2007-08 Hokie Hotline Notes for 11/6/07

The Hokie Hotline (football and basketball season)

When: Every Monday from 7:00-9:00 during football season, 7:00-8:00 during basketball season.

Where: Click here for a list of radio stations, and to find the link for listening to the show on the Internet (look to the right on the hokiesports.com page that loads when you click the link). You can see the show in person at Awful Arthur’s in Blacksburg, and you can also watch the archive on hokietv.com.

Hokie Hotline Notes, sponsored by Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech

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Bud Foster

• Foster is really proud of the players for bouncing back from the Boston
  College loss. The seniors gave great leadership.
• It helped to have Virginia get beat by NC State. That helped the team
  realize that they are still in the thick of things.
• Brett Warren has done a great job with Vince Hall out. He has been a very
  good all around player. He is playing very fast right now.
• Georgia Tech didn’t do anything different with two running backs out. They
  still tried to run the ball with Dwyer and Evans.
• Tech’s secondary was very good. Macho Harris made a couple of athletic
  plays, and Brandon Flowers stepped up and made a huge interception after a
  VT turnover.
• Florida State was great against Boston College. Drew Weatherford was very
  poised and threw the ball very well. The FSU receivers stepped up and played
  great.
• Tech loses a lot of defensive players after this year. However, they have
  a number of players coming back that they are very excited about. The
  boundary corner position is a critical position, and that will be a focus in
  the spring. (Note: Brandon Flowers, the current boundary corner, is a
  junior. Was Foster perhaps dropping a hint that Flowers will be leaving
  early for the NFL?)
• Florida State looks like they are coming together as a team right now. It
  should be a great game on Saturday.
• Alonzo Tweedy hasn’t enrolled yet, but the staff sees him as a potential
  whip or rover. He’s very athletic, and he’s a really good fit for Tech’s
  system.
• Tech’s defensive backs have to understand that FSU is going to make some
  plays. They have to tackle well and make sure the Noles don’t get yardage
  after the catch.
• Foster said he wasn’t criticizing the fans following the BC game, but
  rather a few sportswriters who were questioning how he did his job. Tech was
  not running a prevent defense.
• The last few times VT has played FSU, it seems like it’s been in their
  environment. This time the Hokies are getting them in Lane Stadium.
• The FSU offensive line has improved. Rick Trickett is the new coach, and
  he’s made them a tougher unit.
• This game is going to be like a prize fight. It’s going to be two
  heavyweights slugging it out. It will go back and forth.

• Tech’s staff did a great job rallying the team after a tough loss. That
  shows that they know how to communicate with their players.
• The Miami game will kickoff at 3:30 on November 17. The game will be
  televised by ABC.
• Tech has bid for every level of NCAA tournament play for men’s soccer.
  They are trying to get them home games for the NCAA tournament.
• VT has gotten a lot of positive feedback this year from almost every
  visiting team and fan base that has visited Blacksburg.
• The presidents of schools across the country have indicated in the last
  year to 18 months that they want an emphasis on sportsmanship from all
  schools. Alcohol consumption on game day is what everyone is concerned
  about. It’s what causes all the bad incidents.
• Some people think “it’s a rite of passage to get blown away at a tailgate
  party and then go into the stadium and be disrespectful.” That’s not
  acceptable.
• The numbers of complaints from fans have gone down dramatically this year.
  The best thing is the emails they get from opposing fans saying how well
  they were treated.
• It’s astonishing to see Nebraska playing as poorly as they are. They gave
  up 76 points to Kansas over the weekend. The Hokies will travel to Lincoln
  next year.
• A lot of Nebraska fans are questioning whether or not it was a good
  decision to fire Frank Solich, who was 51-18 in his tenure.

• Vince Hall and Aaron Brown are out against Florida State. Beamer doesn’t
  know if Eddie Royal is going to make it. He’s very questionable. Ryan Shuman
  is also questionable.
• Glennon and Taylor both practiced very well on Monday. As they make their
  game plan throughout the week, they’ll get closer to making a quarterback
  decision. They have to decide the best way to attack Florida State.
• Florida State is very talented. When they don’t turn the ball over, they
  are very good. They look athletic and fast, and they are.
• Beamer doesn’t know any details on the stolen jerseys against Georgia
  Tech. In the end it doesn’t matter which jersey you wear. It’s how you play.
• Beamer was proud of the coaches and players against Georgia Tech.
  Everybody showed great resiliency in coming back from the BC loss.
• Usually the risk isn’t worth the reward when it comes to onside kicks in
  the first quarter. However they thought they saw an opportunity with Georgia
  Tech’s alignment, and the team did a great job executing.
• Drew Weatherford is a very talented quarterback. They have tall and
  athletic receivers. FSU has a very dangerous football team. When they don’t
  turn the ball over, there is not better team in the ACC than Florida State.
• Jahre Cheeseman had some good runs against Georgia Tech. He’s got some
  natural ability and toughness.
• In the last six games against Florida State, the Seminoles have scored
  four special teams or defensive touchdowns. They have blocked four Virginia
  Tech punts in those games.
• FSU has always broken the game open against the Hokies with special teams.
  Their special teams are outstanding.
• Virginia Tech is 14-1 in ACC road games. That’s an amazing stat. That
  shows the Hokies have some mentally tough players.
• In most of the losses to Florida State, Beamer thinks they had better
  players than Tech. The last few times, he’s not so sure.
• Bryan Stinespring called a great game against Georgia Tech. He mixed up
  the run and the pass and kept them on their heels.
• Tech just has to keep fighting through the injury problems. They did a
  good job of that against Georgia Tech, and they must do it again against
  Florida State.
• Branden Ore is healthier now, and the offensive line is playing better
  now. Those are the two main reasons for the increased production from the
  running game.
• Florida State is a very healthy team right now. They just got a few guys
  back from injury. They are a legit football team. The Hokies will have to
  earn this one.

Monday was Day 1,066 of Virginia Tech’s continuous possession of the Commonwealth Cup.