[Michael Shroyer]
Bud Foster fielded questions about the Hokies' upcoming 2016 football season on Sunday at the team's media day.
Section:
Virginia Tech Defensive Coordinator Bud Foster Addresses Media at Hokies' Media Day
Foster discussed changes to Tech's defense, defending up-tempo offenses, and the Edmunds brothers among other topics.
Comments
In print for those who want it. From media release
This answered my question to a T, about whether Bud is actually having to change coverages or it seems have the ability to go back to successful stuff ran in the past:
"It's going to be the same defense, I hope. We want to get back to what we have been doing. What we changed at the beginning of the season in 2004 to where we were last year. I want to get back to doing those things where we aren't just playing man all the time. I want to get a few more eyes on the ball. I want to play a little bit more and show a little bit more. Even though we might be playing a little bit more man, we also want to be doing some more disguise plays, which we have done in the past. I think the biggest thing is getting more eyes on the football. There can be a play where there may be a crease in the defense with the way offenses are nowadays, but if there are eyes on the ball, then it is not going to be a big play. I want to eliminate that.
Yeah, I want my old Foster, and my old VT defense back!
(Insert Mark Knopfler power guitar here......) "I want my......I want my V-T-Deeeeeeeeeee!!!!"
Brandon Facyson is not back to being the guy he was a couple of years ago. That's disheartening.
Where'd you get that from? Bud said he's happy about where Brandon's at. Said as a freshman they protected him a bit but now they are asking more out of him.
Reading between the lines. In response to the reporter's question regarding whether he's the Brandon of old/one of the best in the country, Bud said...
This answer doesn't sound like a 'yes' to me. That's all I'm going on. Could be wrong.
Reading between the lines of coach speak gives you a 50% chance to be right, at least.
Honestly I don't ever think Bud would heap those kind of expectations on a player before the season starts. So I kind of think even if he does think he's 100% back, I don't believe he would he would be direct in stating that to the media. Coach speak I guess is about right.
I guess, but I'd still feel better if he said "He's 100% back."
I kinda took it as coach speak for "Brandon was surrounded by NFL DBs his freshman year and his production reflected that." Now he's in a role where he will have a lot more asked of him in order to put some younger players in a position to succeed. Personally I don't expect him to lead the ACC in interceptions or whatever again not because I don't think he's "DA U" but because he doesn't have Kyle/Kendall etc out there.
Could be coach speak. Yet, one might feel that if they will be playing "eyes" on the ball, there will be more interceptions. I like it. Harkens back to those Buddy Bennett days, "go for the ball". It's time Gene Bunn's record is broken. One of these guys, Alexander maybe, will get it before they are done. Fascyon will be part of that in some way.
I dont think you can take too much from these interviews, Its just coach speak and tempering expectations. When asked about how much he thought Tim would contribute he went into a big deal on how much he has worked to get weight down etc. Didnt say he is competing for a starting job or he will get a lot of snaps. Unless you look into the statement about he will be a force down the road, really no specifics. Someone should have followed up with how long dos he think the road may be. lol Coach speak some programs use it more than others but all use it.
Am I the only one who immediately noticed how Bud's growing his hair out and not sporting his usual buzz cut when not wearing a hat? That is a nice set of combed hair.
He has said that he feels "rejuvenated" and I think this is proof. The new staff has had a really positive impact on him it looks like.
Yeah normally at his age hair starts growing out of your ears and back so the head is definitely better!
We have finally found The Fifth Fuller. Bud's fuller head of hair.
I think this season is a watershed moment for Coach Foster.
Does this mean we'll be taking more risks with defensive formations, etc.?
Like we'll do some things to maybe trick the offense with something?
sounds more like taking less risks and playing more zone and getting back to breaking on the ball.
Sounds like more risks to me. Otherwise why not do it last year?
Said last year they were too young to understand zone concepts, but playing man across the board is riskier in coverage and takes everyone's eyes off the ball. That's part of the reason we gave up so many big plays because if they got by our LBs our secondary was pre-occupied in coverage.
Two things stand out in my mind after this interview:
(1) Bud seems more relaxed and excited and less stressed and worried. This is a good sign.
(2) The defensive call has come from the sideline for the last few years and frequently the defense has not been set by the time the ball was hiked. I'm hoping that practicing against an up tempo offense with no huddle has forced our defense to come up with a better process where the defense is ready and in position sooner.
not flipping corners may help
can we still have flipping running backs?
what about flipping wide receivers?
I'd rather they focus on some flipping wins.
If I add everything up, I think what I've heard so far is they are going to a 4-2-5 base against most teams, changing the coverage techniques for the DB's, not flipping the corners, going back to basics (i.e., more complexity) in scheme in the secondary, and keeping the same basics in scheme on the line.
If we can stop the run and get pressure with the base 4-2, this could be a long season for some opposing offenses.
Not to be a smart-arse, but wouldn't that be the ideal goal of just about every team? Stopping the run and getting pressure with 6 guys... Unfortunately, it rarely happens consistently with 6 guys.
What did French say last year; something to the effect that when VT brought 6, opponents would run and when VT brought 7, opponents would pass?
Foster acknowledged there are some "creases" in his scheme, but the objective is to prevent those from resulting in big plays. VT was solid in first downs allowed (31) and 3rd down conversions (19); and but big plays absolutely crushed VT's defense last year...77th in allowing plays over 10 yards and 102nd in plays over 20 yards.
http://www.cfbstats.com/2015/leader/national/team/defense/split01/catego....
Hence Foster's continuing theme of "more eyes toward the LOS".
Predictability will get after ya...
the more eyes towards the LOS was more in regards to getting out of so much man than which base defense we used. Could use more zone in a 4-3 or 4-2-5.
Isn't that true for most teams? Identify & react to mismatches / create & disguise mismatches. On both sides of the ball. It's a constant game of cat and mouse.
Unfortunately Loeffler's biggest flaw IMO was he valued identifying and reacting to mismatches far more than creating and disguising them. Too much of a counterpuncher.
I think Lefty tried to implement the "long con" far too often and by the time it paid off (if it paid off), he was down 3 touchdowns.
My impression is Fu implements a new version of the old 3 yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust strategy by focusing on low risk plays that can be executed consistently and in that way, stay ahead of the chains. He has stressed several times about how important it is for the QB to make the routine plays.
I think what Bud meant is he is willing to continue to live with the risks inherent in his approach if they can do a better job limiting the damage when things don't go as planned.