Week 5: Virginia Tech @ Cincinnati (in Landover, MD) (Sept. 29, 2012)

[hunzworth]

the offensive staff gets critized a lot, some deserved some not so much but BF's 2 minute defense has been terrible over the last 5 years or so.

 

[m477hokie]

We can still go to the Orange Bowl, anything can happen. We have the talent if Logan can find his rhythm, particularly with Marcus Davis.

 

[hokiegrad]

I don't think they called that bad of a game. I thought we just executed very poorly. I don't know x's and o's very well but I mostly thought it was a lack of execution on offense and a lack of ability in the secondary.

Execution is not merely a player issue, though. Certainly it is in part. But in several ways it also reflects back on coaching. Coaches need to know what their players are capable of doing on a consistent basis and take that into account when putting guys on the field and calling plays. They are responsible for training these guys, so they need to drive consistency into them or give someone else a shot. They are responsible for recruiting these guys, so if there's nobody better to give a shot, that comes back on them, too. Not to put it all on them. As I said, it's a player issue as well. Players have to perform the way they are capable of and showed in practice. Coaches are limited to the guys they have on the roster and there are no perfect players to call on. But it does go both ways.

 

[hokiegrad]

the offensive staff gets critized a lot, some deserved some not so much but BF's 2 minute defense has been terrible over the last 5 years or so.

longer than that... I've considered this his most glaring weakness for years.

 

[hokiegrad]

There was definitely some good in this game. That may be the best defense we've played so far, and we weren't held off the scoreboard. There were a bunch of good plays. But the way the game ended... that's just painful.

 

[VTfoozball]

Is it just me or did the outside pitches, screen passes, WR sweeps jump start the offense the last 2 games? And if it did why did the coaches 1) take so long into the season to realize that the OTs were a strength and the interior blocking was a liability so they needed to get athletes out in space 2) take so long in the last 2 games to start going to their strength once they found out what it was? I mean I may not be a football expert but it looks to me like the one thing the offense can count on if anything is using athletes in space and the O-line sealing the edge. Yet the coaches don't seem to want to do it until late in games. That's why IMO there needs to be a major overhaul with the offensive coaches

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

Is it just me or did the outside pitches, screen passes, WR sweeps jump start the offense the last 2 games? And if it did why did the coaches 1) take so long into the season to realize that the OTs were a strength and the interior blocking was a liability so they needed to get athletes out in space 2) take so long to start going to their strength once they found out what it was? I mean I may not be a football expert but it looks to me like the one thing the offense can count on if anything is using athletes in space and the O-line sealing the edge. Yet the coaches don't seem to want to do it until late in games. That's why IMO there needs to be a major overhaul with the offensive coaches

I will say this:

After watching the film after each game this season I have made two observations:

The tackles always look significantly better on tape that I thought during the game.

The fullbacks and TEs always look significantly worse. Martin looks ok blocking but Malleck and Dunn are liabilities and drop A LOT of passes even though they are schemed into open spots. I am not sure what the deal is with Redman and Perez-Means but it would be nice to see some of them out there. I am worried about the blocking TE with Martin gone next year. Our halfbacks block better than our FBs are right now as well.

 

[VTfoozball]

I am not impressed with any of the TEs either. They are a joke compared to some other TEs I've seen this year Notre Dame's being one. Malleck is just not a good athlete. The future is not bright at TE. Recruiting at the FB position seems like an afterthought too. No athletes there either

 

[sparko]

Is it just me or did the outside pitches, screen passes, WR sweeps jump start the offense the last 2 games? And if it did why did the coaches 1) take so long into the season to realize that the OTs were a strength and the interior blocking was a liability so they needed to get athletes out in space 2) take so long in the last 2 games to start going to their strength once they found out what it was? I mean I may not be a football expert but it looks to me like the one thing the offense can count on if anything is using athletes in space and the O-line sealing the edge. Yet the coaches don't seem to want to do it until late in games. That's why IMO there needs to be a major overhaul with the offensive coaches

I agree totally with you here fooz and was discussing just that with VTSparks during the game. As I suspected, they started playing to the offensive strengths late in the game, hence the offensive explosion in the 4th. By that time, the defense was gassed (because we have no reliable depth with the LBs and secondary) and that was all she wrote. We did have some success running Holmes between the tackles there but only AFTER we softened up their D with outside running. I'm starting to think that some of the inconsistency with catching balls and blocking (especially for the TEs and FBs) is lack of rhythm (because they're constantly being swapped in and out). Find your best option at TE and leave him in .. unless it's a 3rd and long and OBVIOUSLY a passing down (where Dunn is suited to be in). As far as FB goes -- I'm not sure why we wouldn't give Scales a look back at FB. He's better than both of the FBs getting reps right now. I like when we're mixing it up and having both Holmes and JCC in the backfield right now too. We should be throwing to JCC 3-5 times a game in the flats. I'm sure it's much easier said than done, most of this stuff -- but yeah -- there are ways for us to be successful offensively (or at least more successful). The playcalling and gameplan seems to hinder that a lot though.

 

[Hokie Swagger]

I am not impressed with any of the TEs either. They are a joke compared to some other TEs I've seen this year Notre Dame's being one. Malleck is just not a good athlete. The future is not bright at TE. Recruiting at the FB position seems like an afterthought too. No athletes there either

fullback position seems to be getting phased out due to the heavy pistol formation use, dont expect it to get much better imo. definitely need work on tight end recruitment.

 

[BeachNHokie]

My opinion on the coaching:

Get rid of Newsome
Keep Stiney but not as OC, as O-Line Coach
Get a new OC. Don't make O'Cain the OC, get someone young and passionate on the rise.
Have Weaver retire.
FB can retire in a few years or so (Don't want a Bobby Bowden complex on our hands)

- I think that this season should be the last here for both Newsome and O'Cain.
- I would like to keep Stiney because he offers value as a recruiter. Coaches that can recruit, but can't coach are TE coaches. Move him back there.
- Agree on Weaver.

The moves I would like to see would force us to open up our pocket books some, but you either evolve or you die (think Mack Brown two years ago). And they are....

- Break the bank for Mark Helfrich (Oregon's OC and QB coach). I am talking 500-600k if that is what it takes. He is not just a spread guy either as he got his start under Dirk Koetter who is a pro/multiple look style guy.
- Try to lure Mike Bloomgren (OL coach) from Stanford. He went to FSU and has NFL coaching experience and is also a great recruiter. If not I would try to bring Todd Washington back home from the Ravens.

Our offensive staff would then look like this.

OC/QB: Mark Helfrich
RB: Shane Beamer
WR: Kevin Sherman
TE: Bryan Stinespring
OL: Mike Bloomgren/Todd Washington

 

[Sleepy T]

- Our offensive staff would then look like this.

OC/QB: Mark Helfrich
RB: Shane Beamer
WR: Kevin Sherman
TE: Bryan Stinespring
OL: Mike Bloomgren/Todd Washington

I like the Todd Washington idea and think that since he has ties to the program it would be a possibility. That would likely be an upgrade at that position, but we would still have to come up with some jack to beat out the Ravens for his services. I like the other two as well (Helfrich and Bloomgren) but think that is highly unlikely. I am not sure that we could lure someone like that away from the gigs they have..as a lateral move. Not sure we could pay them that much more than Oregon or Stanford.

 

[hokiegrad]

Is a top-notch position coach going to want to come to VT a couple years before Beamer retires? If we had a good in-house candidate for HC, maybe, but we don't. I love Bud, but I don't really see him as a HC. Notice we're not even talking about making Shane a coordinator, and I'm not sure we ever will. And you don't strip Stinespring back to position coach and then make him HC a couple years later. So anybody new that Beamer brings in will probably have to think they have a good shot at HC or be close with another new hire that does, otherwise it's most likely a temporary stop for them. And honestly, a new OC is probably going to want to bring in some of his own guys anyway.

 

[757Hokie83]

Clemson, FSU, Miami automatic losses. UNC will beat them (VT) (notice how I'm starting to distance myself from the team?) if they (VT) let this game keep them down. Heck maybe even if they (VT) don't. That's 5 losses guaranteed with a likely 6th. UVA, Boston College, and Duke will be tough as well. VT is now a middle of the pack team in a horrible conference. That's what happens when you let inferior coaches hang around too long. Eventually it catches up

Seriously, go ahead and change your screenname and pick a new team. We dont want or need such fair-weather bitches in Hokie Nation.

 

[awaz]

Is a top-notch position coach going to want to come to VT a couple years before Beamer retires? If we had a good in-house candidate for HC, maybe, but we don't. I love Bud, but I don't really see him as a HC. Notice we're not even talking about making Shane a coordinator, and I'm not sure we ever will. And you don't strip Stinespring back to position coach and then make him HC a couple years later. So anybody new that Beamer brings in will probably have to think they have a good shot at HC or be close with another new hire that does, otherwise it's most likely a temporary stop for them. And honestly, a new OC is probably going to want to bring in some of his own guys anyway.

how dare you mention him and HC in teh same sentence!

 

[757Hokie83]

I like the Todd Washington idea and think that since he has ties to the program it would be a possibility. That would likely be an upgrade at that position, but we would still have to come up with some jack to beat out the Ravens for his services. I like the other two as well (Helfrich and Bloomgren) but think that is highly unlikely. I am not sure that we could lure someone like that away from the gigs they have..as a lateral move. Not sure we could pay them that much more than Oregon or Stanford.

I had a meeting with Washington's dad the other night

 

[EvanGWatkins]

- I think that this season should be the last here for both Newsome and O'Cain.
- I would like to keep Stiney because he offers value as a recruiter. Coaches that can recruit, but can't coach are TE coaches. Move him back there.
- Agree on Weaver.

The moves I would like to see would force us to open up our pocket books some, but you either evolve or you die (think Mack Brown two years ago). And they are....

- Break the bank for Mark Helfrich (Oregon's OC and QB coach). I am talking 500-600k if that is what it takes. He is not just a spread guy either as he got his start under Dirk Koetter who is a pro/multiple look style guy.
- Try to lure Mike Bloomgren (OL coach) from Stanford. He went to FSU and has NFL coaching experience and is also a great recruiter. If not I would try to bring Todd Washington back home from the Ravens.

Our offensive staff would then look like this.

OC/QB: Mark Helfrich
RB: Shane Beamer
WR: Kevin Sherman
TE: Bryan Stinespring
OL: Mike Bloomgren/Todd Washington

Won't happen.

 

[VTscores]

Why NOT get a good spread Offensive Coordinator?

Why is this such an impossibility?

 

[EvanGWatkins]

Why NOT get a good spread Offensive Coordinator?

Why is this such an impossibility?

As long as CFB is in Blacksburg we will not have a spread O. Personally I think with Bucky coming in, we have a better chance getting someone with a Pistol background. Pistol gives us a chance to play with some spread and a power run game. JMHO

 

[robV703]

Why NOT get a good spread Offensive Coordinator?

Why is this such an impossibility?

Why would we want to limit ourselves to an "offense." A "multiple" offense is way better because then NOBODY can key in on what we are doing.