SB Nation - Danny Coale

Tech Decade: Hokies' Best Game of the Aughts

furrer4heisman — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:00:18 -0000

More photos » by Steve Helber - AP

The 00s are almost over and its time to decide the best moments and players from the last 10 seasons. Every day this week you readers will decide your favorite game, win, offensive and defensive player and team from those seasons.

First up is best game. Here are your nominees:

2000: Virginia Tech 37, Pittsburgh 34 - Dave Meyer relieves an injured Michael Vick and leads a comeback to keep the Hokies undefeated.

2004: Virginia Tech 34, Georgia Tech 20 - The Hokies score 21 points in the last six minutes of the game to keep their ACC title hopes alive.

2007: Virginia Tech 30, Boston College 16 - Entering the fourth quarter tied at 16, Tech scored two late touchdowns to avenge its earlier defeat to Matt Ryan and claim its second ACC championship.

2009: Virginia Tech 16, Nebraska 15 - The Hokies played horrible until the final two minutes of the game when Tyrod Taylor hit Danny Coale for 81 yards and Dyrell Roberts for an 11-yard TD.

Poll

What was the best Virginia Tech game of the Aughts?

Virginia Tech 42, UVa 13: What They're Saying

furrer4heisman — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:00:20 -0000

by Don Petersen - AP

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What the mainstream media and blogosphere is saying after a very satisfying win over our rivals in Charlottesville.

National Media and Bloggers

Virginia Tech controls rivalry (Annette)
"The game went according to script, with Virginia hanging around early on Senior Day in Scott Stadium before the disparity between the two programs showed up in the second half. Virginia's defense couldn't stop Ryan Williams, who has played an outstanding rookie season and scored four rushing touchdowns for the second straight game. He should be a 2010 Heisman contender."

Hokie and Hoo Beat Writers

Tech takes UVa's best shot, then crushes rivals (Aaron McFarling)
"Every year, it seems, Tech-UVa week plays out the same. The days leading up to the game, the Cavaliers dominate the storylines. They're the ones with something to prove. Can they keep it close? Can they put it together for one day? Can they perhaps pull the upset? Then they play the game, and the answers spill forth in capital letters: NO. NO. NO."

Hokies sprint to finish against UVa (Randy King)
"Tech, which knocked itself out of the national picture with back-to-back losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina in October, finished 4-0 in November with an average scoring differential of 24.25 points per game. Continuing to get better offensively, the Hokies rolled up 482 total yards against a fired-up UVa squad that was hoping to hand Al Groh a victory in what was likely his final game as Cavaliers' coach."

In perhaps Groh's final game, Va. Tech wins (Mark Viera)
"With losses by Clemson and North Carolina on Saturday, Virginia Tech is aligned for a trip to the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta on Dec. 31. An at-large Bowl Championship Series invitation seems unlikely."

U.Va.'s Dowling burned by Taylor-Coale connection (Kyle Tucker)
"But rival Virginia Tech picked on Dowling early and often Saturday. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor's first pass of the game went deep down the right sideline to Danny Coale, who had blown by Dowling. Even when the pass was short, Coale came back to it for a 41-yard, shoe-top catch. Taylor's next pass also went deep to Coale, who out-jumped Dowling for a 36-yard grab to set up the Hokies' first touchdown. By halftime, Dowling had been beaten on four passes that covered 131 yards. That wasn't necessarily an accident on Tech's part."

Six it is: Tech trounces rival Virginia (Gordon Block)
"For the second week in a row, Williams reached the end zone four times and became the second Tech player to score four touchdowns in back-to-back games. Lee Suggs accomplished the same feat by scoring five times against the University of Central Florida and then four times against UVa in 2000."

Ryan Williams...what more can you say? (Norm Wood)
"Though Williams won’t catch former Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson for the Football Bowl Subdivision single-season rushing record by a freshman, there’s a chance Williams could at least finish within shouting distance. Oh, by the way...just noticed this note in U.Va.'s postgame package. His four rushing touchdowns were the most by an opposing player against U.Va. since 1982, when Georgia Tech's Robert Lavette also scored four."

Coverage of Virginia Tech 42, Virginia 13 (Darryl Slater)
"And the Hokies’ defense was stingy again. Tech, which led 14-13 at halftime, held Virginia to 96 yards in the second half. The Hokies did it by shutting down Sewell, who ran 10 times for 99 yards in the first half, including seven for 91 in the first quarter, then seven times for 24 yards in the second half, not counting sacks. Tech allowed two offensive touchdowns in the regular season’s final four games, all wins."

Groh's final words with player comment (Michael Phillips)
"Make what you will of that, but it seems like Al Groh’s final words as U.Va. head coach. The poem refers to you being the only person who can effectively judge yourself at the end of the day, a message Groh sends out, I’m sure, to his many critics. At the end, he listed some of the attributes he wanted to be remembered by."

Cavaliers stung by boyhood UVa fan (Doug Doughy)
"Coale, whose older brother played lacrosse for the Cavaliers, continued to show UVa the error of its ways Saturday in a 42-13 Virginia Tech victory at Scott Stadium. Coale, who had a season-high five receptions in a 2008 meeting with the Cavaliers, finished with six catches for 135 yards Saturday."

There's only one word to describe Williams - great (Bill Roth)
"With no offense to the ageless Tony the Tiger, who’s been pitching the quality of Frosted Flakes for a half century ("They’re Grrrrreat," as you know), true greatness, in reality, should be hard to find. It should be uncommon and rare. So when you read that Virginia Tech’s Ryan Williams is having the greatest freshman season in the history of Virginia Tech football and the greatest freshman year in the history of the ACC, understand that in this instance, the word is used in its intended form."

Hokies control second half in pulling away from Virginia (Jimmy Robertson)
"The momentum totally went the Hokies’ way following a UVa turnover. Sewell tried to pitch the ball to tailback Mikell Simpson on the option, but the pitch hit Simpson in the facemask and fell to the ground at the UVa 25, where Tech safety Kam Chancellor picked it up and ran to the UVa 10."

Hokie and Hoo Bloggers

The Guy in the Glass and the Best of #BeatUVa (College Game Balls)
"And now for something more fun, the best of #BeatUVa (in no particular order)."

Hokies Whip UVA, Await Bowl Fate (Tech Sideline)
"Virginia got off to a hot start offensively, running the read option with quarterback Jameel Sewell. Sewell finished with 104 yards and a touchdown on the ground, but Hokie defensive coordinator Bud Foster made adjustments at halftime and the Hokies shutout the Hoos in the second half. UVA finished with 295 yards of total offense."

CHECKMATE (Beer Control Offense)
"Sometimes, you just gotta stick your face in the fan."

I Smell Pretention: Hokies WIN 42-13 (Fight for Old DC)
"As for the game, there's not a ton to say. It was an awesome second half effort by both lines, and you have to give credit to Bryan Stinespring. He called a VERY good game. Tyrod wasn't super accurate, but his receivers came up with some amazing catches and made him look great at points."

Requiem for an era: Let It Go In Peace (From Old Virginia)
"Yes, it's still happening, the criticism and the name-calling and the good-riddance-ing, and yes, it's pissing the rest of us off and that's all it's accomplishing. So help me, if I see another good-riddance style post on any UVA message board the rest of the year, I'm gonna go off on someone. You got what you wanted - Groh is fired. You also got a 3-9 season to go with it, which has been just all sorts of fun, but hey, you got what you wanted."

Virginia Tech 42, UVa 13: Hokies Three Stars

furrer4heisman — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:00:36 -0000

by Steve Helber - AP

Danny Coale only gets the second star, but this photo is too awesome not to add.

View full size photo »

After struggling against UVa's offense in the second half, the Hokies dominated both sides of the ball in the second en route to a sixth consecutive win over their rivals from Charlottesville. The three stars were pretty easy this week, especially the first one.

First Star: RB Ryan Williams

It wasn't the yeoman-like performance he turned in against NC State. No, this was much more electrifying. He had 183 rushing yards, averaged 7.6 yards per carry and had a second consecutive game with four touchdowns. Williams is not just the team's rookie of the year, but its offensive player of the year. While Tyrod Taylor may be the most valuable, irreplaceable offensive player, Williams is by far the best as far as production.

If he has another big game in the bowl, Williams will break the Hokies' single-season rushing record held by Kevin Jones. He's a freak and has been a joy to watch.

Second Star: WR Danny Coale

Early in the game, when Ryan Williams was still struggling to find running room, Danny Coale was coming up with big catch to continue drives for the Hokies against the team he grew up rooting for. Coale may have grown up a Wahoo, but he's all Hokie now. He had six of Tech's eight receptions and 135 of its 185 receiving yards.

His catches were either vital to his team at the time, like his 36 yard grab on 3rd and 17 on Tech's first drive or spectacular, like his fully-extended, toe-dragging catch late in the game. Coale had the best game of his career when the Hokies needed it most. While the Wahoos focused on Jarrett Boykin, Coale was busy making them pay.

Third Star: ROV Davon Morgan

It's about time to start giving Morgan some pub. The guy was all over the field Saturday, led the team in tackles and was in on Tech's lone sack of Jameel Sewell. He almost shares the third star with Kam Chancellor, who was as equally ubiquitous as Morgan, but Morgan gets the nod of how much he's come along this past month.

Morgan came in for the struggling Dorian Porch in the middle of the ECU game and has earned more playing time as the month went on. Porch is a senior, meaning the rover job will be all Morgan's in 2010. I think if Eddie Whitley is as good a free safety as the coaches are saying, the two could be a very formidable pair in the middle of the field next season.

Poll

Who was Tech's top performer against the Wahoos?

Ryan Williams

72 votes

Danny Coale

36 votes

Davon Morgan

1 votes

Other

0 votes

109 votes | Poll has closed

Virginia Tech 42, UVa 13: Postgame Stream of Consciousness

furrer4heisman — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:03:38 -0000

More photos » by Don Petersen - AP

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10 out of 11.

The Hokies have now won six consecutive battles for the Commonwealth Cup.
Offense first.
Tyrod took advantage of man coverage early in the game with long passes to Danny Coale and Dyrell Roberts. Coale was playing in Charlottesville against his childhood team and pwned them.
Tyrod threw a bad pass in the 3rd quarter that was intercepted. Fortunately, the defense came through to make it a moot point.
Ryan Williams had 60 rushing yards in the first half, but Bryan Stinespring went away from him in the third quarter. It seemed like Stiney was saving him to try and wear down the UVa defense in the fourth quarter. That worked out nicely.
I was actually very pleased with how the offense attacked UVa. In the first half, I thought the mix between runs with Williams and passes against man coverage were perfect. In the second half, Stiney got away with going away with RW to save him. The 4th quarter was all VT.
The offensive line was incredible in this game. It gave Tyrod time to pass and opened up huge holes for RW and company.
The defense.
It got owned in the first half by Jameel Sewell but came up with some great answers in the second half.
Bud Foster did a great job of disguising his blitzes and coverages and matching them to the down and distance. Tech blitzed up the middle on short yardage when UVa typically ran with Sewell and stopped him. Then, the coverage/blitzes were perfect on passing downs to minimize Sewell's effectiveness.
It became clear early on that UVa's only chance was to run the ball out of zone-read option and the wildcat. The pass game was clearly not a factor. Tech took advantage of this after halftime.
Great efforts by Cody Grimm, Kam Chancellor, Stephan Virgil, Ryan Williams and Danny Coale. After a tough first half with penalties, the offensive line brought the pain in the second half.
Another huge big time win over the Wahoos to be proud of. Go celebrate, Hokie fans. Don't worry about the bowl. It'll be either the Peach or Gator depending on the ACCCG. Now is the time to be merry.

2009 Virginia Tech Football: What to Watch vs. UVa

furrer4heisman — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:00:14 -0000

More photos » by Don Petersen - AP

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The Team

UVa has nothing to lose and it's the last game in Hooville for its seniors and its coach. I expect a motivated Wahoo team playing at its highest level.
If the Hokies can't match that intensity level, it's very possible for them to lose. UVa is better than its record indicates and has a defense that will keep it hanging around. That's a dangerous proposition for the Hokies.

Virginia Tech Offense vs. Virginia Defense

The Wahoos have a surprisingly good defense this season, especially against the pass.
It will be up to Ryan Williams to lead the charge against UVa in this game. If he goes off, Tech will win easily. If he is stymied by the Wahoo defense, this game will be a dogfight.
The Hokies have had success against teams that run a 3-4 defense (at least ones that aren't Alabama). Last year Tech ran for 216 yards against UVa, including 137 yards from Tyrod Taylor.
Hopefully Taylor can again have success breaking containment and getting yards with his feet against the Hoos. While he didn't run for many yards against UVa the last time the teams met in Charlottesville, he did have two rushing touchdowns.
The Hoos last out-rushed the Hokies in 2004, when Andrew Pearman ran for 147 yards in a 24-10 VT win. If the Hokies can continue their success on the ground against UVa, it should be a sixth consecutive Commonwealth Cup win.
If the Hokies have success through the air, I think it will be on shorter routes to the tight ends or flankers like Danny Coale. Coale grew up a UVa fan and this will be his first chance to play in Charlottes while wearing orange and maroon. I think he'll have a big day getting the ball in the middle of the field.

Virginia Tech Defense vs. Virginia Offense

Last year it seemed like every one in the Commonwealth knew Vic Hall was going start at quarterback for Virginia except the Hokies and their coaching staff. Hall came out and ran the single wing offense to perfection and led the Hoos to a 14-7 halftime lead.
The Hoos introduced another single wing wrinkle last week with running back Mikell Simpson taking direct snaps. However, Simpson's status for Saturday is up in the air. If he plays, I think you'll see him under center at times. Hopefully the coaching staff has been dissecting film to come up with a way to defend what the Hoos have done out of the single wing this year.
Two guys that will have a lot of say in stopping the single wing attack are Barquell Rivers and Kam Chancellor. If those two guys can take care of the inside run game, guys like Cody Grimm and Jason Worilds can focus on stringing plays to the outside where the Hokies' cornerbacks can make tackles.
Tech's cornerbacks have been solid against the run this year and if Tech is going to stop Virginia's single wing plays, they'll need to be on their game.
The Wahoo passing attack has been pretty bad this year, whether it's Jameel Sewell, Marc Verica or whoever at quarterback. If the Hokies are going to give up points to the Wahoos, it's going to be on the ground, just like last year.

Outcome

Someone is going to make a play on defense or special team that completely changes to momentum and possibly outcome of this game. Hopefully it's one of the good guys.

Watch the Box Score for:

Turnovers
Ryan Williams rushing yards
UVa third down conversions
Non-offensive points

Virginia Tech Players to Watch:

34 - Ryan Williams, Fr., RB
19 - Danny Coale, So., WR
52 - Barquell Rivers, So., LB
17 - Kam Chancellor, Sr., FS

Virginia Players to Watch:

4 - Vic Hall, Sr., QB/DB/KR
31 - Rashawn Jackson, Sr., RB
98 - Nate Collins, Sr., DE
19 - Ras-I Dowling, Jr., CB

Final Score

Virginia Tech 24, Virginia 19

2009 Virginia Tech Football: What to Watch vs. North Carolina State

furrer4heisman — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:15:08 -0000

by Gerry Broome - AP

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The Team

It's senior day for the Hokies. Hopefully they'll send guys like Greg Boone, Cody Grimm and Kam Chancellor off with a win.

Virginia Tech Offense vs. NC State Defense

Looking at the NC State defense, you'd think its strength would be its defensive line. However, the Wolfpack have had just 10 sacks in six conference games, tied for 10th in the ACC.
The also gives up 4.8 yards per carry in league play, 11th and ahead of only Florida State. Their 16 rushing touchdowns allowed in conference play is also higher than any other team but FSU.
NC State has also had trouble against the pass this season. It's allowing 7.8 yards per pass attempt in league play, 10th in the ACC.
Overall, NC State is allowing 6.3 yards per play in ACC games, only ahead of FSU and is giving up 41.7 points per game in conference play, worst in the ACC.
Simply put, this is the worst defense the Hokies will play all season. It will be up to Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Williams and the offense to take advantage of it.
Look for the Hokies to give the Pack a heavy dose of Ryan Williams to try to and set up play action passes deep to guys like Jarrett Boykin. Danny Coale should also have a big game in the middle of the field.

Virginia Tech Defense vs. NC State Offense

NC State QB Russell Wilson was last year's ACC rookie of the year and was the All-ACC QB. A lot of that can be somewhat attributed to his TD:INT ratio, which was an astounding 17:1. This year he's thrown 10 interceptions and 26 TDs.
While Russell's INTs have gone up significantly, his yards per attempt, completion percentage and passer rating have also gone up. Russell's rushing production has stayed the same and the team rushing production has gone up.
This is a dangerous offense the Hokies are going to face. Wilson has a pair of excellent wide receivers: Jarvis Williams and Owen Spencer. Spencer is the home-run threat and Williams (along with TE George Bryan) is Wilson's favorite target, leading the team in TD receptions.
The Pack should be able to exploit the middle of the field if they can get a decent game from running backs Toney Baker and Jamelle Eugene. Baker missed most of the last two seasons due to injury but has averaged nearly five yards per carry this season.
The Pack have actually averaged more yards per carry in ACC games than OOC games, so their stats aren't that augmented by bad competition.
The Pack slightly favor the run on first down, so the Hokies can't just load the box and hope to force long yardage situation that allow the defensive ends to pin their ears back.
I think the Hokies will have success if they are more aggressive against Wilson like they were against Jacory Harris. The Pack will get theirs against an aggressive D, but the Hokies will have an equal number of positives.

Outcome

Should be higher scoring than the VT-UNCG hoops game the other day.

Watch the Box Score For:

Turnovers
Virginia Tech Sacks
NC State 3rd Down Pct
Virginia Tech YPC

Virginia Tech Players to Watch:

19 - Danny Coale, So., WR
34 - Ryan Williams, Fr., RB
6 - Jason Worilds, Jr., DE
26 - Cody Grimm, Sr., LB

NC State Players to Watch:

16 - Russell Wilson, So., QB
13 - Owen Spencer, Jr., WR
49 - Alan-Michael Cash, Sr., DT
97 - Willie Young, Sr., DE

Final Score

Virginia Tech 42, NC State 21

When Does The Hurting Stop?

Akula Wolf — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:22:55 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

about 1 month ago: Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) dives for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against East Carolina in Greenville, N.C., Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

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Probably not this week, I'm guessin'. A few reasons why the Virginia Tech game is going to be an unpleasant affair:

1.) Tech's improved passing game. The Hokies still don't ask Tyrod Taylor to do a lot through the air and he remains a bit erratic, but he's averaging almost three more yards per attempt than he did a year ago and he's completely turned around his TD:INT ratio. (2:7 in '08, 12:3 in '09. He's got a trio of big-play guys in the receiving corps, which doesn't hurt. Danny Coale (19.8 yds/rec.), Jarrett Boykin (18.6), and Dyrell Roberts (16.4) are in the top ten in the ACC in yards per catch.

2.) Ryan Williams. Oh god, Ryan Williams. Williams leads the ACC with 1235 yards and ranks 5th in yards per carry (5.8). I'll set the over/under on his YPC against the Wolfpack at 6.5. What do you think?

3.) It's still Bud Foster's defense.

	OppYds/PassAtt	OppYds/Carry
2008	7.1	3.2
2009	5.4	3.9

They've been more vulnerable on the ground this season but they've compensated with some huge improvement in their pass defense. Opponents are completing just 45.2% of their passes; 7 of 10 have been held to a completion percentage below 50%, 8 of 10 have been held under 200 passing yards.

Overall, the Hokies rank third in the ACC in both total defense and yards allowed per play.

Plus their leading tackler is a linebacker named Cody Grimm. With a name like that, I'm assuming he's unstoppable.

[Edit: video removed since it was auto-playing for some reason. Sorry about that.]

Virginia Tech 36, Maryland 9: What They're Saying

furrer4heisman — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:00:33 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

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The Hokies took care of business against Maryland on Saturday, which actually says a lot. Tech had nothing to play for but getting to 10 wins and still came out and did what it was supposed to do. I think the last time this team had no chance at winning its conference or division this early in the season was 2006. I'm pretty sure Georgia Tech clinched the Coastal on Nov. 11 that year.

Hopefully this year's Tech team mirrors that one and not the 2003 squad. In 2006, the Hokies won their final six regular season game. Right now the Hokies' win streak is at two. If the Hokies can win out (including the bowl) and get that streak to five, they will have their 10-win season.

Links after the jump.

National Media and Bloggers

Hokies handle Terps (Annette)
"Tyrod Taylor had a great day, throwing for 268 yards and three touchdowns (no interceptions) and rushing for another 76 yards. And, no surprise, Ryan Williams had another 100-yard day. The Hokies' 10-win season is still a realistic possibility, while Maryland is like a wounded animal limping into the final stretch of the season, which couldn't get here fast enough now for Ralph Friedgen."

Virginia Tech Beat Writers

Hokies ride their pride to lopsided victory (Nathan "Tommie Frazier" Warters)
"People still question whether the 20th-ranked Hokies have anything to play for, now that they are completely eliminated from the national championship and ACC title races. The players just shrug their shoulders and keep going to work."

Trouncing Turtles (Kyle Tucker)
"Jarrett Boykin continues to be a beast of a receiver. Danny Coale, one heckuva pass-catcher himself, leveled a couple of really nice blocks for his ‘mates. And Dyrell Roberts – with a 27-yard diving catch, a 41-yard leaping catch and a speedy 10-yard TD catch and run – appears to have fully transitioned from tailback to receiver."

Hokies handle Maryland (Darryl Slater)
"Their next month and a half might feel less important to those who observe them, but the Hokies believe they can still find a lofty purpose. For Williams, it centers on winning 10 games. Beamer talked to his team about "being as good as we can be." Defensive coordinator Bud Foster wants the Hokies to "play for each other.""

Old friends' coaching battle purely 1-sided (Aaron McFarling)
"On Saturday, Beamer brought more than 10,000 Virginia Tech fans into Byrd Stadium, and together they danced a jig on what's left of Friedgen's reputation. The Hokies torched the Terps 36-9 -- a game that was over at halftime -- to drop Maryland's record to 2-8."

Virginia Tech easily tops Maryland (Randy King)
"Well, the Hokies ruled the roost here from the get-go. Maryland, which played without injured starting quarterback Chris Turner, was stymied to a season-low 236 yards by Tech's defense. Sophomore Jamarr Robinson, making his first college start, ran 24 times for 129 yards. He spent most of the day running for his life as the Hokies swarmed UM's porous offensive line for 10 tackles for loss, and posted a season-high six sacks."

Foster has not heard from Memphis (Mark Viera)
"Memphis Athletic Director R.C. Johnson has indicated that the university would cast a wide net in its search. He said Memphis's next coach must be successful in recruiting and that previous head coaching experience was preferred but not necessary."

Taylor's career-high 3 TD passes lift Hokies over Maryland (Jimmy Robertson)
"He had to like what he saw from Taylor, whose three touchdown passes were a career high. Behind Taylor, the Hokies broke their recent habit of slow starts and instead got it cranked up early in this one. On their first drive of the game, they marched 71 yards in 10 plays, with the big play coming being a 30-yard pass completion from Taylor to Jarrett Boykin that got the Hokies to the Maryland 1 - the play looked like a touchdown, but the official reviewed it and determined Boykin’s knee was down at the 1. Ryan Williams went in on the next play, and the extra point gave Tech a 7-0 lead with 10:48 left in the first quarter."

Virginia Tech Bloggers

Hokies Rout Terps 36-9 (Tech Sideline)
"Virginia Tech beat up on Maryland on both sides of the ball on Saturday afternoon, earning a 36-9 victory in College Park. The Hokies dominated statistically on offense and defense, and they also got some big plays from punt returner Jayron Hosley. Tech is now 7-3 on the season, with a 4-2 mark in ACC play. Maryland dropped to 2-8 overall and 1-5 in the ACC."

Maryland Beat Writers

Taylor, Hokies rip Terps (Washington Times)
"Sophomore quarterback Jamarr Robinson made his first career start as Chris Turner (left knee ligament sprain) missed the game. But Robinson found the same problems Turner endured for the Terps (2-8, 1-5 ACC) — an inability for Maryland's running backs to find room to run."

Maryland routed by Virginia Tech (Baltimore Sun)
"Jamarr Robinson was chased all over the field Saturday, but the elusive Maryland quarterback ultimately couldn't escape Virginia Tech, which dealt the Terrapins their fifth straight loss, 36-9, in a game that was one-sided from the opening possession."

Maryland Bloggers

Virginia Tech 36, Maryland 9: (Late) Early Thoughts (Testudo Times)
"First off, as bad as the defense is, it's better than the offense, by a pretty decent amount. That's pretty telling for how god-awful this offense is. I can't stand giving them credit for a TD, but the fact of the matter is that they got it and the offense didn't. Both sides were awful today, and neither were where they need to be, but the defense was just a bit better, for what's that worth."

Maryland-Virginia Tech Report Card and Helmet Stickers (Testudo Times)
"Robinson was very average, or below average, when passing. Of course, that might be because he had no time and was going up against a very good defense. His big strength was his scrambling ability - he went over 100 yards on the ground and was pretty much the only effective player Maryland had on offense thanks to that. You could still see that he had talent and an arm, but they got overshadowed by his jitters/poor offensive line and his running ability."

Hokies Have No Problem Running Over Terps (Inside MD Sports)
"The stands would have been mostly empty after Virginia Tech led 27-3 at halftime if not for the influx of Hokie faithful, who comprised an overwhelming majority of the 51,514 who stuck around. The most audible cheer by the end was the back-and-forth chant of "Let’s go Hokies," and the scattered Maryland fans still in attendance weren’t inclined to counter."

2009 Virginia Tech Football: Hokies at the Quarter Pole

furrer4heisman — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:42:11 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

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The Hokies have three games to go in the 2009 regular season and even though they come against arguable the three worst teams in the ACC (Maryland, NC State and Virginia), two of those three are on the road and one is a rivalry game.

While Tech is likely to win out and finish the regular season at 9-3, it's entirely possible the Hokies could drop another game and end any possibility of continuing their streak of 10-win seasons.

The Offense

There are plenty of critics of Bryan Stinespring out there and his playcalling is still suspect at times. But you can't overlook the fact that this offense is much improved over last year. Tyrod Taylor is quarterback now, instead of just a playmaker under center. The wide receivers have progressed more than I thought they would, especially Danny Coale and Ryan Williams is a certified star.

Despite the last three games, the Hokies are still miles better in the red zone than they have been in recent years. They've scored touchdowns on 53 percent of their red zone possessions (nearly 59 percent in conference games). Last year, Tech got in the end zone on 46 percent of their trips inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

The concern for me is the recent injuries on the offensive line that could completely submarine this progress. Center Beau Warren has an MCL strain that forced Michael Via into action Thursday. We also saw Greg Nosal in at guard. In addition to these injuries, Ed Wang has been pretty bad at tackle in recent weeks. If the offensive line doesn't get itself in gear, it's not going to matter what plays Stinespring calls or what Taylor and Williams do with them.

Barring an epic fail from the O-line, Tech should be able to put up plenty of points against Maryland and NC State. But don't sleep on Virginia's defense. It's been solid in stretches this season.

The Defense

It would be an understatement to say this year's defense has been a disappointment. Guys we hoped would step up haven't, young talent hasn't developed as quickly as we'd like and we haven't gotten the key stops we've needed.

Kam Chancellor still isn't a free safety, the linebackers are still young and Jason Worilds is still one of the best if not the best defensive end in the ACC. No one's been a big surprise yet this season, but Antoine Hopkins and Demetrius Taylor look like they're improving by the drive.

The way they stepped up and shut down ECU gives us hope that they can do the same over the next three games. They should be able to stop Maryland (which didn't do a whole lot on offense after Chris Turner went down) and Virginia. However, NC State could be a problem. The Wolfpack may not be able to stop anybody, but they can definitely light up a scoreboard.

Overall

Virginia Tech hasn't been able to have a year where it has a good defense and good offense in the same year since 1999. Imagine if Tech had a stingy defense in this season or in 2003. Or, imagine if it had this year's offense in either of the last two seasons.

The only one of Tech's goals left in reach is keeping the 10-win streak alive. The Hokies should have a chance to reach that goal in the bowl game. However, with the inconsistency we've seen out of both the offense and defense, I think we should be worried about one of the units laying an egg in any of the next three games and Tech ending the regular season at 8-4.

Random Questions for Debate

How angry would Iowa fans be with its OC if it was 7-3? How happy would we be with ours if we were 8-1. The point is, Iowa and Tech have similar teams. But Iowa isn't hanging Ken O'Keefe in effigy (yet) because of a few breaks. Stinespring is a few breaks away from this team still controlling its own destiny in the ACC.
Is it just me, or do this year's Maroon and Orange Effect shirts smell bad? It's like they used a different substance for the press-ons.
Which of the next three are we most in danger of losing and why?

Nebraska's Keys to Victory Over Baylor

Jon Johnston — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:00:41 -0000

More photos » by Dave Weaver - AP

Khiry Cooper earns a start this week. Could he be a key in a victory over Baylor?

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I hate the idea of a "must win" game but if there's been one in the past few seasons, this is it. Lose to Baylor and you can kiss Nebraska's goal of winning the Big 12 North good bye. I'm sure that's on the minds of many Husker fans today, so the best advice I can give you is to stop having expectations and just let things happen. Enjoy the ride, one way or another and have some faith that things will work out okay.

I feel pretty positive about this game, which isn't that difficult to understand because it's Baylor. What is easy to forget that Nebraska was 4-3 at this same time last season yet went on to have a pretty good year. The same thing can happen this year, perhaps Baylor is the game where it all comes together.

There is good news. I stated last week that we would continue to make "Eliminate The Stupid" a key until the team, particularly the offensive line, would eliminate mistakes. Discounting the turnovers (as if that can be done), the offensive line committed only three penalties and if they can keep that up they'll be fine.

Nothing not obvious - the rest of the offense needs to find itself in a hurry.

BTW, if you expect "turnovers" to be one of the keys, you'll be disappointed. Despite the huge swing in turnover margin because of last week, turnovers are a given in every game. Nebraska gave up a ton all at once, while Baylor hasn't gained even one in Big 12 play.

Find A Leader

Bo Pelini talked this past week about finding a spark on offense and the need for someone to step up. He's also talked about a lot of changes on offense. Last week as one of the keys I mentioned finding the right combination of players. You might say we're searching for playmakers, but that would only be partially correct. What we're searching for is someone who wants to lead.

Not all playmakers are leaders, but all leaders are playmakers. They're the guys who make the tough catches on third down to keep the offense going or make an extra block to spring someone else for a long gain. They're the guys who the team looks to for strength and confidence when everyone's is wavering. Name the Nebraska player who does this on offense and you quickly understand what's missing because there isn't one.

With so many balls being dropped by receivers last week, Khiry Cooper will get his first start this week. That should be a sign we'll see more of Brandon Kinnie and Antonio Bell. If the older guys aren't going to become leaders, then it's time to find someone in the younger ranks.

Husker running back Roy Helu looked like he might fit the role, but last week only had a few carries and two fumbles. Helu said he wasn't injured. Pelini said he wasn't injured. Fans continue to disbelieve the both of them and in the process make excuses for Helu because they know the spark he can bring to the game, or because they believed that he would lead the offense and it's clear now that he will not. Given that, we'll be seeing more of Dontrayevous Robinson this week, maybe with more of Marcus Mendoza and either Lester Ward or Collins Okakor. Again, time to find "the guy".

Note that this isn't all about t the starting quarterback. The starting quarterback position has become somewhat of a sideshow, but whether it's Cody Green or Zac Lee doesn't matter, both are simply included amongst the possibilities.

Wear ‘Em Out

The concept of establishing an offensive identity has been worn out this season. Even the playcalling has been inconsistent, leading to Nebraska's inability to establish a dominant running game. We've been repeatedly told that defenses have stacked the line, yet near the end of the Missouri game we saw an offense that sealed the game with a strong drive based on the run.

Baylor is still Baylor in the fact that they don't have solid depth across the entire team. Wouldn't it be nice to see a strong running game (not necessarily a power running game, mind you) that could sustain drives, picking up third downs, and eventually wearing a weaker Bear team out by the end of the game?

It would warm the hearts of Husker fans everywhere. Make it happen without excuses about what the defense did or didn't give you.

No Big Plays On Defense

Nothing fancy here. The defense holds Baylor to less than ten point by eliminating the big play. Two of Nebraska's losses can be attributed to single mistakes. The Virginia Tech game came down to an 84-yard pass play in which Hokie receiver Danny Coale got behind Matt O'Hanlon. Iowa State scored their sole touchdown because of a 47-yard pass play from Jerome Tiller to Jake Williams when Eric Hagg got turned around and couldn't find the ball. That happened one play after the Huskers gave up 20 yards and a first down on a fake punt by Iowa State.

The defense is playing very well, but given how poor the offense has done they have no margin for error. Stop giving up the big plays and the Huskers win all their games the rest of the season. Is that too much to ask?

A question for all y'all - what do you want to see happen most?