Tackling a focus as Hokies ratchet up intensity at practice
The early part of Virginia Tech’s practice Tuesday focused all on tackling. Defenders rotated through three stations, one manned by defensive coordinator Bud Foster, one by defensive line coach Charley Wiles, one by defensive backs coach Torrian Gray.
Each had a different tackling drill — wrapping up (Foster), shedding blocks (Wiles) and open field (Gray) — all in an effort to correct the missed tackles and blown leverages against North Carolina last weekend.
“Normally when we do, that next game our execution and fundamentals are a lot better,” Gray said.
It was a change of pace from the media’s regular viewing session, which usually involves just position drills. After rotating the groups through the tackling drills for a period Tuesday, Foster called the defense together for a punishment drill. One by one he called players out for “loafs,” having the entire defense do up-downs before sprinting off the snap 10 yards.
“We need the intensity level to be ratcheted up, obviously,” Gray said. “We wouldn’t be putting the emphasis on the start of practice like we’re doing if we were satisfied with the way we’re playing overall right now.”
The Hokies are trying to shake something up after getting gouged for 537 yards against North Carolina, including 339 on the ground in a 48-34 loss last week, a surprisingly poor effort for a defense that was supposed to be the team’s strong point.
Wiles said missed tackles and blown leverages were the primary problems against North Carolina. Players think that had some to do with technique, but mostly with energy and attitude.
“I feel like tackling is more of a want-to thing,” linebacker Bruce Taylor said. “It’s not really a technique thing. So that’s why you can have pretty much the same group and the group not tackle as much as they did last year. Tackling to me is like a rebound thing in basketball. What do they say? 90 percent want-to, 10 percent technique? I wouldn’t say it’s that big of a ratio in football, but kind of along the same lines. You’ve kind of got to want-to.”
While coaches have said one or two free hitters are in position to make plays but just haven’t this year, Taylor thinks it’s a team problem.
“It’s definitely a committee thing,” he said. “You can point out a few guys that had more missed tackles the last game, but if one person misses a tackle on the defense, we all missed the tackle. Because we’re all out there together. And that’s what I always tell those guys out there, is if one guy does good, we all do good. If one person messes up, we all messed up.
“You’re only as strong as your weakest person, so to speak. So yeah, you don’t point fingers at guys who missed tackles or don’t make a play. We pat them on the butt and tell them to go to the next play.”
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Here are a few more post-practice notes and quotes from Tuesday …
- Good stuff from Bruce tonight about the burden of leadership. He said he’s learned over the years that when he’s got something to say, just say it. So he’s spoken his mind. Has this year’s struggles allowed him to enjoy it, though? “It’s been more work than play, I feel like, this senior year for me,” he said. “But it’s what’s got to be done. Somebody’s got to be a leader, somebody’s got to take charge. It’s not an easy job. It’s easy when you’re winning. Talk to anybody who is 5-0, 6-0 right now. They’ll probably tell you it’s going great, it’s easy. But it’s when you face adversity and things like that, your true character has to show when it’s a little tougher.”
- The defense wasn’t the only group that ratcheted things up a little. The running backs were doing a modified bull-in-the-ring exercise, working on low pad level, with Shane Beamer commenting from the outside of the hula-hoop-like ring (he kept referring to players by their high schools). After Martin Scales and Joey Phillips had a punchless matchup, Shane remarked, “Y’all look like two old women.” Trey Edmunds stood up Scales on two occasions, drawing a, ‘That’s how they do it at Dan River” comment from Shane. He’s definitely got some power.
- Back to the defense, Wiles had some good stuff tonight. Asked if he was shocked by the team’s struggles, he said: “I never go into a game or into a year thinking I’m getting ready to get my ass beat. I don’t take that approach. But I mean, I’m not saying I’m surprised. I’m disappointed. But the only way we can get it solved is this Saturday. We need to win the game this Saturday and we’ll move on from there and get ready for another big game. I mean, every game down the stretch is a big game.”
- Overall, Wiles would like to see a better pass rush. But most importantly he wants to see guys “pitch a fit” up front. “We’ve got to fight harder,” he said. “I don’t think there was a bunch of loafs necessarily, but just don’t be content with just winning your gap. We’ve got to chase it and fight. We’re fighting for our lives, man, and you’ve got to play like that every play.”
- He pointed out that defensive end James Gayle is playing well. The junior had the most productive day of the linemen against North Carolina, with 7 tackles and 1.5 tackles for a loss. “[He] was a guy who you can look at and say that’s the way that we’ve got to play,” Wiles said. “He chased the ball, he played extremely hard, he fought to get it. He got tackled a couple times but just kind of kept playing.”
- Wiles said Virginia Tech turned in four or five plays to the ACC office that they thought were holding. The league, he said, agreed. “[No.] 73 took us down three times,” Wiles said. “He took Jack [Tyler] down one time. Those were big plays in the game. Tyrel [Wilson] got held. James got held. We could have had some chances to hit the quarterback that were factor plays.” He later added: “We’ve got to just play harder and pitch more of a fit and don’t let them hold. That can’t be an excuse.”
- The Hokies used a four defensive end look at times Saturday to combat many of the jailbreak screens UNC was running, “getting more guys out on the field that can run and make plays out by the numbers,” Wiles said. Dadi Nicolas was one player who got more time in that look. Wiles likes what he sees, even if it’s not polished. “I see a guy on video that plays awfully fast,” he said. “I think the kid’s a talent, but inexperienced. … You’ve got to live with a couple mistakes with him. But that was behind that, just trying to get some more speed on the field.”
- Wiles said defensive tackle Luther Maddy isn’t 100 percent. He injured his ankle against Cincinnati and couldn’t do much. He was limited against North Carolina and tweaked it late in the game. “Since Georgia Tech, I haven’t seen the same guy,” Wiles said. “Looking for that guy right now.” Antoine Hopkins took reps with the ones Tuesday night.
- While we’re talking about injuries, neither left guard David Wang (ankle/knee) nor backup center/guard Caleb Farris (ankle) was out at practice today. Laurence Gibson moved from right tackle to left guard for some reps today. Michael Via took the backup center reps.
- Wide receiver Dyrell Roberts was watching practice from the sideline in street clothes. With him having not practiced this late in the week, I’d be surprised if he was out there Saturday.
- Linebacker Tariq Edwards and running back Tony Gregory were out there in regular practice uniforms. Taylor said Edwards is still working his way back. “He’s still limping a little bit, but with me, it’s the same thing,” he said, referring to his recovery from a Lisfranc injury. “You can go full speed but when you’re trying to slow down, that’s when you kind of feel it more. That’s what I’m feeling with Tariq. Other than that, he looks good. He’s in good shape as far as what he’s done. I wouldn’t say he’s in game shape right now, but moving around he looks good.”
- Cornerback Kyle Fuller‘s shoulder still isn’t all the way healed. He suffered a stinger against Pittsburgh but has played each of the last three weeks. “You have to work through it and continue to get better,” he said. Gray thinks the injury has been part of the reason for his middling performances the last few weeks. “He hasn’t been the Kyle Fuller that I expect to play on a consistent level right now,” Gray said.
- Tech’s nickel formation isn’t nearly the same as last year, since the Hokies don’t quite have the same personnel. Cris Hill was a true cornerback last season, so it allowed him to come into the game and Fuller to move to nickelback. “That’s the dynamic we don’t have now,” Gray said. “By not having a true third corner who can consistently play for us, we miss that element of it right now.” Tech doesn’t trust any corners beyond Fuller and Antone Exum. Gray said Michael Cole plays free safety in the nickel, with Detrick Bonner technically serving as the nickelback. “You’re limited a little bit because we can’t run our pressure packages,” Gray said.
- Duke will probably play a pair of quarterbacks Saturday, with Sean Renfree coming off an injury and Anthony Boone following up his breakout performance against Virginia. Renfree’s more of the pocket passer. Boone can run it on read plays more. “We hold up personnel [cards], so you know who’s in the game so you know what to expect,” Taylor said. There’s also a simpler way to do it. “Of course, we’ll look over there and see,” he added.
October 9, 2012 - 9:40 PM
Can’t run the pressure packages, why not? Overload a zone and send him in. Your telling me that there is such a talent gap you can’t blitz with the backup players. I find that amazing.
Who is getting Roberts reps in practice this week?
Edmunds should be playing…
The Hokie program seems to have folded up during this early season! It seems to me that it is time for Frank Beamer to move on down the road and bring in new blood, new energy, and new ideas instead the same ole, same ole that we’ve seen for more than a quarter of a century! Are we going to have a scenario here where a Bobby Bowden or a JoePed overstays by a decade or more and drives the program completely into the ground?
This is a team with lots of problems, big problems, and the entire program has problems, big problems.
Just what were the offense line doing? They are not exactly guilt free in the debacle at Chapel Hill. The running game have taken a nose dive in the last two games thanks to the ineptedness of the offense line ability to push.
You know, the news out of practice yesterday was really pretty embarrassing. Here we are, claiming to be a ‘top team’ – for whatever that means, let’s say Top 15 team, since that is the most common claim. And the big news out of practice is that our defensive players are undergoing re-training in the most fundamental aspect of their positions?
We have to make sure our defensive players remember how to tackle? Seriously? I know, I know, it actually IS necessary from the looks of the first half of the season.
Meanwhile Frank Beamer has conveniently navigated discussion AWAY from the fact that our offensive linemen don’t know how to run block. At Virginia Tech, the offensive line can’t run block. Again, seriously?
The litany of weaknesses could run multiple pages long, but it boils down to this – We have a defense that doesn’t know how to tackle, and we have an offense that doesn’t know how to run the ball.
Call me a hater for saying it Zman, but when will the coaching staff EVER be held accountable for recruiting players that seemingly can’t play and then not teaching them how to play, and not making game time adjustments? We act like we’re a top football program, and this is what we’re being told, as though it were reassuring?
I don’t need to list a couple of dozen teams where their players already know how to tackle & block, where their fan base isn’t told ‘We were a couple of blocks away from winning’ because of the silliness of such statements. We all can recite them in our heads pretty easily.
Tom,
I think Coach Gray was making the point that they can’t run blitz packages when they are in the nickel, because of a lack of an extra corner in the secondary. I imagine that the lack of pressure up front is very concerning right now, and you’ll probably see less nickel out of VT this Saturday. They’ll probably line up more in their base look, blitz one or tow extra guys, and play more man coverage in the secondary.
Great article Andy I feel like I was at practice.
It seems to me we need to put more pressure on the QB, and that will take pressure off of the secondary which appears to be limited. So why not turn up the blitz packages more? BUT, we have to fill the gap’s which was clear on Gio’s long run.
One comment from earlier posting – “Beamer said, “I’ve always believed it’s how you finish. It’s not how you start. How you start matters, but how you finish really matters. That’s what we’re going to try to do.” – While I agree that finishing strong is a key and great teams need to peak in those final weeks and bowl games, in today’s BCS world if Frank and company want to and are serious about filling that one empty spot with a piece of crystal, they have to find a way to Start Strong, get better each week (NOT playing to level of competition), be strong in the middle and then also finish stronger!
“The significant obstacle to becoming GREAT, is the acceptance of being consistently good.”
Where are all of these people that are claiming VT to be a top 15 team?
Where are these assumptions coming from?
I’m having a hard time finding anyone that is saying that VT is a top team this season.
Has anyone noticed those ridiculous uniforms this year, maybe the players reflect there play on field by the way they look. Maybe it’s time for Beamer and Bryn to join Bobby on yatch.
I am withholding comment right now. I will wait, watch. Saturday is the statement that the players and coaches can make.
Make that a yacht
Another great article Andy! I enjoy reading your articles. I am kind of with Trevor, though. I would like to hear fom Coach Newsome and what s going on with the o line this week, other than the same injury talk. Is the coach doing anything new or different this week to help the teams running game?
When we get to six games in the season, and we’re working on tackling, this shows me a basic lack of discipline and lack of knowledge of probably the most rudimentary thing on the defensive side of the ball….tackling. I noticed this in the Pitt game (sadly, I was there), and was really surprised that it wasn’t an emphasis sooner. I also remember Bud having this as an issue a couple of years ago. I have no CLUE why the defense prefers to do a high-speed chest bump, which is essentially mostly how they’ve tacked so far this year..but PLEASE…if any of them are reading this: I think we can see from the W/L record that the chest bump isn’t getting it done, and won’t at any football level. Please, PLEASE wrap your arms around your man and bring him DOWN….
AB -
Wrapping Up Drill – how appropriate for Coach Foster. Under his tenure the Hokies have been notorious arm-tacklers. Each year when he fixes this, the team plays much better. My reasoning indicates he should start every season with these three drills (three stations, wrapping up (Foster), shedding blocks (Wiles) and open field by defensive backs coach Torrian Gray) and repeat them mid-season to head-off and slack in the tackling department. Good article.
/S/ RT
hokie24,
You’re having a hard time finding anyone who says the Hokies are a top 15 team this season?
How about:
“My guess for the Hokies before any Coaches or AP rankings came out was that we’d be somewhere between 14 and 18. Not too far off.
Comment by hokie24 — August 21, 2012 @ 10:38 am”
Chris, I don’t believe he was the only one before the season that thought the Hokies would be ranked in the mid-teens.
And I certainly don’t think anyone thinks they are close to that now. So quit trying to misrepresent the point.
I guess hokie24 is totally ignorant of all the preseason discussion of Hokie football on here and on all other Hokie related message boards that he frequents, and also of all the discussion of Hokie football for the last several seasons on the same message boards.
Hey, h24, whatever you have to do to protect the shield and assuage your disappointment.
Of course, that’s just a tangent to distract from the fact that the Hokies are 3-3, and that they’ve had to revert to teaching players how to tackle and run block. Want to discuss that, h24? Or just continue to deny while defending the shield?
Oh… so you want to go back in time to preseason and earlier and use that as what you’re assuming today. I got it now. Good lord! What a stupid, stupid way to make assumptions!
Yeah, before the season, I thought we’d be better. Unlike you guys, I can easily admit that I was obviously wrong.
Well, while you’re at it, I thought we were really close to winning a national title… in 1999. I guess that means that I assume that VT is a national title contender today too.
Assume, assume, assume!!!
Protect the shield… The CR mating call.
Andy, I tried to put this comment on your nice article about Demitri Knowles but didn’t see a box for it.
There is word out of Blacksburg (based on Tech Sideline postings) that Knowles was injured in practice yesterday. I haven’t seen anything from VT or anywhere else confirming (or denying) this.
You got anything on this? Thanks man.
#7 Leonard, I understand that but I still find it hard to understand how we are in that situation. I’ve watched Foster’s blitz package for years and am not impressed with it’s success. I think his philosophy is get it done with the front 4 which isn’t happening this year. Seldom does his blitzer have a open lane to the QB unlike other schools. I just don’t think his coaches in the booth find that weakness and exploit it like other teams do. Just my thoughts. I’m not getting paid $250,000 a year for my defensive genius but I can find a way to exploit a teams weakness with a blitz.
CR’s post was written in the present tense.
Here’s his quote from his post this morning:
“Here we are, claiming to be a ‘top team’ – for whatever that means, let’s say Top 15 team, since that is the most common claim.”
That’s entirely present tense, right? I don’t see anything there talking about preseason rankings.
So staying in the present tense, I’ll repeat my question.
Where are all of these people that are (currently) claiming VT to be a top 15 team?
I added ‘currently’ so that you guys don’t get confused again.
Is that clear enough? Chris and CR, at least TRY to stay in the proper context, ok?
Move along…fire Beamer..fire Foster….This is not panick time. We still have a great shot at winning the Coastal and the ACC championship. Let these things play out and then we shall see who is right here.
The technique that is drawing all the ire is called shoulder tackling. This is the technique of throwing ones shoulder at a ball carrier in hopes of knocking him off his feet. It is about 25% effective and looks really nice on the 25% of the times that it works. Often it results in the “tackler” putting his head down before the “impact” which means he has taken his eye off of the ball carrier to perform this and means sometimes there is no “impact” at all because the ball carrier sees it coming (unless it is a VT running back, who will proceed straight to where the tackler is waiting to make the tackle). On RB’s like the Clemson guy (who has great balance) it causes even more problems.
What VT is doing now, ahead of game 7 of the season, is tantamount to changing horses that are pulling a wagon while in the middle of a stream being crossed. It is the equivalent a basketball team (at the college level) giving dribbling drills. Yes, I realize action needs to be taken but if this is the action needed, then there is a bigeer problem.
Looking ahead, this Dook game could be the difference between bowl and no bowl for VT. Who would have thunk it?
CR, is what I posted on 10/8 at 1:19pm really so different from what you’re posting on this page today?
http://blogs.roanoke.com/andybittervirginiatechfootball/2012/10/07/five-thoughts-after-virginia-techs-loss-at-north-carolina/#comment-14228
If Knowles is injured then us VT supporters will have to insist Andy feature Shane or O’Cain on his story next week! Every time AB features someone they wind up getting injured!
TIC!
Andy,
Any word or Tariq Edwards return? Kid has been thru a-lot lately. I didn’t even know about his loss until your Blog entry. I know he has to battle for playing time but he really came on strong towards the end of last season and lead the team in tackles in the Sugar Bowl and played awesome. He can at least give the defense a boost or Taylor a break. After last week’s game it looks like the Linebackers could have used a break from time to time with the offense being less than perfect and having long drives to give the defense a break. Thanks for your work!
Chris Van Cantfort, smacking ‘somebody’s stuff’ back down their throat! Wow! Hee hee… That’s too funny. I can see feelings were hurt, by the hysterical responses, and the semantical arguments.
As I stated above, h24 runs to the tangent to avoid the central issue. let’s make it easy peasy…
h24 – talk to me about WHY the Hokies have to practice tackling and WHY Frank Beamer avoids discussing why the Hokies can’t run block. h24, why can’t the Hokies run block? They’ve only been a run-dominated team for the last four decades. What’s the deal?
h24 – talk to me about why the Hokies can’t tackle. They’ve only been a defensive oriented team for the last three decades.
h24, talk about the obvious truth, no need to run for the semantic cover. What is YOUR take on why the Hokies can’t tackle or run block? Answers would be nice.
“Smacking someone’s stuff back down their throat.”
Yeah… must be why the board moderator also called out how Chris’ statement for misrepresenting the actual conversation.
“Answers would be nice.”
As I clearly stated in the the link to my 10/8 post above… I can answer all three in one word.
Coaching.
Speaking of protecting the shield, have you sent in your next Hokie Club check yet? I mean with all of this complaining that you’re doing, there’s no way that you’re gonna keep sending in those hefty checks to support the very nepotism that you’re speaking out against, right?
Is there any stronger way to “protect the shield” than to continue paying into the Hokie Club?
And while you’re talking about “running to the tangent,” you still haven’t informed us all who is out there still claiming the 2012 VT football team to be a top 15 team.
I’m not sure why the coaches didn’t have an intense focus on tackling before the season. Especially with all the position changes. These fundamentals have to be imbedded in these kids’ brains before a season starts. I just don’t get that at all. You can’t just “expect” kids to go out and focus on fundamentals tackling. Same with blocking. Our offensive line hasn’t been able to pass block in over a decade. Fundamentals.
In response to CrookedRoad, Why the issues with blocking and tackling? This is not nearly all of it, but is a factor. Sometimes ability has made up for laziness or sloppiness at the high school level. At the college level, those with the superior ability cant get away with half assing anymore, because all are of superior ability. What happens is one of inferior natural ability makes up for it with hard work and surpasses one with superior natural ability. That being said, failing to see this ahead of time is a coaching problem – or it is so pervasive that it is being difficult to fix. I think there are many problems here coming together in a perfect storm. I am very curious as to the results on the field on Saturday. Will we see any improvement? Will the Puke finally make us Chokie? I despise that derogatory label, but it did come about for a reason. Every coach has a bad year every so often. Let it go. If we have 3 bad years, then by all means howl.
Why does it take our coaches so long to pick up on deficiencies in order to take extra steps to stop them? A trained eye can see many issues before the season that should have been addressed in a hard-nosed fashion.
Waiting patiently on you, h24, to EVER answer my question. What’s the problem with the tackling & blocking? As to your ‘supposed’ answer, let’s be clear. See if you can type a sentence to make it clear – What is the problem with the Hokies’ lack of skill in tackling and run blocking?
Feel free to answer, and even to expound.
As for the predictions of Top Fifteen status? Well, you finally were forced out of the closet into admitting that you had done so in the preseason. That is a huge concession on your part, considering the whole ‘We Must Protect The Shield’ mantra and all.
You’re still running to the tangent to avoid the central topic – Why does Frank Beamer come up so weak against quality opponents? Why is he SO determined to have Shane succeed him? Does he even notice the dusty trophy case?
Crooked Road has it Straight. LOL ! Maybe the Blacksburg Hi coaches can come down and teach tackling!! Keep Foster, throw out the rest.
It is my personal opin that anyone writing about where VT is or is not, or should be ranked or the strength of the ACC; should leave this blog to smart and serious people to discuss a very serious decline of our football team; and go form a play day Berber doll club ! ! THERE IS ONE ISSUE, TO WIT: OUR TALENTED PLAYERS ARE NOT PLAYING NEAR UP TO CAPABILITY ! ! WHY ????
My goodness, CR, you are a colossal waste of time. Luckily, I don’t have much going on today.
“Waiting patiently on you, h24, to EVER answer my question. What’s the problem with the tackling & blocking? As to your ‘supposed’ answer, let’s be clear. See if you can type a sentence to make it clear – What is the problem with the Hokies’ lack of skill in tackling and run blocking?
Feel free to answer, and even to expound.”
My answer is coaching. It is my opinion that the coaching staff is in denial about the problems affecting the team. Work on tackling and run blocking should have been addressed long before now. If the coaches are just now addressing issues and changing up practices, then coaching is a complete, and appropriate answer to your question.
“As for the predictions of Top Fifteen status? Well, you finally were forced out of the closet into admitting that you had done so in the preseason. That is a huge concession on your part, considering the whole ‘We Must Protect The Shield’ mantra and all.”
Huh? What’s to admit? The statement I made was that nobody is CURRENTLY calling VT a top 15 team, like you said they were in your post above. I’m right about that too. You can read. You can use google. All of my past posts are here, there’s nothing to deny. Search for all of my past posts you want. Before the season started, I thought VT would be a ranked team. They aren’t. Nothing about that means that ANYONE is still calling a 3-3 VT team a top 15 team.
“You’re still running to the tangent to avoid the central topic – Why does Frank Beamer come up so weak against quality opponents?”
In my opinion, I think the game is passing him by. I think the fire to improve may be gone. I think he is loyal to a fault. I’m afraid that he won’t make staff changes that are meaningful unless forced.
“Why is he SO determined to have Shane succeed him?”
He hasn’t told me that he is determined to have Shane succeed him. Did he tell you that?
“Does he even notice the dusty trophy case?”
I hope that he does. If it’s not reminding him every day of unfinished business, especially after the comments that Andy gave from Beamer about how Beamer feels that finishing is important, then the case needs to be removed because it’s not serving it’s purpose of being a constant reminder of a goal.
I’ll admit, I thought VT would go 9-3 this year, finishing 2nd in the Coastal. I didn’t think they’d win their bowl game, and finish 9-4, breaking the 10-win streak this season. I figured them for a 20-25 team, and I was wrong. They are not that good this year. I think now, they would be having a successful finish to the season to go 7-5, and win the tire bowl, muffler bowl, or rack & pinion steering bowl, basically whatever low-level bowl game they would play in. That would get them to 8-5, the same mark as in 2003, when they started 6-0, and only won 2 of the last 7 games.
Crooked Road, Why do you hate all things “Beamer”? Why do you think Frank Beamer wants his son to be VT coach? Why do you think Shane Beamer wants to be VT coach?
What makes you an expert?
Lot’s of heated debate on here. For me personally the money to the Hokie Club isn’t about the game so much as it is about being able to support our student athletes with the finest facilities around.
I hope I am wrong but what I think is missing is athletes. We just don’t have that many and regardless of what happens this year I think the gap to a VT National Championship is too wide. If I am not mistaken Tech opens with Bama next year. Who seriously would want to put this Tech team up against that beast?
Fire Frank? Doubtful. This program was nothing before he showed up. The joke was in the early 90′s that all dirt roads led to Tech. Times have changed. We foster a great atmosphere and regardless of records I have a soft place in my heart for Blackburg in the fall. And that is because of what Frank built. I say let him leave when he decides it’s time. He has earned that right. Fortunately the boosters with the biggest pull feel the same way I do.
I know it’s kinda sad but I think I’d enjoy a bowl game in Nashville and there is no mistaking that Hokie Nation has made Atlanta our second home.
But first Tech needs to crank up the intensity and get some results where they matter the most. On the field.
Go Hokies!!
Great comments jeff. We give our money every year because we love the team and want to do our part to make it better. One bad year does not make a crisis. If we want to be the big boys then we need to recognize that we will have off years just like Texas, Notre Dame, Alabama, etc. It happens. Only the uninformed would think we could sustain 10 win seasons forever. As far as the national championship space in the Merryman Center that everyone likes to make fun of, it is a goal for VT and I am sure every other team in the country. There is no date or time line on it just the desire to try for the brass ring. I would be disappointed if the team did not have that goal.
There will always be hateful comments by “experts” Luckily, the coaches don’t read these blogs and see what kind of bandwagon fans there are out here, who are “know it alls”.
To Jeff and all others that think that Beamer has earned the right to stay on as coach is baloney. No doubt, he has done a good job in the past and he has been paid real well for that. Getting paid for a job does not entitle anyone to stick around when you are not performing. College football has become a business and it should be run as such. No more good ole boy network.
Thank you 1971Hokie. I find it interesting that people are so deluded as to think that the entire Hokie fan base should set aside their financial contributions and emotional commitments and loyal expectations, just so one man’s selfish desires could be whetted.
Even Bear Bryant could be replaced. Nick Saban seems to have done okay. Yet we should let Frank Beamer coast along and collect his millions for as long as he wishes, while not having filled his trophy case even once? Save for Michael Vick, we would have never sniffed a shot at a title. We all know the truth, but some of us have trouble admitting it.
to 1971 Hokie, yeah let’s just go after a title. Better yet let’s just say screw Frank and what he has done for this school and get a revolving door and try out new coaches until we get that damn trophy. If we end up on probation that’s okay as long as we fill that trophy case. Makes sense to me.
Is Alabama on probation? Have I missed something?
The only people still supporting Beamer are as old as he is or know nothing about football! Wake up Hokie fans its time for a change I think Skip Holtz would be an excellent choice..
Skip Holtz? The same Skip Holtz who is 3-12 in his last 15 games at South Florida? The one who has lost 9 of his last 10 games in the Big East?