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Slow-starts have killed Virginia Tech over the years. The Hokies fell down 17-0 to Boise State in 2010 and failed to overcome that deficit. On Saturday, the Hokies fell down 21-0 to a team that had scored just 27 points total over their first two games against Cincinnati and Youngstown State (both losses). That was the most surprising aspect of Saturday's defeat. The offense struggled mightily but nobody, including myself, expected Pittsburgh to dominate our defense like that. In fact, the Panthers gained more yards (537 yards) than Stanford in 2010 (534 yards). It was one of the worst defensive and overall team performances in recent memory. Losing to a top 10 team in a bowl game is one thing. Losing to a very average Pittsburgh team is another.
But let's focus on the slow start. Tech's first five drives went like so:
- 4 plays, 41 yards - Interception
- 5 plays, 8 yards - Punt
- 4 plays, 18 yards - Interception
- 1 play, 10 yards - Fumble
- 11 plays, 60 yards - Field Goal
The Hokies had a similar slow start last week, which really makes me wonder the motivation tactics of our staff. For the 2nd time this season, the Hokies have entered a game not ready to play mentally or physically. With Pittsburgh backed against the wall, you know they were going to come out jacked. Instead of Virginia Tech using that to their advantage, the Hokies came out flat and were steamrolled by a more physical team. Just for comparisons sake, here is Pittsburgh's first five drives.
- 6 plays, 75 yards - Touchdown
- 3 plays, 1 yard - Punt
- 8 plays, 86 yards - Touchdown
- 8 plays, 35 yards - Missed field goal
- 2 plays, 10 yards - Touchdown
That's how you want to start a football game. 21 points in five drives. In fact, the Hokies are very lucky the outcome wasn't worse than what it was. Pittsburgh's kicker missed two very makeable field goals. 41-17 should have been the final score of this game.
So, I guess the question now is what's wrong with this team? Why are they not performing up to their abilities and why did we look so poor yesterday on the road? This is a very complicated answer. I'll dive into a few things I noticed yesterday below.
Offensive Line's Rough Day
The Virginia Tech offensive line has improved over the past four years but one area where the offensive line has struggled is in run blocking. The Hokies lack the tenacity and raw, brute strength up front to be a physical run blocking offensive line. A lot of them stems from the Hokies wanting to become more agile up front. Being more agile allows linemen to move into the secondary, pickup more blocks and it aids the style of offense we want to run. But, I feel that this experiment has set us back offensively. Yes, we have offensive linemen that can move their feet but we don't have the interior blockers who can open up holes. Some of it is technique and some it is just plain lack of ability.
That's the reason our rushing game has been so poor this season. It's not Michael Holmes or JC Coleman lacking ability (although they've had their share of mistakes as well) it's the offensive line's inability to open up holes. So, can this be fixed this season? Well, yes and no. The line will improve going forward. We still have to remember that even though this offensive line is "experienced" most of these guys are in their first true year as a starter. And, we're seeing some growing pains. The bad news is Nick Becton, Vinston Painter, and Michael Via won't be able to return next year with a full year of starting experience under their belt. It will be back to the drawing board again in 2013 for this group, which is a huge concern.
Also, the Hokies do need to be concerned about David Wang's ankle injury. If he is out for a few games, Matt Arkema did very little to install any confidence in me yesterday.
Logan Thomas Need to Forget About The NFL
I can't peer into the mind of Logan Thomas. But, whenever your an athlete and a media source starts calling you a 1st round pick, it's going to affect you. Thomas is a very relaxed kid, similar to Tyrod Taylor in that aspect. But, it wouldn't shock me if the NFL is on the back of his mind. To me, Logan just needs to go out there and play his game. Don't worry about getting injured, don't worry about turning the ball over... just go play football. There was a lot of talk about giving Logan full control of the offense. To this date, I don't think he has full control. Thomas has made only a hand full of checks at the line of scrimmage. I still don't think the coaches have given him the keys to the Cadillac yet.
Thomas was 14-31 yesterday with three interceptions. It was probably his worst statistical game as a Hokie. Other than some poor footwork (which in hindsight was due more to a pass rush in his face), I still think Thomas will have a good season. I will admit, Logan needs another year at the college level. Anybody who thinks he can leave after this year and walk into the starting lineup in the NFL is fooling themselves. I think David Wilson is starting to realize just how tough the NFL is. I said the same thing about Wilson last season. A lot of these kids jump one year too early and I'm hoping Logan doesn't make that mistake.
Defense... There... What?
The defensive tackles got whipped, James Gayle was ineffective, our linebackers were given very little opportunity to make a play, and our defensive backs were atrocious. All of that adds up to 35 points and over 500 yards of total offensive for Pittsburgh. Somewhere along the line, our defense lost it's mojo, much like Austin Powers. I was tweeting after the game with @Hokieguru on twitter and I brought up the fact that I just don't have the same "feeling" with this defense. You remember that feeling back 5 years ago when you knew our defense was just one play away from intercepting a pass or making a huge game-changing play? Yea, that feeling is gone. Today, I just hold my breath and hope the opposing offense doesn't score.
That's a far cry from where our defense used to be. If any of you watched the Alabama vs. Arkansas game yesterday. That used to be our defense. Dominating, smothering, and physical as hell. Now, our defense is softer than a college aged male at an 80 and over strip club. It's almost embarrassing how far our defense has fallen from grace. It's also sad when you have former defensive players reiterating the same things I'm saying in this article
"We're soft on defense today.." - DJ Parker
"We don't have a 15 yard dig. A Post/ Deep comeback.. Soo basic and been for years" - DJ Parker
"Welp..Didn't come ready to play today" - DJ Parker
"The team needs some real leadership right now. Stop ____ feeling sorry for yourself. Pitt players on scholarship too." - Corey Moore
"This is the same Pittsburgh team I changed the channel on last week. Playing to the level of your opponent will get your ass beat every time" - Corey Moore
"Hokie defense is just soft and sweet as deer meat right now.
#pathetic#idontlike" - Corey Moore
Overall, yesterday was a really bad performance. But, I refuse to let it define this team. Like other Tech teams, they'll have to overcome this loss and find a way to improve before ACC play starts. The good news is that the Hokies won the one game that mattered so far this year. The next two will be chances for the Hokies to improve and redeem themselves with the fans. Then, the season starts again against UNC in October. Let's just hope we can patch some holes and mask some deficiencies over the next few weeks.
Lastly, I am now without a computer, which may greatly hamper my blogging for a bit. Plus, I'm starting a new job this week so there may not be a whole lot of new content on the blog for the next few days. Sorry for the inconvenience but hopefully this is temporary.
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I know everyone is on te coaching staff’s case. But every year they drop a game or two early and right the ship to a successful year! I don’t know how they do it. But it is frustrating how we need a loss to fire us up. But if we don’t wake up because of this I will be a little worried. Because this is so tech. Your thoughts?
I agree with Dj Parker and Moore. Our defense has gotten soft, i remember when our defense use to play like Bama fearless and full of emotion i understand that we have young talent, but i got sick to my stomach when i saw our DB’s miss tackles they’re practically the last line of defense. I remember when we had Macho Harris and Flowers as our DB’s they were good in coverage and in run support it seems like now our DB’s aren’t good at both just of the other. I think it would help this team if Bud got some of his old players to come in and talk to them about what it means to play football here at VT. As for LT he needs to needs to get in sync with his wideouts. We need to get back to a power running game and use that to setup the pass. I’m tired of this pistol it just doesn’t fit us, it’s not who we’re.
Wow….I know we all love our Hokies but we continually hold our breath for what is becoming inevitable in our Football seasons. The coaching was indeed the big factor in this game. One thing is for certain, we cannot coach from behind!!! Stinespring and O’cain have seemed confused all season and afraid to fully commit to the Pistol if that is what we are going to run. Addtionally, Dunn and Davis MUST catch balls or they MUST be replaced by the younger kids so at least we can prepare them from the future. This was humiliating and the only bright spots I saw were RVD, Kyshoen and Cole. If the starters are going to play like this, then we should just start playing younger kids to get them some snaps……….Bama will be a serious humiliation next year if we don’t.
The more i think about it the more right VT nation has a reason to be pissed. This is exactly why we never get any respect, this is exactly while the Game Day annoucers rape us anytime we are in title talk. There is NO excuse and i mean none to lose to a sorry Pitt team. I don’t care if they played the best game of thier lives it still should not have been enough to beat the number 13 team in the country that is SUPPOSE to have a top 5 draft pick at QB and a top 5 D-line in the country (key word suppose to). It’s time for Frank to move on, he is a great community builder and has brought this program from nothing to where it is today. With that being said we are going no higher than where we currently are as a program and are in serious jeaporady of going backwards if the current staff doesn’t find the answers over night or get replaced. I agree with all the above statements, there was no hunger, no sense of urgency, and no fight in us. That to me falls on just as much as the coaches as the kids. If Frank isn’t careful he will ruin it for Shane as a head coach here. Last rant for me is i am scared of what this does for recruiting. It doesn’t hurt us in state because UVA got whipped like the school girls they are by a Ga Tech team we beat. But for kids like Dorian i wouldn’t be surprised if that sealed the deal. Also that will be good ammo for Saban to throw at Hand and Fisher. Time for someone in charge to get some balls and make the changes needed to keep this program moving forward or sit there and watch us fade to mediocracy (sp). With all that said, still am and always will be a Hokie, give Bowling Green hell next week boys
Did we look past them? Not motivated? Head in the Clouds? no idea but here are 5 Immediate Changes I see:
1) Get Stiney out of the booth. Fire him, don’t fire him.. but get him out of the booth. He has no clue how to establish balanced attacks that take advantage of opponents weaknesses, or to adjust mid-game to something he sees. If he sees anything at all.
2) Use more Pistol. With respect to hokiefan4life, we don’t have the line for a power run game. We now see the 3rd-and-Logan actually means nothing without a line that can’t even push around Austin Peay. A Pistol offense can use sets that can create holes with a less than adequate line. Veers, motion sets, sweeps, end-arounds combined with play action passing, and the short route tree of the Pistol can help a quarterback move the ball. To see it in action as a well-oiled machine just tune into a Nevada game.
3) Whatever you do pick something. If not power run game, then pistol. If not pistol then something. Pick something. recruit for it. practice it. rinse and repeat. This is the same point for our running back. Pick someone and let them run. Martin Scales, not Holmes, moved the ball. Why change? Pick something and stick to it. (I realize this is not a new issue or critique)
4) No Fuller, Big F-ing Problem. Without Kyle our secondary took a bigger dive than most of the secondary had on their many missed tackles. We are weak here and everyone knows it. We need a hitter. We need someone that isn’t a coverage specialist and plays like a spy or mark. Hello Tweedy, hello RVD. Use them ala Ronnie Lott and provide the BOOM to our 90 lbs secondary. This would mean Nickel and Dime sets, but adds a speed linebacker that knows how to pick up a runner coming through the line with good open field form tackling.
5) Rush the F-ing Passer. This is perhaps the most mind boggling issue. Where is the SEC caliber D-Line? Why aren’t we steam rolling o-lines like Bama? No clue. We should be. I don’t have an answer for this one as I believe it should work itself out. But something has not clicked and perhaps this ass whupping will be motivation enough.
We all want to see this team succeed. This is not just an early season hiccup. We have lost 3 of the last five! With the one BCS win being a last second home field escape and the other win our worst played game from top to bottom since JMU! This season’s team is also different than previous teams and it may take a while. Because I can write about our problems in a 10 page thesis I will just hit the offensive lowlights today.
1- NCAA rushing statistics are only captured for positive rushing gains. Negative rushing attempts are now team statistics. Michael Holmes has 31 rushing attempts for 101 positive yards; however he has 10 attempts that were behind the line of scrimmage resulting in around 30 yards in losses. So why give him the ball on 4th and one with the game on the line having those stats? That has to lead the ACC, and maybe the country. He has a terrible first two steps and goes down easy on contact unless his momentum takes him past the LOS. This just in “He is not very good”, Average at best. Backup his JR or Sr. year is the best I can see for this kid.
2- JC Colman has touched the rock 12 times this year and is second on the team (Davis #1) in total yards (171). While his success rushing has been slight he only averages 3 carries per game and remains our biggest threat in space without doubt.
3- Use Colman. Have some imagination and stop with the Dive left/right rushing plays. Counter, counter misdirection, pitch and TB in the flat passes. LT does not go through his progressions, and is having trouble reading defenses – the backs were wide open in the flat against Pitt (I was at the game) but he is always looking for the big play and not taking what the defense is giving him. I have never seen us keep a team off balance with play calling – never. When we are successful it is because the players are making plays….coaches, help the team out please.
4- Trends – Look at this weekend’s best performances…NCAA – Bama, Stanford, Notre Dame, and FSU – domination at the offensive line of scrimmage. This is a big problem at VT and it is only going to get worse. Before the season our coaches stated “the offensive line has talent, it only lacks experience”. This group is strong (410 lbs. bench press is lowest among the starters), quick (V. Painter maybe our fastest OLman ever – 4.7/40). Next year we lose three starters again…but guess what… we have a big talent drop off with those coming in next year. Plus the class of 2012 while very good overall by our recent standards is very weak at OL. (Wallenbrock maybe the best prospect…yea him)
5- Coaches – While I don’t like to beat up on Frank Beamer because he has done a great deal for this program…older coaches have struggled to be relevant over the past couple decades! Quote “It was just their day” Quote “They came ready to play” WHAT? So in other words if PITT plays well and comes to play we had no chance? As fans we are missing something…something is going on under the covers that only a few close to the program know about and I can’t put my finger on it right now. Players are not responding to coaching for some reason. You can tell it in the players body language…even Bud Foster did not look the same on the side-lines ..at least Kile Fuller was into it?
My final comment is that this week’s game is huge…even if Justin thinks that the costal is the only reason to play this year – if for some reason we don’t play well, it may snowball into the Cincy game. The Bearcats have a bye week and will be ready to put a fork in us if Bowling Green shows up like they did at Florida? More later when I catch my breath….Thanks for reading…
Who did LT work with in the off season? Because no QB should ever go to that guy again. I think Bryan Randall should come back and give a leadership class to all VT qb’s. He knew how to compete.
Games like this are gona hurt our recruiting bigtime and may cause us to lose some of our commits its frustrating and sickening to watch the hokies when in your heart u knw the talent is there butt Beaner stiny and ocain refuse or dont knw how to use it or both. I love the hokies butt i wont be watching the Bowling Green game.
A loss to Pittsburgh isn’t going to change a recruits mind. That’s like saying because So Cal lost to Stanford, players will decommit. You have to remember that recruits choose a school for more than past or current football performance. We still have the active winningest coach on the sidelines and our program is still built on a solid foundation. One loss won’t change that.
Agree on recruits
But – Wow, I checked-out BCS Countdown and College Football Live today and VT keeps coming up in the conversations. “Most disappointing, Pretenders and the upset of the year thus far”? I also checked-out Frank Beamers game comments this week and he has pointed fingers and has spread the blame around. The only thing missing is he has not once mentioned the coaching staff? Seriously FB! I am not going to ridicule the defense, I think they will right the ship, but I think Budd needs to re-shuffle. I was as surprised as anyone with how well JGW played against GT & AP. But GT was a run only team and AP is ranked 130+ in the national rankings. Now I believe he was not doing anything special… As I watched the Pitt game I noticed JGW was allowing Pitt’s blockers to get their hands on him and he never went forward, always backward…overall he played like he did a couple of years ago…bad. Time to get RVD some playing time, don’t waist him on special teams…he is special. Also, Pitt took advantage of our DE’s pinching to the inside on every rushing play and kicking an offensive lineman out to create a natural running lane by blocking down on a DB or the rover or WHIP LB. to easy, Bud please make the adjustment..Teams did this all day to us in 2010 and expect to see this all year this year until we stop it. Our defense is ranked the lowest it has been during the season in 4 years and we have not played anybody (GT was ranked 30th at game time). BG actually gave up over 450 yards to Toledo last week and looked very weak in the secondary. I think this is a team we should get well against, but the jury is still out..Of the last 7 games played, the only game where VT has played to expatiations is against UVA. We have not won an out of conference game of any significance since 2009 against Nebraska, 17-16 at Lane and we know that was not easy. Not sure we can get the monkey off our backs nationally this year unless we rally and beat Clemson or FSU or both? Road games against Miami & UNC are no guarantees ant this point! Peace out=
I can agree with i justin to a degree on recruits bitt USC losin to Stanford is much diff than da hokies losing to pitt and with Saban and Meyer recruiting Va u just dt knw plus i heard Saban was workn hard on Holland Fisher…jus sayn!!!!!
Yea, it would be a concern if we lost any of our recruites..Fisher is a great prospect and Alabama is compairing him to Mark Baron!