Posted Jul20, 2008 at 04:32 PM
MONDAY, JULY 21, 6:30 P.M.
Aaron McFarling here from Greensboro, Ga. Day 2 of the 2008 ACC Football Kickoff is in the books. The coaches have spoken, and here are your highlights:
First of all, Virginia coach Al Groh was positively charming today. Really. OK, so I thought he was. For Al. Plus, he quoted God. Maybe he was just thrilled about the new injury policy in the ACC. More on all this in a bit.
The polls were released today. Virginia Tech got 58 of a possible 65 first-place votes to win the Coastal Division, followed by (first-place votes in parentheses):
2.North Carolina (4)
3. Miami (1)
4. Georgia Tech (1) (huh?)
5. Virginia (1) (double-huh?)
6. Duke
"I'm surprised to be honest with you," Tech coach Frank Beamer said of the solid consensus for his team. "We've got some coaching to do."
I told Groh it looked like there was at least one believer among us media types in his team.
"And I bet you all are laughing at him, aren't you?" Groh said.
Oh, yes. We are. But it could be a "her," you know.
In the Atlantic, Clemson was the runaway choice with 59 votes. The rest:
2. Wake Forest (5)
3. Florida State (1)
4. Boston College
5. Maryland
6. N.C. State
Clemson, a top-10 team in many preseason magazines, got 51 votes to win the conference.
Beamer, as you might expect, was asked about his quarterbacks. He reiterated that he'd like to find a clear-cut No. 1 before kickoff on Aug. 30 against ECU rather than go in with the mindset of just playing them both.
"We've got to get that figured out," he said.
He acknowledged that Tech probably wouldn't have won the ACC without the two-quarterback system last year but felt something snapped out of place in the Orange Bowl.
"We seemed we were always one play behind," he said.
Asked what that meant exactly, he smiled.
"When you're throwing interceptions and they're going back to the end zone, you're one play behind," Beamer said.
Frank said the loss of receiver Brandon Dillard to injury really ratchets up the need for the Hokies to identify about six wideouts early in fall practice that they can work with regularly (he said he'd like to narrow the tailback race to three in the same swift time frame). But he seemed pleased at the talent level of the incoming freshman and reprized one of his familiar sayings: The farther you are away from the football in the formation, the earlier you can play in your career and make an impact.
"If [receivers] get any farther away, they're going to get out of bounds," he said.
One of the major factors that gives Beamer pause when he looks at the preseason poll is the fact that his team has to go on the road to Miami, Florida State, BC and UNC this year (as well as a tough nonconference trip to Nebraska).
"I don't know when we've had as demanding a schedule as we have this year," Beamer said.
Onto Al quoting the Lord. Don't worry -- it was merely a clean joke he relayed when he was asked about whether players are getting the message that they can't get in off-the-field or academic trouble. Paraphrased, the joke goes thusly:
Man goes to mass. Man prays: "Lord, just let me win the lottery and I'll forever be thankful." Man comes back the next week. Prays the same thing. Finally, after weeks of doing this, man is praying again when a crash of thunder booms outside the church. (this is when Groh cupped his hands over his mouth, imitating the almighty):
"HELP ME OUT HERE....YOU HAVE TO BUY A TICKET!"
Not bad. And not a bad parable for what he was getting at with the player-retention issue. His point was that you can put all the policies in place you want, but at some point the players have to buy the ticket, or, in this case, buy into the team standards.
Anyway, Groh was in a pretty good mood. One possible reason: The ACC announced Monday a "suggested minimum standard" for reporting injuries this season. Under the plan, the coach defers all injury-related questions to the sports medicine contact. Each Monday, the school announces any players who are out for the season or are scheduled to have surgery. No other questions or announcements will be made until within 90 minutes of the end of Thursday practice (or Tuesday for a Thursday game). Player will be classified with one of five labels:
1. Definitely will play
2. Probable
3. Questionable.
4. Doubtful
5. Out.
So the gamblers should be fairly happy. But so is Al, who was wholeheartedly in favor of the plan.
"So I don't have to answer all these stupid questions from Sunday to Thursday," he said.
Groh said they wouldn't have agreed to play USC this year unless it was the first game of the season. Like most coaches, he prefers not to create such a major distraction within or near the conference slate.
And finally, we leave you with a tongue-in-cheek quote from Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen, who was talking about why he won't be calling the offensive plays this year like he did last season.
"I was spreading myself too thin," he said, smiling. "Not to use a pun."
That's all for now. Look for Randy King's story on the poll in Tuesday's paper.
SUNDAY, JULY 20, 5 P..
Aaron McFarling here from Greensboro, Ga., where we've wrapped up Day 1 of the 2008 ACC Football Kickoff.
First things first: We're 138 days, 19 hours, 59 minutes and 21 seconds -- nope, make that 19 seconds...now 18 -- from kickoff of the ACC championship game. Are you hyped? Well, what if I told you it's now 138-19-58-50?
I know what you're thinking: How does he know this so exactly? Well, let me tell you. I now have an official "The Road to Tampa Bay" countdown clock, courtesy of the fine folks of the conference. Think of the uses! I could...put it on my desk at work. Or...give it as a gift. Or...simply watch it tick slowly down as I salivate. As far as I can tell, that is its only function -- counting down. (Wait. I just fiddled with the buttons on the back and revealed a clock as well. Oh, well. Lame punchline coming anyway.) I'm hoping when the countdown numbers reach zeroes it magically turns into a flat-screen TV upon which I can watch the title game. Guess we'll see.
Every team sent two player representatives to the interview room today. Virginia Tech went with quarterback Sean Glennon and defensive lineman Orion Martin. Virginia sent linebacker Clint Sintim and tight end John Phillips.
The preseason poll will come out Monday, and Tech will almost certainly be the favorite in the Coastal Division. (I voted for Tech in the Coastal, Clemson in the Atlantic, with the Tigers winning the league title game). I asked Glennon if he thought the Hokies were deserving of that division-favorite label despite significant losses at the offensive skill positions and on defense.
“I think so," Glennon said. "I don’t want say that we’re the favorites, but being defending conference champions and with the tradition we’ve set up at Virginia Tech, we expect to win 10 games, we expect to go to the ACC championship.”
Another reporter suggested that this might be a "bridge" season to big things in 2009. Glennon, a fifth-year senior, wasn't buying it.
“That’s what they said in 2004," he said. "We won the ACC and went to the Sugar Bowl, so…this team is similar. That year Bryan [Randall] was working with a whole new crew of receivers…It may be a rebuilding year in terms of we’re young, but I don’t think it’s a rebuilding year in terms of we should expect less wins or anything like that.”
Glennon spent the offseason working out with his younger brother, Mike, a freshman at N.C. State and one of five candidates for the Wolfpack quarterback position. Sean recently served as a counselor at the Manning Passing Academy in Louisiana, teaching high school kids the position alongside Peyton and Eli Manning. The college counselors also had an opportunity to talk with the two NFL stars in a private Q&A session.
“We were asking them how they work out, how they study film, what it takes to remain a guy at the next level," Glennon said. "We were just asking them everything. I gained a lot from that, just picking the brains of the last two Super Bowl champs.”
Obviously, the QB spot at Tech is still open, with Glennon battling sophomore Tyrod Taylor for the job. Martin said he's confident both QBs will play this fall. Glennon, though preferring to be the full-time guy, said he knows the dual system is a possibility.
“A lot of things remain to be seen, but I’m not ruling that out," he said. "We only went four games or so with it last year, we haven’t experienced a whole season. That will be interesting to see if that plays out. Is it working? If we’re winning, I’m sure it’ll keep everybody happy. But what do we do if we lose a couple games?”
The offense will no doubt look different either way. The receivers are all new and a fresh tailback will take over for the departed Branden Ore. The one sure thing seems to be the line -- seemingly a rarity in Blacksburg.
“I don’t know if it plays in my favor, but I was really pleased with the line play," Glennon said. "We had pretty good protection this spring. We have four guys that have been around the block: [Ryan] Shuman and [Nick] Marshman and Sergio [Render] and Ed Wang. They’ve got a lot of starts under their belt…If you give me four seconds, I think I can do a lot of damage. I see that happening this year barring injury.”
Martin brought up a good point that the Aug. 30 season opener against ECU, played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, will be "almost like a bowl setting." While Tech fans might cringe at that thought -- the Hokies are 1-4 in their past five bowls -- it ought to be an interesting atmosphere that could help build some confidence for December or January.
On the Virginia side, a reporter asked Sintim if he had to pick one game to win -- and only one -- would he prefer a victory over USC in the season opener or a win at Tech on Nov. 29?
"Oh, man," Sintim said, smiling. "I can't take 'em both?"
Roanoke Times scribe Doug Doughty tossed the linebacker a lifeline.
"You're only supposed to be thinking about the next game," Doughty said.
"Good answer!" Sintim said. "I'm just thinking about the next game right now."
You hear that, Hokies? He'd rather beat USC than you!
Just kidding.
Sintim was pretty funny. Doughty pointed out that he wasn't wearing his trademark eyeglasses, then asked Sintim how his eyesight is without them.
"Terrible!" Sintim said. "Why do you think that I don't have an interception [in his career]?You think I don't have an interception just because? I can't see!"
Nobody's giving the Cavaliers much of a chance against USC, but Sintim's fired up about the opportunity at Scott Stadium.
"What's the point of dipping your foot in the water?" he said. "You might as well jump in."
That's all for now. Look for stories by Doughty and Tech beat writer Randy King in the morning. I'll leave you with one final Glennon quote.
“Not being brash or overconfident," he said, "but I’d be disappointed with anything less than a trip to Tampa. That’s probably the best way to put it.”
Here's another way he could have put it: "In 138 days, 18 hours, 56 minutes and 23 seconds, my butt's gonna be in Tampa. Count it down, brother."
Posted Apr19, 2008 at 12:58 PM
Well, Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer called today's Maroon-White scrimmage one of the best Spring Games he's seen, which probably ranks it about 12,475th on his list of best games he's seen. Sean Glennon's White team defeated the Tyrod Taylor-led Maroon squad 24-3 in a fairly well-played scrimmage that had some encouraging signs on both sides.
For Sunday, Randy King will have a story with heavy emphasis on receiver Brandon Dillard, who definitely made a case that he deserves a scholarship. The former Bassett standout and redshirt junior still does not have one, but he was the top performer on the field today, rushing for 49 yards on one carry and catching a 25-yard touchdown pass. For a team looking for replacements in the receiving corps, Dillard stood out. Zach Luckett caught two passes for 20 yards, while Danny Coale had two receptions for 18 yards.
Glennon also looked good, completing 9 of 15 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
“Definitely not a perfect spring, but I like how it ended," Glennon said. "I thought I played pretty well today.”
Taylor's line wasn't as effective, and he was sacked three times while completing 11 of 19 passes for 67 yards and an interception.
Josh Oglesby's 25-yard run in the second half gave him a Maroon team-leading 40 yards. Darren Evans ran nine times for 24 yards and one touchdown for the White team, with Dustin Pickle toting it once for four yards.
The kicking game is another unsettled position. Chris Hazley hit a 42-yard field goal, the longest of the day. Dustin Keys connected from 18 yards out, and Tim Pisano was short on a 52-yard attempt.
Tech's not providing any estimates on the crowd, but the press box consensus is 30,000. Definitely not bad considering the cool, drizzly weather.
That's all for tonight. I'll have a column in Sunday's paper (and online) about what I think Tech should do with the quarterback situation, and Randy will have his story and other notes and quotes from the game. Hope you'll check it out.
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White wins 24-3. Back with stats and a wrap-up later.
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Fitting end to a tough day for the Taylor-led Maroon team. A 16-yard completion over the middle to Andre Smith ends in a fumble. Dean Hill recovers for the White team with 33 seconds left.
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Getting sloppy here at the end, with two bad snaps in a row for the White team. They'll punt it away to give Taylor one more crack at leading a TD drive.
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Maroon turns it over on downs with less than 3 minutes to go. Cory Holt did make his first catch on the drive, a 17-yarder from Taylor.
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Unofficially, White has 199 total yards while Maroon has 74.
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Ike Whitaker makes a diving catch in the end zone on a 12-yard pass from Glennon, and the rout is on for the White team. White leads 24-3 with 5:17 remaining in the fourth quarter after Dustin Keys boots the extra point. Spectacular play by the former quarterback and the present one. Glennon eluded pressure and threw on the run where only Whitaker could get it, and Whitaker went full-out on the dive to snag it in the corner. Highlights on the drive: Evans caught an 11-yard pass out of the backfield for a first down. Tight end Andrew Lanier got loose over the middle to collect a 27-yard pass from Glennon.
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Maroon puts together a long drive, at least in terms of time, but they have to settle for a 52-yard field goal attempt and Tim Pisano is well short on it. Macho Harris fields the ball in the end zone and returns it to the White 36. On the drive: Danny Coale shows his stuff as a possession receiver, picking up a first down on a 8-yard pass from Taylor on 3rd-and-7. Tailback Josh Oglesby has his first big play of the day, breaking through a hole on the left side for 25 yards on third-and-2. But Macho Harris sacks Taylor from behind for a big loss and Maroon cannot make up that ground.
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White goes three and out to start the second half. Zach Luckett dropped a sure first down pass from Glennon on third down. That's three drops from the unproven receiving corps thus far.
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HALFTIME: Your MVP thus far is the White team's Brandon Dillard, who caught a 25-yard touchdown pass, had a 49-yard end around to set up another score and also had a nice kick return. The redshirt junior (have I mentioned he was a Bassett guy?) is a former walk-on with a diverse set of skills. As for the quarterbacks, Sean Glennon has looked great, while Tyrod Taylor hasn't looked very comfortable. I'll get some stats when they become available.
Spring awards are being announced. They are:
Paul Torgersen Award (top offensive and defensive newcomer) are Blake DeChristopher on offense and Barqell Rivers on defense.
Dr. Richard Bullock Award (most improved) are Ike Whitaker on offense and Demetrius Taylor on defense.
Frank O. Moseley Award (most hustle) are Dustin Pickle on offense and John Graves on defense.
Don Williams Award (team-first mentality) were Devin Perez on offense and Cam Martin on defense.
The Coaches Award (outstanding spring player) are Nick Marshman on offense and Brett Warren on defense.
President's Award (leadership): Orion Martin and Kam Chancellor, both on defense.
George Preas Award (most valuable spring performers): Greg Boone on offense and Jason Worilds on defense.
Biggest Loser Award (most weight loss): Cordarrow Thompson, defense.
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The ATM (Evans) can't punch it in this time from 1-yard out, and an incompletion on second down forces White to settle for a field goal just before the half. They're up on Maroon 17-3 at the half.
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Taylor is intercepted by Kam Chancellor and an underthown pass that the QB threw on the run across his body. Chancellor returns it from about midfield all the way to the Maroon 1. Hasn't been a great day for former QBs now playing receiver. A wide-open Cory Holt dropped a pass on that last drive.
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Brandon Dillard again. The former Bassett Bengal catches a perfect 25-yard pass in the end zone from Glennon, and the White team leads 14-3 with :57 remaining in the first half. A nice connection from Glennon to Boone -- who was in his more familiar tight end position -- picked up 20 yards. Luckett also caught a 16-yard pass on the drive.
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Chris Hazley boots a 42-yard field goal with plenty to spare, and the Maroon team is on the board. They now trail White 7-3 with 1:39 remaining in the first half. Hazley's boot was a good sign for the Hokies, who have struggled some in the kicking game this fall while trying to find a replacement for the departed Jud Dunlevy.
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A 14-yard touchdown pass from Taylor to tight end David Stanton is called back by a holding call. Either way, very nice catch by the redshirt sophomore Stanton, who was face-guarded well in the end zone by Davon Morgan.
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Here comes Maroon. Redshirt sophomore Prince Parker blocks a punt to set up the Maroon team first-and-10 on the White 15. A couple of guys playing relatively new positions got a shot on that last drive. Tight end Greg Boone lined up as a back and took a handoff for minus-2 yards. Then former QB Ike Whitaker, now a top contender to start at receiver this fall, dropped a pass over the middle from Glennon.
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Another 3-and-out for the Maroon team. Taylor's been moving around back there in the pocket, but he's not finding a lot of room against this defense. The rain looks like it's coming down pretty good now.
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Darren Evans -- aka the Automatic Touchdown Machine -- punches in the game's first score from 1 yard out. Dustin Keys boots the extra point and the White team leads 7-0 with 7:21 remaining in the first quarter. That 64-yard drive came exclusively on the ground.
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The first quarter ends with the game scoreless, but the White team is threatening. They've got it first-and-goal from the 3 after a 10-yard run by Evans and a nice 49-yard end around by wide receiver Brandon Dillard, a former Bassett high school standout.
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Linebacker Cam Martin is shaken up on a 2-yard run by Darren Evans. He's helped off the field.
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The Taylor-led Maroon team picks up the initial first down of the game, when the QB hit Danny Coale for a 10-yard pass. But a fourth-down pass later falls incomplete, and the White team's got it back.
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Both QBs are off to a shaky start. On his first play, Sean Glennon connects with tailback Darren Evans, who is stuck hard by linebacker Purnell Sturdivant for a loss of 3. A short pass to Zach Luckett and an incompletion down the middle followed, and the white team is forced to punt.
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Tyrod Taylor leads a 3-and-out series for the Maroon to start things off. A false start by tight end Andre Smith, followed by two incompletions and a Demetrius Taylor sack will give Sean Glennon and the white team possession.
What this game needs is stakes -- or even steaks. My college baseball team would end each fall practice season with a seven-game intrasquad series, with the losing team buying the winning team a steak dinner. Always upped the intensity a tad, more out of pride than anything. Come to think of it, that's probably some sort of NCAA violation.
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About to kick off. Might not be a record crowd, but it's a good one. The east side of the stands is about half full, while the west side is about 3/4 full. There are also several hundred in the end zone seating area.
Fans are pulling out their ponchos as a light rain begins to fall. Chilly down here today.
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Aaron McFarling here from Blacksburg, where we're about an hour away from kickoff for Virginia Tech's annual Maroon-White scrimmage. I'll be posting here with updates throughout the game.
If the parking situation is any indication, we could be looking at a record Spring Game crowd today.
-Aaron McFarling
Posted Mar03, 2008 at 11:31 PM
New Keydets coach Sparky Woods kept most of the VMI coaching staff intact, but he named A.J. Christoff the new defensive coordinator and his older brother Don Woods defensive line coach.
Offensive coordinator Brent Davis, who was a candidate for the head coaching position, will stay on, as will offensive line coach Bob Bodine, receivers coach Greg Shockley, secondary coach Winston October, linebackers coach Paul Soltis, offensive assistant Brock Pittman and defensive assistant Greg Harris.
Christoff has been a defensive coordinator for 19 years, with stints at Idaho, Oregon, Stanford, Notre Dame, Colorado and Cincinnati. He was a defensive assistant at Stanford and a secondary coach for the San Francisco 49ers.
Don Woods has 38 years of high school coaching experience in Alabama and Tennessee.
Posted Feb06, 2008 at 02:29 PM
Virginia Tech and Virginia have listed their 2007 signees on their respective Web sites.
Both sites will be updated as more players' letters reach their respective football offices.
Posted Feb06, 2008 at 02:17 PM
VMI announced 19 football signees for 2008 today.
Continue reading "VMI signees" »
Posted Jan03, 2008 at 08:09 PM
SCORING SUMMARY
FIRST QUARTER
KU—Talib 60 interception return (Webb kick), 5:15. Kansas 7, Virginia Tech 0.
SECOND QUARTER
KU—FG Webb 32, 12:00. Drive: Seven plays, 17 yards, 2:53. Key play: Harris interception return to VT 31. Kansas 10, Virginia Tech 0.
KU—Henry 13 pass from Reesing (Webb kick), 7:03. Drive: 10 plays, 59 yards, 3:17. Key play: Sharp 18 pass from Reesing on 3rd-and-19 to VT 39. Kansas 17, Virginia Tech 0.
VT—Ore 1 run (Dunlevy kick), 1:24. Drive: 13 plays, 68 yards, 5:39. Key play: Glennon 1 run plus 15 personal-foul penalty to KU 15. Kansas 17, Virginia Tech 7.
THIRD QUARTER
VT—Harper 84 punt return (Dunlevy kick), 11:35. Kansas 17, Virginia Tech 14.
FOURTH QUARTER
KU—Reesing 2 run (Dunlevy kick), 10:57. Drive: One play, 2 yards, :04. Key play: Springer 14 interception return to VT 2. Kansas 24, Virginia Tech 14.
VT—Harper 20 pass from Glennon (Dunlevy kick), 3:00. Drive: 15 plays, 78 yards, 2:57. Key play: Boone 7 pass from Glennon on 4th-and-6 to KU 43. Kansas 24, Virginia Tech 21.
Well, Tech will have to eat another cake without icing this year. For the fourth time in five years, the Hokies lose in a bowl game. This time it's a 24-21 defeat to upstart Kansas in the Orange Bowl.
You can point to a lot of little plays that made you scratch your head -- the decision to go for the onside kick with 3 minutes and two timeouts left among them -- but the bottom line is the Hokies had three huge turnovers, all at key times.
"You can't expect to win a BCS game if you don't win the turnover battle," said QB Sean Glennon, who threw two picks to go with Tyrod Taylor's one.
Gotta give Kansas a lot of credit here, too. The Jayhawks had the perfect attitude all week long, and while they were certainly happy to be here, they weren't content with just that. QB Todd Reesing made good decisions and was elusive in the backfield. Cornerback Aqib Talib, voted the game MVP, showed why he was an All-American this year, returning that Taylor interception for a touchdown.
Plenty more on this one in the paper and online in the coming days.
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Kansas wins 24-21. Back with more later...
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Hokies call their final time out with 2:42 remaining. Kansas has it 2nd-and-3 at the VT 22.
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Hokies aren't done yet. They get a touchdown pass from Sean Glennon to Justin Harper to cap a 15-play drive and cut the Kansas lead to 24-21 with 3:00 remaining. Onside kick is recovered by Kansas.
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Tech punts it away with 9:01 left. Looking pretty bleak right now for the Hokies, who trail Kansas 24-14.
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And the momentum swings in a big way toward Kansas. Another interception, Sean Glennon's second of the game and the third for the Tech quarterbacks, sets up Kansas at the Tech 2. Todd Reesing needs just one play to punch it in, and now the Kansas lead is 24-14 with 10:57 remaining.
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Tech's defense is feeling it now. The Hokies just forced a three-and-out, including a big hit by Cody Grimm on QB Todd Reesing. With 11:56 remaining in regulation, the Hokies take over first-and-10 at their own 9 trailing 17-14.
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The third quarter ends with the Hokies trailing 17-14. They have the ball first-and-10 at their own 32. They dodged trouble on Kansas' last possession when D.J. Parker picked off a second-down pass. The Jayhawks used a fake punt and a deep pass to drive to the Tech 4-yard, but a couple of penalties backed them up and forced Todd Reesing to throw.
Tonight's paid attendance: 74,111. Eighth consecutive sellout for the Orange Bowl, but a lot of no-shows.
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The Hokies have a chance to tie the game with 6:31 left in the third, but Joe Mortensen gets through to block a 25-yard field goal attempt by Jud Dunlevy. KU about to take over at its own 20, still up 17-14.
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Huge play for Tech early in the third quarter. Eddie Royal fields a punt near the Tech 20 and starts right, then flips the ball back to Justin Harper, who runs it all the way down the left sideline for a touchdown. Royal set that one up with his excellent return on the opening kickoff. With 11:35 remaining, it's Kansas 17, Tech 14.
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HALFTIME: ZZ Top is belting out "Sharp Dressed Man" here at Dolphin Stadium as the teams prepare for the second half with Kansas leading Tech 17-7. Turnovers were the culprit in last year's bowl loss for the Hokies, and they've been key again tonight. The first one, an INT by Tyrod Taylor, was returned for a score. The second one, an INT by Glennon, set up a field goal. Kansas will get the ball first to start the second half, and the Hokies could really use a stop so they can use all dimensions of their offense. Branden Ore had to provide some encouragement for the offense with his performance on the last drive of the first half.
Tonight marked the third time this season the Hokies have trailed after the first quarter (LSU and Boston College in the ACC title game were the others). The only other time they trailed at half was against LSU.
Tech has 117 yards off total offense while Kansas has 151. Ore has 12 carries for 53 yards and a touchdown, while Kenny Lewis ran four times for 22 yards. Kansas QB Todd Reesing is 13-for-20 for 123 yards and a touchdown. Tight deadlines for print tonight so blog updates might be sparse in the second half, but I'll at least try to keep the scoring summary updated.
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Big drive there for Tech, which looked like it could be blown out of this game. Branden Ore caps it with a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:24 remaining in the half to cut the Kansas lead to 17-7. Ore ran 11 times for 49 yards on the drive and looked very shifty. One of the big plays in the drive was a 15-yard facemask penalty on Kansas, the least penalized team in the nation coming in. The Jayhawks have four penalties so far, including two personal fouls.
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Another touchdown for Kansas. This time it's Todd Reesing hitting Marcus Henry from 13 yards out to cap a 10-play, 59-yard drive. With 7:03 left in the half, it's 17-0 Kansas.
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Scott Webb tacks on a 32-yard field goal with 12:00 left in the half to put Kansas up 10-0. Another interception set it up. This time it was Sean Glennon throwing over the middle, where cornerback Chris Harris was lurking.
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First quarter ends with Kansas up 7-0. The Jayhawks just registered their fourth sack. Rocky start for the Hokies here. They look just a little out of sync. Josh Morgan had a chance to haul in a deep pass by Glennon on the previous drive but couldn't bring it down. Kenny Lewis Jr. has had a pair of 9-yard runs. Branden Ore is now released from the penalty box.
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Tech drive stalls at in KU territory. Jud Dunlevy's long field goal attempt is short. Aqib Talib catches the ball in the end zone and returns it to the KU 39.With 2:18 left in the first, still 7-0 Kansas.
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Aqib Talib returns an interception 60 yards down the left sideline for the game's first score. Tyrod Taylor tried to hit Justin Harper on a short route and underthrew it. Kansas up 7-0 with 5:15 left in the first.
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Scott Webb misses a 44-yard field goal wide left, and Kansas comes away empty on its first possession. Nice drive nonetheless, as the Jayhawks went from their own 20 to the Tech 27. QB Todd Reesing just missed hitting a wide-open Dexton Fields in the end zone on the play just before the field goal attempt. 6:44 left in the first, Tech takes over at its own 27.
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Tech moves the ball to the KU 26 then puts in Tyrod Taylor, who is sacked on consecutive snaps. Punt goes into the end zone. KU ball at its own 20.
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Kansas wins the toss and elects to kick off. Interesting decision. You'd think with their offense they might want the ball. Eddie Royal returns the kickoff 59 yards to the KU 41.
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The 43-minute pregame festivities are almost over here at Dolphin Stadium and we're getting ready for football. Tech coach Frank Beamer expressed some concern about the long wait in the locker room because of these festivities would negate the effect of warm-ups
A lot of empty seats in the upper deck.
--Aaron McFarling
Posted Jan03, 2008 at 02:35 PM
UPDATE: 5:27 p.m.
Hokiesports.com -- the Tech athletic department's official Web site -- is reporting that linebacker Vince Hall will play tonight "barring any setbacks in warmups." Hall had injured his knee at the team's beach party, and coach Frank Beamer had said Wednesday that he'd be a game-time decision.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Thursday, Jan. 3, 2:36 p.m.
Hello again from chilly South Florida ("chilly" being a relative term, as several folks pointed out in the comment section of the last entry). Just killing time here before heading over to Dolphin Stadium and thinking about a few things that we haven't discussed yet.
One comment that really perked up my ears came on the first day I was down here. It came from All-America Kansas cornerback Aqib Talib after Kansas' second practice at Barry University. He was asked how the team was preparing for Virginia Tech's two-quarterback system.
“They have one that likes to run and one that likes to throw it," he said. "So it’s kind of just like that. They’ve got a runner and a thrower.”
Now, we can all agree that Sean Glennon is going to throw more often than Tyrod Taylor, and Taylor is more apt to run. But isn't "they've got a runner and a thrower" a little simplistic?
I'm sure Kansas knows there's more to it than that, but if I'm Tech, I'm testing this early. I'm starting Glennon but putting Taylor in at some point Tech's first series. Then on Taylor's first play under center, I'm having him fake a handoff to Kenny Lewis Jr., roll to his right and unload a deep ball to Eddie Royal or Justin Harper.
Maybe you'll get the secondary (Talib included) to bite on the run, thinking it's an option play. Maybe you burn the Jayhawks for a touchdown. But even if you don't, you make an immediate statement that Taylor has a quality arm and isn't afraid to throw it.
Then you run the heck out of him.
Photographer Matt Gentry got some excellent pictures at the Orange Bowl fan fest yesterday and put together a nice slide show. It's linked on the front page of Sports at roanoke.com. Check it out if you haven't already. I'm sure the background music will get you Tech fans significantly hyped.
--Aaron McFarling
Posted Jan02, 2008 at 03:05 PM
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Wednesday, Jan. 2, 3:14 p.m.:
Well, we're almost there, folks. About 29 hours away from kickoff of the Orange Bowl, and fans who've made the trip to South Florida can spend the time ... freezing their tails off.
Seriously. It's cold and windy here, but I can still hear paradise-style music from outside my hotel balcony, and people are still out by the pool. Mind over matter, I suppose.
All the practicing is pretty much over. And even though it's clear that Kansas has taken a more physical approach to preparation this week, the Hokies stress that they have been working hard and will be ready.
"We’ve got the physical part down," receiver Josh Morgan. "We’ve been lifting weights all year. We’re going to be physical regardless. It’s more mental. I think it’s better for us, because we’re going to rest our bodies and we’re going to be fresh when we go out there and play the game. ... The physical part’s always going to be there. We’re one of the most physical teams in the country. That’s never going to be a problem for us.”
What a pathetic bowl season for the ACC so far. Spent yesterday up in Jacksonville watching the latest conference disappointment, UVa's 31-28 loss to Texas Tech in the Gator Bowl. The Cavaliers blew a 14-point lead in the final five minutes, a scene eerily reminiscent of the Hokies' loss to Boston College during the regular season. The Hokies might actually get some benefits from that now, a constant reminder that you can't let down at all against a strong offense.
You've probably heard beat writer Randy King somewhere on the radio today. I believe he's done three interviews so far, including one with XM Radio. When the media start interviewing the media, you know we're getting a little antsy for kickoff.
Both coaches spoke this morning at the hotel. Tech coach Frank Beamer said he wasn't sure about the status of linebacker Vince Hall, who bruised his knee at the team's beach party.
"We'll see," he said. "I think it will be a game-time decision between the doctors to see if he can play. It's tender right now, so I'm not sure what's going to happen there."
He noted that Brett Warren did a nice job filling in for Hall earlier this season. It's definitely a plus to have a backup with experience.
Beamer was asked if he was surprised -- like a lot of people are -- about Kansas' performance this year.
"They're for real," Beamer said. "They can run the football, they can throw the football. They know the scheme, they know what they're trying to do. Defense plays hard, they've got some really good players. Your kicking game is good. You've got a great return guy there in the kickoff-return department. When you look at them, it's not a surprise. I mean, they're a solid football team and very well coached and talented. They've got all the ingredients there, so it shouldn't be a surprise, no."
Beamer gave a nod to Tech fans, as well, when asked about the journey the program has taken since the bowl streak started in 1993:
"You're not talking about Virginia Tech football for long until you start talking about the fans and the great support, and the way they travel with us and support us," he said. "So they're very much a part of this thing. We've got fans that are very much a part of this thing and help us win football games. And I think the bowl people kind of like them, too. They show up."
And finally, on whether he had a different pep talk each year before the game:
"If you wait until the ballgame to get them ready and right, you've probably waited too long," he said.
"We've really practiced well down here. I think the leadership on our football team has been good. And everything that goes on around the bowl game. We've practiced well. And I'm hopeful that we're going to play well."
Kansas coach Mark Mangino had a nice answer today when asked about the criticism the Jayhawks have taken for their weak schedule. I'll give him credit for honesty.
"You've got to understand the big picture here," he said. "We're trying to get Kansas' program on the national stage...It's a program that's had a tough century. So I can't worry about what the critics have to say.
"The decisions I make are in the best interest of our team and the future of our program. And it is appropriate for us to play the type of nonconference schedule that we did.
"I've said this before, and I'll say it again: Nobody in December remembers who you played in September. It's what your win-loss record is. And apparently our strategy must have worked. We're here at the Orange Bowl today."
--Aaron McFarling
Posted Dec31, 2007 at 11:42 AM
Monday, Dec. 31, 11:48 a.m.: Hello again, everybody. The Hokies and Jayhawks had press conferences this morning at the hotel. Here's the transcript of the interview with Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster, courtesy of the folks with the Orange Bowl.
BUD FOSTER: First of all, it's great to be
here in South Beach or South Florida. They've
treated us very, very well. I think our practices
have gone very well and very good today. I was
real pleased with our practice yesterday. Our
Monday practice which was, what is today? Is
today Monday or Saturday? Yeah, I get all these
days. Today's Wednesday for us, that's all I know.
But our Tuesday practice for us, which is a
physical practice, hitting practice, you know, I
thought we got our timing back. I was real pleased
with our kid's work yesterday. You know, we're
excited about the opportunity to play a great
Kansas team.
They present a lot of problems, you know.
They're a spread offense. But at the same time
they're a very balanced offense. They run the ball
for close to 20 yards a game. They're the second
ranked scoring offense in the country, and in the
top sixth ranked in total offense.
They present a major, major problem for
us. They've got outstanding players. The
quarterback's a super football player. Again, a
physical running back that you've got to tattoo him.
You've got to bring 11 guys to stop him. And if you
load up to stop the run, they have a talent of corps
receivers that can create plays in the ball in their
hand.
They present a major problem and
challenge for us. But we're excited about the
opportunity to play in this great ballgame.
Continue reading "Orange Bowl: Bud Foster interview" »
Posted Dec30, 2007 at 06:03 PM
Here are the thoughts from Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring, who answered questions this morning:
Coach, if you want to open up about being here in Miami and preparations leading to the game.
COACH STINESPRING: We're awfully excited to be here. It's a great bowl, and great opportunity for our program to be able to go against a team like Kansas that's had a terrific year and playing very well. Just a great opportunity for us. Great challenge for us. We certainly like coming down to Miami. Weather's always nice to us down here. We're glad we were able to bring some sun from Blacksburg. We're just excited to be here. Practice has gone well until this point in time. And we know we're going to have a terrific challenge in front of us when playing Kansas. When you look at their football team, they've got some terrific football players, playing with a lot of confidence. They're very physical on the defensive side. They remind us a lot of ourselves. They fly around, they pursue to the football, and so you got to work at it. You got to work at it hard. So we're looking forward to it.
Q. I wondered if you could talk about Sean Glennon and the year he had. Loses his job, and comes back real strong. What was the difference between the first couple of games and the end of the season?
COACH STINESPRING: I think that's a good question. I think there is a story here about Sean Glennon, because I think he's taught us all a little bit of a lesson, that you may not be able to pitch it right away. There's a story about having to battle back from adversity to disappointment to being able to step back to a starting role to be able to come to the ACC championship game. He was player of the game. I think we all understand. We can see that part of it. But I think there is another part, and I think he taught us all a little bit that the biggest difference that I can see is sometimes you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders. In this game that we play in this arena that we play in with the lights and the cameras, and all these things, there's already that pressure that surrounds this game. And sometimes, I think we all forget to go out and enjoy playing the game, to have fun. That's what it's intended to do. And I think Sean Glennon taught us. He went back out there and had the opportunity to play, to start, to get back on the field. I think he had fun. He enjoyed the moment, enjoyed the opportunity. And I think it taught us all a little bit. We have a tendency to forget that this is a game, it's meant to have fun. And enjoy the opportunity, and just always feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, that every opportunity you have is a mistake waiting to happen or trying to prevent a mistake from happening. So I think we all were able to take a little bit from that and just watch a guy go out and enjoy the chance to play a game.
Q. Just wanted to ask you the two quarterback system you've been using lately, why is it so successful? I know other teams have used it in the past, but for you guys it's working well?
COACH STINESPRING: I think that question is going to be answered by the two men you're going to visit with here in a little bit. I think the mentality that Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor have, in terms of the understanding they have, why we're doing it, and the reasons why we're doing it. I think that's very, very important. That you've got to have two players that are quarterbacks that like being out there for every snap, and they understand. They're committed to it. Not involved, but committed to the idea that we want to have our opportunities to have our best players on the field whatever you bring to the table, whatever each individual can bring to the table. Have an opportunity to bring it on the field and give you a chance to win. Or give you an opportunity to become more dimensional in your offense and pose your problems for defense. And I think they bought into it. I know they did. If they didn't, it wouldn't work. I just think the communication, when we first started out to do this, we went to them first. We sat down as a staff, obviously, but we felt like we needed to go down and, myself, just sit down with Tyrod, sit down with Sean and let them know why, what we were hoping to do. What we were attempting to accomplish and understanding of one key element here was the fact that they weren't being judged from snap to snap or series to series. This was the way we were going to approach it. That we felt we had two starting quarterbacks. Each brought different things to the table. Each of them gave us an opportunity to win ballgames and why not go that route? They were not being why'd from play to play. To sit down and explain the process and what we were hoping to accomplish with it, I think was really important from that standpoint for all of us. Then we sat down with our individual positions as coaches and let them know, our offense, just to let them know what we were hoping to get accomplished and what we were doing. Get everybody on the same page. I think it's worked out well. It's not an easy venture, I can assure you that. If it was, I think more people would do it. But it's something that in this trial and error through this whole process. But it forces you to be a little bit trying to stay a little bit ahead in a series from snap to snap. It forces you to do that. In some regards, that's a benefit. The further you can stay ahead, the better off you are.
Q. I was wondering, could you talk about what you see in Aqib Talib and what challenges of your passing offense?
COACH STINESPRING: I think he's a terrific football player. Obviously, when you're an All American you're pretty good at what you do. You have a guy that has a tendency to run well. As most defensive backs can do. But then you have a defensive back that is well schooled. Seems like he has great understanding of schemes. Looks like to me watching him from week to week and their seconds in general, they do a great job in their film study. They don't sit around to watch film just to watch film. They've got a great combination of routes. So he's a learned guy on the field. Then you have a combination of a guy that understands his position. Understands what an offense is attempting to try to do in the passing game and can run well. But now he's got height, he's physical. So he can play a lot of different ways. He's not just I'm not going to rely on speed, I'm not going to rely on quickness. But I can physically match up with your receivers. If you feel like you have a receiving corps or particular receiver that can run well or, b, gives a physical, you hope, gives you a physical advantage. He can nullify pretty much everything that you can throw out there.
Q. Is it game situation the way you decide who plays when, what series? You kind of explained a while ago, but just elaborate on that?
COACH STINESPRING: Really, I try to script the night before the game. I'll actually create a 25-play script. And I'll always see what you're calling by down and distance and the personnel grouping that you have in the game. But in order to get it done with the quarterback situation, you've got to kind of tag those people into those situations, too. Because as a guy that has to call the plays, you have to get the personnel grouping, you've got to understand the down and distance, the high mark, and then call the play in that situation that you're looking to run. But now you have to match it up with the quarterback you like to have in that situation. So to script the day before or the night before, gets you off and running, so to speak, in terms of making the questionable changes. Because that's an easy element to say I want to put another quarterback in or change quarterbacks. So you script it out a little bit. We're going to go gunning, we're going this personnel, we're going to go this play. Two plays later and I've looked and created a situation to change quarterbacks. Okay, let's go. On deck, let's get Tyrod, he's in.
Q. How do you say this guy's in, this is the kind of play they run. This guy's in, because they're already keyed off? Is there an overlap between what these two quarterbacks do?
COACH STINESPRING: Absolutely. Is one person going to run this play and this play only? No. Is this person going to throw this route and only this route? No. This is where Sean and his experience and understanding of the game. The fact that he's been a starter for us and played in a lot of ballgames. If you get caught, the whole package, the whole playbook, Sean's got a grasp of. So if you want to go this situation and call this play, you get caught without a position to go, whether it's just a situation or your thought process or a quick start by an official you don't want to make the quarterback change and Sean's in there, you know you have an opportunity to call whatever's in the toolbox you're able to pull out for that situation. But certainly there are certain things that we'd like to be in a situation to have one quarterback in as opposed to the other. It may be a situation, a specific play that we feel like the quarterback's assets brings the best out of that particular play.
Q. Everyone is talking about this game being the Virginia Tech defense versus Kansas offense as far as the story line. Is the Virginia Tech offense versus the Kansas defense being overlooked or underestimated? And the second part is what would you say the most significant thing about the Kansas defense that could be a factor in this game is?
COACH STINESPRING: I think it's Virginia Tech versus the University of Kansas. However, somebody else wants to parlay the game into offense versus defense. We play the game with three components of a game. There's defense, there's offense, and we know we have to be successful in all three areas. However, we want to say the Kansas offense versus our defense. It's going to take all three facets of the game to win this ballgame. It will take all three of them, not just one. So however you look at it, that is one aspect of it. So we understand that we better be successful in three factors of this ballgame. We better able to run the ball in certain defense. If we're three-and-outs and their offense stays on the field, we'll be in trouble. But we need to be able to move the ball. When you look at their defense, again, as I said, there is some carryover in terms of what our defense prides itself on, what their defense prides itself on. They rally to the ball. When we're running the ball, we have to be very good about trying to sustain our blocks. If we're not sustaining our blocks and allowing them to continue on their pursuit and if there's a hole, it's going to close down quickly. So we're going to have to play with a lot of intensity, play with a lot of effort, and we're going to have to try to match their intensity and their physical attributes up front.
Q. You've kind of answered this already. But it would seem like well, like yesterday when one guy's in they pass, when the other guy's in they run. I know it's be that simple. But aren't you concerned with some very smart coaches who are going to be studying your game film morning, noon and night for a month. That they're not going to be able to pick up when this quarterback is in, they run this play or these kind of plays. When that guy's in this is what they like to run? It would seem like there have to be patterns, reasons why one guy plays when the other guy doesn't. Is that not a concern? COACH STINESPRING: Absolutely, it is. From week to week, you're talking about a six-week venture that we're undertaking here or seven weeks. From week to week, I don't think there was a pattern. If you go from a defensive standpoint looking offensively maybe early on,but when you're seven games into it and they're looking one game to the next game, I don't think it was an opportunity to create a pattern. As this thing has unfolded, I feel like if you went back and looked at the last six games, you can being probably see a pattern develop about which quarterback is running which plays. Is there a common denominator for each quarterback? I think so. In that regard as we've exited the ACC Championship game and started to prepare for this game, we've gone back. We've had an opportunity to go back and look. And we've highlighted which plays which quarterback has actually run. That's a different deal, too. Because you normally look at what you've run in these situations, what your run pass percentage. Not just the other type of tendencies that you may have. But now you have to go back and look at it from a quarterback perspective. So we've looked at that pretty good. I think we understand there are some tendencies, which, obviously, there are going to be. I think if you look at Florida a couple of years ago, I don't think it took a genius to figure out when Tebow was in there is a pretty good percentage that he was may run the ball as opposed to Leek. I'm sure it was skewed a little bit that way. But when you have a guy like Tyrod, you can say well, he ran it, he ran it. Well, there are some times that he's run it that not necessarily a run was called. He has a tendency if it doesn't look good, and doesn't look good early, he's not afraid to pull it down and take off with it. So some of those tendencies may be. But I don't think it's nearly as simple as one when guy's in we're going to throw it and one guy's out we're going to run it. I don't think it's that simple. We've worked after the regular season to go back and make sure. Because this is an opportunity to study tendencies, as you get prepared for a bowl game. You can do that now. So we had to go back and make sure what we were doing with each quarterback. What was the percentage of run-pass. What was the percentage of what types of runs, 1, 2, 3, and each tendency. We had to change that up a little bit. I tell you, I think Kansas does a terrific job week in and week out of studying what you do. Formation wise, situation wise, and attacking what you do. I think they take your base 1, 2, 3 runs, your base 1, 2, 3 passes and they do a great job of defending your money plays.
Q. Can you talk about how this time you've had helps you prepare as well as -- could you describe your offense for somebody who may not have been able to see you play this season?
COACH STINESPRING: I think our offense right now, we're a balanced offense. We try to be equal running it and throwing it. We give you more looks personnel-wise than we ever have. I think we can be in a pro-set. I think we can be in a three-wide set, two-wide set, two tighten set. So we try to be multi-dimensional in terms of the number of looks we'll give you. But basically we'll try to run the ball from tackle tight end to tackle box in the series of zone plays, and we try to play action off of that. That's our bread and butter. To be able to show run, and whatever we run, to have a pass off of it. Sometimes it may be shorter play action throws. But sometimes it's a lot of the play action, try to get the ball down the field, too. Then when we want to try to spread it around, we can get in a little bit of a west coast look and try to throw the ball and dink and dunk it with three and four wides. And look for and always have the opportunity in any of our three and four-wide sets to always have at least one looky. When we talk about a looky, a shot throw, if it's not there, we have some type of underneath throws. We'll always try to throw the ball down the field. And if it's not there, have the ability to get the ball underneath a little bit. So really, truthfully, one to run the ball, play action off of it. And try to diversify in the quality types of looks that we're going to give our defendant or our opponent and to keep them all from that standpoint.
Q. You took some criticism early this season, since the two-quarterback system. Not so much criticism, a lot more praise. Sean Glennon your quarterback kind of compared it to when you're taking a test. He said sometimes your first instinct is the right one and maybe that's been beneficial to you to not have time to overthink or second guess yourself. But to go, go, go, and maybe your first instincts are your best ones. Is there something to that from a play calling standpoint? C
OACH STINESPRING: You kind of looked into this question, haven't you? I don't think so. If there's anything early on. If you have injuries up front and situations where we've had some injuries, where we weren't running the ball as well as we needed to run the ball as early in the season for whatever reason, I think when you call a play, you've got to concern yourself not only with the play that you're calling but the defense that you're calling it against. And in the back of your mind you have to be keenly aware of what you're asking each individual on your offense to be able to do. What task are you asking them to perform? So if there's any type of concern or questioning, I think you've got to take all of those into account. When you take all of those into account, it can be a little nerve-racking back there sometimes. But going back to it, when we got healthy up front and had the two quarterback situation, you have to call the play. And I think the scripting part of it has helped, because it's getting the play in, the quarterback in, the situation in, when you've got it going that way, you're not so worry, can a right guard do this, left guard do that, tight end do that. You've got to call the play and go.
Q. I was wondering if you could talk about after the shootings in April? Do you have any sense that football has been something different on the campus to the players, the fans to everyone than it did before?
COACH STINESPRING: I don't know. That's a difficult question because I think April 16th affected us all in a in a lot of different ways. I don't like to speak about how an individual on our team may have felt. All I know is this: I think all of us had our hearts broken before or we thought we had our hearts broken. But not until April 16 we truly feel what it meant to have your heart broken. And I think we carried with us the idea that a lot of people following that incident that had to carry the flag a little bit. Compassion and caring and reaching out towards others in pride and we all felt like there was going to be a point in time that we would be asked to carry the flag a little bit, and I think we did so. Obviously, we had a very significant loss early in the season. But I think we were not going to let that break us, and we were not going to let that be the telling story for the season. Part of what happened was we were able to pick ourselves back up as we did after April 16. We were able to rise back up again, and we did. Just as our university as our community and our student population, just as our state picked itself up, we were able to do so, and, I think, carry on. I think this season or immediately after we won the ACC Championship, I think coach Beamer said we won this ACC Championship in remembrance of those who lost their lives and the families of the April 16 tragedy. That tragedy has never been very far from our minds.
Q. I know you've been around for most of coach Beamer's tenure. Kind of two parts, what's kept you there and what attributes does coach Beamer possess that are probably most key to maintaining the success that Virginia Tech has had over the last 15 years?
COACH STINESPRING: I think coach Beamer's attributes, I'm not, I don't mean to make light of it. Other than my father has been the single biggest influence of me in my life. Not just as a football coach but as a person. I think the way you conduct yourself personally, professionally. I think he's been a tremendous role model for us as coaches. And I'd say therefore, I think, it's easy to understand why our players do as well as they do. If he has that type of affect on grown and mature men. Imagine what he does for those young people he's in charge of. The best accolade I could tell you is I hope one day my son who is 13 ever has a chance to play college football, I certainly hope he could play for Coach Beamer. I know he's going to be a better man, better player, and better person because of him.
Posted Dec30, 2007 at 01:28 PM
Sunday, Dec. 30, 1:29 p.m. Press conferences were early this morning, and players from both teams were about as chipper as they could possibly be considering it was before 10 a.m. The Orange Bowl folks were quite helpful, transcribing the quotes from the session with Tech offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring and Kansas defensive coordinator Bill Young. I'll be back with more later, but for now, here's Young:
Kansas Defensive Coordinator Bill Young
Q. Tell us about your time so far in Miami, and the preparations for the FedEx Orange Bowl?
BILL YOUNG: We've had a wonderful time. The hospitality's been unbelievable. As far as our practices, we're working at Barry University, great facilities and great weather. It's just been tremendous, we couldn't have asked for more.
Q. What problems does a two-quarterback system present in preparing for it?
BILL YOUNG: Obviously, both quarterbacks can do the same thing. One of them is a little bit better runner it appears on tape. One is a little better passer. But the offense doesn't change that much. Maybe with Taylor, they'll end up running the zone options, and the more quarterback run game. And then with Glennon, they'll throw the ball a little bit more. But we have to be aware of who is in the game and what the possibilities are that the might offense might choose to do.
Q. How has having a month to prepare for an offense like this that has two different types of quarterbacks. How has that benefited you? And how long have you been working on the Hokies offense?
BILL YOUNG: About half that time. We spent a couple of weeks recruiting and letting our players heal up. We spent a lot of time working with the younger players in developmental type practices, and then we got focused in on Virginia Tech. But there shouldn't be any excuses from a knowledge standpoint about what they've done in the past. I'm sure they'll have some new wrinkles that they've installed for the ballgame. But we've been able to study their film. It's to the point now that you put a tape in there and you know what the next play is. You've seen it so many times.
Q. One of the most simplistic things of this game has been Kansas' offense against Virginia Tech defense. Has your run defense been overlooked, do you think in that kind of thinking?
BILL YOUNG: No, not really. I think it's, you know, particularly if you think of Virginia Tech, you think of the great defenses that I have they've had in the past. Though our job is to stop their offense and they feel like they're awfully good. We're very proud of our offensive football team and the things they've accomplished. We've always said the best defense say great offense. And we hope they continue doing what they're doing.
Q. Couple questions about Aqib. First off when you have a corner that can take away one half of the field like what, what does it do for the defense and for you as a coordinator? Second question is he has a reputation as a chatty, full of personality kind of player out on the field. Did that take getting used to to get what he was about when he first came here?
BILL YOUNG: No, not really. Aqib's really grown as an individual and as a player since he came to our program. He is an outstanding player, great personality. It's really helped our defense having a defensive back like that. I know we went through several years last year when we struggled at the corner position because of injuries and so forth, so having a guy like him is a definite plus for us.
Q. You touched on this a few minutes ago. But it seems like with the Hokies and the two quarterback offense, they know that you were going to be spending a month studying their tendencies. And you know that they know that, because of all of that, might this be more than most games, kind of a chess match between the coaches and the coordinators, what to call when to call it?
BILL YOUNG: I think you took the words right out of our mouth. It's what we talk about all the time in the defensive staff room. We know they'll have some new wrinkles and we will, too. When they pull out their bag of tricks, we've got to be prepared. As a defensive football team, you always have to be sound regardless what plays they're running. We need to be that. We need to get in the ballgame early and try to make them one dimensional and try to take the run game away from them as soon as possible. And make them throw the football. And hopefully we can do that.
Q. I was wondering if during the games or practices, can you hear Talib and does that ever entertain you?
BILL YOUNG: No, I can't hear him. I'm deaf in one ear, and can't hear out of the other. So I don't hear a lot of that. But it doesn't bother us at all. We want to play with a little bit of a swagger. We want to know that we're good. I don't know that we need to tell everybody how good we are but you want that self confidence.
Q. Does his talk seem to be more of the confidence building rather than malicious or traditional trash talk?
BILL YOUNG: We wouldn't allow trash talk. If we heard it, we'd get it corrected. But no, it's a confidence type thing. I'm not really sure what you're referring to. But I don't notice Aqib doing that much talking. I notice he's a tough player and he gets out there and plays hard and he enjoys hard. But there is a lot of bantering back and forth in practice. But we want to make it a good experience for everybody.
Q. When Aqib was playing, I know he didn't play a great deal on offense, but he did spend some time there. Were you reluctant to let him do that or think about doing that because of the need to keep your focus on the job at hand, which is, number one, play cornerback?
BILL YOUNG: No, not really. You know, a couple of years ago we had a young man named Charles Gordon who was wide receiver and came on our side of the ball and did a great job for us. It was give and take. Anything we can do to get points on the board and make plays on offense, it helps us on defense. It's a team game, and we're really excited for him as for his opportunities over there, and in the long run it certainly helps us.
Q. Miami, the sunshine, the scenery, going from 20-degree temperatures to 80, did your message to the players have to be different this week and focusing them on the task at hand than say playing in Boise or Shreveport or someplace else?
BILL YOUNG: I don't think so. We've got a mature football team. They're very focused and they know why we're here. Coach Mangino says we're here on a business trip, and there is no question they understand that.
Q. What have you observed that really stands out to you about the way Mark Mangino goes about coaching this team and his work ethic and the way he relates with you guys or the assistant coaches? Is it?
BILL YOUNG: I think from a work ethic standpoint, he's second to none. No one's going to outwork us both as players and coaches, hopefully, and great attention to detail. We're going to dot every I, and cross every T and taking care of business. I think he does an extremely good job of all of those things.
Q. It seems like from the outside it's hard to get a good glimpse of what his personality is actually like. Is he kind of warm and friendly or is he generally gruff? What do you see?
BILL YOUNG: I think he got the nickname of bear when he came here. So that might describe him a little more than warm and fuzzy, I don't know. But he is an intense guy. Not in a malicious way. He is focused and he knows what it takes to win and he's working hard to get that done.
Q. Has he loosened up with you guys?
BILL YOUNG: Oh, yeah, he has a great personality. It's not all business. He's a normal person. It's not like he's ready to play football on every snap. He enjoys life. Sits back, has a cigar, and he has fun.
Q. With the run defense against Missouri, it looks like they were able to find some holes have you taken that as motivation? You know Virginia Tech's going to try to run the ball. How's the run defense looking?
BILL YOUNG: We hope it's looking good. The things that Missouri did, and I talked with Dave Christiansen several times since then. They had a scheme that was different than anything we had seen. They ran a lot of unbalanced lines where the center was playing where the guard would play. Sometimes he was lined up where the tackle was. We missed our fits because of just not being able to adjust and kick the front and understand just move one gap and this, that, and the other. Which we worked on it a lot during practice and thought it was going to be simple, but it didn't. Virginia Tech has a different style of offense. They are a power running team. There are powers and counters and leads, and then they have the zone read. So we have our plate full. It's going to take a lot of effort and intensity so get the job done and stop them in the run game. I don't know if we'll stop them. Maybe we can slow them down.
Q. Do you recall where or how you found out about the shootings at Virginia Tech and can you imagine what it's like, the burden of responsibility this football team Bears? Because playing this season immediately after an event like that and dedicating it in so many ways to all the lives that were changed that day?
BILL YOUNG: I can't remember exactly where I was. But obviously it was a tremendous tragedy. Any time anything happens and it's so personal when it's your own university and people you may know, it had to be extremely tough on them.
Q. Can you imagine what this is like for them?
BILL YOUNG: Not really. I've never been in that situation. I, fortunately, have never been near anything like that.
Q. Can you talk about your linebacker corps, all being juniors, how well they've performed in comparison to the great linebackers you had a couple of seasons ago?
BILL YOUNG: Last year they were all starters and they got knocked around and developed and learned on the run. And this year they've done a tremendous job. We're fortunate enough to lead the Big 12 in rushing defense, and it's a tribute to those guys. They're the second line of defense, so to speak. Their run-fits have gotten so much better. They're right on par with the great group we had a few years ago.
Q. When you have three juniors like that, how do you develop younger players that are going to have to step in?
BILL YOUNG: Our second team is three freshmen right behind them. One was a red shirt freshman and the other two are pure freshmen. So they're getting a tremendous amount of reps in practice. We've been fortunate to be ahead in games and they've played a little bit, too. We've got an eye toward recruiting this year. It's important to get another set of young linebackers coming in where we can stagger them out and we don't lose all of them at once.
Posted Dec29, 2007 at 10:08 AM
-7:03 p.m., Saturday, Dec 29:
I went to both practices today. Here is my impression: The Hokies are soft!
Really.
OK, they're not soft compared to people like me -- and the vast majority of the nation -- who sit around and type things for a living. I want to make it perfectly clear that Vince Hall, no matter what he does this week, could whip my ***. ( Vince wouldn't, though, because he's a gentle soul. Right Vince?).
By compared to Kansas, the Hokies are soft. Kansas bangs. Tech glides through drills. The Jayhawks stick each other for two hours. The Hokies run and listen.
It's a difference in philosophy, and as I write in my column for tomorrow, none of us really knows which way is better. But we'll find out.
Onto the tailbacks. By now, most of you know that Branden Ore will not play in the first quarter of the Orange Bowl as punishment for showing up late to practice. While I think that's a blunder by Ore, I'll give props to Tech for disclosing it. Stuff like that could easily get swept under the rug, or excused away, but the Hokies addressed it. Good for them.
Talked to Kenny Lewis Jr. today. He's the guy who will start thanks to Ore's misstep. He said he's ready for the challenge.
“Oh yeah," he said. "Last year when Branden went down before the Wake Forest game, I started against Wake Forest and UVa. I learned on the run, basically. And now that I’ve got more plays under my belt, things are slowing down for me, so I can take what I learned back then and use that as well.”
By the way, Kansas coach Mark Mangino is nothing short of an inspiration. I'll have a story on him in the paper later in the week. But I'll also have more from the Hokies. Their top offensive players will be available tomorrow morning, along with the top defensive stars from Kansas. Stay tuned...
-10:19 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 29: Aaron McFarling here from South Florida, where I'm preparing to head to Virginia Tech's first practice with Randy King. Player availability will be hit-or-miss today, and we're not expected to have much time with them before they get started. But when I return I'll have some thoughts from players and probably coach Frank Beamer as well.
One of the big topics of conversation, I'm sure, will be Branden Ore. He's suspended for the first quarter of Thursday's Orange Bowl after showing up late to a practice. Not the kind of thing the Hokies needed, but it gives Kenny Lewis Jr. a shot to perform on the big stage.
The Jim Leyritz story was obviously front-page news here this morning. If you haven't heard, the former Yankee has been charged with DUI manslaughter and DUI with property damage after a crash early Friday morning in Fort Lauderdale that killed a wife and mother of two. Very sad story, and another reminder to be as safe as possible over the holidays.
The local TV weatherman warns that a cold front is heading to town the next few days. Could dip down into the 60s. Seriously.
Posted Dec15, 2007 at 04:26 PM
FIRST QUARTER
Wisconsin-Whitewater -- Jones 1 run (Schlebler kick), 10:30. Drive: Six plays: 71 yards, 2:24. Wisconsin-Whitewater 7, Mount Union 0.
SECOND QUARTER
Wisconsin-Whitewater --FG Schebler 32, :02. Drive: Eight plays, 65 yards, 1:12. Wisconsin-Whitewater 10, Mount Union 0.
THIRD QUARTER
Wisconsin-Whitewater -- Sherman fumble recovery in end zone (Schebler kick), 11:05. Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 3:49. Wisconsin-Whitewater 17, Mount Union 0.
Mount Union -- Kmic 11 run (Zimmerman kick), 8:28. Drive: Six plays, 57 yards, 2:30. Wisconsin-Whitewater 17, Mount Union 7.
Mount Union -- Kmic 1 run (Zimmerman kick), 4:14. Drive: Eight plays, 19 yards, 3:53. Wisconsin-Whitewater 17, Mount Union 14.
FOURTH QUARTER
Wisconsin-Whitewater -- Beaver 13 run (Schebler kick), 6:11. Drive: Seven plays, 50 yards, 2:52. Wisconsin-Whitewater 24, Mount Union 14.
Mount Union -- Kmic 4 run (Zimmerman kick), 3:36. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 2:29. Wisconsin-Water 24, Mount Union 21.
Posted Dec01, 2007 at 12:15 PM
Hokies win 30-16 to earn a berth in the Orange Bowl. Game MVP Sean Glennon threw his third touchdown pass of the day with 7:12 remaining, a 24-yard strike to Eddie Royal. Vince Hall picked off a fourth-down pass from Matt Ryan near the goal line, and Xavier Adibi iced the win with a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Man, you've got to love the media-relations folks here from the ACC. They've transcribed both press conferences to save us bloggers the trouble. Here are the quotes from the coaches and a couple of key contributors, courtesy of those folks:
BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES
COACH JEFF JAGODZINSKI: I want to congratulate Coach Beamer and his Virginia
Tech football team on winning the ACC Championship. He played a hell of a game. We
had a chance at the end. It just didn't happen. I will take your questions.
Q. How frustrating was it with the way you moved the ball in the first half to come out of
that tied?
COACH JEFF JAGODZINSKI: Frustrating. We just didn't get a chance to step out of
anything in the back end. We got down in there, around the 30 a few times and couldn't
get points. I think we had 49 snaps at half time. We moved the ball. We just didn't get
points out of it.
Q. Was it something that you did different in the second half or was it their defense that
changed the way you operated offensively the second half?
COACH JEFF JAGODZINSKI: No, we didn't change anything. We didn't change one
thing. I thought we moved the ball well in the second half, too and we just didn't make
enough plays.
Q. Now that you finally seen the two quarterbacks what did you think about the job they
did today?
COACH JEFF JAGODZINSKI: I thought they did a nice job with the game plan, the kid
made a play. We had the ball -- we flipped the field with a good punt. And Taylor made
a good play with his legs. He made a scramble and the guy made a play and changed.
They made plays when it counted.
Q. Coach, how much of a game altering mood change and momentum change was the
blocked extra points?
COACH JEFF JAGODZINSKI: I'll tell you one thing we did, we lost our long snapper
about two or three weeks ago and it caught up to us today. We had some operation
problems from the center to the holder. You have to be flawless in that part of your
game. I think that's what happened.
Q. Coach, it seemed like you had trouble converting on third and fourth downs?
COACH JEFF JAGODZINSKI: Do you think?
(Laughter). Yes, we did.
Q. Would you attribute that more to your offense or their defense?
COACH JEFF JAGODZINSKI: We didn't make the plays when we needed to make
them. It was third down and short, fourth down and short. We missed on a sneak. We
have to get better push up front and they did a better job.
Q. Did their defense make adjustments the second half at all?
COACH JEFF JAGODZINSKI: No, no, none.
Q. How do you explain the difference with your offense?
COACH JEFF JAGODZINSKI: I thought we moved the ball pretty good. They stopped
us on some third down conversions. That's what they did. They made plays and we
didn't. I still thought we moved the ball down the field. We had a chance to tie the ball
game at the end. We didn't get it done. One of the plays we had, we told Matt Ryan to
throw it to the back versus man coverage. We split the coverage and had someone in
the back of the end zone, Rich Gunnell, and we didn't make that play. They made plays
and we didn't make enough of them.
Q. Did the issues you were having with a long snapper, did that play a part in your
decisions not to kick the field goal and go for it on fourth down a couple of times?
COACH JEFF JAGODZINSKI: Well, usually our range is from about the 25 yard line,
so we could kick about a 42 yard field goal. Any time we were outside of that, I was
using it as a four down territory. We started doing that the last four or five games of the
season.. I thought we had a better chance to make a play on fourth than be able to kick
one.
Q. The next to is the last possession you started moving the ball down the field, fans
were probably thinking, here we go again, more of that Matt Ryan magic at the end of
the game; were you surprised that that didn't end up with a BC touchdown on that drive
there?
COACH JEFF JAGODZINSKI: No, the fourth down we didn't get converted. Any time
you have a quarterback the caliber of Matt Ryan I think you always got a chance with a
ball in his hands. We didn't make enough plays and give credit to Virginia Tech, they
made the plays when the plays counted.
Q. Callender seemed to have a heck of a game to you guys, what do you think
contributed most to that part of the game plan?
COACH JEFF JAGODZINSKI: It was. We had the same thing. We looked at that
game from the first time we played them and we thought we could use Callender a lot. I
don't know how much catches that he ended up with. Does anybody know what he
had?
Q. 12, or 13.
COACH JEFF JAGODZINSKI: That was the plan, hit one-on-one with the linebackers,
and we did. And they started to blitz off the weak side. We hit him on a hot a few times.
That's what we did with him.
Q. Is it too soon to ask you to summarize the season so far?
COACH JEFF JAGODZINSKI: 10 win season. I'll take a 10 win season. Any time you
get double digit wins in football, I don't care what level you are playing, I think that's a
good year. I'll tell you I'm proud as I can be to be the football Coach at Boston College
and proud of our kids the way they fought. We just came up a little bit short today, and
we will just keep it going.
Q. Jeff, DB had a big stop on third and one in the third quarter, and a big stop in the
fourth quarter, what challenge did he pose for you trying to block him today?
COACH JEFF JAGODZINSKI: He made some good plays.
Q. Was that because of anything?
COACH JEFF JAGODZINSKI: No, he is a good football player.
THE MODERATOR: Any other questions?
Q. It seemed like they so made it seem that Purvis was a non-factor, was that
something frustrating to you guys?
COACH JEFF JAGODZINSKI: No, we kept throwing it to the back. We kept using
him. The structure of the defense, we thought we could use Andre and we did. We
used him about as much as we could today. He was productive. Every game we play
it's always somebody. It will be a 10 catch guy. It happened to be Andre and that was
by design today.
Q. Coach, I don't know if you addressed this, how much of a difference did 9 make in
their defensive, he was not there the last time and was awful productive?
COACH JEFF JAGODZINSKI: He sure did. If you are playing your first team guy as
opposed to your second team guy, you would expect him to make more plays and he
sure did today. He is a heck of football player.
THE MODERATOR: Anyone else? Thank you.
VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES
FRANK BEAMER: First of all, I'd say congratulations to Boston College. What a
terrific team they are, they are hard to beat. I said that before the game and I said that
after the game. I can't tell you how proud I am of our football team. The seniors, the
most winningest group to come through Virginia Tech. Sean, a guy that hung in there
and we needed him. He told we were going to need him to him to the ACC, and he was
exactly right. Vice over here come back and we needed him, too.
You know, the way our guys on the end there, that first half just wasn't going right, and
they were hot, and they were hitting the right offensive play. It just wasn't going right.
You know, for our guys to hang in the way they do, keep on going, it's kind of like the
last five ball games. It's been such a team effort and we've hung in there. That's what
I'm most proud of. We got guys, that like to play the game, and they will battle you.
That was never more true than today.
Q. Vince, you want to share your thoughts with us?
VINCE HALL: You all see from the game it was emotional. We knew it was going to
be physical from the get-go. The first half Coach Foster was talking to us. Everybody
felt kind of dead out there. Half time everybody got together on defense. We got to
step this up. Everybody got to get motivated or something. Everybody wasn't getting
loud. We came out second half. Everybody was loud, talking. Nobody was sitting on
the bench no more. We came out with our mind right and ready to play.
SEAN GLENNON: Just to finish the way we did, really unbelievable for this team. At
times when it seemed like the defense was having trouble with Boston College, the
offense would respond. And early in the second half we were having trouble moving the
ball, the defense was making huge stops for us. At the end of the game we scored
when we needed to. They stopped BC when we needed to. It just said everything
about our football team right there.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.
Q. If my math is right you held BC to 112 yards and four first downs in the second half.
Given who was under center for the other team is that as good a defensive effort in a
half as you can remember?
FRANK BEAMER: Yes, I think you got to go back and see how that happened
because I think we got some coaches that know what's going on in the game and can
make adjustments, and you got to have players, no question about that. You got to
have players. But I thought his guys did a good job. We got to change this up a little
bit. We did. He was kind of nickel and diming us a little bit and running aways after
they caught the ball in the first half I thought they did a good job. I will tell you last that
we scored right before the half and this week before the half. Sean was directing both
of those. You talk about two big plays in two ball games. I thought that just kind of
swung things around a little bit.
Q. Frank, even before that touchdown Duane Brown gets his second block of the
game, for them not to get that point and you get two and be down 7?
FRANK BEAMER: A 3 point turn around. They didn't get the point and we scored 2.
Before the game I noticed he was kicking them a little bit low. I think he kicked a couple
a little bit low in the ball game. We hadn't gotten a blocked kick all year. We're close.
We worked like heck. We worked like heck on it in practice and boy did it ever pay off
today.
Q. Brown in general just what he has done, to block those kicks?
FRANK BEAMER: Yes, he is a powerful guy. He has some height. If you get some
movement in there and get him up in the air and get a kick that's low, sometimes it
doesn't have to be low. It's going to be close if it's a good kick. I think they were low.
All I know we got it blocked and I was glad to see that.
Q. Sean, can you elaborate on what Frank said about you telling him that he would
need you to win the ACC Championship, just the twist that your career has taken this
year and where you wound up?
SEAN GLENNON: You know, that was just me. I was confident that I was going to be
a part of this team again. It was tough at first, but I really kept a lot of confidence, that I
would get another opportunity to be able to help this team out because I knew how
talented we were. When my opportunity came, I tried to make the most of it and help
the team out any way I could.
Q. Sean, you said that, I believe this all season, you haven't always been a fan favorite
and what it would take to sort of win the love of the fans was, can I lead us to a
championship, obviously that happened today, you won the MVP, several thousand
people chanting your name, I don't know if you heard that, and I know you did, you
looked like you were getting choked up there, what was going through your mind?
SEAN GLENNON: I mean it's been such an emotional roller coaster this season and
for it to end the most unbelievable highlight of my athletic career, and like you said to
get the MVP it shows how blessed I've been. And I was so grateful to be standing up
there because a few months ago I didn't think I would be. Taking that all in it meant a
lot.
Q. Vince, what did it mean to you to be able to be out there since the last times you
guys meant you weren't able to?
VINCE HALL: It meant a whole lot. At first I was going to be happy if our team was
going to win, I would be a part of it. For us to lose that game it had a double impact
because I couldn't do nothing for the team. I always feel if I am out there, I can help the
team out some way or another. This time I was trying to tell the defense, I'm here this
time. Brett did a great job. That's what I always thought. This time I was to come back.
I was able to have a good game.
Q. Coach, the go ahead drive, Tyrod, the second play of that drive was a 31 yard rush,
and Sean f |