebuilding of lt3's game have all played their part. like cds7 above i'm pretty disappointed in not just the lack of production in the running game, but lefty doesnt seem interested in committing to it. dont get me wrong, if the passing game is working then terrific, but some of these games the rbs are getting not even 20 carries between all of them. gotta get that lather going as they say.
This is certainly interesting...I would be really interested in seeing the same stats for the last 6 games of the schedule. I think this offense is trending up whereas I think last year it was trending down.
but I don't know that without seeing the stats. Thanks for putting forth the effort....btw...I'm far too lazy to do that myself. Have a leg! :D
I don't have last year's numbers through six games, but Bill Connelly's opponent-adjusted numbers had VT's offense 68th last year. They have VT's offense at 91st this year. (I'm not artistic, so if someone wants to make a chart and give proper credit to Bill Connelly and Football Outsiders they're more than welcome.)
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ncaaoff2012
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ncaaoff
I can probably find the stats after 6 games but it's 1 AM and I'm ready for bed. The yards/play this year is down about .3 yards/play which isn't that bad. It should be said that with the defense playing better and allowing fewer points, the offense has been less concerned with trying to pick up large chunks of yards and instead has tried to hold the ball and chew clock. It may be a situation where the stats lie somewhat. The last two games the offense has at least shown extended stretches of excellence before getting bogged down in a hail of sloppy mistakes. The offense has its problems but if Logan's over his early-season yips you can see light at the end of the tunnel.
Last year we never really sustained drives - it seemed like it was all deep ball, deep ball, 3rd and Logan.
This year we are sustaining drives, marching down the field. The first deep ball we have connected on was to Knowles last weekend.
So what is the difference? Red zone offense. You take out the easy misses from our kicking game and I would say the red zone is where VT is making their money. Just off the top of my head I can't remember a turnover in the red zone and last week we were 4-4 with 4 TDs.
This year: 14-21 scoring in the red zone (67%), 12-21 TDs in the red zone (57%)
2012: 36-41 scoring in the red zone (88%), 21-41 TDs in the red zone (51%)
Even if VT were 6-9 at FGs this year (I think there were 3 missed red zone FGs) instead of 3-9 their overall scoring percentage would be 80%. The TD percentage is a little better but not jarring.
One improvement that's noticeable is the fumbles- last year's offense had 29 fumbles on the season (recovering 20 of them). So far the offense has only 4 fumbles.
Should add time of possession to that. I feel that the offense is definitely taking more clock up this year.
Also, I also wonder if SOS would come into play. I think that we have had a bit tougher first 6 games this year than last. Austin Peay certainly allows for some score run up.
2012: VT had 30:07 minutes possession/game
2013: VT had 31:21 minutes possession/game
They've had the ball a little more this year but they had the ball plenty last year. TOP in some ways is a measurement of the defense as much as the offense, because if defense is able to get off the field quickly the offense will have the ball more.
A little bit of an improvement. Now what would be interesting is looking at TOP on drive lengths. I feel like last year, we got a lot of 3 and outs, giving the other offense plenty of time to score and bringing our defense back out after a small rest. So we may have had the ball for a similar amount of time, however now we are scoring on the drives.
Ah, all this stats analysis makes me glad I didn't go that route in college. In the games we have had so far this year, I've already seen an improvement, and I guess that is all that matters, haha.
Im so happy for this team right now. Like, happier than a UVA student that found a keg of Zima at a frat party.
Offense: is improving with every week. Things are finally starting to gel with Loeffler's plans. Still a long way to go with the running game though.
Defense: has been amazing and I hope they only continue to get better.
After the Sugarbowl victory against Michigan, I looked at this Hokie team and thought, wow they could really be special in 2013 when Logan and the entire defense are seniors.
So, I'm not surprised they're doing this well in 2013, but I am surprised how poorly VT played in 2012. I am extremely proud of this defense playing up to it's potential. I am extremely proud of Logan's resiliency and work ethic, when he could have easily quit on himself and his team after that dreadful 2012. I am extremely relieved that Facyson and Kendall are better than advertised. I am extremely excited for the future and I think VT will become major contenders in 2015 and 2016.
...I see what you did there?
Oh yeah, he did, and he is right, we was robbed.
I just want to say that Auburn's loss is Va Tech's gain...Grimes and Loeffler oh and this:
I think Auburn also gained a lot, i.e. Gus Malzahn. They're probably pretty happy with their offensive production and will be for some time. That guy is an offensive genius.
The defense has carried this team the first half of the season. The offense appears to be finding their footing and if they can keep it going, this team will be a tough matchup for anyone at the end of the year.
The kicking game and return game has got to improve. They have by far been our biggest issues. I believe it was French who said one or both of those things may hurt us in a key moment somewhere down the line.
We are halfway there guys. We're on top of the Coastal and LOLUVA is at the bottom and still may find a way to fall further. I'd say things are back to how they should be around here for the moment.
Also, to go along with what somebody else has already mentioned, shout out to the rest of the ACC for making our conference not look like the Big East v.2 this year. We have 2 legitimate national title contenders (hopes I hope to dash in Charlotte but still....) and many other teams are playing well.
I couldn't be happier with how this season has started. Any time I'm getting onto this site drunk and with no filter after a big win isn't a bad thing......is it?
Great quote from Logan today. This is the kind of stuff I want to see.
Love it.