These are my random thoughts from the Boise State game on Monday night. I was lucky enough to attend, and despite the disappointing loss, it was one of the most electric college football environments I’ve been a part of.
I’ll make several comments but can’t help going back to an old nagging sore spot with Virginia Tech Football, which to me is no more evident than when you simply compare the 2-minute offense performance of both teams.Here are thoughts on the game in no particular order.
- FedEx field was it’s usually misery from a traffic standpoint both getting in and out. It’s the reason I virtually shun Redskins games. Though If I go again I’ll sit in the Club Level, where the field view is great, the food and drinks are better, and the leather chairs and TVs are a nice touch.
- I was at the VT vs USC game in 2004 (which I watched recently on ESPN Classic, and VT was definitely robbed by the refs on multiple accounts), and I remember a roudy VT crowd. But I don’t remember anything like it was on Monday. The Virginia Tech fan base was out in force for this game, and was loud, and persistent.
- How did those smaller, less physical looking Boise d-lineman shut down the VT running game in such shocking fashion? Frankly, I don’t remember any game last year where Ryan Williams was so bottled up. I did a lot of staring at Boise d-lineman wondering how in the hell they were winning so many one-on-one battles. Even in the second half when they started to put hands on hips, they’d still find a way to come up with a TFL, and put VT in 3rd in long.
- I don’t get the 2 RBs in backfield formation. I haven’t gotten it since Bryan Stinespring drew it up with Kevin Jones and Lee Suggs. One of the RBs always goes in motion and lines up as a WR, which they clearly are not and thus puts them out of the play. Where is the deception in this? What is the point in this formation/play? It doesn’t fool anyone. If we are going to put 2 RBs in the backfield at the same time, please come up with something that actually has some semblance of deception and forces defenses to prepare for.
- I haven’t read any game analysis but I suspect most will point to special teams, lack of running game, and some defensive lapses to the reason for this Hokie loss. I would chalk up some of the block punt, fumbles, penalties, kicks out of bounds, and other mistakes – many that were on special teams – to it being the first game. This is part of why teams schedule cupcakes for their opener (and why the NFL has pre-season).
- However like others who try to encapsulate a game into a single overriding theme, for me this was a game the Virginia Tech offense had to win the Hokies. Boise is a top 5 team with a top 5 offense, and it was unrealistic to expect the young Hokie defense, despite how talented, to stop them. I thought they played well at times, but they gave up expected scores especially when you through in the several short fields provided by the offense, special teams, and penalties.
- Sure the offense scored 30 points, but I’d rephrase that to say Tyrod Taylor ran around an made a bunch a plays, and threw the ball up to a bunch of tall receivers who caught balls over shorter Boise DBs, which somehow FOUND VT 30 points. And that’s the way VT has won many games over the years: count on the defense, and count on a playmaking QB to go out, run around, make plays, and win the game.
- On Monday, the VT offense needed to win the game, and that included keeping the ball when in counted, including running out the clock with 5 minutes left. After a few successful runs and first downs, there was the VT offense again, back in form. Tyrod was scrambling, then throwing up jump balls to Jarett Boykin. Not what you want when trying to grind out a win.
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- To me, the ultimate contrast in the lack of offensive maturity between a team like Boise and Virginia Tech comes from just watching their 2-minute offenses. When Boise got the ball back with 1:47(?) left, you knew they were going to score. They were methodical, organized, and efficient moving down the field. We can all debate the questionable penalty/non-penalty calls, but Boise ran a beautiful 2-minute offense.
- Compare that to the VT offense with 1:09 left, needing a field goal. How did that look? Same old – same old. Tyrod running for his life, throwing up jump balls, and relying on miracles for success rather than a smooth, calm operation.
I heard Colin Cowherd on ESPN (say what you want about him) this week say “VT might win but they are flawed – they run an antiquated offense.” I can’t disagree. We seem to have a lot of fancy toys and some kids who don’t know how to use them.
Go Hokies!
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Say what you want about Cowherd, and he is often wrong, he is 100% right about our offense. The offense is definitely antiquated. And sometimes worse. Good point about the 2 minute offense. You’re right. I had no doubt they would score. And when we got the ball back, I knew we wouldn’t.
Yea I don’t think it’s fair to ask Tyrod to do what he did against Nebraska again this season. It just wasn’t going to happen. I was a little surprised that we didn’t run shorter routes and try to move the ball into position for a endzone hailmary or something. We do need to change some things on offense, what we do just doesn’t work. To borrow a coaches term, we’re just not consistent enough.