Virginia Tech’s defense trying to bounce back from ‘embarrassing’ performance at Pitt
Hokies defensive line coach Charley Wiles sensed it in warmups. His players weren’t taking Pitt seriously. They were lackadaisical. Unfocused.
“They were out there like, ‘It’s a little hot. It’s a little hot out here,’” Wiles said. “I was like, ‘Hey, we’re getting ready to get our butt beat. This thing is a one-time shot. We’ve got a one-time shot to play. There ain’t no do-overs.’ And then, boom. We got beat.”
Virginia Tech’s defensive players were blunt about why Pittsburgh took it to them in a 35-17 rout on Saturday: they simply weren’t focused and prepared to play from the start, underestimating the Panthers.
The results, then, are less surprising. Pitt racked up 537 yards of total offense, the most the Hokies have allowed since LSU finished with 598 yards in 2007.
“No intensity. No passion. Inconsistent effort. Lack of communication,” defensive coordinator Bud Foster said. “Just everything that was kind of our keys to success. We have to be more physical. We got pushed around. We had inconsistent efforts. And that’s not who we are. And we’ll get that corrected.”
“It was just embarrassing,” defensive end James Gayle said.
Linebacker Jack Tyler said players were somewhat baffled by why they played so poorly until they watched a replay of the game in the film room Monday morning.
For the most part, Virginia Tech felt like it lost the game on the perimeter. The defensive line held its gaps, although Wiles wanted to see his players get off blocks more and make plays. But Pitt bounced its runs to the outside frequently, forcing the Hokies’ cornerbacks and safeties have to tackle. They struggled in that regard. Pitt finished with 254 rushing yards.
“It’s kind of embarrassing watching the film, seeing those missed tackles,” cornerback Antone Exum said. “That’s not what we’re about. We’ve never had anything like that.”
“I think part of it was just maybe lack of focus,” Tyler said. “Tackling takes a lot of focus. It takes a lot of emotion. You have to run through the ballcarrier and when we watched it on film, you could see that there wasn’t as much tenacity. There wasn’t as much energy, really, out there. And that’s something that we’re going to correct going forward.”
Virginia Tech went about fixing things Tuesday. In an early portion of practice, the cornerbacks lined up three yards from receivers and worked on driving through the ballcarrier and wrapping up on tackles, a more physical drill than the Hokies usually do during the media’s open session.
Foster was quick to credit Pitt — “It’s not like we got beat by some dog-ass team when it’s all said and done,” he said. “It’s a good program. They’ve won the Big East championship. They’re a BCS conference football team. It’s not like we got beat by James Madison or somebody. Excuse me, but understand that” — but he was disappointed in the effort nonetheless.
“The bottom line is every play that they had, it was us not doing what we were supposed to do,” he said. “There were a couple plays down the field where we had it definitive if we execute right on the outside. We had some communication issues. That goes back on me. I’m going to take responsibility for that, and I won’t let it happen again.”
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Plenty more notes and quotes from Tuesday’s post-practice interviews with defensive coaches/players …
- Wiles’ first quote on this post is not done justice in type. The voice he used was priceless. Would have made for a good video. But Wiles was unequivocal about what would happen if this defense doesn’t shape up. “We’ll take another butt-whupping if we go out there and look and watch and not chase it hard like it’s the last play you’re ever going to play,” he said. “People are too good. There’s too much parity. There’s not a lot of difference in all the football teams out there. There may be two elite teams. After that, shake them up in a bag.” He added, “You start feeling good about yourselves, somebody will have your job. That’s how life is. So we’ve got to respond from here.”
- Cornerback Kyle Fuller and left guard David Wang were both participants at practice Tuesday in blue jerseys. Wang had a noticeable limp and heavily-taped ankle but was still doing drills. Fuller said he couldn’t lift his arm Saturday after making a tackle on a screen play. He had a contusion in the muscle that he thinks hit a nerve. “I realized I couldn’t lift it and I tried to run and I couldn’t run,” he said. “So I just tried to give it a go. I tried to tackle with it and I just realized I couldn’t do it.” He said he expects to play this week, even if he’s a little less than 100 percent.
- Linebacker Tariq Edwards was in a normal practice jersey Tuesday but still was clearly favoring his surgically repaired left leg. He had offseason surgery to insert a rod in his leg to relieve a stress fracture in his shin. In mid-August, he had a second procedure to remove a screw in his knee that was causing discomfort. Frank Beamer‘s website tweeted that Edwards would dress this weekend, but Foster wasn’t sure if he’d contribute. “I thought in his individual drills and a lot of things he moved around pretty good,” he said. “I think his acceleration is going to be good. I think it’s when he stops and has to change direction, I think that’s where he still has some limitations, maybe. But I think that’s going to come more as he mentally trusts it.”
- Tyler said Edwards “still has a little gimp to him,” but was hopeful his teammate could make it back. Tech needs some depth at linebacker. Tyler played all 88 defensive snaps at Pitt. Bruce Taylor played 86. “It’s obviously going to help our depth a lot when Bruce or I or whoever is playing, if we need a break, we’ll obviously get one,” Tyler said of Edwards’ impending return. “And the good thing is we all have our different skill sets, and when we play teams, obviously coach Foster is going to have more of a pick of what he wants out there, what matches up best against the other offense. Like I said, there’s nothing bad about it, nothing negative about it. It’s only positive.”
- Virginia Tech has only four sacks through three games (tied for 83rd nationally), but Foster and Wiles aren’t concerned. For starters, the Hokies played run-heavy Georgia Tech in the opener, so those stats are skewed. Secondly, they’re hitting the quarterback. Although they only sacked Tino Sunseri once last week, they hit him seven times. “You’re playing teams right now, they’re not going to sit there and hold the football,” Foster said. “They’re going to get rid of the ball. That’s what they’re coached to do. Understand that. The quarterback that we’re facing this week is going to get rid of the football. He’s not going to take sacks. Hopefully he’ll throw it to us. That’d be nice.”
- Tyler said the only real time Foster got animated after Saturday’s game was during film review Monday morning. Other than that, he’s been focused on moving forward. “I think our coaches do a great job of not harping on it too much, but at the same time getting on us for what we saw on film, the lack of effort,” Tyler said. “I’ve noticed that throughout the years, after the JMU and Boise losses, after our loss to Clemson last year, you can just see that they’re not the coaches that are going to punish you for it. You know, it’s football. You’re going to lose to good teams every once in a while. And this week, they haven’t harped on it. We’re trying to get past it, but at the same time, we’re going to correct our mistakes and we’re going to get back to business.”
September 18, 2012 - 9:31 PM
Well Mr. Tyler, maybe a little butt-chewing would be good for you all. What I’ve seen in THREE games this year is a bunch of SOFT players getting punched in the mouth. This is not the Va. Tech team that built the respect you receive today, try playing like them.
Same old lame ass excuses, even from Foster, a very good DC in the ACC, mediocre at best outside this very weak conference. Why does he care, he gets his paycheck every week. Maybe all you Foster groupies might want to look at Bubba’s excellant defense outside the ACC and see him for what he really is….almost adequate. The players are not the Chokies, the coaches are! BG by 7, yes VT is that bad.
They will be back this weekend-they are playing Bowling Green!
“Hokies defensive line coach Charley Wiles sensed it in warmups. His players weren’t taking Pitt seriously. They were lackadaisical. Unfocused.”
Regardless of whether this lays on the coaches or players (probably on both), this is simply unacceptable.
“It’s not like we got beat by some dog-ass team when it’s all said and done,” he said. “It’s a good program. They’ve won the Big East championship. They’re a BCS conference football team. It’s not like we got beat by James Madison or somebody.”
You lost to a team that got shown up by an FCS school at home and then was a punching bag for Cincy in week 2. Yes, Pitt is better now than they were in week 1, but it’s still a dog-ass team.
Other getting Kendall Fuller’s commitment (since he’s family, it’s highly unlikely he’ll renege on it), VT’s defense has done jack squat this year.
Now it’s VT’s turn to be the wounded animal, in Bud Foster’s parlance. Let’s see what happens.
This is another good report by Andy. We are fortunate to have Andy report of us.
Let’s go Hokies !!!
Go Dukes!!!
21-16
And people wonder why Bud hasn’t left VT.
“Dog-Ass Team” like James Madison. Stay classy pal
First it was Pittsburgh is really good. Now it is “we took them too lightly”.
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!
Will the real excuse makers with the real excuses please stand up!
Seriously? Calling JMU a “dog-ass team” after they stomped on Tech in 2010? Anyone actually watch that game? It’s not like JMU ran a bunch of trick plays. They just beat Tech straight-up. I think it was something like 8 total pass attempts from JMU. Bud Foster should show a little respect for the team that lit him up in 2010.
This is what we hear every time. From the students, I can accept that. After all, it is a different group of guys. I hate hearing the same old things from coaches year in and year out. Yet, maybe it IS the same things year in and year out. How does that reflect on coaching? I know that the favorite thing to do in response to criticism is to ask the person doing the critique about their level of coaching experience. That is the same as insulting someone that criticizes a brain surgeon for repeated mistakes. Do I have to be a brain surgeon to recognize that something is consistently wrong in the same areas? Do I have to be a coach in order to recognize that we have constant issues on offense that top tier teams do not have year in and year out. I have watched enough VT football to recognize that Bud tends to play his defense loose on the first one to two series and then tightens it up. I have noticed that when Bud’s defenses are bad, they are really bad. I have noticed that Bud usually gets that fixed as rapidly as talent level allows. I have noticed that neither Frank nor Bud get as animated on the sidelines as they once did. I don’t know if that is a good thing.
I know that this coaching staff has kept this team at a higher minimum level for a longer period of time than most teams. I know we do have some recruiting disadvantages compared to an Alabama, LSU, Texas, or USC. I know when VT plays at top form, we can hang with anyone. When we are bad, JMU can beat us, temple can beat us, and in the dejection of these losses, it has seemed as if a great high school team could beat us.
I have not been a fan all my life. I became a fan when I was exposed to the program when I met my wife, who was a VT student. So I never knew the Dooley era. Does the fact that I have not been with the team since the 60s mean that I am less of a fan? Should the fact that we were once much worse mean that we should be satisfied when our team falls to mediocrity or worse? Does the fact that I am unwilling to buy tickets to a Cinci game after seeing the performance thus far this season mean that I am less of a fan? Should I wish to spend money to feel let down when thus far, this team has not played up to it’s abilities? I realize that these are students. I realize that academics is the prime mission of VT. I also realize that Vick, Beamer, and co have fueled tremendous expansion since I was in Blacksburg in the mid 90s. Do you think that the top tier of players are there for academics? They are there because it is almost mandatory to come from a college to get into the NFL. Why do we mess around. Why not have an academic program that makes the student athelete get core curriculum, but lets them truly study football or which ever sport? Is that any more ludicrous than Women’s Studies? What is a student going to do with a Women’s Studies degree other than teach Women’s Studies?
I have rambled on and all over here, but that is in response to so much that I have seen in the comments here.
Is it possible to discuss these things without the personal slanders? Is it possible to do a dispassionate analysis of this program?
The JMU team that beat us went on to show poorly among it’s peers. It was a bad JMU team. We were worse that day. We went on to be much better than we played that Saturday. JMU was a dog ass team compared to VT over the season. Simply put, that day VT was dog ass too.
Wow. JMU hands Virgina Tech a 21-16 beat down and then is called a “dog-ass” team. Seems like VT has an inferior complex.
Players are led, and if players are taking a team lightly it is because they have seen someone else taking them lightly (coaches). Beamer sucks as a motivator. I think he has been successful because of recruiting because he is a “Grandpa figure.” The kids love him. We need someone who kills for a living.
Hahaha… JMU didn’t “stomp” on anyone. Nobody “stomped” anyone when they won by less than a touchdown. Their win was a fluke, and it will always be a fluke. The 11 straight wins after that game kinda proved that.
Are you just upset because your team lost that year to a team that got “stomped” by JMU?
I agree with Hokie24…..that was a fluke game. We can still run off a streak of wins that will impress. Bowling Green has no chance they played Fla well but Fla woke up and beat them down. We will start of streak of wins this weekend and i starts with a 50 point victory. We will not sleep on this team at home.
Sorry to pop your bubble, FIZ, but Beamer actually made his niche by WINNING with a bunch of players that nobody else even wanted. How many offers did Jim Druckenmiller have out of high school? John Engleberger? Kam Chancellor? Andre Davis? Jarett Ferguson? I could go on.
We WON the Sugar Bowl in 1995 (which still remains our only win at that bowl) with a bunch of players that nobody even wanted (Jim Baron) and Texas had a guy named Ricky Williams and numerous other 5 star recruits on their team. VT 28 Texas 10.
It is one reason that now that we are getting better overall recruits, fan do expect a little more. Which, for the most part, they aren’t getting.VT should have won the national championship in 2000 but we got outcoached. Beamer has his faults but your statement on the recruits is incorrect.
I like BBAT’s enthusiasm… but I’m more of the mindset that I just hope VT beats BG, and moves on from there.
It is unfortunate that VPI&SU’s Defensive Coordinator is so unprofessional towards his NCAA peers. Why such a need to discredit an opponent? How deep are his issues with feelings inferiority?
In a time where there is not a lot of good news tends to come out Blacksburg these days and wow, another “shocker”.
Bud Foster is ann embarrassmanet, plain and simple. I would hope that VPI&SU would desire better.
One question though, why did your school build a Trophy Case for a National Championship Trophy that your school will never win? At last count, VPI&SU has not one single NCAA National Title. Where as James Madison University has two Div 1 titles. Interesting!
Oh yeah, Bass Fishing doesn’t count as a sport!
The defense got pushed around, and they tackled like a bunch of old ladies. They were in position, they simply would not drive through their tackles. And tech is gonna have to go out and get some bigger d-tackles. Nick Acree is a defensive end, not a d-tackle or an o-lineman. When he comes back from his injury, that is where he should go. He is not physical enough to be a tackle, but he is fast and explosive. He would run over any tackle that gets in his way. When they play Bama next year, there d-ends are gonna be 6-6, 330. If Tech doesn’t wanna get embarrassed on national television, they had better get that defense right. The coaches have played enough high quality opponents now to know that. If the philosophy on offense is to win with defense and special teams, then your defense, especially the front four had better be big, fast and deep! Tech should recruit no less than 3 or 4 tackles a year. They just gotta get bigger if they want to remain relevant!
And why are MEN crying about how Coach Foster chooses to speak. This is football not home economics. Some of you girly men need to grow a pair!
I can’t recall a single game where our defense was primarily responsible for our losses. That distinction belongs to the offense. Obviously we are a mediocre team as we have never beat teams like Texas, LSU, Alabama, Texas A&M, Nebraska, and Florida St, oh hang on, we have beaten teams like that. I also wish we would never lose a game a be a dominant force in college football, but our program is not built for that. We just don’t have the history and tradition of the college football elite.
And why are MEN crying about how Coach Foster chooses to speak. This is football not home economics. Some of you girly men need to grow a pair!
Comment by 757 Resident — September 19, 2012 @ 11:43 am
I second this motion!!!
Yea right…Bud surely meant to take a cheap shot at JMU for a loss 2 years ago. Stop feeling so offended. I don’t think anyone would argue that “on paper” one would expect VT to lose to Pitt before JMU. We don’t play on paper, thus the crappy results on both cases.
Todd in South Carolina, it’s so cute that you searched specifically for a Virginia Tech Football message board to spew your meaningless gibberish.
It was also cute how you brag about JMU’s field hockey national title and their FCS football national title. Both are great accomplishments, but neither one supports your gibberish in any shape or form.
“And why are MEN crying about how Coach Foster chooses to speak. This is football not home economics. Some of you girly men need to grow a pair!”
Well put.
Todd in South Carolina – VT actually has several NCAA Div. 1 national titles in the track-and-field hammer throw…which IS a sport since it IS also part of the Olympics. How about getting your facts straight?