My Hokies

Flopped again last Saturday Night. It seems that always in games away from home, big season defining games, program defining games, games that get them over the hump, they fall.
2009: Alabama, and GT
2008: So many I can't even count
2007: A thrashing at the hands of LSU, and a epic failure at home vs. Boston College
2006: We lost to BC at BC, and GT at home
2005: Miami at home.

The list goes on and on, for years Tech has been around the top 5, but never been able to compete there consistently. Is it the skill level of the players? Possibly but no, I'll explain.
If it's not the players, that leaves on thing.. I'll explain.

First let me explain why it's not the players. We have several good WR's in the NFL.
Jake Grove
Michael Vick
Aaron Rouse
Deanjelo Hall
Kevin Jones
Darryl Tap
James Anderson
David Clowney
Shane Graham
Andre Davis
Ernest Wilford
Jeff King
Edie Royal
Brandon Flowers

Everyone of these guys has had a succesful pro football life. The skill level is obviously there. Eddie Royal? Deanjelo Hall? Jeff King? These guys are all STARS. There is no lack of talent at Tech.

That leaves one thing. Coaching. Tech always plays it's best, when no one hyeps them up. Example. Miamie this year. Whenever they start to recieve an ounce of praise, they flop. Example, GT this year.

Let's start at the top and work down --
Frank Beamer -- turned something into nothing. Made Tech an annual premier power in College Football but has never won a big one. He is a master at winning, and winning consistently. But he has yet to figure out how to properly prepare his teams for the BIGGEST of games. This is his only weak spot.

Bud Foster -- Probably the most brilliant mind in College Football, just got showed why I said probably at the begining of that sentence. Paul Johnson was smarter Saturday Night. After YEEAARSS of doing everything perfect, always having his defense ready to go, always bringing the same intensity year in and year out, the past two years it's began to fall off, and you really saw that Saturday Night. For the first time in his carreer, he can't blame anyone else ( not that he would, he always takes responsibillity often for things that aren't his fault). Now this is in no way a slam on BF. He is the best coach in all of football. He will learn from this, just like Tyrod built off of his Nebraska game, and our defenses won't fail again for a long, long time.

Brian Stinespring -- often known as BS. Where do I start with this man. How many recruting classes in the top 25 over the past say, 9 years? How many WR's in the NFL playing significant roles -- it doesn't add up. Something isn't right here. He doesnt have a sense for scheme, or game plan. It's almost as if he sees the plays in the playbook, like they are on the playstation. He doesn't plan around the other's defense. Now, I will admit the offense is better, but it still seems predictable. OFten when we run a Play Action pass, TT throws deep -- and sometimes completes. Credit this to our WR's and TT. Ryan Williams is making Stinesrping look like a genius this year. More power to him. The point I"m trying to make is, Stinespring has to get that sense of adjustment. He needs to learn how to bet undersatnd a defense, and attack their weaknesses, instead of just utilyzing our strengths. Because this year, our offesne doesn't have a weak link. If we would learn how to attack on offense, instead of taking what the defense gives, we'd be alot better.
Personally I'd like to see TT throw 25 times a game, and give Williams 25 touches. Balance it out. Get Dyrell invloved more, on things other than Jet Sweeps. Don't just throw do Danny Coale when he's fifty yardrs down the field. As my baseball coach would say, don't just throw do Greg Boone when The "oh shit" i need five quick yards button for a first down light comes on.
He's gotta understand this, and understand that the best defense is a good offense.
A good offense isn't predictable.

Fix that, you fix the Hokies. Until then, it will happen every single year.