I always like to throw some context on situations, as it's rare that Virginia Tech is ever in a position it hasn't been in before.
2012 Season
The year after we lost all of our offensive firepower except Logan. We were sitting at 4-6 with our best win a home OT win vs Georgia Tech. We won our last 3 games of the year against bad BC and UVA teams.
2014 Season
The dreaded Wake Forest Year, VT was 4-5 before beating ranked Duke (lol) and then 5-6 headed into a UVA game in which the winner would be bowl eligible. Ended the season 7-6.
*Also, there was a 6 week stretch in which the offense topped 24 points only once, and that was in a loss to BC.
2015 Season
The team was 3-5 with 3 out of 4 remaining games on the road. Moved up to 5-6 before beating UVA for bowl eligibility.
Point of all this being, I realize the dire situation the team is in, but it's not like we haven't been here before. Yeah, I know we're young and injured everywhere, but we were playing with Brenden Motley or Michael Holmes these years and won must-win games at the end of the year. I'm not saying we'll do it again this year but let's have some hope and beat the fuck out of Miami and UVA.
Comments
AND MY AXE
Don't remember those defenses giving up 400 plus rushing yards to teams
Were those defenses filled with brand new players? Were 21 different starters used?
Still a valid point, though. Whatever the reason, our defense might just be too bad this season to contribute their share toward two must win games.
No, but that's exactly why I don't think we'll win both of the next two games.
Point being, most of our losses those 3 years were at least competitive. There were a few games where we got our asses handed to us, but right now in 2018 we've been gut-punched 3 weeks in a row, with no signs that the defense is capable of even making stops twice in a game, much less twice in a row.
4-6, fresh off a 6-point loss to a top-10 team, is much different that 4-5 with 3 straight blowouts to average teams.
You must have a short memory because the 2015 team gave up 180 per game (75th in the country), only 30 less per game than this year, and Ohio State rushed for 360 on us. Also we allowed a 100 rusher in over half of our games that year.
This is precisely my point, we can say "yeah but those teams had these players and oh we're much worse this year" but we had shitty problems we forget about from those seasons as well.
True, but this defense is giving up almost a full touchdown more per game through its first nine games than the 2015 defense did. (31.0 ppg vs 24.3 ppg)
Those teams never looked as lost and helpless as this one. Barring some sort of miracle, I don't see another W in 2018. I hope I am wrong.
I think we can beat Miami. UVA will take some help from the football gods.
Really? Do you remember Brenden Motley at home vs Pitt? He threw 5 interceptions.
Do you remember the game against Pitt this past weekend?
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Decent reach, and a little context isn't a bad thing, but if you think this year isn't just a little bit different, then you're kidding yourself. Most embarrassing loss in program history, and multiple teams are literally setting school records against our defense. If we somehow finish 7-6 (adding a game) then that means Fuente sold his soul to the devil, or Nick Saban.
A 6 win regular season would be an incredible job by this coaching staff.Beating uva and Miami would be an impressive turnaround job by this staff
Edit: corrected.
Hard disagree. Schedule was weak, last 4 of 5 at home. Coaching lot to be desired this year.
Rephrase: winning 2 of our last 2-3 games this season would be an incredible job by this coaching staff, with what they currently have to work with.
In 2012 2 of the 6 losses were by 1 score or less - the final 2 wins were over 2-10 BC and 4-8 UVa.
In 2014 5 of our 6 losses were by 1 score or less
In 2015 4 of those 6 losses were by 1 score or less
In 2018 0 of our 5 losses were by 1 score or less. Smallest margin of defeat is 10 to BC. Final remaining games are against 5-5 Miami and 7-3 Virginia.
In 2012 3 wins were by 3 and 1 win was by 7. That is razor thin margins on both sides.
In 2014 2 wins were by four or less.
In 2015 2 wins by 3 or less.
That's the thing. Those teams were competitive, even in losses. There was reason to believe they had an ability to turn it around late, especially with a bad UVa anchoring the comeback.
This year? The losses haven't even been competitive, and the win over UNC was played terribly despite stumbling our way to victory. I just don't see how this team can beat Miami or Virginia to close this out. Virginia might hang 70 on us (and they probably will if they want to) and I just don't trust the defense to slow anyone down right now, even an offense as bad as Miami.
Agree. Seeing comments like "Let the streak die" makes me sad.
Reasons to continue both streaks:
We are the premier football program in Virginia.
The offseason talking point, even if we don't make a bowl, is going to be 'how do we fix this'. If it was any other program in the Commonwealth, it wouldn't be a talking point, it would be a minor footnote as they moved on to another sport. But for us? VT is football in this region. To be this bad is news. The reaction to a single bad year will validate that we are the top dog, even when we aren't playing like it.
That is not factual at this time. Recruits are not necessarily VT fans. Both streaks speak to the consistency of the program in getting players in the spotlight and showing dominance over a rival.
With recruits a lot of your performance is, "what have you done lately?".
The "what have you done lately" is also not factual. Otherwise teams like USC, Florida State, Tennesee, Michigan and Notre Dame (until this year), Texas (until sorda this year), and other continue to be top 15 in recruiting desipte not being good anywhere from the past 5-20 years.
Recruits either go to a brand name school, a place they feel can get them to the NFL, or a team they can get early playing time. Winning is a part of that equation but not as big as those first 3 reasons.
Unfortunately, you cannot compare our program to those schools.... we have to work to maintain momentum. The donor base, revenue, and brand recognition of those schools is on another level than VT.
Yeah, and from a football standpoint, we're on a completely different level than any other program in the commonwealth.
I am in agreement with you and wasn't talking about just VT recruiting, but the sentiment that football recruiting comes down to "what have you don lately" just isn't true. We have the best college football brand in Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland despite our poor performance this year. This won't change unless other teams can put up conference championships, 10 win-seasons, or a crap load of money.
We aren't on the level of those other schools I mentioned and but their brand and NFL alumni is why they can poach the best MD, VA, and NC recruits when we should be landing them purely based off of the best football brand in those 3 states. So our goal is to continue to build our brand to get close to the level of the blue bloods, similar to the rise of Clemson over the past 7 years. Winning is a factor, but have to build a donor base and brand recognition that is enticing for elite recruits to come play for, turning down the "blue bloods" to stay in our Mid-Atlantic region.
FTFY. Clemson is well liked in a good portion of North Carolina.
Thanks for compiling this together RealDiehl, I had been trying to say this to anyone who would listen because I was a student during the 2012 and 2014 season. Everyone thinks the sky is falling when in reality we have been here often over the past 6-7 years.
This is a true rebuilding year with more inexperienced players in the 2 deep than EVER before. Yes, some of our losses have been worse than those years you've mentioned, but like the seasons past I am hopeful that that team can dig down and pull out the next 2 or 3 games (Miami and UVA aren't exactly world beaters) and head into the offseason with a lot of lessons learned and momentum for 2019.
Either way I will be there the next 3 weekends to cheer my head off for the Hokies, because the only thing worse than a bad season is the long, dreaded offseason.
I'll also be there, at least for the next 2 games. But if your summer wasn't better than this football season then you need a new vacation planner.
Haha no my summer was amazing, had my first kid (a healthy son) so it definitely wasn't a bad offseason. I just love watching Hokie football, even frustrating football, than no football at all. I can't stand the middle of the summer where the only thing on is either meaningless baseball games or golf tournaments.
Be positive until you can't be positive. Miami is also deeply flawed, the offense can beat them. LOLUVA is still LOLUVA, the will be able to seize defeat from the jaws of victory.
If ifs were fifths, we all would be drunk/ this is a different feeling than those years. we are just downright bad, and there is no way Tech will win with this porous defense.
This team feels worse than this? I know it's real bad but this was the lowest point.
i dunno, part of me wants to concede this point, and part of me thinks that Wake Forest team would put up 24 on us this year.
Against Pitt and GT combined
14 Touchdowns
1 Field Goal
2 Punts
2 Forced Fumbles
Yeah, this team feels a lot worse. At least if you're capable of pitching a shutout, even with a horrible offense, you might luck into a turnover or good enough field position to get a chip shot FG. But now? We just can't stop offenses. And sandwiched between those losses was another loss to the OC we had during that WF game.
Yes because at least we weren't being beaten by 25, and didn't have 49+ points scored against us.
Yes, this season absolutely feels worse. To me, at least.
I wish we had a defense that could shut out a team for a half, much less the entire game.
And yes, I know we shut out BC in the 2nd quarter. And Duke in the 2nd and 3rd. And W&M in the 1st. But that's it this season, other that a flailing FSU that didn't know what a football was until mid-October.
Gimme a 0-0 tie heading into overtime over the garbage we've been putting out the last 7 weeks.
I realize the dire situation the team is in, but it's not like we haven't been here before.
Sure. We, as fans have been here before, sort of . The VT football program has been here before, sort of. But Justin Fuente hasn't been here before.
We will know, most likely, by halftime on Saturday how the season will end.
Agree with your point that we'll know by halftime. Miami is not a good offensive team, and their D is coming off a game vs GT. We really need to come out hot and put them away early
He went 3-9 in 2014(?), and followed that up with a 10-3 campaign the following year.
IMO, that Memphis season and this season are two very different animals for a lot of different reasons.
The one thing is with those offenses, I never felt like they had the potential to break out and win a shootout. As much as this offense has made me want to drown myself in bourbon (mainly playcalling/scheme), I've never lost the feeling that they could still have a break out. In 2012-2015, if a game was going to be a shootout, we never stood a chance. This could be the stupidest thing I've ever posted on here but for some reason I want to believe it. Beating Miami and UVA would save this season in my mind. Give the young guys some confidence heading into next year and some momentum heading into the offseason.
Edit: Tulsa bowl game was a shootout but I still never had a good feeling about that offense
I'd agree except for the Tulsa game, which was the very definition of "shootout"
Very true but for some reason I still just feel like this offense has the most potential.
That game came outta nowhere too. lol. Ford went fucking nuts.
via GIPHY
Damn yall I know we suck I'm just tryna have some optimism vs the two teams I hate most in this world
There are times that realism bitch slaps optimism's silly grin off its face.
Can't decide if this is Denial or Bargaining
Most fans are somewhere between Denial and Depression. I hope Fuente and Foster are in Testing. Hopefully, they'll hit acceptance before next season.
Wayyy past denial. Leaving heinz field was definitely a moment in the depression stage.
Chart is missing the "Fuck UVA" stage
No, it has Anger....
And this is why CornFU was hired so we don't get to that ever again, but looks like we are worst than that.
He's lost the fans, he's dejected himself, there is no sign of any aspect of the game being dominant. At least in those three years you point out, we had a decent defense.
after each of the seasons you listed, I was happy to say "worst season in a long time and we still managed to beat LOLUVa" That's all I want to say this season as well. (ok, not "all." a bowl trip would be nice, too).
We got this FAM! Don't y'all know FuCorn has been calling a vanilla offense this whole year so they can set up the perfect time to open up the play book and surprise the shit out of Miama and UVA. We're going to see a true offense this weekend!
LOL, see Denial and Bargaining above.
And burn QP's redshirt too, right?
Last night Darth Vader came down from Planet Vulcan and told me that if we didn't win these next two games we wouldn't go to a bowl game and he would melt by brain.
Hey you! Get out of that tree with those binoculars!
Those teams also didn't seem to give up. I see no fight in this team.
Hell yeah they did, the 2012 game vs Pitt was a give-up from the start, even Wiles said it postgame. That team just looked like they stopped caring. I know it was six years ago and recency makes it feel like this team is the worst of everything, but that's just not the case. They're bad and gave up vs Pitt, but they've been bad and gave up before.
The 2012 Pitt game they certainly gave up in, but never on the season as a whole evident by how they had to scratch and claw their way to a win against UVA and Boston College. I just don't know if this team has it in them to scratch and claw their way to a win. I hope I'm wrong because that's how they're going to have to beat UVA.
Team was ranked like 13th in the 2012 game against Pitt and pretty sure it was an 11 point game late in the fourth. Don't know if I really see 35-17 and putting up 14 points in the 3rd as giving up. I just think they were bad.
The offense is still getting out there and working, even if they aren't getting results. The defense is getting gashed over and over again, but they keep lining up and trying.
I'm not seeing an effort problem. Maybe a little bit of scheme issue, and an inability to adjust, but when half your defense wasn't even on the 2-deep to start the season it's a bit difficult to scheme around. It's less that they've given up, and more that they're giving all they can and it's not nearly enough.
There was a Pitt player, I forget who, but he said that he looked at the VT sideline at the start and said that we just didn't look ready. Despite still controlling their own destiny to go to the ACCCG and plenty of people questioning them, it just never seemed like they were into the game. Maybe it's the atmosphere at Heinz Field, but they can't do that against Miami and UVA.
That was a Pitt player saying whatever he wanted after a resounding win. I wouldn't actually put much credence into what he said.
I would. You don't hear that very often.
Ah yes, the bowl game against Rutgers. Didn't it have 17 punts or something like that?
I've been trying to erase that game from my memory, and here you go supplying details...
On the other hand, I'd kill to hold a 9-3 team to 10 points this year.
We might have to settle for holding a 4-8 team to 3 points.
I'd settle for giving up 31 points and still winning because the offense starts clicking.
Other than the helmets...that game never happened as far as I'm concerned. That was painful to watch.
I'm not disagreeing with you per say, but anything that includes the Russell Athletic Bowl isn't going to get a lot of enthusiasm from me.
Franks last few yeras i always felt we still had a chance in every game. Now I feel there is a chance we lose by 30 points in every game. Huge difference.