Hokies’ confidence remains high despite two losses
Asked which loss was tougher, the blowout at Pittsburgh a few weeks ago or the last-second heartbreaker against Cincinnati last Saturday, Virginia Tech Kyshoen Jarrett went off the board with his answer.
“Losing, period,” he said.
Virginia Tech is hoping those times are behind it as it begins ACC play in earnest this week, traveling to face North Carolina on Saturday in a Coastal Division matchup.
While the reaction from the Hokies has been swift and largely negative about the team’s 3-2 start — only the third time in the last 17 years that Tech has had two losses before the end of September — Jarrett said internally, the players’ confidence is still high.
“Everybody outside looking in would probably think our confidence level is down,” Jarrett said. “But when you have older guys like Bruce [Taylor] getting everybody together before practice and letting us know that we can’t lower our heads and we have to keep fighting and pretty much no more joking around, [it's not.]. We all just have to attack in a different way than we were before.”
Coordinator Bud Foster stood up for his defense after Monday’s practice in a terse interview with media, an occasionally NSFW backing of his group against what he thought were some unfair criticisms.
Asked about the outburst Tuesday, head coach Frank Beamer said, “I don’t read or listen.” But he added this:
“Well, I think this: we’ve got good players, we’ve got great kids,” he said. “We coach them up, they played hard Saturday and we didn’t play perfect at times, play well at times, but we’re going to take care of our kids.”
Said quarterback Logan Thomas: “I think it needed to be said.”
The players respect Foster’s backing and tactics.
“He is the defensive coordinator and he’s been here for so many years he knows how to kind of get in your head to keep your confidence level up and such,” Jarrett said. “But at the same time, he doesn’t want to let an individual play lower than what his potential is, so he has to be that good supportive but he also has to be tough, very tough, on us.
“I respect that and I’m pretty sure everybody else does as well because I wouldn’t want anybody to let me play lower than what my potential is. I would want someone to be tough on me more than anything.”
Beamer is trying to get everything to come together at once.
“What I would say is we’ve been good in every area at some point in time,” he said. “Now we just got to put it together for four quarters and play as a football team in that fashion.”
“We know what we can do. We know we haven’t played our best ball,” Thomas said. “Anytime you know you haven’t played your best ball, maybe if you played your best ball and you lost, then your confidence might be broken, might be shaken, but I feel totally confident in what we’re doing on offense, what we’re doing on defense and what we can do these next even games to get us where we want to be.”
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Here are some more notes and quotes from Tuesday’s press conference. I’ll have more after tonight’s interviews with offensive players/coaches …
- There was more talk about the team’s slow starts, and I plan to address this more once I can talk with Mike O’Cain and Bryan Stinespring tonight after practice. Wide receiver Marcus Davis addressed the issue Tuesday. “I think it’s a lack of energy out there,” he said. “I think as an offense, we’ve got to come out firing on all cylinders. We’ve got to pick it up from the start. Instead of waiting for something to happen, we’ve got to make something happen ourselves. That’s the biggest problem I see.”
- Is Davis surprised by the slow starts, considering how the team did in the preseason? “Preseason, you know, it’s always like that, but at the same time we’re not playing against other teams,” he said. “I’m kind of surprised we haven’t jelled quicker, but things happen. We’ve just got to look forward to get better.”
- How does Thomas account for the slow starts? “There’s nothing you can explain,” he said. “The only thing I can think of right now is we’ve got to come out and make it a point of emphasis right from the get-go. Come out and play as hard as possible, physical and just take care of the small things as well. Because those are the ones, the small things, will pick up those first downs. Once you pick up first downs, it builds the confidence and gets things going.”
- Thomas said Stinespring came up to him this week for some input, asking for his five favorite passing plays. “I gave him a list of 10 instead,” Thomas said. “They really want to know what I see, what I feel comfortable with and what I see is best for our offense.”
- With regards to Logan continuing to have high throws, Beamer said this: “Last year we had veteran guys around him. And this year we don’t. I think sometimes when you’re not quite sure what the guys is going to do, that causes you to be inaccurate a little bit.”
- Why does Thomas think he was able to break out of a funk last year vs. Miami, which about this time of the season? “I couldn’t tell you,” he said. “It’s a different year, different team, different players. It’s just not the same as it was last year.”
- There’s been a lot of talk about scripting plays. Beamer said the Hokies have done it in the past, but that was a while ago. What they do now is not have a strict script of plays, but rather a menu of plays to run in certain situations, like 2nd-and-7 or 3rd-and-1. Hopefully O’Cain and Stinespring can shed some more light on this.
- Beamer said running back Tony Gregory‘s knee didn’t respond well late last week. “He feels better about it this week, so we’ll see,” he said. The coach said the same for left guard David Wang, who traveled but didn’t play because of an ankle injury. “It stayed tender on him and he couldn’t push off,” Beamer said.
- Linebacker Jack Tyler has been playing well this year. His 53 tackles are tied for most in the ACC. He came to Tech as a preferred walk-on, someone Beamer compared to Cody Grimm. “Had a knack for making plays,” Beamer said. “He doesn’t waste steps out there. He plays fast. He plays bigger than his size and faster than his speed, and he’s really given us some good play.”
October 2, 2012 - 2:53 PM
If I am UNC’s defensive coordinator, I will stack the box. Tech wants to establish a run game? And I know this coming a mile away? I am going to stack the box, then. Why not? Make Thomas make throws to his receivers who have not been terribly consistent; Thomas’s throwing hasn’t been consistent either. The Thomas-Davis connection, though potentially dangerous, has been too erratic for its own good.
Your move, Tech.
Look excited for once out on the field guys! I don’t see any fire at all this year for the team. GET SOME FIRE! GET SOME EMOTION!
That look so dull!
So, coach Beamer is admitting there is a problem with the offense. He is admitting that they need to play 60 minutes of football, not just 15 minutes. Crisis averted!
It’s going to be very interesting to see what Stiney or O’Cain have to say about the offense’s slow start, and why they asked Logan for 5 favorite passing play. That just make think they are probably going to scale back on how many plays to call, and what types of call to make.
Marcus Davis is right, the offense need to come out swing, and he needs to lead the way as a senior player on the offense. Some of his criticism is he runs his route with half-hearted effort (I don’t see it that way), but if he can step up his game, and use his workout regimens to create the separation, then by golly, do it, man! Lead the way, Marcus.
the slow starts are caused by execution issues. High throws. LT throws out and the WR runs in. Fumbles by Fuller, Holmes… holding and false starts. You cna all the plays you want to make them play hard or try to score but if LT continues to sail passes even when not pressured or people screw up..you will have slow starts.
Thomas said Stinespring came up to him this week for some input, asking for his five favorite passing plays. “I gave him a list of 10 instead,” Thomas said. “They really want to know what I see, what I feel comfortable with and what I see is best for our offense.”
Wow, what unbelievable coaching.
One would think the OC would already KNOW which plays the QB performs better at.
Willing to bet the opposing teams DC probably already does……
This would be hilarious if it wasn’t so tragic.
I think the Hokies will bring it Saturday regardless the anemic play calls. At least we now that Stiney has 5 pass plays.
Baxter, if I was UNC DC, I’d blitz 11 on the first play of the Hokies’ drive. Just once to dare Thomas to beat them.
Bud’s profanity laced tirade to the media sets an example that I would think the VT Administration would want to distance themselves from. His four letter words and his crazed facial expressions strike me as being almost demented. Not what I would want parents of HS recruits to dwell on.
If Stinespring were a Ryder Cup captain, he’d be Davis Love III.
Wow, our offensive coordinator asked our qb what kind of passing plays he likes. I have never coached football, but shouldn’t he have a pretty good idea? What a joke. Please Andy, ask him about that.
Andy I am curious do you have the offensive numbers for the past 3 seasons to include this season up to this point in the year? I would love to see time of possession also.
Agree with you, Andy (#8). Very poor professionalism on Bud’s part. No one has to go on such a profanity-filled tirade to get a point across. Many coaches are in a position to have a positive impact on young men and women. As a parent, I would think long and hard about having my child in the midst of such behavior.
Andy, (Not Andy Bitter) are you that soft? Did the bad words hurt you tender ears. If only STiney would have some of that passion, some of that drive. It is obvious to me that Bud Foster cares very deeply about what he does and his players. Stiney seems impervious to any criticism and any improvement. God Bless Frank Beamer for his loyalty, but he is going to have to have THAT conversation with Stiney sooner or later. He is putting his loyalty to Stiney before his loyalty to his job and the trust placed in him by parents, players, fans, and his employer. I like Stiney as far as I have seen him. He is a good guy. He isn’t a great football mind. He simply isn’t. Can he be? I don’t know…I don’t think so….I have not seen it in the 13 years he has been OC. No one can ride forever on successes of the past.
David in Salem: Too bad you consider comment as “soft.” Respect and professionalism are a better description. Good grief…it’s football!! Too bad such passion isn’t shown for better causes, such as positive influence on young men and women.
I thought Bud was untouchable. Never takes blame from the fans and is credited for being upset and using words to describe all of this. There is professionalism to be had and I can see why there has never been a head coaching offer. Adm. don’t want to keep cleaning the mess up. I do expect more. If I would use this type of language in my workplace. , I would be fired. We need to teach morals, respect and the ability to say no in our teaching the young adults. But when you have been put on a pedesetal, you can do no wrong. WOW!!!!!
David in Salem, all you do is complain and try to act tough. I think you’re really a Whahoo trying to make us think you’re a Hokie fan. What do you know about great football minds? You ever coached Division 1 football? Didn’t think so.
Go bud! We need more of this. Football is a tough game and needs to be payed that way. Go out there half harted, and you will be run over. Bud is defending his payers, and is tired of answering the same stupid questions . If you are worried about good examples for today’s young payers, look at fools like the Ryan bros. in the nfl. Any kid regardless of age will get a real education if they can read lips. Go Bud, GO Hokies!
As usual from Tech coaches Excuses, excuses11 Tech doesn’t have pass defense to stop Renner.
With Virginia Tech it is what it is, and that is all it is.
The program has gone stale, boring, without imagination, and the philosophy seems outdated.
That is the way that it is, there is no need to try to pinpoint a few plays here and there, it is the entire approach that is the problem, and it is not going to change without some changes in the staff.
You are right, it IS football. If Foster was an executive,…..no never mind, I have seen executives say things that make Foster’s language look like cooing to a baby. He is a football coach, that is what he ought to get worked up about.
Cody A, I don’t see you posting too much. On the other hand I think Mr. Bitter can attest to my presence here. Complain and act tough? I am pointing out what I have noticed in almost 20 years of watching Tech every year. I lived in Blacksburg up behind Nellies Cave Park. I was there before the bypass, before the smart road. I was there when Squires had a Hardee’s in it. I was there when the student ids were handled out of burris?? If my memory isn’t failing. I was there when Blacksburg Motor Co. was actually a dealership and not a government administration building. When I was there, Books-A-Million was in Christiansburg. The new center that until recently was anchored by BAMM was a gas station and empty land. Hoo fan?? Hoo are you kidding? I like it every year when, after we keep the Commonwealth Cup another year, all the Hoos in Hooville go boo hoo hoo.
So Cody, are YOU or have you ever been a Division 1 coach? What this has to do with anything is beyond me, but you asked me. Now I ask you, have you ever been a catholic priest? I guess I would need to be one to have any useful input to their little boy issues. Have you ever been a plumber? I guess I would need to be one to correctly recognize that my faucet is dripping and needs a valve seat. The idea that I must be a coach in order to see a problem is ludicrous. Do you have to be a car mechanic to be able to diagnose a flat tire?
There is a consistent issue with the offense of this team year in and year out. Usually, the line play isn’t too good.the line gets blown off their blocks. They either fail to protect the QB so that he can throw or they are unable to open holes. The degree of the issue varies year to year with the varying players. I honestly thought last year that Stiney had turned the corner. I really wish that had been true. I am noting that this problem has existed for the entirety of Stiney’s tenure. If it is complaining to point out what I see, so be it. I am a very loyal Tech fan. That does not mean I am blindly loyal. Yes, I recognize what Frank has done. Heck, half the expansion and growth in and around Blacksburg has been due to his success. Still, at his nadir, he was forced to make staffing changes. Without those changes, he likely would not have the same success that he has had. Of course, then, he did not have he clout that he does now. In a showdown, Weaver has no authority over him. Any attempt by Weaver to cross Beamer at anything would likely blow up in Weavers face.
Cody, at least I try to figure things out. Do you have anything of value to add to this, or you simply here to say that one must be a division 1 coach to have any input? If that is the case, I guess Mr. Bitter might as well stop allowing comments.
Oh….Cody….show me a good loser and I will show you a loser. Does that little statement bring any particular football mind to the fore?
I used to study at that Hardees! Free soda refills and a cute girl named April! I was there when they used to have keg parties and live bands on the porch of the house on Greene St. I was, oh right, this is a comment on the blog article- sorry I ran off the road down on Memory Lane.
I also spelled ‘lose’ and ‘losing’ about eight different ways.
David in Salem:
To answer some of your questions; not sure what where you have lived makes any difference on your level of knowledge about footbal or ones loyalty as a Hokie.
No, I have never been a Division 1 coach, that’s my point. Just because you’ve watched a medical show on TV doesn’t mean you know everything about surgery or could perform surgery or make sensible dialogue on technique.
I am a Tech grad, and have been a season ticket holder since the Don Strock days, in the stands, screaming my head off through the Bruce Smith days, Mike Vick days, Tyrod days and everything in between. You haven’t seen me on here often because I don’t get on public sites much just to complain. But yes, I DO complain (just ask my wife). I usually do it by contact (usually a letter) directly to the people in charge and have recently done that with the football program. You made the point that you thought Stiney had turned the corner last year. I think its because the players executed better last year. That’s not play calling, that’s preparation/practice, and yes that is mostly a coaching issue, teaching the position, repetition, preparation. I could ramble on here, but I will stop. David, believe it or not, you and I are on the same side. When the LETS GO….HOKIES! cheer goes up, both you and I are yelling it. I’m just not sure how much good complaining on these sites does. I don’t know, maybe the Tech staff does read them, they say they don’t. The problem I see with making wholesale coaching changes, unless you are a top tier program, the change most often doesn’t bring positive changes, at least for several seasons. Look at UVA, they improved their coaching staff, are supposedly getting better recruits, but same old, same old. I’m willing to hold off on my Hokies, see how the remainder of the season plays out to see if change and improvement does come. If not, I really believe there will be some changes in the staff. For those of you wanting Frank gone, that will never happen with the current administration under the current conditions.
Cody, much better. Thank You. Yes we ARE on the same side. I don’t want wholesale changes either, but something has to be done somewhere.
I think Foster worked at that Hardee’s cooking the fries. His a$$ is sure getting cooked now. Takes some of the criticism off Clifton Forges proud alumni Stinespring. They all will stick with Beamer no one else wants them.
I think Foster worked at that Hardee’s cooking the fries. His a$$ is sure getting cooked now. Takes some of the criticism off Clifton Forges proud alumni Stinespring. They all will stick with Beamer no one else wants them.
Comment by Mike — October 3, 2012 @ 12:33 pm
ARE YOU KIDDING?!?!?!
A defense has to stay on the field most of the first half, limits the opposing team to two field goals, while the offense gets two first downs and a touchdown gift wrapped by the defense………….and you think that takes heat off of Stiney??? You think that puts heat on Foster??
Incredible!!!!
Hey David read between the lines you moron. Foster finally get deserved criticism for a defense that is average. He defends Exum like he’s the greatest back ever and he’s terrible. I don’t like Stinespring but the offense didn’t give up the yardage and points to Pittsburgh and Cinncinati. They weren’t playing defense when Cinncinati’s QB torched them for 375. Your the typical Trch fan EXCUSES EXCUSES
Mike, look beyond the first reflexive answer. The defense gave up most of the yardage after being on the field for most of the first half. The defense gift wrapped one of the touchdowns to the offense. Foster admitted Exum is still learning there. I will tell you what, Foster’s average defense is 5 times better than Stiney’s good offense. Foster actually shows results and improvements on a week to week basis. It’s like this. You run for 5 miles, no rest, wait a few minutes, run another 5. I would wager your second 5 miles is going to be much slower. Say you have a cell phone. You talk for 3 hours straight right off the bat. The battery is nearly discharged. You charge the battery for 20 minutes. You can still talk for another 30 minutes or so, but not like the battery was fully charged. When a defense is on the field, they have to react to the offense. They have to size things up on the fly and act quickly. The offense has the advantage. That is why it is good to keep the opposing team’s offense off the field, keep our offense on the field, and wear the opposing defense out. Because our offense pulls 3 and outs for the first 65% of the game. our defense is spent and worn out for the last 35% of the game. So you are correct in that the defense gave up the yards. Some of that is Exum being new at a position. There is no question of that. He will be much better. Unfortunately, he is learning on the job and that costs us. Much more of the defense issue stems from the fact that our offense can’t stay on the field for sustained drives early and sometime later in the game. Tech gave up far fewer points and yards than many other top defenses over this past weekend. Check out some of the scores.
If you are not a tech fan, why do you care at all? You call me a typical tech fan – and a moron to boot. I want you to know that my heart is broken and I am really grieving right now. My whole sense of worth and self esteem is vested in your opinion of me, and I have disappointed you. Where is my electric razor….I will have smooth kissable wrists.
Lol if Exum had played well we would ‘t hear anything about him learning. It would be how great he is along with the defense. But as it is he’s average and all you hear are excuse. Go back to Nellies Cave.