Going forward into next season

[HokieChamp]

Honestly, it doesn't even have to be a drastic OC change, but I can't fathom a reason Newsome should be back coaching. He's responsible for the guards and center and their play was terrible this year. This is a year after his workload was reduced. Give Stinespring the entire line and find an OC or at least find a new Oline coach.

This this this this this!! Let's get rid of Newsome, move Stiney to a positions coach where he actually does a pretty good job, and let O'Cain be the true offensive coordinator by scripting the offense and calling the plays. Some other things:

- David Wilson coming back (not very likely, but I like to keep hope alive)
- More use of the tight ends in the passing game. Drager did a great job this year...we need more TE's like him and Boone and we need to utilize their ability to catch the ball and bulldoze defenders.
- A few more Fullback plays. I feel like they could work well if we get the right guy back there.
- Good punting game, and I guess we need a kicker too...all of the Special Teams squad needs some work actually...
- A strong showing with our 2012 recruiting class to use a springboard for the 2013 recruiting class
- A fire on the sidelines when the offense is on the field. Watch Bud Foster when the Defense screws up. I want to see that same sort of fire in the coaches when the Offense does something wrong. I guess what I'm really saying is that there seems to be a lack of (visual) passion on the sidelines when it comes to offense.
- Marcus Davis to finally show up for an entire season.

There's probably more I could write, but I'll leave it at that for now. Good thoughts and opinions so far, which is why I'm here now 95% of the time and other boards 5%.

 

[NickVT10]

The coaches shit themselves in getting DW more touches in the bowl game. They tried to do a jet sweep with him as the new way to get him the ball.

Why not put him in the slot and send him straight down field more? He will run by anyone covering him in man and will draw the safety super deep and open up huge holes in the zone. They way they used his abilities was like using a gun as a club. It might get the job done but pulling the trigger would work better.

 

[HoHumHokie]

The coaches shit themselves in getting DW more touches in the bowl game. They tried to do a jet sweep with him as the new way to get him the ball.

Why not put him in the slot and send him straight down field more? He will run by anyone covering him in man and will draw the safety super deep and open up huge holes in the zone. They way they used his abilities was like using a gun as a club. It might get the job done but pulling the trigger would work better.

Great Analogy!!

 

[amszete]

Honestly, it doesn't even have to be a drastic OC change, but I can't fathom a reason Newsome should be back coaching. He's responsible for the guards and center and their play was terrible this year. This is a year after his workload was reduced. Give Stinespring the entire line and find an OC or at least find a new Oline coach.

Yea - see my explanation above. I think we are close to doing good things on offense, we just need that one tweak which can help us get over that hump and score TDs instead of settling for FGs.

 

[Hokie200proof]

I'd like to see us win it all.









But my head says no. I think the biggest issue is the OL. We've got ?????? all over it and we weren't even that good this year. Everywhere else (save RB) I think we'll be as good or better.

QB - El Tee 3 (still)
RB - Someone from Gregory, Holmes, Coleman, Edmunds, Patterson etc, etc. will step up
FB - inconsequential
WR - Davis, Coles and someone from the rest will be fine, maybe even great. Davis was already our best deep threat. Coles can block (see UVA) and can catch and do something with it. Our system really only needs 2 WR's in its current configuration.
TE - See FB. Maybe if we luck out and hit a TE recruit and KEEP that recruit a TE, we might use them more... but now? It's a 6th OL... and not a great one.
OL - ????????? Who will step up. HUGE ISSUE WITH HUGE IMPLICATIONS

DE - We're Good.
DL - We could use some depth, but we're good.
LB - Could be our best position next year. Tweety was great late in the year. Tyler was good too. Add to that Bruce Taylor coming back along with JGW. AND we have solid talent coming in. We've even got names like Chase Williams in the mix who at one point were the heir apparent. More than fine here.
CB - Fuller might be better than Hosley when all is said and done. Gray is our best position coach. Someone will step up to fill the Field or Boundary spot (never really sure which one that is or which one the IT guy plays).
S/ROV - Exum is back. I'm sure we've got someone who can step in for Whitley. He was ok, but he had some MASSIVE fuck-ups that cost us points and probably games (see going for the INT instead of a PB in Sugar Bowl).

Special teams... It has to be better than this year, right? A year after DW goes to the house twice, Hosley has a stellar return year... we take a big step back. Not only do we not get any scores, we don't even get many good returns... and we fuck up as often as we do an average job (roughing, holding, fumbling, etc).

All-in-all, I see the same team... maybe even a little worse depending on OL progression. It's going to be a very good thing that El Tee 3 can take a hit. He might be under siege next season.

 

[VT_Football_Fan]

Don't forget the return of Dyrell at WR and Return game

 

[m477hokie]

I think redshirting Holmes was a big mistake, I mean even if DW does come back, it would still have been nice to get Holmes some touches this year because Oglesby is leaving and we need another back. If DW doesn't come back, even bigger mistake, I think some garbage time even this year could have done wonders for him next year

 

[awaz]

i fully expect our defense to be the best in the country next year.. and i fully expect our offense to be one of the worst (assuming no coaching changes)

i think the passing game could be awesome next year.. call me crazy, but i think coles is going to be a top flight acc wr next season.. but, i think it will come down to poor playcalling and a pourus o-line

 

[bigesse16]

I think redshirting Holmes was a big mistake, I mean even if DW does come back, it would still have been nice to get Holmes some touches this year because Oglesby is leaving and we need another back. If DW doesn't come back, even bigger mistake, I think some garbage time even this year could have done wonders for him next year

RB is such an instictual position that the lack of game experience won't be a big problem.

 

[EvanGWatkins]

Don't forget the return of Dyrell at WR and Return game

I doubt we see dyrell returning next year, too injury prone there. I think we will have Knowles, Jarrett, Manning, or Farrow back there. Plenty of return man options...

 

[Taz_Hokie]

I think redshirting Holmes was a big mistake, I mean even if DW does come back, it would still have been nice to get Holmes some touches this year because Oglesby is leaving and we need another back. If DW doesn't come back, even bigger mistake, I think some garbage time even this year could have done wonders for him next year

I'm not terribly concerned with the RB position, you have to remember that prior to David, both Ryan and Darren had not played in a college game before each of their breakout seasons. And considering last year, the coaches might have wanted to avoid another season of spreading the ball around to 3 top RB's and having one feel under-utilized. Yeah, we could have kept Josh at FB this past year, but that kid deserved to be back at RB, so selfless and probably could have started elsewhere as good as he was, but stuck with VT.

 

[Lumbee09]

I'm hoping that with the questions at RB and on the O-Line we let LT3 throw the ball more. I think our line will suffice, but once again will be average. We won't be seeing gaping holes for our RBs to run through and Thomas will have to have good pocket presence, but if healthy, it will do enough. It will still be better than many of our O-lines in the past decade.

Our defense will be solid. James Gayle guaranteed top 5 defense next year and I think that is a strong possibility playing in the ACC.

 

[Taz_Hokie]

I wanted to clarify that I don't think that we're going to have a record setting back next year like RW or DE, but I think they will perform well enough to suffice.

 

[Ragingcroc]

I doubt we see dyrell returning next year, too injury prone there.

Huh?

 

[Lumbee09]

Think he means returning kicks. He'll still be at WR.

 

[Ragingcroc]

Also I wouldn't worry too much about OL. We actually have some good pieces that have seen tons of playing time.
LT- Nick Becton- He was already getting quality playing time by swapping in with Andrew Miller.
LG-Michael Via- has been a quality backup and has seen a lot of playing time with several starts. He's also extremely versatile and can play all 5 OL spots.
C- Andrew Lanier returns after starting last year
Two spots left for someone to step up into. I really don't have a clue to our OL situation beyond that so I just guessed
RG- David Wang- Might be Injury prone but did well in limited action before he was out for the year.
RT- Vinston Painter- has seen limited action

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

Also I wouldn't worry too much about OL. We actually have some good pieces that have seen tons of playing time.
LT- Nick Becton- He was already getting quality playing time by swapping in with Andrew Miller.
LG-Michael Via- has been a quality backup and has seen a lot of playing time with several starts. He's also extremely versatile and can play all 5 OL spots.
C- Andrew Lanier returns after starting last year
Two spots left for someone to step up into. I really don't have a clue to our OL situation beyond that so I just guessed
RG- David Wang- Might be Injury prone but did well in limited action before he was out for the year.
RT- Vinston Painter- has seen limited action

I am pretty sure that Brent Benedict will be starting next year at some spot, probably guard....

 

[HoHumHokie]

Also I wouldn't worry too much about OL. We actually have some good pieces that have seen tons of playing time.
LT- Nick Becton- He was already getting quality playing time by swapping in with Andrew Miller.
LG-Michael Via- has been a quality backup and has seen a lot of playing time with several starts. He's also extremely versatile and can play all 5 OL spots.
C- Andrew Lanier returns after starting last year
Two spots left for someone to step up into. I really don't have a clue to our OL situation beyond that so I just guessed
RG- David Wang- Might be Injury prone but did well in limited action before he was out for the year.
RT- Vinston Painter- has seen limited action

Andrew Miller at center.

I am sure Benedict will be in the starting rotation. And although small, I've heard Wang is pretty good.

 

[Ragingcroc]

Andrew Miller at center.

I am sure Benedict will be in the starting rotation. And although small, I've heard Wang is pretty good.

Not the first time I've mixed the OL Andrews up.

 

[Hokie200proof]

Anyone hear anything about Caleb Farris? I thought he looked pretty good in a recruiting video I saw when I was looking up Nick Acree. Which might mean he sucks.

BUT, I'm rooting for him to crack the two-deep because I have a game worn (before his time, the jersey before the "throw backs" with the slanty blacksburg font) jersey with #79 on it... which I am guessing is his number because his uncle-by-marriage (if that counts as any relation at all) stopped me at the UVa game and asked if I knew Caleb.

I was like... no... big fat linemen is the only size game-worn I can actually wear. And it's tight even then. Then we looked at each other awkwardly and then I said, yea... that and I'm a big fan of Caleb.