Travon McMillian New No. 1 Tailback, Isaiah Ford Stays Hot, Frank Beamer Previews Miami

Shane Beamer talks running backs and Loeffler heaps praise on Isaiah Ford. Also, Frank Beamer on the Hokies answering the bell.

Travon McMillian carries the ball against N.C. State. [Mark Umansky]

Hokies players and coaches met with the media this afternoon ahead of Saturday's Coastal Division bout with Miami.

Frank Beamer Opening Statement

Shane Beamer Opening Statement

Hokies Haven't Forgotten 2014 Beatdown from the Canes

Frank Beamer didn't dance around the 30-6 beating that Miami served the Hokies with on a chilly Thursday night in Lane Stadium last October.

"I talk about what's reality and the reality of it all is they came in here and kicked our tail," said Beamer. "Ran the ball. They beat us soundly. Badly. Soundly. All of the above."

Senior defensive tackle Luther Maddy was injured and didn't play in last year's matchup, but he hasn't forgotten the helpless feeling felt throughout the defense as Miami continuously gashed the Hokies up front.

"I was on the sidelines just watching like 'wow,'" said Maddy. "They were busting runs for 8 yards a pop. It was a terrible job with us on defense. They had over 300 yards I think rushing. So I think this year we'll have a chip on our shoulder. They embarrassed us last year."

Star sophomore quarterback Brad Kaaya was only forced to throw 16 times thanks to the dominant rushing attack, but Beamer knows the second-year signal caller will present the young Hokies secondary with significant challenges.

"He's for real," said Beamer. "He came a long way to throw the ball in Miami. But he can throw it. You can tell he's very much in charge."

Travon McMillian Listed as No. 1 Tailback

Shane Beamer formalized today what most of Hokie Nation already knew — Travon McMillian is the Hokies' new No. 1 tailback.

"He's gonna start this week," Beamer said of McMillian. "He did a great job on Friday night and got hot and gave us something there towards the end of the game. He'll start, but again so much of our offense is personnel driven."

Both J.C. Coleman and Trey Edmunds failed to receive a carry against the Wolfpack, something Beamer said was more of a byproduct of the Hokies' game plan than a condemnation of either tailback.

"A lot of the stuff that we were doing Friday night, we were in an empty backfield. We were calling plays from the line of scrimmage. May be a run, may be a pass," said Beamer. "If we're throwing the football, not that J.C. and Trey aren't great pass catchers, but as far as route running and catching, Travon and Sam are kind of our guys from that standpoint. So they were going to be in the game. I told Trey and J.C. last week that going into the game they were probably going to get the bulk of the work at least early because of what we were trying to do offensively."

So while McMillian will likely receive a majority of the carries moving forward, Beamer maintained that both Edmunds and Coleman will continue to play a role as the Hokies enter into the second half of the year.

"I think people are quick to forget the type of players and people that they are," said Beamer. "2013, we went down there and had a heck of a night against Miami down there two years ago and Trey Edmunds ran for four touchdowns in a season that we won 8 games. J.C. Coleman last year rushed for over 100 yards three out of the last four games and was the MVP of our bowl game. So they haven't forgotten how to run the football. They're big time running backs and we're fortunate to have those guys as players and to have those guys as people."

Isaiah Ford's Breakout Season Continues

Isaiah Ford became well-acquainted with the end zone on Friday night, turning in a 3 touchdown performance that upped his touchdown tally to six on the season. Offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler noted Ford's hard work in the weight room as a factor in the sophomore's breakout season.

"He's much better," said Loeffler of Ford. "Anytime you get experience one, you're gonna be a better football player. But I think he's done a great job in the weight room. I think he's bigger and stronger. I think another year of that, he's gonna be something else."

Loeffler was also impressed with the mental growth of Ford as his comfort level in the offense continues to rise.

"He did a great job," said Loeffler. "We were running a sprint out pass that we've run here for years. He did a great job finding the fat of the zone, stayed in phase with Motley and did exactly what he was coached to do. I would say last year he wasn't doing that. There was no way that he was doing that. Again, it goes back to the experience and all those practice reps that he's had over the year."

Michael Brewer Nearing Return

Michael Brewer will be evaluated by the Virginia Tech medical staff Monday afternoon and possibly again on Tuesday morning as he recovers from a broken collarbone. Brewer nearly made his return against N.C. State, but the doctors decided to hold the senior signal-caller out for another week.

While Loeffler wouldn't get into many specifics concerning Brewer's health, he raved about how helpful he's been in getting Brenden Motley ready to play.

"He's been terrific since the time he was injured," said Loeffler. "I remember his dad saying to him whenever he broke his collarbone, 'you gotta get out there with your team.' That's the type of kid he is. That's the type of family he comes from. Virginia Tech is very important to him. He's done a great job in his role of helping the other quarterbacks come along. I think Brenden would say the same thing.

While Loeffler might not know what the future holds for Brewer, he was willing to dole out some career advice for his quarterback.

"He's a team guy and I hope someday when he's done with football, he becomes a coach because I think he'd be great," said Loeffler. "I don't know if he wants to go down that crazy path that we have, so we'll see. We'll see what he wants to do with his life after football."

Brenden Motley will likely be relegated back to the bench whenever Brewer is able to return, but Frank Beamer is pleased that the Hokies now have two legitimate options at quarterback.

"We've got two quarterbacks that can win a football game for us. That's the bottom line," said Beamer. "That's good for Virginia Tech."

Hokies Respond After Two Straight Losses

It was a somber couple of weeks in Blacksburg after back to back losses, and a third in a row against N.C. State on Friday could have pushed an already desperate fan base over the edge.

However, the Hokies answered the bell on Friday night.

"Backs were to the wall and our coaches and players I thought did a tremendous job," said Frank Beamer. "Sometimes coaches get lost in that, but I tell them 'that's when they coach their best.' That's when coaching makes a difference. Anyone can coach when things are silky smooth and going well. That's when you find out who the good coaches are when it's a little rough and people are doubting you and not many good things are being said about you...I thought I had a good coaching staff last week...It's something to build on. From a defensive standpoint, we've got some young guys, got those young freshman secondary guys, they got a little bit better last week. They fit a little better in the run support and that helped. Then I think offensively we got some weapons and it showed up last week. If we just take it and build on it, I think we've got the makings of a really good football team."

Additional Quotes

Shane Beamer

ON THE RUNNING BACK ROTATION:

"And then we had some tendencies. I get emails (that say), 'Only time that Travon's in the game, we run a jet sweep. And the only time Sam's in the game, we throw the football.' And that couldn't be accurate. Some people might think we're idiots, but we're not that dumb. We know that we have to break some tendencies. Sam carried the ball last year. Sam's carried the ball this year. Travon's carried the ball this year in the backfield. But wanted to certainly early in the game get those guys going and let Travon get some carries, let Sam get some carries...It's not a knock on J.C. and Trey. It was more our game plan and what Travon brought to the table Friday night."

ON J.C. COLEMAN AND TREY EDMUNDS CELEBRATING MCMILLIAN'S TD RUN:

"Trey was down there as well celebrating with Travon on that one. They're team guys. It's tough. People say it's not little league, everybody doesn't get to play, everybody doesn't get participation trophies and all of that, but you care about these guys. And Trey and J.C. are leaders of this football team and are great, great, great team guys. They're competitors. You want everybody to have that chance to play. But it says what kind of leaders they are and I told Trey and J.C. yesterday when I told them that Travon was going to start this week, that they're still leaders on this team. They still have a major role on this team. We saw last year how quickly running back injuries can pop up. We hopefully can keep these guys healthy throughout the season but you may not be able to. So they have to be ready to go. They're great leaders. I'm glad they're in that room. I was talking to Dave Gittings, our team chaplain, yesterday and he said 'It's tough because you care about those guys and you want them all to play, but you're fortunate that you have such a great room. And Sam and Trey and J.C. and Travon and Steven Peoples. Stacy Searles is always quick to remind me that Steven rushed for 500 yards one time in a high school football game. Stacy tells me that about twice a week. We've got quality guys in that room. They're team guys and that's what has you excited."

Scot Loeffler

ON MICHAEL BREWER:

"He was much better. We were able to get him out and get him more reps and have him practice a heck of a lot more than what he has been practicing. It came down to a basically a game-time decision and he just wasn't ready to go out and play yet."

ON THE FIVE BIG OPPORTUNITIES EVERY GAME:

"You never know when they're gonna show up. That's the cool thing about pro football, college football. Those opportunities can show up in the first five plays of the game or they can show up in the last five. You never know when they're going to happen. You need to prepare yourself in practice for those moments. And when those moments come about, you need to execute and take advantage of those situations. The parity in college football is across the board. You watch teams that are ranked in the top 5 that lose to people that they shouldn't lose to. Anyone can win. You gotta make those five plays. If you don't, you're not gonna win. If you do, you're gonna win. That's where football's at right now. It's exciting for fans. And as a coach, you're fighting those five or six plays a game."

Chuck Clark

ON A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT IN THE LOCKER ROOM:

"I feel that nothing is ever fully accomplished until the season is over and you've actually won a championship or something like that. Nothing has been accomplished yet. We still have a long way to go and a long season ahead of us."

ON BEING LISTED AT ROVER ON THE GAME NOTES:

"With our scheme, just with different coverages, I can be playing free safety and I can also be playing rover all throughout the same game...It's probably like a 60-40 type thing. It's easy to flip back and forth throughout the game."

ON HELPING OUT ADONIS ALEXANDER:

"I know personally from my experiences, being a young guy and trying to do it in past seasons, it's a little bit harder. So I'm sure with him, it's a little bit harder. But me being an older guy, a defensive back I have to like bring him along personally for myself and kind of like be a player-coach to him."

Isaiah Ford

ON HOW ADDING WEIGHT HAS HELPED HIM:

"I think the biggest thing is blocking. Like we said, we made a priority in the spring and that's something I really wanted to improve on. I think it's helped tremendously. And as well running routes versus press coverage, being able to fight off press and being able to take some of those bumps and bruises."

ON GROWING MORE COMFORTABLE IN THE OFFENSE:

"It's just understanding the big picture of the play. Probably last year, I was just doing my own thing and trying to get open and get a touchdown whereas this year I just did my job and the ball came to me."

ON LOSING TO MIAMI IN LANE LAST SEASON:

"That was the first time I've ever gotten booed at a home game in my whole career."

ON REMEMBERING FEELING OF DEFEAT AGAINST MIAMI IN 2014:

"You still remember it in the back of your head. You don't forget it. But at the same time, it's not gonna impact this week. You just remember that feeling that you had after that game and prepare this week just as hard."

Luther Maddy

ON PLAYING IN HOME STATE OF FLORIDA FOR THE FINAL TIME:

"It's huge for me. It'll be my last game that a lot of my friends and family can watch in my college career. Hopefully I can go out there and play my best football because I'll have probably 30-plus tickets."

Frank Beamer

ON BRENDEN MOTLEY:

"I think he's done a tremendous job...Smart. Control. Very much in control. Control of the offense. I think the offensive guys feed off of that. His throwing is accurate and I think it's getting more accurate all the time. And he certainly gives you an element to run the football, pick up some valuable first downs. When you go back there and you're throwing and all your receivers are covered, the quarterback draw's not a bad option for us right now. I think he's done a fantastic job."

ON ISAIAH FORD:

"I think he has a better feel for the position. I think he's got a good feel for changing speeds in a route...He's a smart guy. He works hard...He graded out at like 90% in the run game which means he's out there trying to get blocks for the other guys. I like that. Our receivers are working hard at that."

Comments

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Taylor, looking desperately throws it deep..HAS A MAN OPEN DANNY COALE WITH A CATCH ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FIVE!!!!....hes still open

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Even when you get skunked; fishing never lets you down. 🎣

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"Nope, launch him into the sun and fart on him on the way up"
-gobble gobble chumps

"11-0, bro"
-Hunter Carpenter (probably)

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Warning: this post occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors)..

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Warning: this post occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors)..

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"Nope, launch him into the sun and fart on him on the way up"
-gobble gobble chumps

"11-0, bro"
-Hunter Carpenter (probably)

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"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K

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If you don't want to recruit clowns, don't run a clown show.

"I want to punch people from UVA right in the neck." - Colin Cowherd

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Warning: this post occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors)..

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Even when you get skunked; fishing never lets you down. 🎣

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Wet stuff on the red stuff.

Join us in the Key Players Club

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"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K

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We wont win the race until a trophy is in the case!

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Wet stuff on the red stuff.

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Get your ass on the ground and we'll party

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Get your ass on the ground and we'll party

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I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction:
“I served in the United States Navy"

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"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K

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"That move was slicker than a peeled onion in a bowl of snot." -Mike Burnop

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"Our job as coaches is to influence young people's lives for the better in terms of fundamental skills, work ethic, and doing the right thing. Every now and again, a player actually has that effect on the coaching staff." Justin Fuente on Sam Rogers

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I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction:
“I served in the United States Navy"

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___

-What we do is, if we need that extra push, you know what we do? -Put it up to fully dipped? -Fully dipped. Exactly. It's dork magic.

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Wet stuff on the red stuff.

Join us in the Key Players Club

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I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction:
“I served in the United States Navy"

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I just sit on my couch and b*tch. - HokieChemE2016

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"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K

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May we all get what we want and never what we deserve.

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2023 Season Challenge: TBD
Previous Challenges: Star Wars (2019), Marvel (2020), Batman (2021), Wrasslin' (2022)

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"Nope, launch him into the sun and fart on him on the way up"
-gobble gobble chumps

"11-0, bro"
-Hunter Carpenter (probably)

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No, I *don't* want to go to the SEC. Why do you ask?

We don't love dem Hoos.