Recent Comments
I am 100% sure that Ron Cherry, or any ACC official, is not throwing flags in favor of one team or another. We may have been on the bad end of some 50/50 calls - but it is what it is, officials make mistakes. All ACC officials have put a tremendous amount of time and money to get to that level, they are not going to jeopardize it.
I am shocked that we have not gotten a holding call in what, 5 games?
That being said - Ron Cherry is plain AWFUL. He has bad mechanics, usually average judgement, and unbelievably poor communication skills (i.e. the punt at the 1 was the correct call, but he did not communicate why it was at all, period). Can not believe he got a NC game. Go back and watch the Florida A&M/VT game in 2004 as we had a TD called back due to his inadvertent whistle on a kickoff. Simply inexcusable- even though it did not matter.
I think it's pretty much what French said above. Every one of the stretch plays we've run have been away from our TE and our WRs are inconsistent, to put it gently, blocking on the edge. I'm not saying the read option game doesn't require your skill position players to block, but you can get away with a little more in that department. I think the short answer is that Loeffler doesn't trust his young TEs in the running game, and there is very little doubt in my mind this offense would look much different if Malleck was still in the lineup.
Yeah he was originally supposed to visit Oct. 5 but moved it to Oct. 26. I guess 247 forgot to change it.
Only played QB Jr. and Sr. Year in HS. Played WR his So. year
So, after that, I decided to watch Lee. His size would target him for the backer position, but he plays a spot very similar to the whip in high school. He excels taking quarterback on the read option, keeping just enough distance to force the QB to keep, and then having the closing speed to make the tackle once he commits. He looks very solid is zone coverage and appears to be comfortable aligned back in the normal whip alignment as well as the 4-4 on the line at the edge alignment.
The proliferation of spread offenses make it unlikely, but I still fondly remember the days of the big whip linebackers creating havoc.
He famously played one year, maybe two, of QB in HS. If I recall correctly, someone got hurt his junior year and he had to step in and played it his senior year even though he was the #1 TE recruit in the country. Then Stiney and Beamer liked what they saw.....the physical tools.....and asked him if h wanted to play QB. He agreed, played great his first year when surrounded by elite talent (especially the RB who took the load off of him) and focused on a very simple offensive scheme.
So there are a lot of factors. Is this offense too complicated for him? Is the other offensive talent that much of a dropoff from the 2011 team? I would say this offense most definitely is more complicated, but last year's was not...or at least not by much. The offensive talent around him is less, but it's not this bad. In fact, most of us are now more comfortable with at least how the receivers have improved.
247 has him visiting on Oct. 5th - an official visit. 247 Timeline
If he took an unofficial visit for Duke- I could not find it.
EDIT: I found where he visited us for Duke as well. TSL calls it his official. Not sure which is correct- but if he came to campus twice from Indianapolis that is a great sign.
I don't know that you #2 is correct, didn't he play QB all through HS? That said it only serves to make #1 all the more confusing.
Brandon Lee has a killer instinct. I believe he will want to play for VT's defense. It is where he can be the star he was made to be. Come to Hokie Nation Brandon, and fullfill your destiny.
Sorry for the lack of clarity. Clarke is similar to a poor man's Adibi. I can not say I have watched film on Lee yet.
I would normally agree - but the last L'ville one was yesterday. He also just visited Mizzou.
He visited us for UNC, so that is a good point though.
Ron Cherry is one of 7 refs. He doesn't make every call, he is just the one that announces them. Obviously he has the right to overrule any of them, but as a soccer official I know that being on a referee team is a lot like being on any other team. You trust your teammates to help you out.
If he is like Adibi - I am excited.
Also- I might have been wrong! Blankenbaker (what a name) founded TheCrunchZone.com a Louisville site that is pretty nice.
@UofLCardGame @Mengus22 @ChrisHorneSW Brandon Lee has been on the radar for a LONG time. But I think it is either VT or Mizzou— Mark Blankenbaker (@UofLSheriff50) November 5, 2013
I think you have well voiced my frustration. I'm not frustrated that we are 6-3, I'm frustrated that we are 6-3 because LT is doing the things he should not be doing.
To that end, he's got a history of it. Why? I don't know, but I can tell you that he's literally not a natural QB. The Malcolm Gladwell "10,000 Hours of Practice" for mastery is part of it. LT has all the physical tools in the world, but he still throws crossing patterns too hard or 3' behind his receiver. He still struggles with his checkdowns until he gets anxious in the pocket and makes bad decisions. We will never know this, but he may get mixed up on routes or he may see option routes and read them incorrectly compared to a wide-open Josh Stanford.
We don't know why Logan Thomas leads the NCAA in turnovers the last two years. But we do know two things:
1. Its not his physical skills,
2. He has played less QB than practically every other college QB out there.
Actually he visited us for Duke.
turkey leg for Blazing Saddles reference
I agree that Mike Evans has helped out Johnny Manziel a ton this year. Manziel is still a great player of course.
Winston has been amazing throughout the year and he might have had his worst game last Saturday. Some of those throws he's made have been amazing, check out the play he made right before halftime they played Boston College. If Florida was a better team I'd think Winston would have a great shot to win the Heisman, right now I think Marcus Mariota gets some more publicity after Thursday night.
So have any reporters asked Loeffler why he hasn't been running Edmunds the last couple of weeks despite glimpses that there could be success to be had there? I'm assuming that Loeffler is smarter than the majority or armchair coordinators out here in Hokie Land calling for it. He's done a lot of good and sure seems to be. What is the reasoning? Lack of success against ECU? I'm dying to hear the answer to this in the weekly coordinator interviews.
think a poor man's Adibi
I'm on board. There are few players I enjoyed watching play as much as Adibi.
They do have them but, it requires gelding, so...
Kids have that special way of giving us perspective. Win or lose they are just happy to be dressed "like daddy" and run around with minimal supervision as we watch the game. They love trying to do the touchdown sign and yelling at the tv with (now PG gems like) "come on, are you blind!"
I had a feeling these boards would light up after the game and found it WAY more fun and entertaining to not worry about LT and the direction of the team but run around in the leaves with my kids. Perhaps everyone should just take a step back, take a deep breath, and just enjoy life for a bit instead of jumping on the internet and ranting about a kid that most (if not all) of us actually know very little about.
I love this post and love the perspective that it provides.
He has a chance to get immediate playing time. Chase Williams will be the mike, but I don't think Clarke is a lock at backer, especially after getting in trouble this year. He could be very good (think a poor man's Adibi... very athletic yet still strong enough to take on blocking at the point of attack), but he is still very raw.
I was hoping this thread would kind of die off after my mic drop. Talk about your ultimate backfire.
(But thank you for everybody recognizing the hard work we put into our analysis. We don't do this to advance our own agendas about the team. We really do this to help the fan base understand the game better.)
Instead of calling for Loeffler to play Leal instead of Logan, why not call for Loeffler to play Logan like he would play Leal?
I....didn't know I was allowed to think about this. Eye-opening line. Well in, Mason.
Sean McDonough: ""From 44 yards, it's long enough. It is right down the middle! Good for Shayne Graham! They're still alive in Blacksburg!"