GodsendJen

After two and half years of living here in 'Dawg land it looks like I'll finally get the on field evidence I need to shut up all the Georgia fans who surround me daily.  Of course it took my team having their worst season in several years to set this show down up.  The Hokies will be shutting down that 'Dawg offense in the Peach Chick-Fil-A a Bowl on Dec. 30.  The only question left is how much money can I make by accepting the friendly wagers that will surely be offered up by my acquaintences here.

Chick-Fil-A Bowl Information

The real stat of the game is that we held the nation's top scoring offense to 7 points and only 80 yards rushing.  Coming into this game Clemson averaged almost 250 rush yards/game.  The Hokie defense was amazing to watch.  I don't know what Bud Foster saw ahead of time but we knew what play to expect on every one of Clemson's offensive snaps.  Everyone knows that the Tiger's tailback tandem carries the workload for them, but we kept managing to send 8 guys to the same side of the field their back chose to run from.  Foster is incredible and watching his unit work when they feel like they have something to prove is always a treat.

After the BC game 2 weeks ago he took away the coveted defensive lunch pail.  When Erin Andrews asked Bud after the game if he was going to give it back to the players now he was non committal.  His response is classic and I hope he was serious.  It was something like "I think I'm going to hold onto it until the players out work me, and they haven't done that yet."  Way to go Bud.  After that performance I'd say you earned the right to carry the lunch-pail another week.

A solid running game and incredible defense.  That is the Hokie Football that made a name for Virginia Tech and I'm so glad to see it return.

Wednesday marks Coach Beamers 60th birthday.  Boy do I hope none of our players decides to shoplift a gift for him.  We have a couple of wide receivers who haven't been suspended for a game yet.  I just hope they aren't feeling left out.  Of course petty theft isn't something our boys are known for.  We get DUIs, mouth off to police and break windows on vehicles.  Maybe I shouldn't dwell on such things...but it isn't like there are any recent stats I would prefer to mention.  Two but-whoopings and 6 personal fouls so far this year.  So much for the effectiveness of fining players a portion of their bowl stipend for such fouls.  Aaron Rouse is up to 3 personal fouls all by himself.  What happens when his fines exceed the stipend?  Does he need to hold up a McDonalds and start paying out of pocket? 

So just how bad are we doing?  The four teams we beat so far this year have 6 wins between them (3 of those wins belong to the Cincinatti Bearcats).  Our next 4 opponents have 19 wins between them.  Then we face 6-1 Wake Forrest. (And oh what a sad year it will be if we loose to the Demon-Decons!)  All kinds of proud "trends" are ending.  For some time Frank has held claim to being the 3rd Most Winning Active coach.  Last weekend Jim Tressel tied him for that mark.  With the way Ohio State is playing we can expect Tressel to pass us with our next loss.  We hadn't lost an ACC road game since joining the conference...until last Thursday. We had also posted 11 straight Thursday night wins on ESPN.  We've dropped from the rankings in both the AP and the USA Today coaches poll.  We aren't included in the BCS rankings either--and Tulsa and Rutgers are listed. 

So who is to blame?  Is it the "757" for giving us players with a week work ethic and a penchant for getting into trouble?  Is it the 4 new coaches on our staff?  Maybe Bryan Stinespring for our lack of offense? Or whomever continues to play "consistent passer" Sean Glennon at QB instead of using "very athletic but with off field issues" Ike Whitacker? (Though rumor is Ike is getting more reps in practice this week...so maybe a change is in the works.) Spin the wheel and take your pick. 

Me, I'm blaming Daryl Tapp.  For years we've been hearing about and seeing that blasted lunch pail our defense passes around to reward work ethic.  Tapp kept it for most of the last two years...so what did he do after getting drafted?  He took it out to Seattle where it probably sets in his locker.  We have 25 former players who are active on current NFL rosters and as far as I know Tapp is the first one who thought it would be "ok" to take that lunch pail with him. I don't care the Foster gave it to him.  It was a bad move and Daryl should rectify it.  Sure, we got a replacement tin can....but it obviously lacks the mojo the previous one had.  So please Daryl, for the love of God, fed-ex that lunch pail back to Frank with a birthday card.  I think we need it.

In our most successful years the Hokies have won with excellent defense and special team, assisted by a two back running game on offense.  This year circumstances have forced us into an offensive scheme where we use a single back and several wide receivers.  The problem isn't that Brandon Ore isn't good enough to go it alone.  The sophomore is in his first year as a starter, but he's capable of getting some big runs and reliably picking up 3 or 4 yards on other caries. 

The problem we face is two-fold.  Because he's the only back we can't run as often as we have in the past.  Even with great durability you don't want to push your luck with your only running back--and lets not forget he had shoulder surgery in the offseason.  Even more troubling, imho, is that having a single back makes the oposing defense's job so much easier.  Two backs usually means two running styles.  One back will be the speedster who makes the big runs.  The other is the locomotive who might not be as fast but is strong enough to pick up yards with a couple of defenders hanging onto his leg.  The defense has to work harder and either shift plans based on the offensive personel or play a more generic defense that would do an ok job of defending against either back but not a great job against either.  Our opponents don't have to worry about that this year.  They can count on Ore being the only runner to stop and plan accordingly.  Through in some problems getting the passing game to work reliably and you have the makings of a really crappy season, at least by our standards.

I'm not ready to burn my tickets yet, but I sure am less enthused about watching them right now. Unfortunately I get the same feeling about our defense.  They are so unenthused by what the offense can do to keep us in the game that they are slacking off and not bringing the pain on every play.

4:13
Someone sent Bryan Stinespring a memo.  It reads "Hey Bryan, did you know we are allowed to run the football on offense?"  Brandon Ore follows with a rushing touchdown to get us on the board.  21 - 7 with 20 seconds left in the first quarter.

4:05
Touchdown #3 for Georgia Tech. 4:12 remains in the first quarter.

4:02
They blocked our punt and take over on our 25 yard line.

4:00 pm
Three possessions into the big showdown with Georgia Tech and I'm not sure if I can continue.  We are down by 14 with 7 minutes left in the first quarter. Our offense is not designed to play from behind.  But then our defense isn't designed to put us in this position either.

I've been watching so much football I haven't taken the time to write about it. Rather than share more of my own blather (you know, Go Hokies, Go Falcons) here is some stuff I found interesting:

Technology at work in the VA Tech football program.  Its not just the body pod, its magic pills that transmit your core temperature back to a pda, shock detecting helmets and shirts that get hooked up to portable cooling systems.

A tear-jerker about Aaron Rouse and his decision to return for his last season at Tech.  Nothing like a sense of loyalty and a promise to his mamma.  If we do well this season his story will find its way into ESPN the Magazine or SI where it will become even more moving I'm sure.

My prediction for the most over-reported story of this season's Hokie football team.  One of seemingly 2 million stories on Brandon Ore's tenure at the 7-11 warehouse last spring. Yes it built character, whoopty-doo.

And let's not forget that Beamer Ball is back.  2 games and 3 blocks so far this year.  There was in interesting story about when and why Beamer Ball became so important.  Apparently we have to thank Deion Sanders and the whooping Florida State gave us way back in 1988 when he was their return guy.

On the pro front I do feel better after seeing the Falcons in action against the Panthers.  It's hard to tell how much we have improved given that Smith was out, but Abraham looked incredible.  I was disappointed in the performances of Roddy White and Ashlie Lelie.  Those two only combined for 10 yards receiving on a day when the offense was having its way with Carolina.  I love that we beat Carolina and Tampa Bay gets shut out by Baltimore.  Simms didn't look very good and with a bit of luck that will keep his confidence off balance when they play us next week.  If Abraham's late game injury wasn't serious then I'm confident he can rock Simms world--and wouldn't that be sweet.

The NBC NFL crew doesn't impress me.  They have 2 sideline reporters.  By my count that is 2 too many.  Add them to the mindless drivel that Maddens spouts forth and its enough to make you want to hit the mute button.  Of course all this pales compared to the new theme song that Pink belts out for them.  Its not that the song is bad, but it lacks energy and is an obvious knock-off of I Hate Myself for Loving You, a song that is apparently destined to be stuck in my head every Sunday night between now and the playoffs. I'm also sick of the endless commercials featuring Peyton Manning and his family.  I wish I had started counting them at kick-off today.  Somewhere there are college students taking shots each time one airs--and somewhere those college students are being admitted to the emergency room for alcohol poisoning.

How did your football season start if you are a fan of NorthEastern?  Well let's just take a snapshot of the first quarter:

• First possession, after getting sacked and making a stupid penalty you have to punt.  The opponent returns it to your 33.  Four plays later they score.
• Second possession, your QB is intercepted giving the oponant great field position at their own 45.
• Third possession, once again you punt--or at least you try.  The punt is blocked.  Three more plays and you are scored on again.

Now let's fast forward to the fourth quarter.  Your team is finally within field goal range with very little time left on the clock.  The field goal unit comes in and you think you just might get some points on the board before the game is over.  What happens?  The field goal attempt is blocked.

The lesson here?  If you are a 1-AA team don't start your season against a top 25 powerhouse--even if they are rebuilding.  It's just not pretty.

Football Football Football Football Football Football.....what do you do when your team ends the season playing like a bunch of low-class hooligans?  You weed out some bad apples and then impose martial law with some strict consequences.  This plan is how coach Beamer spent his offseason.  The AD took cares of that weed problem in the winter and now Frank is making it clear he's serious about stamping out sloppy play and bad decision making.  The Times-Disgrace explains (emphasis mine):

Post-2003, the issue was cleansing the squad of selfishness and leadership voids. This time, the focus is on cleaning up the program's act, a worthy goal. To that end, Beamer has expanded his system of punishments that covers such items as blowing off class and blowing out the refs and sideswiping opponents after the whistle blows and costing your crew 15 yards of real estate.

As always, players who miss class or get whistled for acting-out penalties will face early-morning running - but at 6 a.m. Sundays and not mid-week, as before. Chronic offenders will forfeit playing time. And - this being the hit-'em-in-the-wallet innovation in the penal code - those personal-foul and unsportsmanlike no-no's will cost the perps a portion of their bowl stipend for food and entertainment.

"We've just got to make sure we get to a bowl," Beamer said yesterday. "If we don't get to a bowl, my whole thing is screwed up."

Now this leaves me wondering a few things--like exactly how much is that stipend for food and entertainment? And why on earth doesn't this code of conduct address off-campus issues?  As I recall the young Mr. Vick's worst transgressions occured outside the confines of campus.  You have to start somewhere, and this is a good place, I just think they could have done more.

Word is also out that Beamer is ticked that our field goal and punt blocking has plummetted over the last 3 years.  It should be interesting to see what happens this year since he is putting a renewed emphasis on it.  With an unsettled QB and so manny new starters a few choice blocks--especially if they are returned for a score--could be the difference in a game.

Its that time of year when you can sense football season up ahead.  That sensation is much scarier this year than usual.  My team lost 12 starters from last year.  14 players from last years team are on NFL rosters.  That adds up to a heaping lot of talent that we need to  replace.  What could make it more challenging?  Try losing 4 members of the coaching staff--the most coaching turnover the Hokies have had since 1992.  Our new coaches are reponsible for the Quarterback, Defensive Backs, Offensive line and Deffensive Line. We haven't hired lightweights in those positions (the new QB coach is a former D1 head coach at NC State, the new DB coach came to us from the Chicago Bears) but wow.

The annual pre-season annalysis is starting to flow and there is pleanty of hope in what I'm reading.  There is even a sense that we will put a large emphasis on character this year after the last few seasons that were filled with the soap opera that was Marcus Vick and enough personal fouls in games to shame a sailor.  (I can't help but wonder if this change is spurred on by the fact that the evil Wahoos had a better recruiting class than us for the first time in years?) 

My favorite quote of the preson this far is from ESPN's Blue Ribbon Year Book.

The Hokies still view themselves as underappreciated underdogs in the blue-blood ACC. The truth is that Virginia Tech is a legitimate powerhouse, a program that reloads, not rebuilds.

If they get good quarterback play -- particularly avoiding mistakes -- the Hokies have the defense and special teams to hang with anyone in the country. Again.

How healthy is Beamerball? Of the 101 players on the spring roster -- and that's a pretty healthy number to start with -- 66 have had a redshirt year to get bigger, stronger and more mature.

Who knows.  Put togather all those redshirt players and our patty cake schedule for September and maybe we'll be back in the mix again.

Go Hokies :)

Wow. For spots enthusiast who didn't know already, there is a company out their helping you in your battle to make sure junior appreciates your college team.  Team Baby Entertainment has a selection of DVDs and other merchandise to start the brainwashing training out on the right foot. Soft merchandise includes sunshades, mobiles, puzzles and books.  The DVD itself features officially licensed footage of Hokie sports, mascot, marching band and campus attractions to expose children to Virginia Tech in an exciting, playful and educational manner. I don't know what's worse: that we brand our kids so young, or that I want to buy the dvd for my nephew.

The new job has seriously cut into my online reading time.  Those precious opportunities to read up on sports at work have dwindled to less than 15 mintutes in a given day.  So tonight I took some time to try and catch up.  I was hoping to find out how young Marcus did in his big Miami audition, but was pleased to find that two other VaTech players signed free agent contracts shortly following the draft. Jason Murphy, an offensive guard, signed as a free agent with the San Diego Chargers, while defensive lineman Tim Sandidge signed with the St. Louis Rams. This is quite an improvement over last year when we only had 3 guys selected on draft weekend.

At least there is a small bit of goodness in the midst of my crappy weekend....I personally like it when my college team serves as the minor leauge feeder team for my NFL team. Go Hokies.

Update:  The draft is over and it should be noted that my Hokies set a record this year with 9 players drafted!  Three of them went to Carolina and others landed with Seattle, Pittsburgh, Cleavland, Sandiego and Arizona. You have to wonder if you'll one day hear Huuuuuuumes echoing through steeler nation the same way it echoed through Land Stadium.  One more member of last year's team will probably get signed as well as our Character guy, Marcus Vick, was not drafted.  You know someone will take a chance on him...