The hope for Logan Thomas this season was that the quarterback would blossom in his second year as the Hokies’ starter, advancing his game enough to offset the major losses around him on offense.

The reality was that Thomas had a slight statistical regression, often looking out of sorts with his mechanics and uncomfortable throwing the ball at times. Still, Virginia Tech coaches don’t think Thomas had as bad of a season as many are making it out to be.

“I think he’s progressed,” offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring said. “Obviously it hasn’t shown up so much in the stat department. A lot of that doesn’t have to do with him. It’s a whole new group around him. I think he’s progressed well. I think he understands defenses more.”

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Thomas knows his mechanics weren’t finely tuned this year. It showed most when he sailed passes over his receivers.

“My throwing motion had gone up or over the top of the shoulder and then I’d drop it down sometimes which caused the ball to sail going back and looking at film,” Thomas said. “It’s just a couple things I need to work on to make sure it’s just the same way every time. Make sure it’s done right. I missed a lot of throws this year to where I want them back.”

A look at Thomas’ statistics shows a slight regression, but not a huge step back (then again, the hope for Thomas this year was to make a big step forward). For all of Thomas’ struggles, he’s still 172 yards from breaking his own school record in total offense. Granted, it will take him more plays to reach that mark this year (and far more than Tyrod Taylor needed in 2010), something that shows just how dependent on Thomas the Hokies were this season.

Here’s the last three years for Tech’s total offense leaders, all of which were — or likely will be — school records:

• 2010: Tyrod Taylor, 461 plays, 3,402 yards
• 2011: Logan Thomas, 544 plays, 3,482 yards
• 2012: Logan Thomas, 557 plays, 3,311 yards

Here are Thomas’ passing stats in 2011 and ’12:

• 2011: 14 games, 234-391, 59.8%, 3,013 yards, 19 TD, 10 INT, 7.7 7pa, 135.5 rating, 215.2 ypg, 27.9 apg, 3,482 total yards, 248.7 ypg
• 2012: 12 games, 205-390, 52.6%, 2,783 yards, 17 TD, 14 INT, 7.1 ypa, 119.7 rating, 231.9 ypg, 32.5 apg, 3,311 total yards, 276.2 ypg

He’ll actually have a chance to throw for more yards in fewer games, although he’s been less efficient. His completion percentage is down over seven points. He would have needed to complete 28 more of his passes this year to reach last season’s completion rate. Dropped passes by receivers can only account for so much.

His interceptions are up slightly and thus his rating is down. But he’s thrown the ball far more often this year, many times with the Hokies trailing big and in obvious passing situations.

He has almost five more attempts this season. He had five games with 34 or more attempts this season. He had only two such games last year. He had two games last year in which he completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes (his first two as a starter, so inexperience was a factor). This year, it was four games, including the last two against Boston College and Virginia.

Conversely, last season he had seven games in which he completed 60 percent or more of his passes. He topped the 60 percent mark only twice this year.

His rushing stats look very similar to last year:

• 2011: 153 carries, 469 yards, 3.1 ypc, 11 TD, 10.9 apg, 33.5 ypg
• 2012: 167 carries, 528 yards, 3.2 ypc, 9 TD, 13.8 apg, 44.3 ypg

Given Virginia Tech’s running backs, it’s no surprise that Thomas shouldered a bigger load, getting almost three more carries a game. What’s surprising is his yards per carry actually went up slightly. Anecdotally, that didn’t seem like it would be the case.

While Thomas never had more than 18 carries in a game last season (the Georgia Tech game), he had 20 or more carries three times this season (Clemson, Miami, Virginia). He had 29 carries for 89 yards against the Cavaliers, shouldering the offensive load on a day where the elements weren’t conducive for passing by repeatedly running into a stacked front.

Although the stats don’t show a glowing picture about Thomas’ season, Stinespring, for one, still thinks the quarterback is the same NFL prospect he was following last season.

“When we sit back and talk, ‘Is Logan ready?’ He’s the same guy he was last year,” Stinespring said. “Obviously the stats haven’t gone the same as last year and the completion percentage is not as high as it was last year, but it’s not like you got a guy that last year everybody was talking about how quickly he could be drafted and now people will kind of talk about if and when.”

Fans who tuned in to last Thursday’s game against Florida State got a good glimpse at all of quarterback Logan Thomas’ strengths and weaknesses.

They saw the big-armed quarterback who can also make plays with his feet. But they also saw some wayward throws, particularly on the interceptions, that have held him back this year.

The junior, who thinks he’s taken a step forward in his progression despite a step back in stats, thinks it’s been a so-so-season.

“I would say it’s middle of the road,” he said Tuesday. “I’m not excited with how I’ve been playing or I’m not hating how I’ve been playing. Interceptions are up, but like I’ve said before, it’s because of a number of different things. They’re not all my fault. So people look at interceptions and say automatically I had a worse year.

“But you know, in some parts I think I’m a lot better than I was last year. Just being able to handle the entire offense, making checks, you know, being more of a part of the running game. There’s a lot of good things I’m doing well.”

Those picks are hard to ignore, though. Thomas’ 14 interceptions are tied for second most in the country and are four more than he threw all of last year in 14 games. He tries to put the criticism that comes with them out of mind, though.

“Same old, same old,” Thomas said. “I don’t pay attention to you guys much at all. Y’all are going to talk, y’all are going to do your job and I’m going to do my job. That’s just how I am. You know, if some of these people say stuff to my face — they sit there behind computers, cell phones, whatever — maybe we’d have a problem. But I don’t think anybody is going to say something to my face.”

He’s still focused on improving as he heads into his senior year in one area in particular.

“You see things game to game,” he said. “And I guess my reoccurring thing from game-to-game is when I do rollout or throw on the run, that I haven’t been very accurate with it and that’s something I need to get better at.”

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Here are some more notes and quotes from Tuesday’s press conference …

• Trainer Mike Goforth and team doctor Mark Rogers gave an update on safety Michael Cole, who suffered a scary-looking neck injury against Florida State last week. Goforth said the redshirt freshman is improving every day and continuing to go through tests. They’ve ruled him out this week but didn’t want to go any further than that. “I think it’s premature to even talk about two weeks from now, to be honest with you,” Goforth said. “We’ve just have to let it play out and see how he feels. … We’re looking at this as a positive thing to this point. There’s nothing that sets off an alarm right now.”
• Rogers said Cole has suffered stingers in his career before, but never anything this severe. The numb feeling he had in his upper extremities on the field is resolved. “His nerve function is good,” Rogers said. “So I think at this point, there’s not a nerve injury, per se. So that’s good.”
• The staff is following up with strength tests for his neck. Much of that will be gained back through rehab. “Mike is a very motivated guy,” Goforth said. “He wanted to know his practice status yesterday. That’s his frame of mind right now. For him, Friday was business as usual. He got up and went to class and came and got his treatment, and so on. So he’s thinking in that direction. The better he feels, the more we can do with him. He’s just getting comfortable right now. But I like where his mind is, definitely.”
• Cornerback Antone Exum said the Cole play reminded him of former Rutgers player Eric LeGrand, who was partially paralyzed after trying to make a tackle on a kickoff several years ago. Like LeGrand, Cole wasn’t moving on the field. “Then I saw the replay of how he led with his head so I thought like, ‘Man, this might be a really serious neck injury,’ so I was just scared for him,” Exum said. “I said a prayer for him and was just trying to hope for the best.”
• Beamer reiterated that freshman Desmond Frye would step into Cole‘s role in the nickel package. “He’s got a lot of ability,” Beamer said. “I expect he’s going to get some playing time.”
• Interesting Beamer quote on the Marcus Davis blocking video flap from yesterday. Beamer was asked about the video but gave an indirect answer that, if you read between the lines, might give you an idea the route Virginia Tech will go with Davis (emphasis mine): “I think each and every week you evaluate people on their performance, the consistency of their performance. And I can tell you that’s the way it’s always been in our program. And the people that give us the consistency in their performance, that’s who is going to be on the field.”
• Tech’s wide receiver blocking has taken a hit since the end of last season. Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale were great blockers, but both graduated. Then D.J. Coles, by far the best blocker of the receivers, was lost for the season with a knee injury after the opener. “If you can get it started, then your wide receiver blocking is critical for the long play,” Beamer said. “If you’ve got a 5-yard gain, it can turn into a 25-yard gain. So there’s no question the importance of your wide receiver blocking.”
• Thomas said he hadn’t seen the video. Asked about the wide receiver blocking, he said this: “You know, I don’t really pay attention to the receivers’ jobs as blockers. I just pay attention to my job throwing the ball and handing it off.”
• Beamer, as you’d expect, didn’t touch a question about Boston College coach Frank Spaziani‘s job status. “I’m worried about Virginia Tech. I think we need to play better, more consistent,” he said. “Coach Spaziani, I wouldn’t want to comment about his situation other than I think he’s a good coach, a good person, like him a lot. And that’s the way I feel about him.” In four years under Spaziani, BC’s win total has gone from eight to seven to four to two this year.
• Exum said the team remains confident despite its sub-.500 record. “It’s not something you can really ignore because we haven’t been 4-6 around here in a long time, but I knew we feel like we’re probably the best 4-6 team out there,” he said. ‘Our record doesn’t indicate how good of a team this is. We still have talent and guys that can get it done, but for some reason, the ball just hasn’t been bouncing our way this year and we’ve just to focus on finishing these last two games and getting to a bowl game.” For a point of reference, Pittsburgh, which beat the Hokies 35-17 in September, is also 4-6.
• Thomas agreed. “We’re confident because we’ve done so many things well and we haven’t put it all together,” he said. “I guess that’s what it’s all about: Putting it all together. Everybody has seen flashes of our offense being almost unstoppable and then you’ve seen times where we can’t even move the ball. That’s just the consistency thing. That’s what makes it encouraging, because when we are playing well, we’re playing hard, physical, intense and we are extremely tough to stop.”
• Before the presser, Exum and safety Kyshoen Jarrett were listening to a song Exum put together last night on a program on his laptop. It’s called “Revis.” He said he’d release it on Twitter only if Tech makes a bowl game.

The latest Virginia Tech depth chart has movement at the wide receiver positions, with Corey Fuller and Demitri Knowles elevated to co-No. 1′s with entrenched starters Marcus Davis and Dyrell Roberts.

While head coach Frank Beamer said it’s a reward for Fuller and Knowles, wide receivers coach Kevin Sherman told Beamer’s website that it’s a motivational tactic too.

“It also sends the message that you better be busting it all the time,” Sherman said. “If any of our guys think they can relax because they’re arrived, they’ve got that dead wrong.”

Statistically, Davis and Fuller have been the Hokies’ top two receivers. Davis has a team-leading 33 catches for 643 yards and four touchdowns, on pace for the first 1,000-yard receiving season in school history.

Fuller, whose role expanded when D.J. Coles was lost for the year with a knee injury, has 25 catches for 503 yards and four touchdowns, with four starts.

Roberts, who missed most of the North Carolina game with a concussion, is next, with 22 catches for 280 yards and a score. Knowles has 10 grabs for 152 yards and a touchdown.

Davis and Roberts have started every game, although their blocking effort hasn’t been its best in recent weeks. Sherman has routinely brought up consistency being the one thing holding Davis back from putting everything together.

Beamer wants to foster competition at practice and balance things out to get maximum effort.

“I think there’s a possibility we’re playing some guys too much,” he said. “We want good competition and we want to get Knowles in the ball game because I think he can do things. Corey Fuller has been very, very good all year long. He’s been exceptional. I think trying to have a fresh receiver in the ball game and have good competition at that wide receiver position cause competition makes everyone better. That’s the big picture.”

Quarterback Logan Thomas doesn’t see it as too much of a difference.

“I definitely think that they’re pushing them,” he said. “I mean you can already list Corey as a No. 1 for as much as he plays anyway. They’re pushing up on those guys, but it’s not to say Marcus and Dyrell aren’t doing their own thing. They’re doing a great job as well.”

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• I’m a little later than normal with this update because columnist Aaron McFarling and were recording our debut podcast, something we’re going to give a try for the next couple weeks, I think. I’m by no means a spoken word expert — I have a voice for print, let’s say — but I think it’ll be a different way to talk about Virginia Tech in a casual setting. I’ll have a link up tomorrow sometime. Be sure to give us your feedback.
• I’m doing a story on the offense for tomorrow’s paper and wanted to get Beamer’s opinion on what ESPN’s Todd McShay said last week about the Hokies’ offense being out-dated. Beamer asked back, “Do you know what he based that on?” I said I didn’t, since I didn’t have a chance to follow-up with a question on McShay’s teleconference. “Me neither,” Beamer said sharply.
• Overall, as you’d guess, Beamer didn’t think much of McShay’s remarks. “I think those guys stay on the air by being controversial,” he said. “We’re doing a lot of things that you see, you turn on the TV, a lot of stuff. And then I think he made some reference about Logan and I think he was one that had Logan up there pretty high as far as an NFL quarterback. He wasn’t talking about our offense when he had Logan up there pretty high as an NFL quarterback. I don’t know quite where he’s coming from, but guys have got to stay in the business.” (Sidenote: Beamer suggested going back and asking McShay what he meant specifically. I have tried, but efforts to reach McShay through ESPN in the last week have been unsuccessful.)
• Miami isn’t exactly a raucous atmosphere. Sun Life Stadium isn’t anywhere near campus. It’s an NFL stadium in Miami Gardens that is routinely close to empty on gamedays, even though the Hurricanes have a historically strong football program, or at least have since the early-80′s. “It’s a big stadium for any team and it’s, I guess because the U is the way the U is now and not the old age, it’s not as full as it has been and used to be,” Thomas said. “I don’t know how to put it up against another stadium, but it still  has some sound to it, but it’s not what you would expect a team that has a legacy like Miami to have.”
• Safety Kyshoen Jarrett explained what the defense needs to do like this: “We have to go out and perform and just having each team match our intensity, and just match our mojo when we go out there, instead of us trying to match their mojo, and then, you know, they’re already rolling.” I’m guessing that’s a way of saying they have to energy early.
• Thomas’ step-dad is a big Miami fan. He grew up there. How does that work out? “It’s not a problem,” Thomas said. “I’ve been living with it for 12 years now or whatever it is, so it doesn’t really bother me.” Sounds like they don’t bring it up much. Logan doesn’t know who he’s rooting for. “Couldn’t tell you,” he said. “I don’t ask. Don’t ask, don’t tell.”
• The injury report is due out later today, but Beamer said center Caleb Farris (ankle) is going to play. “I don’t think he’s totally 100 percent, but I tell you, he’s really toughed it out,” Beamer said. “Wants to play very much. I think he’s going to be able to play, but what percentage healthy, I couldn’t tell you exactly.”
• The winner of this game has a pretty good chance of winning the division, although for some, that won’t make up for Tech’s early-season struggles. “I don’t think anything would make up for it, but it would definitely be something that would make us feel better about the season,” Thomas said. “We’ve kind of got a sour taste  in our mouths and we don’t like it, but getting to the ACC championship would be something huge for us.”
•  Beamer thinks there’s a precedent for a team having a down year turning it into something good by the end. “I take it back to Florida State in 2005 when we played them in the ACC championship and they were coming off of a tough year,” he said. “They lost three ACC games and obviously ended up going to the Orange Bowl. Again, I don’t think so much what’s happened in the past. We’re doing everything we can to beat this Miami crowd.”

We’ve reviewed the offense and the defense the last two days to fill time during the bye week. Now for the special teams.

Feel free to agree or disagree with my selections. The comments section is open for it.

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Rankings:

** Net punting: 36.21 avg. (77th nationally, 8th ACC)

** Punt returns: 12.48 avg. (23rd nationally, 6th ACC)

** Kickoff returns 23.23 avg. (42nd nationally, 5th ACC)

High point: It’s tough to pick one game where everything came together, so I’ll go with the best highlight of the year — Kyshoen Jarrett‘s 94-yard punt return for a touchdown against Pittsburgh. The return was pretty and Ronny Vandyke leveled two would-be tacklers with one block, springing Jarrett up the sideline. You can’t draw it up much better than that.

Also considered: Cody Journell‘s late FGs vs. Georgia Tech, A.J. Hughes vs. Cincinnati, Demitri Knowles‘ kick return vs. UNC

Low point: The Hokies had a kick return for a touchdown by Knowles against North Carolina, but it wasn’t enough to undo some special teams gaffes. UNC’s Sean Tapley returned a kick 94 yards for a touchdown, the first TD Tech has given up on a kick return in 237 games. Later in the first quarter, J.R. Collins jumped offsides when the Tar Heels were lining up for a field goal. It gave them a first down and they capitalized with a touchdown. That’s 11 points you can attribute directly to the special teams.

Also considered: Hughes dropping snap vs. GT, Christian Reeves touching short punt, turning it over at Clemson

Biggest surprise: Hughes hasn’t been an All-ACC caliber punter, but relative to what the Hokies had last year, he’s been outstanding. The freshman walk-on has a 40.1-yard average through eight games. That’s still ninth in the ACC, but it’s nearly three and a half yards better than last year, when Michael Branthover and Scott Demler struggled all season before being bailed out by Danny Coale at the end of the year. Hughes has had some shanks, but he’s shown a big leg at times too. Against Cincinnati he had punts of 55, 56 and 57 yards.

Also considered: Jarrett, Knowles, Journell

Biggest disappointment: Virginia Tech has been solid across the board on special teams, but the blocked punts that helped define “Beamer Ball” have been few and far between. Tony Gregory blocked a punt against Austin Peay. Hokies fans gave a collective yawn. Virginia Tech hasn’t blocked a punt against an FBS opponent since the Boise State game to open 2010.

Also considered: Jumping offsides on FG defense a couple times

Special teams MVP: Journell has had a heck of a season, making 10 of 11 field goals and coming up clutch against Georgia Tech to send the game to overtime and win it. But Jarrett, I think, has been more influential in the punt return game. He jumpstarted a team that appeared to be sleepwalking against Austin Peay with a 46-yard return. The next week, he had the 94-yarder for a touchdown against Pitt. His 18.1-yard average is fourth nationally. It makes you wonder why the Hokies ever put Michael Holmes back there.

Also considered: Journell, Hughes, Knowles, Alonzo Tweedy

Telling stat: Take Coale’s punts out of last year’s stats and Hughes’ 40.1-yard average is 5.2 yards better than the combination of Branthover and Demler.

Telling stat, Part II: The Hokies have had only one blocked punt in each of the last five years. At its height, in 1998, “Beamer Ball” produced eight blocked punts.

Telling stat, Part III: In 31 kickoffs, Brooks Abbott has eight touchbacks and opponents are starting at their own 29-yard line on average. In 14 kickoffs, Michael Branthover has seven touchbacks and opponents are starting at their own 17-yard line. Abbott has handled kickoffs the last five games.

Outlook: It’s erroneous to say that “Beamer Ball” is back, not when the thing that defined that era of special teams play so much — blocked kicks/punts — has been close to non-existent this year. But the special teams, as a whole, have been solid this season. Journell has been reliable, Jarrett and Knowles explosive threats and Hughes a major upgrade from a last year. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Alonzo Tweedy being a standout on the coverage teams. That covers all the bases on special teams.

What’s still lacking is the momentum-changing plays that have defined Virginia Tech’s special teams for so long. There have been the returns by Jarrett and Knowles, but the Hokies seem to have given away momentum more than they are taking it. They gave up the kick return for a touchdown against UNC. They’ve jumped offsides on field goal attempts twice, both of which led to touchdowns. They turned it over in a crucial time at Clemson when Reeves couldn’t get out of the way of a wayward punt. Those things add up over the course of a season and are part of the reason for Tech’s 4-4 record.

I did a review of the offense so far this season yesterday. Today, I’ll take a look at the defense.

Feel free to agree or disagree with my selections. The comments section is open for it.

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Rankings:

** Rushing defense: 167.1 ypg (71st nationally, 8th ACC)

** Passing defense 203.4 ypg (32nd nationally, 3rd ACC)

** Total defense: 370.5 ypg (49th nationally, 5th ACC)

** Scoring defense: 24.0 ppg (48th nationally, 5th ACC)

High point: The defense hasn’t looked better than the final three-plus quarters of the Duke game. The Hokies stopped the run (Duke had 22 rushing yards), were aggressive (five sacks) and disruptive (four turnovers forced), just the kind of things you’d expect from a Bud Foster-coached defense. The Blue Devils scored on a long pass on their first drive, but the defense kept them out of the end zone the rest of the way, allowing for the biggest comeback in the Frank Beamer era.

Also considered: Run defense vs. Georgia Tech, first 3 quarters vs. Cincinnati, overall effort in Clemson game

Low point: It’s neck and neck between the Pittsburgh game and North Carolina, but I’ll pick the latter. The Hokies’ offense at least showed up in that contest, but the defense, which gave up 533 yards and 41 points (7 more came on a kick return), couldn’t hold its end of the bargain. What made that one worse was how it happened. The Tar Heels ran for 339 yards, getting 262 from Giovani Bernard. Those are stats you don’t see against Foster’s defense often, if ever. Missed tackles contributed to the issues. Overall, it was a very un-Hokie-like game on defense.

Also considered: Pittsburgh game, 4th quarter vs. Cincinnati, red zone defense vs. Clemson

Biggest surprise: In the spring, Kyshoen Jarrett was the cornerback-turned-safety that the coaches had the most concerns about. Eight games into the season, he’s been their most reliable defensive back. Jarrett, a sophomore, has 59 tackles and 4.5 tackles for a loss so far. He’s been more consistent at safety than Detrick Bonner and has taken command from a play-calling aspect on the back end. Against Clemson, he was practically playing a linebacker position and finished with nine tackles and a TFL. He’s just the kind of aggressive, run-supporting safety Tech likes.

Also considered: Jack Tyler, Antone Exum, Luther Maddy, Michael Cole

Biggest disappointment: It can’t be anything but the run defense. The Hokies had a great start, limiting Georgia Tech’s option offense to 192 yards, well below what the Yellow Jackets usually run for. But it’s been downhill from there. Pittsburgh gouged Tech for 254 rushing yards. North Carolina followed with 339 yards and four touchdowns. Even lesser teams like Austin Peay (159 yards) and Bowling Green (133) moved the ball against what was supposed to be a stout front seven for the Hokies. Seven ACC teams have been better against the run this year. That doesn’t happen often.

Also considered: Tackling, pass rush, Kyle Fuller, J.R. Collins

Defensive MVP: It’s close, but I’ll go with Tyler. Thrust into the starting lineup because of the injury to Tariq Edwards, he’s been a magnet to the ball. Tyler leads the team with 77 tackles, the third most in the ACC. he also is tied for a team-best 7.5 tackles for a loss with defensive end James Gayle. He has two sacks and seven quarterback hurries. He’s also improved his pass defense, considered the weak link in his game a year ago. Overall, he’s done everything Tech could have asked of him and more from the mike linebacker spot.

Also considered: Jarrett, Gayle, Bruce Taylor, Derrick Hopkins, Exum

Telling stat: The only time other than this season since 1994 that opponents have averaged more than 4 yards per rush was in 2010, when teams ran for 4.7 yards per carry against the Hokies. This year’s team is giving up 4.1 yards per rush.

Telling stat, Part II: Tech had 41 sacks last year. It has only 18 through eight games this year, putting it on pace for 25 in 13-game season.

Telling stat, Part III: The Hokies might be 32nd nationally in passing yards allowed, but they’re 80th in terms of pass efficiency defense (125.67). Teams might not throw for many yards on Tech, but they’ve been efficient at it when they do.

Outlook: It’s not that the defense has been bad. It’s been bad at times, but adequate most of the time. That’s just not what Hokies fans are used to. Couple that with an offense that has struggled to put things together with any kind of consistency, and Tech’s 4-4 record right now makes a whole lot more sense.

There have been bright spots for this group. Gayle (4 sacks, 7.5 TFL) is starting to live up to his All-ACC promise. Maddy, now that he’s healthy, has been unblockable in the pass rush the last two weeks. Tyler and Jarrett I’ve covered. Taylor, playing out of position, has turned in a good season. And Exum, despite a few forgettable moments from the Pittsburgh and Cincinnati games, has actually been the team’s most reliable cornerback.

It’s the whole that’s just not quite right. You heard Foster mention after the North Carolina game that the defense is designed to get a free hitter in a position to make a play and, more often than not, that player wasn’t getting the job done. That’s how the whole season feels (or at least did up through the first quarter of the Duke game).

The Duke and Clemson games showed signs that Foster’s crew is starting to put things together. Clemson’s 38 points notwithstanding, you can hardly blame all of that on the defense, not with the turnovers and short fields it had working against it. The pass rush is finally coming around. The missed tackles have been cut down. And the depth issues that were so severe early on, are becoming less troublesome (Tariq Edwards is getting closer to coming back at linebacker and Cole, now that he’s gotten some playing time, is starting to hold his own in the secondary).

This might not be the greatest defense Foster has coached (as some, myself included, said was a possibility before the season), but it’s certainly one that is capable of carrying this team if it plays like it did the last two weeks.