Recent Comments

To provide the counter-point to your argument against playing RVD. Look at DJ Parker's twitter comment that Joe posted above.

PLAY THE YOUNG GUYS WHO WANT IT MORE.

In a season where our depth is super thin at a lot of positions (injuries, etc.) we need to get guys on the field who are going to fly around and try to be playmakers. If that means its the Freshman then so be it. Yea they will make mistakes because they don't have all the concepts ingrained in them yet but that will come in time. It's called 'baptism by fire' and in 2 years when they are Juniors and have the experience to go along with the athletic, play-making abilities that's where all our Top 5 defenses in the past have come from.

All this seniority dictating playing time has got to stop. The players who want it and are actually capable of transforming themselves into playmakers need to be on the field.

It looked like Cole was back at the safety position and they moved Jarrett into the nickel spot in that package all day.

Probably because RVD not a good man-cover guy this early in his career so they had to use safeties and so Cole had to be inserted cuz Van Dyke can't/doesn't play back there. Honestly I would have liked to see him try lol. Couldn't be any worse than Cole getting run the fuck over every play.

Also, how much are we missing Boye Aromire now? Kid left the program during training camp (was it for playing time issues or family or what?) but we sure could use him these days with the secondary depth chart so thin.

Too bad Corey didn't see the field until this season... He's a difference maker. Frankly a more dependable possession guy than Roberts or Davis (in other words, he's had way less drops I believe.)

Though at this point, I'm unsure if this team deserves #ALLMAROONEVERYTHING

Please don't lose to Duke.

... Roberts dropped one (and it would have been a big gainer) and Dunn also dropped one. That's at least five drops. One of the best things about Coale and Boykin last year was that those two almost never dropped catchable passes. As you say, they are drive-killers. Add back those drops and Logan Thomas' stat line for the day would look stellar rather than just good.

The fourth down drop by Davis over the middle of a ball that hit him right in the numbers was a huge play. We were still in the game at that point and a catch there would have had us in business 1st & 10 at about the UNC 20.

Knowles is doing just fine and so is Fuller. I'd start the two of them if I were Sherman.

I highly doubt Davis will ever sniff the NFL. He's a physical freak, no doubt. But he has hands of stone and he's not a fundamentally sound WR. He doesn't come back for the ball, he catches it against his body rather than with his hands, he runs sloppy routes at times, and his blocking is spotty.

I agree with getting Van Dyke out there, but I wouldn't be too hard on Cole. He's just a redshirt freshman and he's taking his lumps right now. In an ideal world, he wouldn't even be out there this soon. I think that, in time, he's going to be a very good player for us. He's made some good plays in spots and he's certainly not afraid to lower his pads and hit somebody.

Yes, the pass interference call on Fuller in the 4th was absurd.

Problem isn't the spread. The problem is that the spread defense needs terrific athletes in space who can also play in traffic. The Hokies secondary isn't athletic enough now, and the linebackers don't have depth, resulting in them wearing out (and Taylor isn't a good fit at backer.)

I just sent Joe a reflective piece highlighting where this problem originated. I hope it is helpful.

the talent gap at some positions is just amazing .. aside from jarrett, we have ZERO other good options at either safety position. kyle fuller has had his moments and exum is looking better but bonner and cole are both looking very silly out there. where was rvd?? why isn't he playing the nickel?? TARIQ EDWARDS!!!! PLEASE COME BACK!!!!

Bud's defenses were fine against the spread most of last year and have done fine against a lot of spread offense teams in the past. So I don't buy the argument that the game has somehow passed him by at all.

I didn't make that argument, I was speaking about this season, the only one that matters. Last year he gave college football the blueprint for beating a Denard led Michigan, stopped Clemson the first time around, but took it on the chin in the rematch.

He doesn't have the horses to go Nickel and man-up against spread teams. That showed against Cincinnati and now North Carolina. Cole has really struggled, and at this point I feel they need to look in a different direction. I'd rather see Vandyke as the nickelback. Other than that, I'm not sure what else they do except stay in base and use Vandyke in man a little more on the slot. Or, hell, like French mentioned, go ultra-agressive with more 4-4 concepts and just attack. They can't do worse in coverage.

Your best argument this season is that we held GT to < 300 yards, but then again they drove down the field late in the fourth quarter for what could have been a game winning drive. (Thanks again Tevin.)

We bottled up Bowling Green, but again "playmakers".

Everything else I agree with, especially Newsome. He's responsible for coaching two positions and it's close (running backs), but they've been the least productive on the offense this year. He doesn't have an excuse, he has his players.

.... and have done fine against a lot of spread offense teams in the past. So I don't buy the argument that the game has somehow passed him by at all.

The problem is that our defensive linemen and linebackers, especially our defensive tackles, are simply being beaten mano a mano most of the time. They're routinely being pushed out of position and they're not getting off of blocks and making plays like they did so well last season. Until they start doing a better job of shedding blockers and penetrating, we'll continue to get gashed by opposing running backs.

On the plus side, LT returned to form today and Antone Exum played a very good game at boundary CB. UNC went after him several times today and each time he was up to the challenge.

But Curt Newsome simply has to go. I am sick and tired of watching opposing DLs and LBs slicing into our backfield virtually untouched, just as I am sick and tired of seeing VT offensive linemen stood up and pushed backwards. It's impossible to get any kind of running game going when this keeps happening.

Our guys are plenty big and, assuming that Mike Gentry hasn't forgotten how to develop guys in the gym, plenty strong. We need to find someone who can coach them into a being a good line, because Curt Newsome obviously can't. If programs like UL-Monroe can come up with offensive lines that can move around SEC defensive fronts, there's no reason whatsoever why we shouldn't be able to do so as well.

I say fire Newsome at year's end and hire UL-Monroe's OL coach!!!

great for recaps.

Also played lights out.