to quote Andy Bitter "good at being boring". Really?
I love our smashmouth defense sacking the QB eight times and running him ragged for all the other plays. Absolutely nothing boring about that. Come out on the first offensive series and score a TD right away and put all the pressure on the other guys to figure out how to score on the nation's top defense. That makes for a lot of sacks, TFLs, and (usually) INTs.
Sure, our offense is a work in progress and we all know that Beamer will never subscribe to simply trying to score more than the other guys but that does not mean it's boring. The SEC reputation of excellent defense combined with enough mistake-free offense to score more than the other guys is what has won an awful lot of national championships. You had better wear your big boy pants when you line up against this crew.
I get Andy's point but it sure would be great to talk about how Beamerball is coming back to Blacksburg and how completely in control we have been of the game's outcome over the last three weeks. As the VT beat writer it sure would be nice to come up with something more positive than "good at being boring". Thanks, I can get that all day at La Sewer ....
Comments
I would love for this team to come up against a high powered offense, say Clemson or FSU, and stop them dead and then win boring with a score of 13 - 7.
If that game is played, and the Hokies win, this is EXACTLY what will happen.
And, I would love it as well.
I got down voted for this??? This must be a mistake. If not, please read some of my other posts. They're much more offensive than this.
THIS, +100!
You've nearly got 1,000 legs. Don't worry about the voting - it's pretty irrelevant, and you probably got down-voted from someone fat-fingering on a cellphone.
+1 for 1,000
I didn't give him any turkey legs. I didn't want to upset the balance. I'll let someone else do that. Then I'll give him all the legs he wants.
Thank you guys. I couldn't have gotten here without you. Now that I have my 1000 turkey legs, I can quit my job and retire somewhere sunny.
This is the stuff of dreams....Sooo, Enter Sandman!
if it aint jason newstead it aint metallica.
We really don't have a whole lot of talent on offense right now, so as long as they put up some points and play mistake free we can win most of our remaining games. Really, these offensive coaching changes should have happened in 2008 at the very latest, but it is what it is.
better late than never...
I really, really don't buy that talent argument.
I think we've thrown a complicated system at our offense and they are pulling in together in bits and pieces. It will all come together soon enough, but I don't see a lack of talent. I see guys being hesitant and not playing as a unit.
i mean, i love the team just as much as the rest of us around here, but uh, it was a pretty boring game.
Count me weird but, I thought the game exciting.
I may be built to watch defenses but, that PITT game was right up my alley.
yeah, no, dont get me wrong i was living and dying with every play but pitt just wasnt all that competitive. it reminded me a lot of the 2010 game up at bc.
I'm actually more entertained with the storyline of the offense plus the dominant defense. It's really nice to see a group that doesn't have a Marcus Davis or Boykin type athlete, or a RMFW/David Wilson type trying to figure out what works for them as a unit in any particular game. I think it's building character, and it really shows the buy-in and trust in the system of these players.
I'm judging results (and therefore deriving my happiness with this team) by three goals:
1) Win the game
2a) make Logan look good and increase his stock
2b) bring the guys along in the system
Count me entertained
Make your (2a) my (2b) and your (2b) my (2a) and you have what I want exactly.
I have no memory of the 2010 game at BC, which is probably your point.
Hosley had that pick in the endzone... that's the most I can come up with.
I just created an account to say just how much I agree with you. A sack is never ever boring. In fact a sack comes with bonus excitement if you have already sacked the quarterback. This bonus excitement increases with each successive sack.
I've read a lot about this being an ugly win for us.
I thought it was beautiful.
Agreed. +1 Welcome to the community
I agree as well with the both of you. Sports are becoming offensive minded. The NHL moved the blue-lines back to create more scoring chances, just an example. Everyone growing up wants to be the forward, the quarterback, etc. It is certainly fun to see those points rack up, but I love watching the beauty of an aggressive and stout defense.
The trouble with this "more exciting" version of football is that it discounts most of the team. Defense and special teams are ignored, and in some systems so is the offensive line. All the emphasis is put on the quick skill position players and tiring out the other team. While this is exciting for some, a defense that can match (or exceed) the offense in talent can shut them down.
On the other hand, if you are a mid-level program that consistently misses out on recruits to bigger-named schools (Marshall and ECU come to mind) this new style of offense provides the best way to compete with bigger schools by putting the emphasis on offensive skill positions with speed.
This. There is a reason that Bama is looking for it's third straight title. Their offense is designed to wear out smaller and quicker defenses that are designed to stop these "exciting" offenses. Also they have the horses on D to be able to combat those same offenses through talent and discipline. Bud's D is very similar to this. If we can get an O that can compliment that, good things will (and are) happen(ing).
I agree with this so much. Sure scoring 60 points looks great, but if you face off against a team that scores 63 points a game, you're suddenly dependent on a defense you haven't spent much time honing.
absolutely. I have always been a fan of pro formations and I formations because you can run so many plays out of very similar, if not identical, looks. The prostyle offenses can be adjusted and have many wrinkles added, and it is beautiful to see it operate. If I was a coach that is what I would love to have-hard nosed, pro style offense that pounds the rock, forcibly and a defense to back that up.
Absolutely. A dominant running game is far more exciting than a passing game, in my opinion. In the words of Redskins hall of fame lineman Russ Grimm, "there's nothing more satisfying than taking a guy and moving him from point a to point b against his will"
According to my dad (long-time Hogs fan and gritty-play enthusiast) that's how Russ's coach at Pitt convinced him to make the switch from defensive to offensive line.
Yeah, he talked about it in his HOF induction speech.
Yea i agree that I love our defense, but a game that has a lot of punts is considered boring. Aren't we top 25 in how many times we have punted this season. Right now high scoring offenses is exciting. Like our 1999 team with Vick. We could have scored on any given play.
IIRC there were only 4 punts by VT against PITT.
And with an average punt of almost 53 yards.
If number of punts is the measure of boring, then VT was not boring that game. Even the punts were exciting if one pays attention.
I feel bad, but AJ Hughes is so good, I pretty much find myself getting excited every time he comes on the field, just to watch him punt the ball. I'm still sad that we didn't get the conversion, but this guy can punt the ball.
#HUGHES4HEISMAN
#HUGHES4RAYGUY
Who doesn't love #PUNTERSWAG?
If he isn't in the top three for the Ray Guy I'd be shocked. He is up there in numbers and is doing a damn fine job.
According to ESPN stats he is currently 5th in the nation with 1949 yards, 43 punts, a long of 56 and and average of 45.3
That 5th is in terms of total yards as well as in number of punts, he's 15th in terms of punt average, but his long is tied at a paltry 93rd.
So if he keeps up his current average (or at least increases it slightly), he should probably still be within the top 5 by the end of the year, so hopefully that would help in terms of voting.
To be fair though, he has the highest # yards in a power conference, all the others ahead of him are mid-tier conferences, and all but one of those players ahead of him are listed as primarily placekickers who probably double as punters.
Well, he's right. The offense isn't really flashy and when the defense makes the other team punt every time it is boring football by today's standards. Offense and points get viewers, a defense that smothers the opponent and an offense that turns off after a 14 point lead does not and is boring to casual fans (80+% of all football fans) unless they're invested in the team.
I wouldn't call it boring. I would call it frustrating. To see our defense go sack crazy like it did, was pretty great. I was hoping for an interception or forced fumble, but that's fine.
To see our offense work it's way down the field to only put up a field goal time and again was ridiculous. That's what made it 'boring'. I don't like thinking that the other team only has a big play or two to make it back into a shot at winning. It's annoying that when we get a short field we can't do anything because we can't just hammer it like we've been able to in the past.
Remember, too, that it's becoming a sport (at least at the college level) where if it's not points on points on points, it's "boring".
The Hokies are playing epic defense. A.J. Hughes is looking like an excellent punter. Cody Journell is shaking off the pepper spray and hitting some sweet FG's.
This is Coach Beamer's comfort zone. He is perfectly fine with coaching the offense to not do anything stupid so as to give the defense poor field position when they get back on the field.
Sure...there are a lot of fans that are bemoaning the fact that the Hokies don't light up the scoreboard like the Johnny Footballs or the Oregon Ducks, but I'm cool with it. These are the Hokies. They're finally back. You Oregon fans can have your 75 point games. I'd rather watch the Hokies sack your qb 9 million times, and D-Block pick you off all day.
Defense Swag > offense swag - all day, erryday.
I'm with you. Everyone gets excited by Oregon scoring 70, and that can be fun, but look at their defense. They're very strong. Look at how many points Oregon has needed to win (defined by opponent's score + 1):
4, 11, 15, 17, 17, 25
That tells me their D is playing very well, just like ours is. Who cares if we don't put up 70? Oregon doesn't need to, either.
While that's an interesting point, I think that there is a gap in that logic... The other team can't score that many points because Oregon is taking up the whole game running up and down the field scoring points... You can't keep the points that low without controlling the time of possession by moving the ball so well. If they had 3 and outs all the time, opponents would rack up more points.
Oregon's time of possession is very low, typically 20-25 minutes. They've "won" T.O.P. in only their last two games against Washington and Colorado. They're straight-up explosive, and they don't need to hold the ball long to do it, and they're definitely not holding their opponents off the field.
By the way, its been shown on multiple levels (Super bowls wins by Tampa, Baltimore, NC wins by LSU, Alabama ) that Defensive Swag> offensive swag.
I'm sure this is the kind of football Beamer and Bud want to play (and I'm glad for it.)
Let Clemson have their gaudy offensive numbers during the season; they look pretty ordinary when they face a decent defense (3pts at half time to BC!?)
I think if you go back and read the article, Andy was saying "boring" comparatively speaking. "In this era of flashy offenses moving up and down the field, they are decidedly boring. But theyre pretty dang good at being boring."
Dwight Vick agrees
That awkward moment when you realize you are now an "Old School Hokie" .....
haha, i realized it at the spring game a couple of years ago. we're tailgating with my buddy's 8 year old son and his little cousin next to a group of students who are shotgunning beers and slamming them on the concrete while yelling "THATS HOW YOU FUCKIN DO IT!" and whatnot and i was like, "hmm we're old."
Ok... well, it happened. We are now "Old School"... so only one thing to do:
frank the tank! frank the tank!
My nickname back at Tech was Old School, and that was before this movie came out.
Yeah, I guess I'm old, but there's a bunch of real old-timers out there that love Tech football too. And they love watching this team get 15 to 10 and 19 to 9 wins too. #YOUMYBOYBLUE
Given your comment, I thought Gizzoogle was only appropriate:
My f****n nickname back at Tech was Oldskool School, n' dat was before dis porno came out. Yeah, I guess I be oldschool yo, but there be a a funky-ass bunch of real old-timers up there dat ludd Tech footbizzle like a muthaf***a fo' realz. And they ludd watchin dis crew git 15 ta 10 n' 19 ta 9 wins like a muthaf***a.
Perfect! I transferred to Tech and a few guys on the hall called me ODB, 'cause I had a Wu-Tang poster in my room. That name didn't stick with my buddies from back home (actually the little brothers of my buddies from back home) but Old School did. Gizzoogle that muthaf***in' shizzle Wu-Tang-style, bitchez!
You know you're Old School when:
-Your favorite rappers are dead.
-You look forward to seeing "Captain Phillips" and "Last Vegas" in the theaters.
-"Enter Sandman" is that "new" thing they're doing at the intro.
-You're excited about seeing another playmaker at whip.
Unfortunately, that is the direction college football is moving. Even in conferences like the SEC where the running game and a smashmouth D were cornerstones to a great team, there is no defense to be found. Fans want to see mobile QB's, tons of offense, and tons of points. Its sad, but its true.
Now with that said, I love our defense. It's a ton of fun to watch. But watching 5 field goal attempts was frustrating. I can see where some might lean to calling that 'boring' football...
My response to "modern football":
I WANT SACKS AND BLOCKS AND BLOCKS AND SACKS. SACKS ON SACKS ON SACKS ON SACKS. BLOCKS ON BLOCKS ON BLOCKS ON BLOCKS.
AND PICKS AND PICKS AND BATTED PASSES AND PICK SIXES
The San Antonio Spurs are boring...I'll take that any day of the week.
Yes. I've been saying this for at least 10 years. Except I can't stand the Spurs...
"Offense wins games, defense wins championships."
That being said, the flashiest offenses put up oodles of points regularly. We're not flashy. Ok, I can live with that. I've always gravitated toward defensive football, personally. Just win, baby.
I thought it was "Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships"
I think it's "Defense. Just Defense."
Wins are exciting, no matter what. If a win gets boring, that means you're growing complacent. You expect to win, so you look for more. Look what happened last year, our team expected to win, and they didn't.
The more the fans enjoy every win, the more the players will. Enjoy every win, don't get complacent!
Everybody would have a completely different view of this team if we hadn't given up those two special-teams touchdowns in the opener.
If the final was 21-10 Alabama, everyone would have been talking about what a defensive struggle the game was, decided with a pick-6 by Bama. They'd be praising Tech for playing SEC football and making them the favorites for the ACC Coastal.
Truth is, we ARE that team.
Yeah, my Dad (who can't get Hokie games (for various reasons) didn't quite understand why I was happy after the Alabama game and was actually very encouraged by what I saw.
I prefer boring to how the games felt last season.
Painful and heartbreaking with a hint of not wanting to go on with the rest of your life because what's the point if the Hokies aren't doing well?
Defense wins championships. That's why Bama has one 3 of the last 4. As good as Oregon, Clemson, and aTm's offenses have been they always hit a road block. Great defenses are what gets teams over that road block when their offense isn't bailing them out in a shootout.
There's also a distinction between "boring" and "disappointed." Is our offense "boring" because we attempted 5 field goals? Or are we just "disappointed" more of those weren't touchdowns? I would have loved to stick a few more TD's in on Pitt, but I'm way more excited about winning than I am disappointed about only scoring 19 points, especially when we held them to only 3 and a garbage time TD.
At the end of the day, if you leave the field with the win, you've done right.
The only thing that counts is the standings!