Recent Comments
not wrong
I think Wang went out briefly against UNC as well.... Someone correct me if I'm wrong there.
beat #newHoos .
Can you post the link to that mention? I'm interested in reading the article.
Only time will tell. Unfortunately.
I remember those better too, but I enjoyed the FSU game because I could make fun of my FSU friends while I was watching it.
I want a change in attitude. That's it.
I will try to address these these the best I can at the end of the season after national signing day. They are good questions.
on another excellent analysis! Really dude, you should be on TV or radio. Congrats on the mention in Bitter's blog, too!
I think as french points out, this shows why so many college teams are only a few sub-par recruiting years away from mediocrity. Complacency breeds mediocrity. I just posted on the "What do you want out of this season" post some thoughts on recruiting (copied here), not totally restricted to defense, but overall.
I think one thing we need to do is re-assess our recruiting philosophy as well. I know we have some speed guys, but we need to recruit speed on both sides of the ball for every position. Think DE's like Jadevon Clowney. O-linemen the size of houses that can move. Running backs that pack some punch (we've had a few of those, and may already have some in-house as redshirts) TE's who can run, catch AND knock sombody's head off. (While we're on blocking, in my mind the first two priorities of a WR should be to 1. catch the ball when it's thrown to you, and 2. hit someone really, really hard when it isn't. Our guys haven't really done either this year, so it kind of grates on me.) Speed kills in any sport, but perhaps more so in football than any other game. Let's go get more.
40 yards?! hell naw!
Dozer's Play of the Game - Week 6
The team is making it hard to keep doing these.
tonkaberlin:
Saturday's game is one I would like to forget. Giovanni Bernard made our run defense look silly, rushing for 262 yards. VT gave up its first kickoff return for a TD since 1993, ending the nation's longest active streak. Our tradition of running the football is seemingly over; we put up 40 total yards on the ground, with our leading rusher, our quarterback, only putting up 20. Yet let's not forget Demitri Knowles, the heir apparent to the #STRAIGHTBURNER title, answering UNC's 3rd quarter touchdown with a 93 yard kickoff return of his own.
Before that play, I had just switched from beer to bourbon. I really thought that I had finally corrected whatever superstitious hurdle was keeping us from winning. I had flashbacks to 2010 NC State where David Wilson's 3rd quarter K.O. return sparked the team to come back and, eventually, win convincingly. That wasn't the case here. After that play, our stagnant offense and underachieving defense went through the same motions with the exception of one set of plays. With 9 minutes left in the game, on 3rd and 10 Logan scrambled, stepped up, and threw a rocket to Corey Fuller who once again put his track speed to good use and beat the UNC secondary for a 66-yard touchdown. More impressive, though, was the offense's ability to line up again, and Corey Fuller was able to catch a bobbling 2-pt conversion to pull VT to within 11. The offense looked like it had finally found that "it" factor and was beginning to click.
I'd like to pretend that that play finally ended VT's offensive struggles. That the defense used that momentum to shut UNC down. That we won that game. But we didn't. It was a beautiful fluke. And that's why this is the Play of the Game, not the Play of the Season.
I've never coached, and I'm not an X's and O's guy. I treat all suggestions of coaching changes with a lot of skepticism, who am I to judge? Also not one to give up without a fight.
That being said, if losing out (with a win over UVA of course) and staying home for the bowl season results in the type of changes that we need to get back to where we were not so long ago, then once again attempt to take that next step beyond that, I could live with that and won't be as heartbroken at this point as I would in years past.
These changes could be a change in philsophy, recruiting methods, defensive schemes, coaches, redshirt policy, whatever...but change is good in my opinion. Again can't speak for football, but in life a little kick in the ass is good every now and then.
Dont recommend having the the audio on because there is some bad static
Also notice that the uniforms are solid maroon...not saying but I am saying
Farris and Roberts come to mind. Anyone else leave due to injury?
And I would trade it all to be 6-0...:(
(Heavy Sigh)
Who wants conference player of the week honors?? Just come play against VT and you shall receive.
First, I'm optimistic that we can and will play better. Virtually every other season under CFB has shown that his teams play better at the end of the season than the start. That being said, there are LOTS of areas to improve upon. I think if we temper our expectations for some very young talent positions, we can hope for winning all but most likely two of the remaining games (Clempsom & FSeww). I don't think winning any of the remaining games will be a cakewalk, though.
After the end of the season (hopefully a bowl game...and I never thought I'd be hoping for "just" a bowl game!!) I would hope CFB sees the need for wholesale offensive change. One comment that I saw earlier this year gives me hope. I remember Stienspring recounting a conversation with Beamer, (I think this was in regard to job security at Tech...wish I remember where I saw this, because I don't remember the exact wording) and Beamer told him the best way to stay co-ordinator was to score points and win games. I think Frank is a lot more steely-eyed CEO than we perhaps give him credit for at times. He realizes that this is a business. I don't think he's opposed to rattling the apple cart, although it's not something he particularly likes doing. I think we need to do some house cleaning on the offensive coaching staff. I think O'Steinspring, Newsome and Sherman need to be shown the door. I've thought that Newsome needed to go for several years now. If any of the four survive, I would hope it would be Sherman, but I think you bring in a new OC, and let him build the staff for his side of the ball. Re:Lil'Beamer, the jury is out, and recruiting pluses could be a great reason to keep him.
I think one thing we need to do is re-assess our recruiting philosophy as well. I know we have some speed guys, but we need to recruit speed on both sides of the ball for every position. Think DE's like Jadevon Clowney. O-linemen the size of houses that can move. Running backs that pack some punch (we've had a few of those, and may already have some in-house as redshirts) TE's who can run, catch AND knock sombody's head off. (While we're on blocking, in my mind the first two priorities of a WR should be to 1. catch the ball when it's thrown to you, and 2. hit someone really, really hard when it isn't. Our guys haven't really done either this year, so it kind of grates on me.) Speed kills in any sport, but perhaps more so in football than any other game. Let's go get more.
I was a fledgling in the world of Hokie football. I had no idea what to expect of the team or school. I loved being in the middle of everything at the time, but wasn't involved in the world of high expectation coming off the 99 and 2000 seasons. I went to games, watched the one's away on TV, and was just happy to be constantly around people I just assumed as family. I went to the aTm game more excited to drunkenly cheer amidst a hurricane. Then later that season I watched the magical demise of #2 Miami in the Terrordome.
That season always stands out to me because we were underdogs again. Teams took us lightly instead of painting a target on our back. I'm sure many fans were just as disgruntled and embarrassed, but I was in a fish bowl of sorts.
Over the last 6 or 7 years I have become that fan. The one who sees success and just assumes that it should continue. I've screamed and yelled in fits of rage over "the yearly bad losses" and even ruined a few work Christmas parties over watching the ACCCG on the same day. I had forgotten to just cheer for our guys and realize its just football, shit happens, and we have the ability and backing to get better. If it's this year I'm excited, but if it has to happen later I'll just watch this team like I did on Saturday, cheer like a mad man when we do well and after a slight curse hope the next play will be better when things don't go so well.
I'm not jaded, i'm not apathetic, and I certainly have not lost faith in my Hokies. I'm just glad to be back again, if even for a brief stint, to be that fan who lives in ignorant bliss hoping for another big moment.
Thanks for the reply and answering some of my questions
The old press box was torn down after the 2004 season.
That is one positive.
I was hoping the less than stellar recruiting of that period could be overcome, but it is now showing. I think it is on both sides of the ball. Is this a rebuilding year or the start of a trend?
After reading French's article, which gave me a ton of perspective on this season (and possibly next), I've decided to shift my focus.
I was talking with my father for a bit yesterday, who is a proud PSU alumni, and he said he was enjoying this year's PSU season. Why? Because he said it was nice "just focusing on winning the next game and not worrying about bowls or anything like that." I think I'm going to adapt that approach, at least until 2014 when all of the crap will start to flush out of the system.
All that being said, I still want to beat UVA. A loss to them in lane could drive me to the edge. I could get over a loss in Scott Stadium, but to lose to them in Blacksburg; I don't want to even think about that.
I want to see changes in the coaching staff made, and I feel that only having a record under .500 and not going to a bowl game will get that done...
Additionally, I agree that it would be great to get the younger players some time on the field so that they have some experience if they must be thrown into the fire that is the opener against 'Bama next season.
However, on the other side of the coin, it feels almost sacreligious to just give up on this team. We're all Hokie fans and we would prefer to see success rather than failure. I think a better time to decide what we want to see will be after our next two/three games... Which in my mind SHOULD BE a W against Duke, and at the very least, a hard fought close game against Clemson.
The extremely hopeful side of my Hokie Fan Brain says that we go into Death Valley and shock the Tigers, but I won't truly believe that could happen unless we come out against Duke on Saturday and play MISTAKE FREE FOOTBALL. PLEASE AND THANK YOU.