Five thoughts (two days) after Virginia Tech’s Russell Athletic Bowl win against Rutgers
It’s back to the grind after a travel day yesterday. Here’s my follow-up story in today’s newspaper about what now for the Hokies’ offensive coaching staff.
I usually do this post the day after the game, but it was a late one Friday night, so I pushed it back to Sunday. Here are five thoughts following the Russell Athletic Bowl …
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1. The shakeup to the offensive staff doesn’t appear to be a matter of if, but when.
Kevin Sherman sounds all but gone to Purdue. Curt Newsome appears to have a future at James Madison. Mike O’Cain was briefly a candidate for the Appalachian State gig. And Bryan Stinespring may or may not have interviewed for a position at Auburn (he said he didn’t). But what’s important other than the specific locations of those potential jobs is the mere fact that these offensive coaches are looking. You can deduce from that that a significant overhaul is probably coming on the offensive side of the ball.
The bowl game, in which the Hokies gained only 196 yards, did nothing but underscore the offensive problems with the current group. It’s not just that Tech had trouble blocking for Logan Thomas or that it couldn’t run the ball at all against Rutgers’ front seven. But the Hokies again didn’t seem to have a cohesive plan of attack against Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights showed an early ability to get to Thomas, yet Tech didn’t alter anything to keep him upright. Rutgers proved it wasn’t going to give up any yards on lateral runs, yet the Hokies continued to call plays that ran East and West, even late in the game.
Frank Beamer has continually praised the continuity of the coaching staff for being a big reason for the current 20-year bowl streak, but with the 10-win streak finished and Tech suffering its worst record in 20 years, I think it’s clear to even a coach as loyal as Beamer that something needs to be changed.
2. Logan Thomas going pro seems like a bad idea. But that doesn’t mean he won’t consider it.
Let me first say that I think Thomas will come back. That’s a hunch. I haven’t been told one way or another. I don’t think any pro scout could reasonably have watched his performance in the Russell Athletic Bowl and given him a draft grade that would be anywhere in the first two rounds. All the problems that persisted with Thomas this year — off-target throws, interceptions, trouble with pressure — were on display in the bowl. Still, he did break his own school record for total yardage (3,500) and became the first quarterback to lead the Hokies in rushing since Bobby Owens in 1965. If that doesn’t show you the lack of help he had on the offensive side of the ball this year, nothing will.
On the face of things, it would seem crazy for Thomas to turn pro. His stock isn’t high at all and even he admitted that he wouldn’t be able to step in and play right away. But looking at things from his perspective, his position coach (O’Cain) and the coach who recruited him (Stinespring) both face questions about their job status. Would a departure by either or both help push Thomas toward the NFL? Or would he be reinvigorated by the possibility of someone new coaching him? It’s why Beamer has to make a decision one way or another about the coaching staff soon. Thomas has a Jan. 15 deadline to declare for the NFL draft. The Hokies need to let him know their intentions for the 2013 offense well before that.
3. The running game needs a total reboot.
The stat has been mentioned several times in the aftermath of the bowl game, but here it is again: the Hokies averaged roughly 3.4 inches per carry Friday night. That’s 3 yards on 32 carries if you are not a fan of math. Only twice has Virginia Tech rushed for fewer yards under Beamer (-14 vs. Miami in 1994; -1 vs. Syracuse in 1987). There’s plenty of blame to go around. The line didn’t do a good job of blocking all year. The backs each had their limitations. Shane Beamer would be the first to admit that he could have done a more effective job of splitting the workload throughout the year. And if you gave Frank Beamer a dose of truth serum, he’d probably say he wishes he hadn’t redshirted promising freshman Trey Edmunds this year.
Help appears to be on the way. It seems like Edmunds, who has looked impressive physically in the short time we reporters have seen him in practice, could step in and play a big role next season. Drew Harris, who spent this year at Fork Union, is awaiting word from the NCAA Clearinghouse before hoping to join the team this winter (how that will turn out is anybody’s guess). Those are two pretty physically impressive players right there. Put them in with J.C. Coleman and that’s a young, diverse group of backs. Obviously, they need some holes to run through, so the offensive line’s makeup will be important, but getting the run game back on track will be the No. 1 priority of Beamer and Co. this offseason.
4. The linebackers might have been the biggest reason for the Hokies’ second-half defensive surge.
This might be oversimplifying things. The defensive line started playing its tail off and the secondary began to settle into their new positions, both of which played a big part in Virginia Tech’s defensive success in the final seven games. But I don’t know if any group played better down the stretch than the linebacking trio of Bruce Taylor, Jack Tyler and Alonzo Tweedy. Against Rutgers, that group combined for 26 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, a quarterback hurry, two pass breakups and a sack. That seemed to be the norm from the Florida State game to the end of the year, once Tweedy was inserted into the starting lineup.
It’s impressive considering Taylor played out of position all year, Tyler was in his first year as a full-time starter and Tweedy didn’t do much more than play special teams until those final four games. Antone Exum might have earned MVP honors in the Russell Athletic Bowl with his interception in the fourth quarter that set up the game-tying touchdown, but Tweedy had a solid case too. Three of his eight tackles came on punt coverage, a key part of this offensively-challenged game. He was one of five players with at least 1.5 TFLs and one of three with a sack. All in all, it was about the best way for Taylor and Tweedy, who finished as the team’s top two tacklers in the bowl, to finish out their college careers.
5. It gets lost because these kind of performances have become commonplace, but Bud Foster’s crew rose to the occasion once again.
Maybe fans are numb to these kind of performances because they happen so frequently. Maybe they just have a blind rage about the offense that they can’t think of anything else but to voice their displeasure for the play-calling. But there usually comes a time in every game where Hokies fans will stop, look at the larger picture and have to remind themselves that, hey, Bud Foster’s D really came to play today. That was certainly the case Friday, even though Rutgers wasn’t exactly the New England Patriots out there. Quarterback Gary Nova looked overwhelmed most of the night and the Scarlet Knights didn’t look comfortable doing much of anything. But Foster’s defense was a big reason for a lot of that discomfort. It was tough against the run (67 yards), relentless in harassing Nova (3 sacks and 4 hurries, although that second figure sounds low) and forced two turnovers. It was the second straight year Foster’s defense held a bowl opponent to fewer than 200 yards (Michigan had 184 in the Sugar Bowl).
If James Gayle and Exum choose to come back for their senior year (and Tyler is already lobbying for both, plus Thomas, to do so), the Hokies have the potential for a very strong defense next season. Yes, there’s a danger in projecting these kinds of things — this year’s group was declared by such fools as myself to be potentially one of the all-time greats at Tech — but losing only Taylor and Tweedy as starters and having Tariq Edwards and Ronny Vandyke waiting in the wings means that, at the very least, it will be a veteran group, which always helps. If Gayle and Exum return, the only player in the first 11 who wouldn’t have at least a year of starting experience under his belt is Vandyke at the whip. The Hokies allowed only 284.4 yards per game over the last seven games, which would have ranked sixth nationally if done over the entire season. Tech can only hope that late-season success carries over to 2013.
December 30, 2012 - 12:07 AM
Hilarious how you guys act like the you didn’t know way before now that changes were already planned. No way AMac wrote that article without already having the inside info, and thus taking the pressure off of Beamer. “Ah, the local media is finally giving Frank hell about the offensive staff”. We’ll just stick with “oh wow, do you really think so Andy?” 5 million fans have been discussing nearly identical info, and reporting exactly which coaches were leaving and that Stiney was being reassigned for the past month all over the internet. People who are always in the know, know. But our local beat writer is just going out on a limb and “assuming”? What are you guys now, illuminati? Should have left it alone until after the fact rather than insult your readers with faux predictions.
Any info on Michael Cole? Is he expected to return from his neck injury?
This is another good article by Andy. He is a very good reporter, and he does an excellent report here, as in all of his work.
This article is right on the spot with the correct information.
If Gayle is honest with himself , and if he watched the Texas game, he knows he needs another year. He can’t even compare with Orokpu(?) from Texas. Night and day the difference. Some kids get those stars in their eyes and outside influences looking out for themselves rather than the player and thet stupidly go early. If he’s smart, he’ll wait.
FamilySecurity, we in the newspaper industry have sourcing standards that are higher than message boards. So while yes, I’ve heard things that could happen, to definitively report that something is happening or is imminent, would require a better source than just what people are hearing.
By the way, what happened with Tony Franklin being hired? Everybody was sure of that one. Didn’t happen.
Why don’t you so-called reporters leave the coaching and selection of coaches to the proper people and you keep out. The RT is still a Bill Brill paper.
All of the things you mentioned on defense are great, but if the changes are not made in cleaning out the offensieve coaching staff it will all be for naught. Plus you have to replace them with someone who knows how to build an explosive offense from the ground up. Lord knows they will have to start from scratch. Lets just hope the changes will be made and we can find a quality OC and some very good position coaches.
Hey, FamiySecurity, how about you stop acting like an ass? If you don’t like Andy’s columns, then don’t read them.
Good article. Agree about the D not getting the attention it deserves as it was overshadowed by all the negativity heaped (deservedly so but ad nauseum) on the O. Foster does it year in, year out. And yes the LB’s really came through. Taylor especially in the second half showed how much that ankle sprain hampered him. He seemed to improve every game in the 2 nd half of the season. I’ve said all along how it was a shame Tweedy was under used. I’m sure the coaches had their reasons and I know he’s a “tweener” with his size.
I just don’t get it with Gayle. I thought he would dominate this year but seemed to be less of a force this year than last. Can’t imagine him going early. With Exum having only one year at corner maybe he could benefit with another year though he does have the tools to play on Sundays and do well. LT just needs more time. I cannot see the benefit for him in going early. He definitely could use more time on the college level, otherwise he’s just going to sit, and maybe for a long time, on Sundays.
Agree also with the running game. I think Shane figured they would be fine with the quantity over quality approach and hoped one of them would emerge. Clearly Holmes was overhyped, or at least his skill set of being good, not great, at all aspects of the running game was over valued. It will be interesting to see how the RB’s, no matter who they may be, will do next year with a new OL coach.
As always, I’m looking forward to next year!
Danram, well said. I am so disappointed with the negativity I’ve seen on these (Andy’s and AM’s) boards, and now they’re directing it towards the writers. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Just chill and wait to see what happens, and grow up while you’re waiting.
Happy New Year to you guys…..you all seem to be in a bad mood. Even Ole Fatboy ain’t oblivious to the woes in Turkeytown, but he appreciates the means to the end that must take place. I wish all that will be displaced the best of luck and future success. Thanks for their tireless efforts and hard work. I want to be informed factually what is taking place. Heck, I even read Bill Brill back in the day
Thanks Andy. I thoroughly enjoy reading your articles. Keep doing what you are doing. Most of us out here appreciate your hard work. Happy New Year!
Andy, I thought a few months ago Logan “publicly said he was going to stay with the Hokies 1 more year and not go the NFL route” Whats up with that? He change his mind???
Right on, Danram.
Andy and Aaron have done an excellent job with their reporting and analysis on the Hokies. As a long-time RT subscriber and huge sports (including VT) fan, we are fortunate to have both of them.
Sorry, came across a bit too heavy on my last post. I’ll take my own advice….
It may be frustrating to some fans but I am glad that Beamer is handling all these coaching changes in the right way. You would expect him to deal with things professionally and with class but it is reassuring to see that he is not giving into the frustration the way many fans have.
Running the program with class is part of the brand and something we should all support.
Some fans seem to be supporting a Lane Kiffin approach.
I would think the loss of offensive performance affects the play of our defensive players. James Gayle was probably on the field more minutes per game this season than last and, after years of declining offense,it’s got to be tough to keep a positive vibe for the entire team.
Logan did publicly say he was coming back. But November proclamations usually don’t mean a whole heck of a lot. Most guys haven’t even seriously considering their options at that point.
I am ready to go over the cliff.
How do you replace a David Wilson? How do you replace an entire top notch offensive line? Tech took a major hit this year, it’s not all the coach’s fault.
Hey, it’s Bush’s fault!!
Other than coaching, I would guess that being a reporter is a job that requires a pretty thick skin. Reporters report, and then it is out there for the entire world to pick apart. Not everyone is going to be happy or have the same opinion. For me, I think that Andy and Aaron do a fine job. Keep up the good work.
If Beamer does make the sweeping changes to the offensive staff it will not be because he feels pressure from the fan base. It will be because he can no longer ignore the ineptitide of game plan, play calling, and execution. The constant refrain of the fan base will be justified when Beamer determines that change is indeed warrented.
The whole whip position thing has been a topic of conversation for three years now. I’ve probably written 20 comments on blogs and twitter about why Tweedy should be the starter. The whip is a play making position in Bud’s defense. Winslow was just a place keeper instead of a play maker. Once again, justified by the coaches finally making Tweedy the starter.
Bud has proven over and over again that he knows how to run a defense. When things go south a bit on defense the fans know Bud’s going to get it figured out and back on track. Unlike Stinespring, who seems like he’s just throwing darts at a board and hoping something sticks. Bud deserves to have a comparable counterpart on the offensive side of the ball.
Finally, I just don’t understand people who seek to silence the opinions of others. Bitter, MacFarland, and Teel all have the right to write whatever they think about Hokies football. Every fan can also express his or her opinion as well. It’s like the old political adage of disagreeing with someone but defending their right to say it. @gtbowyer
Dittos to Scott. Good article (as usual) Andy.
Thanks to Andy & Aaron for the great job they do, especially putting up with all the ‘stuff’. I have enjoyed their blogs, except for the comments from the wannabe coaches and news reporters.
Let’s hope VT fixes the problems (football and basketball), then everybody can move on.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
If Andy reveled everything he hears from his sources it wouldn’t be long before he didn’t have any. I think he does a great job and always enjoy reading his columns. Keep up the good work Andy!
Thanks Andy… another good job. I appreciate the work you do and the insight you provide. I STILL have a question about why Tweedy didn’t play (except as a ST BEAST) until the 4th from the last game of the season.
I’ve asked that question before. It must have something to do with ‘National Security”, as secretive as everyone has been. There was a time early on when I’d have accepted YOU on the defense. I get that there wasn’t a “natural” position for him this year, but 1/2 the defense played out of position anyway!
All I ever really knew about A Tweedy was that he is a tackling machine, fast as greased lightning, and plays EVERY play at 110%!
Maybe it doesn’t mater any longer, but I’d still like to know. I hope he gets a shot to get into somebody’s camp. I believe he deserves a chance, and I think he’ll open some eyes!
Thanks again Andy. Happy New Year!
Andy why not start a tweet campaign to have all fans and interested parties to lobby the tech players that might consider leaving early to stick around for next year as a show of solidarity to the school and to avenge this years performance…..cliche’ worst to first…this fan is behind you….show the plumage of them tail feathers when riled!!
I don’t think our running backs are all that bad! It comes down to the fact our offensive line is no better then the AA state champion. This line has never been worth a damn since the early 2000′s. Hopefully they can find some offensive coaches with experience at a higher level and will pay them adequately! I also think Fosters defense finally deserves to have a offensive unit that they can rely on to win games instead of them having to do it all the time like in years past.
I think that Andy’s reporting is spot on. I myself have been calling for more pressure from the local press and local blogs to be more vocal and persistant about changing our ineptitude on the Offensive side of the ball. If it were not for superior NFL quality athletes hiding our sorry offencive staff, this discussion would have been happening much earlier. I think we let a good young offensive mind slip by us in Nick Rolovich from Nevada but I have complete confidence that Beamer will come up with a good choice and let the OC fill in the blanks.
Thanks Andy for keeping it real and if this was the Philly press it would be UGLY!!
Andy, you and Frank Beamer would make great dancing partners. You both are dancing around the obvious to avoid the sad truth. You look like George Bailey dancing and totally unaware of the swimming pool below you. UNTIL FRANK BEAMER, I do not say Coach Beamer as he no long deserves that title, IS ROCKING ON A FRONT PORCH OF A REST HOME NO PROBLEMS WILL BE SOLVED.
Beamer must go or we will continue to feel only shame and embarrassment for our football team.
I still say it is cowardice to blame players when they are getting no guidance from the coaching staff. That fool Newsome looked more like a drunk waiting on the crub for a midnight bus to take him home, than a coach responsible for an offense that gives up more points that it scores.
Foster runs a good defense against mostly inept teams with less than mediocre quarterbacks. Beamer, for the most part , doesn’t seem to know what is going on during the game. If these same folks are coaching in 2014 Tech might go 4-8. Tech cannot beat top 5 teams and their defense averages giving up 30 points per game to good teams. Check it out, the statistics bear it out. Hokie fans are insane if they think anything will change in 2013. Be sure to watch the Yellow Jackets in the Sun Bowl tomorrow.
Wow, Peppers Ferry really hit the nail on the head. The truth hurts but it will set people free.
Peppers Ferry, Coach Beamer made VT football and now he’s taking the steps to remake it. As far as the players go there just wasn’t much talent on the offense this year on the field and that finally caught up to the lack of offensive coaching talent but none of that is Beamers fault. He built this program you claim to be a fan of though you don’t deserve to lick his boots.
I truly appreciate and beachtowels because I think they are always based in fact. Would all you naysayers rather go back to Bill Brill who had an agenda? Andy keep up the good work and don’t listen to Peppers Ferry or Family security. Andy made an excellent point with the Franklin comment!
That should have read I truly appreciate Andy’s views because …
Pepper’s Ferry/Crooked Road and the rest of Aristohokienation are entitled to their opinions, strong and misguided as they may be. Spewing hate and ugliness is not “reporting” or “truth telling” or “facing facts”. Calling you out as severly limited bloggers is not “drinking VT kool-aid”.
No one oputside of the EIB Network would pay for you to spew unsupported venom endlessly.
AB and AM actually get paid for their contributions and do a darn good job. When they write fact based columns, you know that and they quote supported sources. When they write opinions you know that, too.
Blogs and message boards are great places to vent but to confuse venting with reporting or reasoned discourse is a grave error of logic and thought.
I have two thoughts about you both:
1. I’ve been told over the years that I don’t suffer fools well. Bingo there.
2. You are living proof that Darwin was right.
I am just glad that tech played Austin Peay! Hate to think what would of happened if they would play teams that that are ranked most weeks. Can’t wait till Bama game.
Next year maybe we can spend more time on coaching Xs and Os and quit wasting so much time on what uniforms and helmits to wear and what stickers to put on the helmits. The offense play calling is as if several of the coaches are taking turns pulling plays out of a hat – no sync. Plays take far too much time to develope and defences have too much time to react. Next year, maybe a new offense coaching staff. Go Hokies, get ready for Bama.
Andy,
Logan is going Pro!Because We didnt run him much in the Bowl game (so he would not get hurt)And I heard we are going to be getting a coach out of South Caralina. This will happen after there bowl game.
Andy, you and Aaron did a great job all year. I hope you have enjoyed all the pokes to ribs you’ve gotten this year, I haven’t seen any roundhouses to the chin, especially from Barry from the ATL. Anxious to hear about improvements in Blacksburg. Happy New Year.
Eagle – UVA sucks…fire London next
Logan needs to go pro…as a TE
Andy, you have doing a great job- in fact, some very good reporters overall cover VT Sports and we appreciate all of you. Now as to facts, the rage of fans about the offense is not blind. To the contrary, that rage has become more and more focused and at the same time widespread over many years of adjustment. But, I do agree that the problems over the years with the offense has tended to cause less than adequate appreciation for the job that the Defense has done over the same period of time. Foster is the man, VT needs someone as OC that has the potential to be a Forster. That is a tall order, but VT needs set very high standards for the next staff.
T-17 Days to NFL Draft Declaration Deadline. How many days until the coaching decision is announced. AT LEAST two weeks before the Draft Declaration, for LT’s sake, right?
Zman, you get it. While I (and most if Hokie nation) am disgusted with this season, I don’t believe in the tar and feather approach to anyone in the coaching profession. Do we need change? Sure. I was one of those ridiculed for standing behind the staff because I’ve been in that type of spot before. I believed that early in the season when people wanted to see heads roll, I wanted to see it through. The season is over and we need a new approach offensively. These are hard working coaches who have been through alot together. They have been faithful to the profession and never publicly thrown each other under the bus. Some of you have no class and try to act like it’s Andy’s fault your facts don’t match his. He’s a reporter. Someone who gets paid to report facts not speculation. His livelihood depends on that. These coaches, players, admin, etc trust that he will not say things that are unfounded. In the end they respect him as a reporter of facts and in return share info. Good job Andy. Keep it up.
Tony Franklin. Glad we dodged that bullet. Cal not so lucky.
/// 1. I’ve been told over the years that I don’t suffer fools well. Bingo there. // No, you much better at being one. LOL
/// 2. You are living proof that Darwin was right. ///
Zman – I don’t know a mother ape that would claim you.
If personal insults are allowed here, we might as well make the most of it. Bring it on ! . . . and there ain’t going to be a VT / ‘Bama game next year. Get your head out of your Zman. :>)
Who knows what will happen with the coaching staff, as I heard today “those who talk don’t know and those who know aren’t talking”.
I have nothing personal against any of these coaches, but they make too much money to warrant pity. Don’t want to hear about their families either. I spent 26 years in the Navy and moved 12 times. When a top 20 team’s offense rarely cracks the top 50 in a decade the staff is at fault. What’s truly unfortunate is we should have been making coaching adjustments all along – now we have to move almost the entire offensive staff (minus Shane oddly enough).
Beamer and the coaching staff’s total misread of Holmes ability is a real concern. Were they just selling it or did they really believe it?
Yeah, don’t give me that sympathy for the families crap. Those families have enjoyed the benefits of big salaries, nice perks and job stability for numerous years…unlike your average income families. They should be thankful for the wonderful opportunity Va Tech afforded them and prepare to move on with their lives as most coaching families do. Best wishes to them.
Do we have any quasi-reliable candidates for OC out there? I know, Pep Hamilton is this week’s Tony Franklin, but I mean serious candidates, not fantasy picks. The real question is – will Frank handcuff the guy, or will he be allowed to actually run his own offense? That goes a long way in determining the candidates. I’ve heard Shawn Elliott as yet another fantasy pick, but mostly because he would defer to Shane Beamer. That is a bizarre situation right there. You hire an OC who has to kneel to the RB coach? Oops, RB coach/Special Teams Coordinator who’ll be paid nearly OC money? Who wants that deal?
Can it get more introverted? The Circle Of Trust seems to be tightening down pretty drastically…
Frank has to make some tough choices soon. Can he do it? Will be reassign Shane? I have to comment on how Logan Thomas looks like he has less poise that he did a year ago, if that is possible. Look at it this way at least we did not have any asshole shows of end zone antics, chest thumping and yap running when the camera was on anyone with an open mike.
Andy and AMac–good work all year. I have been a VT season ticket holder since 1970 seeing: the good, the bad and the Super Ugly. Frank Beamer will make the college football Hall of Fame, but unless he overhauls the whole O-staff his legacy will end sadly. The on-field results this year have been coming for a while and whomever he hires will have to rebuild from almost nothing. If Logan can become a 2nd round pick, he should go since if he improves for VT it will be with a new line (?) new RBs (?) and new WRs (?) and Frank will have his season long excuse of lack of experience, not be consistent and execution.
GFB–VT’63
Blah! Blah! Blah! Beamer didn’t build the VT football program, he had help! Just ask Obama, he’ll set you straight!
Hear this, understand it, believe it. We are NOT getting an established, well-known OC. NOT happening. Why would someone like that come to a program with a Hall of Fame coach where there’s not a lot to gain with Foster, and Shane as the next candidates for the job. We will be getting a young unproven guy. Hopefully a bright,and eager guy who wants to run a pro style offense. Hopefully get us back to smash mouth, blow you off the ball running game, and takes shots with the pass over the middle of the field, as well as utilizing the tight end in the passing game. Enough of the cute spread game screens and swings. Leave that crap to Tony at Cal. We don’t need vanilla, but we don’t need basketball on grass either.
A few years ago, suggested/predicted Fridge (Ralph F.) would join his best bed Beamer in Blacksburg. Great offensive mind, with zero chance he would alter grooming/succession of Beamer Junior. Win-win for all. Beamer, Foster, and Friedgen would create the nation’s finest coaching packages.
Andy, wonder why Bruce Arians’ name is never mentioned in a coaching capacity at VT? Played at VT, longstanding and successful offensive coach at both the college and NFL levels?
Arians is thriving as an NFL coordinator and this season, as an interim head coach. I just saw Chris Mortensen of ESPN say he could be a head coaching candidate this offseason in the NFL. Quite honestly, he’s out of VT’s range right now.
He certainly should get some consideration (and big cash thrown at him) when Frank moves on…!
Bottom line for all the comments is that the head coach is responsible for the horrible offense for the past 20 plus years. We do not have a Vick – Davis combo who can outrun bad play calls, or a Brian who outsmarts bad offense design and just enough speed. Reminds me of the late 60s and the Jerry C. offense. Beamer consistently says he does not read or listen to others and that in itself is a problem The Rutgers coach told everyone what he was going to with his defense and what was Tech’s game plan to run wide with those stupid pistol and shotgun plays right into the heart of the defenses game plan. Wow even Lou Holtz at halftime had it figured real quick. Must run north – south. Oh, but he has his trophy case filled. Lots of changes needed but most of all the head coach must be willing to let the offense move into the 20th century and then maybe work on the 21st.