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Wrote on some music video treatments, cut grass, kids pool time, grilling and checking in on TKP and Bitter site to see anything about the scrimmage. Also analyzing the cached Wed Scrimmage video I had recorded before they took it down.

Missed the skins game to be at my gfs grandmothers birthday party, but its ok, I went to the skins/steelers game on monday without her.

Also, those in the Blacksburg area, the volleyball team opens up their season with a tourney on Friday/Saturday in Cassell so come out and cheer them on. Then, of course, leave and go watch BEATBAMA because lets be honest, there is going to be no one there those last two matches.

Good thing they'll always have a great defense to practice against. Grimes already seems to be applying a real coaching methodology to his line. Please, no more injuries!

Hmm... Interesting read, but VT better hope it's now and not 2014. Losing 9 starters on defense will not bode well for a team that relies heavily on ball control. If he's right, and VT is mediocre in 2013, they're going to be worse in 2014. Also, the 2014 quarterback will not be as good as Logan 2013. Well, we'll find out a lot on Aug 31st.

Math Appreciation Day Helmets to be auctioned immediately following the game. These glossy maroon helmets feature one of the iconic and beautiful locations in Blacksburg: The Math Emporium.

Was on end-of-summer trip with the kids (before school starts back tomorrow) and woke up in a cabin in SWVA; for lunch I helped with an 80th b-day party for Grandma, then drove home then did a lot of house work, fell asleep exhausted at 9:30

Mason nailed it. The technique he teaches is fundamentally sound. It is no different than how teams like Oklahoma and Alabama ran the wishbone in the 1970's. Sometimes, guys are engaged at game speed and things happen, but it only stands out as different and "special" because so few programs use the flexbone offense, and only one uses it in a BCS conference.

Great post. Respect the the tide? Yes. Fear the the Tide? No. It's part of our fight song (play to win): "With winning hopes we fear defeat no longer!"

This game reminds me of 1996 Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield.

Despite having already incurred a loss to Buster, there was still this aura of invincibility surrounding Tyson. Well, someone forgot to tell that to Holyfield. If you saw the match (I vividly remember the PPV party that I held in my apartment in Blacksburg that year), it was clear that someone who grows up a bad-ass doesnt lay down and give up at the sound of the bell when staring down another fellow gladiator, despite what the press says. At one point Evander was even talking smack and taunting on his way to a HUGE upset.

There are teams out there that will in fact lay down, particularly those that either lack tradition or are so far removed from it that mediocrity has become firmly entrenched into their culture. Were not there. Alabama has the countrys best players, but its a big country. I have faith in the fact that our guys grew up believing that they are bad-asses too.

This post really puts things into perspective, well done! We've already seen the purpose with which our team has been preparing for bama. Our injured players would like nothing more, than to be fighting for every yard against the tide.

No outcome is guaranteed, which is why the game is played.

I used scared because it's healthy to be scared, it's a natural reaction to something that starts your fight or flight reactions. It's like getting on a roller coaster, you're inherently nervous because it could break or something but you do it anyway. The Hokies don't fly away from being scared. Never have and so help if me God if they start.

Enjoyed this post, how I've been feeling all summer about this game. Hope all the no-chance talk has put a huge chip on their shoulders, and I got a feeling we'll be seeing a balls out relentless Hokies team that we can all get behind win or lose.

The problem with your argument is that you are still talking about legal CUT blocks, which no one is arguing against.

I think French fully comprehends what the discussion is about. He (and I) just disagree with the idea that a D linemen is allowed to dictate how an offensive linemen is allowed to block him.

Let's take a look.

wat now

Basic blocking on a triple option play here. Most of the chop blocks which take place in the tackle box happen on the backside where the Defensive Tackle (labeled DT1) tries to prevent the Center from advancing to the next level and picking off a Safety. At the snap, the backside guard (labeled G1) knows that the Center's responsibility is on the next level and that his responsibility is to cut block DT1. G1 also knows that DT1 is not lined up directly over his head, so he has to cut block him.

Now here is where almost all of the chop blocks GT gets called for occur. At the snap, DT1 fires off and hits C up high. Simultaneously, G1 fires off at the snap and goes to cut block DT1. This results in a "High/low" block even though the C never had any intention of engaging DT1 to begin with.

Now hopefully you can see why French and I think it's ridiculous to say that Paul Johnson wants to hurt other players and get away with it. He DOESN'T teach his players to chop block. However, because he DOES teach them to cut block so often, it is inevitable that chop blocks will happen with more frequency in his offense then in others.

Are defensive coordinators responsible for when their secondary players target defenseless receivers? Are special team coaches responsible for when their gunners plaster a punt returner before he catches the ball? Of course not. Players are going to play with imperfect technique, that's the nature of the game.

There is a difference in teaching your players to hurt others and asking them to perform a technically difficult task which, if they fail to perform correctly, can lead to chop blocks

Edit: Oh, and whether you want to call Paul Johnson a genius or not doesn't matter. Fact is, that for almost a decade now he has consistently put out a product which leads the nation in rushing and is towards the top in overall offense despite a hilarious lack of top notch talent. All while running an offense he basically created on his own. I call that type of output genius, you're free to use your own vernacular.

Either way, PJ is one of the top 3 offensive coordinators in the country. And with BCS talent would put an unstoppable offense on the field.

Went and picked up 2.5 yards of pea gravel and spread it around our recently installed above ground pool. Bought two whole chickens and drooped them off with my neighboor so he could start smoking them. Got in the pool with my son, another buddy and his daughter. Listened to our wives talk shit about us while we drank roughly 17 beers apiece and then the neighboor and his family came over and swam and we ate smoked chicken.

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