Jim Weaver
Weaver thought the Hokies got out of the chute a little slow. By the middle of the third quarter, they were mixing up their play calling and making things happen. They had a lot of offense in the second half, but unfortunately they didn’t score enough points.
Players and fans have to let losses like that one go. There are always 12 games in the regular season, and you have to get ready for that next game. Tech is still unbeaten in ACC play.
The Tech coaches have a great deal of pride. They are going out there on the field trying to win. Just because Tech might lose a game doesn’t mean they aren’t prepared well.
Weaver reiterated that Virginia Tech had absolutely no control over the Cincinnati game being moved to FedExField. He’s disappointed in how it was handled, the price of the tickets, etc., but Virginia Tech had no control over it. (Editor’s note: the game was a Cincinnati home game, and the Bearcats sold it for $3.5 million.)
Weaver is very comfortable with the size of Lane Stadium. Tech wouldn’t sell out a stadium that was much bigger. Clemson and FSU have trouble selling out their bigger stadiums. Plus, you don’t want to run up any more debt on a stadium that only use 6-7 times per year.
It would be inappropriate for Weaver to make suggestions to the coaching staff during the season, especially since he hasn’t coached since 1980. He does have a meeting with Coach Beamer at the end of each season to talk about the overall state of the program.
Weaver says he doesn’t sense any apathy from the fanbase. He still gets a lot of angry and nasty emails.
Weaver is as frustrated as the fans about ticket prices to bowl games. Hopefully the new BCS will have a new outlook on ticket prices.
Saturday’s game was Cincinnati’s home game. The original agreement was for Cincinnati to have Big East officials in their home game, with Virginia Tech having ACC refs when the teams met in Lane Stadium.
Shane Beamer
Beamer felt like everyone was prepared well for the Cincinnati game. Nobody is hurting more than the players and coaches.
He knows a lot about is being made about the slow starts, and he agrees that they have to do better. But they were also backed up in their own territory quite a bit. They started on their own three a couple of times. It’s tough to start deep in your own territory. That’s not an excuse though, because they plan for those situations, and they need to do a better job of getting it done.
Beamer liked the way Tech played in the second half. They had a lot yards, and the running backs ran the ball very physically. Beamer is proud of the way they played.
Cincinnati did a good job of covering Tech’s receivers. Tech also had a chance to spring a few more big plays if the perimeter blocking had been better.
Shane is friends with Cincinnati defensive coordinator John Jancek. They had a good conversation on the phone after the game that should be mutually beneficial. He met Jancek at Kirby Smart’s wedding. Smart is the defensive coordinator at Alabama. It was good to hear some feedback about the Tech offense from Jancek. Jancek told him that the Tech offense was tough to prepare for because of all the presnap shifts and motions. Jancek also thought Vinston Painter and Nick Becton are very good players.
Beamer doesn’t notice a lack of leadership, but at the same time, they did lose a lot of really good senior leaders on the offensive side of the ball. It can take time to replace leaders like that. The seniors they do have on offense aren’t naturally vocal guys. You can’t force somebody to change their personality. Tech played very hard offensively on Saturday. Just watch some of the screen passes and watch the effort of the linemen in getting down the field.
Beamer thinks Michael Holmes and J.C. Coleman are really starting to get better. They are only freshmen, but they really ran well against Cincinnati.
There is a lot of preparation that goes into each game that the average fan doesn’t know about. Shane only gets to see his wife and kids for about an hour on Sundays, and during some weekdays he doesn’t get to see them for more than 5 or 10 minutes. For example, on Monday night after Tech Talk Live, the offensive staff is meeting to go over North Carolina’s blitzes and how to prepare for them … all 167 of North Carolina’s blitzes.
Beamer wouldn’t take back many of the plays called on Saturday except for perhaps a couple, but the coaches do need to do a better job of preparing the players, and the Hokies have to execute better.
Tech didn’t make many major wholesale adjustments at halftime. Bryan Stinespring comes into the lockerroom at halftime and tells everybody what they need to do in the second half. The speed sweeps with Dyrell Roberts and J.C. Coleman were things Cincinnati wasn’t prepared for, according to Shane’s conversation with John Jancek.
All four of Tech’s backs bring something to the table. If two of them separate themselves, then those guys will play. Michael Holmes and J.C. Coleman got the majority of the reps against Cincinnati. Martin Scales only got about 10 plays. They are all great team players.
Tech was indoors on Monday because of the rain. They had a good, energetic practice. Their ACC goals are still in front of them.
Beamer understands that fans are upset, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He’d rather get negative, angry emails all day long than have fans not care at all.
Different head coaches have different ways of motivating. Shane has two coaching friends who tell him two different stories. The first story was about the head coach sending out a mass text message to his whole staff, telling them that they needed to get better or he would have to fire them. The second story was about the head coach meeting with the players, and he told them that if they didn’t play well, he might have to fire their assistants. Both programs finished with losing records and didn’t make a bowl game. When times are rough, Frank Beamer handles his players and coaches in a different manner, and that’s why Tech generally comes back from tough losses.
Tech has to play a very good defense this weekend. Sylvester Williams is in the backfield all the time. He’s a really good player. UNC has recruited well, and they have good players. They are adjusting to their new scheme, and they are playing hard. UNC is having a white out this weekend. This is a big one for them.
A.J. Hughes
Hughes grew up in Indiana. He didn’t start punting until his senior year of high school. It’s been quite an experience.
He was an all-state pole vaulter in high school, and he also did baseball, ice hockey and wrestling.
Hughes played receiver growing up, but went to a punting camp in the summer of 2011. He learned how to punt, and learned a lot from Pat McAfee (Colts) and Steve Weathorford (Giants). They recommended another camp, and he ended up getting ranked nationally.
Cornell Brown was the first coach to send Hughes a letter. He watched several Tech games last year, learned that the punting situation wasn’t the best, and decided to come to Blacksburg.
Hunter Windmuller is also a great punter. They had a great competition all summer long.
Hughes doesn’t have too much time to get nervous. One of his early snaps in the GT game went through his hands, but he didn’t let it bother him.
Before taking up punting, Hughes didn’t have any real aspirations. He was just trying to get through high school. The last year has been a heck of a ride.
The first five games are the most fun Hughes has had in his entire life. To play in Lane Stadium is jawdropping.
Hughes is a business major. His dad is an engineer and his mom is an accountant. Hughes is a big Colts fan, being from Indiana.
Logan Thomas
Saturday was a slow start, just like the rest of the season, and it killed Tech. They have to pick it up. If Thomas knew what the problem was, he would fix it.
Tech had a lot of little problems in the first half, but they were much more on top of their game in the second half.
Thomas didn’t think the holding call on Riley Beiro was a hold. He thought he used good technique and kept his hands inside.
Cincinnati played a lot more base defense than Tech expected them to. But in the second half, the Hokies moved the ball very well, but for the whole game they just didn’t make enough plays.
Thomas and Corey Fuller were on the same page on the long touchdown pass. Thomas threw it about as hard as he could, and things opened up perfectly. He was feeling good about the outcome of the game at that point.
Thomas needs to have a better control in the passing game. He’s thrown some high and wide. He needs to do a better job of putting the ball right in the chests of receivers and make sure tipped balls don’t happen.
Tech does miss the consistency of guys like Danny Coale and Jarrett Boykin.
Thomas doesn’t think he’s off his game. His responsibilities have increased a lot. There are a lot of different things that contribute to interceptions during games, not just how the quarterback throws.
Thomas’ touchdown run against Cincinnati was the exact same play used in the game-winning touchdown against Miami last season.
Thomas usually goes home and plays Call of Duty after games. That’s how he unwinds. He doesn’t play sports games. Thomas is good at Call of Duty, but he’s no David Wang, who ranks amongst the top 50 Call of Duty players in the country. Hopefully Wang can be back on Saturday.
Tech will have to be ready to play on Saturday. Thomas has gotten to be good friends with UNC quarterback Bryn Renner ever since ACC Media Days. They have a great defensive line down there, and a very good defense overall.
Tech is close to playing to their full potential. Hopefully they can pick up where they left off in the third or fourth quarter on Saturday. They need to do a better job of getting off to a good start.
Frank Beamer
It was good to get out on the practice field on Monday. Beamer likes being around his players. They had a good practice on Monday.
The field position hurt Tech in the first half, and they also did a few different things offensively in the second half.
Beamer thought the holding call on Riley Beiro was a tough call. He blocked it well. The very next play after the penalty, Tech threw the interception.
The Hokies felt good about their coverage call on Cincinnati’s last touchdown. James Gayle was so close to getting that sack. The receiver stopped running at one point, and might have gotten Kyle Fuller a little bit. There’s nobody else they would want back there. Fuller is a great player, and he’s got to forget about it and move on.
On the wheel route for a touchdown, somebody was supposed to pick him up in man coverage.
Tech had the lead twice, and they have to learn from those few plays that cost them the game. You can’t give up long plays. You have to make the offense sustain drives.
Hopefully David Wang can get healthier this week. Tony Gregory worked out a little bit on Monday, but Mike Goforth had to make him stop. They’ll know more about those guys later in the week. Tech came out of the Cincinnati game in good shape from an injury standpoint.
Beamer appreciates the support a great deal. He knows the financial investment that fans make to travel to go to these games. Everybody is hurting together after that loss.
Beamer thought the offensive staff made good halftime adjustments. Beamer has talked with the offensive staff about what they need to do, and hopefully they can get off to a better start on Saturday. They need to. These slow starts put the defense on the field too many plays, and it affects the whole team.
Beamer thought the team played very hard on Saturday. They have to do some things better, but the effort was very good against Cincinnati. They were flying around against the running game, and the offensive line was more physical in the second half. The young running backs were also physical.
Tech is going through some adversity, as they’ve done at times in the past. In the past, they’ve done a good job of responding to disappointment. That’s what’s important right now. This is a critical game.
UNC is going to be a challenge. They are a confident team that is playing very good football right now.
Tech’s challenge right now is making sure the players can execute whatever the coaches call during a game. They are going to cut back some and just try to make sure they can execute whatever they decide to go forward with. Beamer thinks that sometimes you can have too much installed offensively. Cutting back and making sure they can execute is the challenge right now.
The Tar Heels are playing good football. Bryn Renner is very good, and the tailbacks are playing well. They are up tempo. They have some defensive players who are real players, including Kareem Martin, who the Hokies recruited. They are a resilient team. They were down big at Louisville, and they nearly came back. Beamer knows the Tar Heels are treating this as their bowl game.
The Hokies haven’t put together four quarters yet. Now they are down to the nitty gritty, and it’s time to get it done.
Monday was Day 2,866 of Virginia Tech’s continuous possession of the Commonwealth Cup.
Print
OK Guys, I will no longer speak in riddles. Here is my Plan for for the Future of Va. Tech Athletics. 1st of All, get Jim Weaver the hell out of there, he is right pitiful, he is very ill, but he won’t go away. 2nd of all, Frank Beamer has gotten us to this precipice, but He can’t finish the Job, just walk away-but he just can’t do it. He wants to tear down what he’s built up. The Offense Brain Trust is a complete joke, as everyone knows, yet they keep their jobs year in, year out. Other than a Riot, where they are maimed or killed, Beamer will Praise them, and continue to support them. I will talk about the Cincy game, Boise State, Boston College, Georgia, Michigan! Theres more that I choose not to remember. We are opening up with Bama next year, We’ll get crushed, even if Logan comes back, which he will, cause he sucked this Season.
shane not seeing his family much can be dealt with by lessening the hours. In fact, why not give the entire gang a week off and see the results..they could not be any less productive..But their checks keep coming..sorry product, but tenure–the professors must be jealous.
After reading this comments from down in Florida, I had to wonder what stage of grief is Hokie Nation is after Pitt(iful) and UCin (we all cin) losses – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, or acceptance?
Prior to UC game, Florida media were pointing to the VT and UF games as the only challenges to FSU this year. Now, they expect us to pose a little or no obstacle. However, USF gave FSU a game until the customary collapse by Skip (to my Lou) Holtz’s charges.
Beating FSU would do a lot for moving more to acceptance of the losses. Or am I still in the bargaining stage?
BTW – when does the media talk start that ACC is having a down year because VT has 2 losses? I’m tired of that BS from the media when VT is winning and UM and FSU have “off” years.
Probably when we win a NC or two….or five.
Yes same ole same ole. Anyone else notice how shane said there weren’t any changes made at halftime, yet Frank says he was pleased with the adjustments they made at halftime!?!?
Shane didn’t say that they didn’t make adjustments. They didn’t make major wholesale adjustments at the half, but they did make adjustments. Both Coach Beamers are correct. See Coach SBeamer’s comments below.
Tech didn’t make many major wholesale adjustments at halftime. Bryan Stinespring comes into the lockerroom at halftime and tells everybody what they need to do in the second half. The speed sweeps with Dyrell Roberts and J.C. Coleman were things Cincinnati wasn’t prepared for, according to Shane’s conversation with John Jancek.
Yes, the same ole mindless, ignorant whining & bitching from the same spoiled segment of the fan base who always bends over backwards to find something to whine and bitch about.
Agreed 100%
I am ashamed to say that I did read the Synopsis of Tech Talk Live. The “Circle the Wagons”
Speech was about what I expected. I saw where Weaver said We have to let losses like the Cincy game go. He won’t go, and Beamer won’t let anybody go. If Va. Tech Football was a real live Fortune 500 Company, Stinespring, O”cain and Newsome would have been fired years ago. We are the General Motors of College Football, and Weaver(a weak, ineffective President) bails them out, and has the job for Life(a 2 Termer).
Nice to inject politics in there…yer side can’t make a simple comment without including stuff like this. And you get away with it. Note to Will – football apathy isn’t the only thing driving your subscribers away. If you don’t curb the political injections, this original, long time $upporter who actually clicks on sponsors and mentions TSL when he uses them…is gone.
The “your side” comment wasn’t political????? Hello pot…this is the kettle calling!
Can’t we keep this to incessant whining about Hokie football; about how we suck, and how nobody but the fans care or know what to do to fix it?!?
I share HokieDon’s sentiments here. Nag nag nag and it’s feeding on itself. A vicious circle to the point that the ESPN announcers talked about the meltdown here after the loss to Pitt.
I agree with HokieDon — kick that bum out or you’ll have more ppl leaving.
The weak, ineffective President, as you call him, insisted that GM management step down and it did. That was just one of the conditions for a government loan. So, your analogy is wrong. The proper analogy would have been that Weaver, acting as a strong AD, insisted that Beamer step down. (Of course, we know that in real life, Weaver does not have that power- maybe only the Board of Visitors has the power to do that.)
If VT Football was a Fortune 500 company it would be extremely stable with steady returns for investors. It wouldn’t be an Apple or a Google, but it wouldn’t be a Facebook or Enron either.
That’s fine in my book.
Now if people would stop equating a football program to a business or corporation I’d be happy.
Yawn! Same ole same ole
CFB: The field position hurt Tech in the first half. Uh, yeah, when you get no first donw in your first 5 or 6 “drives”!
“Thomas doesn’t think he’s off his game. His responsibilities have increased a lot. There are a lot of different things that contribute to interceptions during games, not just how the quarterback throws.” – does anyone have a direct/sic quote from Thomas on this, because if he doesn’t think the goal line interception isn’t his fault he’s gone mad. You dont throw a fastball from 10 yds out AND throw it over a guys head… And then there’s the 5 games of overthrows, underthrows, no-throws, and mis-reads.
am I alone here in my thinking, or is everyone else seeing the same thing? and when does Beamer finally throw his arms up, sit Thomas down for a series or two, and give Leal his shot?
I’m a god. I’m not “the” God… I don’t think.
Is it just me experiencing deja vu or is this the what, fifth…sixth year in a row with the same problem regarding having too much installed offensively at first and then dialing it back down to have some success on offense later in the season (minus Taylor’s senior year)?
The veteran O coaches should have a better feel for what to install at the beginning of the season based on the player skills. Proper execution of a small set is far better than poor execution of a large set of plays. There’s no excuse for making this same mistake over and over.
what he said
Exactly! What spend good money to be able to pull up quotes on how many times Beamer has said this…..and then forward it to him and Weaver.
Guys, I’d yawn, but what exactly do you expect the coaches and staff to say, especially right after that loss? They’re not the type to air strife publicly, and to expect them to do it here on this show is probably a little much.
I agree…I’d like to hear more. But this is about what I expected to hear, whether the team was 5-0 or 3-2.
I did not hear the show, but after reading the summary, that was the biggest bunch of ” coach speak and gibberish ” I have ever heard. Anyone who took time to listen really lost 2 hours for nothing !!! Those comments and answers were much worse than the political ads and responses we have been listening to on TV. What a WASTE !!!!!!
And you expected them to say what?
Once upon a time in the Navy while underway in a task force someone in the Combat Information Center (CIC) picked up the radio handset instead of the intercom handset and said “Bridge this is Combat, we are all screwed up back here (he actually used a different word that starts with F). This comment went out to the task force.
The task force commander comes on the radio net and says ” ship making last transmission identify yourself”.
There was a pause then a reply “we may be screwed up but we are not that screwed up”. And neither is Weaver, the coaches, and the players.
It is really getting hard for me to read these comments. Same problems, Same responses, Same results.
Taking a couple of minutes to read this is better than listening to TTL. Thank you Chris.
I think I have already gone from “angry” mostly to don’t care
The coaches need to pay attention…the next step for “negative, angry fans” is “fans that don’t care at all”…
what does this mean? “Hopefully the new BCS will have a new outlook on ticket prices.”
The new bowl deal that begins with the 2014 season.
It means the Bowl will increase ticket prices if schools do not guarantee more sales.
If you want to sell more of something, don’t you lower the prices?
Or bump the supply curve as there’s probably a nice floor on demand as die-hard fans, deep pocket fans, venue fans fans, etc, will go to the Bowl game regardless of ticket price which is the least of the travel costs.
Mostly just a TIC jab at the sports industry execs being that these bowls, Inc. are transfering their break-even risk to schools via the guarantees. And schools probably aint too happy about the arm twisting.
But yes, lower price means more people spending $ in the host city which was the original mission statement for bowl comms. But now TV dominates and stadium accountants don’t give a hoot about attracting tourists as they’re only looking at the facility fins. For example, everyone probably laughed at Snyder for the $3.5M check he wrote to Univ of Cinci for a half-filled stadium last Sat, but undoubtedly he covered his opportunity cost, and then some given the $9 Guiness I was drinking.
No one knows what it means. But its provacative!
I am not sure I would be concern about the price of the ticket to the games as I would be about the travel cost associated with attending both games. I am not sure the various bowl locations, the BCS, or the NCAA will ever have any control/influence on the prices set by the airlines, hotels, and travel agencies. I have a feeling that travel costs could potentially influence the “selection process” so that the teams participating in the playoffs will either be within close proximity of the locations or have a large enough fanbase to ensure a complete sellout of their ticket allotment.
Now where things could get real interesting is between the schools and the bowls in terms of how tickets are allocated and distributed amongst the fanbase. Like VT, I suspect all schools have a booster club and connect the quality of seating at bowl games with the level of contribution to the respective booster club. Will schools be willing to give up that level of control to the bowl games? If not, then I would be curious to see how the logistics will play out with distribution of tickets to the championship game given the short timeframe between rounds.
I see what you did there 😉