Frank Beamer
The Hokies had a team dinner on Thursday night. They need to play a heck of a game on Friday, because Rutgers is a very good team.
Beamer is proud that Tech faced adversity at the end of the season and managed to hang tough and get themselves bowl eligible. The players hung in there and stayed together.
Several people working in Orlando around the Tech team have told Beamer how well-behaved and mannerly the Tech players are. Beamer is very proud of that. The police escort told the team on Thursday morning that he had been doing his job for 28 years, and this is the best group he’s ever dealt with.
Beamer is very proud of Antone Exum. When you really feel good as a person, it’s when you give to others.
Recruiting is the next order of business after the bowl game. They have almost finished the 2013 class. After that, they have the national coaching convention, which is in Nashville next year.
Tech has a lot of good players coming back next season, and a lot of good players who redshirted in 2012. They’ve got to get the chemistry right this spring and summer.
Losing Andrew Miller hurt Tech’s toughness this year. Beamer said that toughness is something they are going to stress more going forward with more “getting after it”.
Tech has to replace two offensive tackles next year. Mark Shuman has the ability to be very good. Augie Conte is redshirting this year, and he’s very athletic. He has toughness and he’s athletic. He just needs experience. Beamer likes Adam Taraschke as well. It’s time for Laurence Gibson to play to his ability as well. They have to get the line squared away this spring. Those guys have to play at a high level.
Beamer is a little surprised that none of the running backs separated himself this year. The coaches wanted it to happen, but it didn’t. J.C. Coleman and Martin Scales will get most of the carries on Friday. Those have been the most consistent down the stretch.
Tech probably had too many good ideas on offense this year, but you have to be able to do things consistently well. For the bowl game, the Hokies have cut back a lot to the things they do the best. Hopefully they will be more consistent against Rutgers.
Beamer thinks Logan Thomas wants to be at Virginia Tech. He understands he needs to improve overall. He has the leadership ability, talent, and competitiveness. However, he needs to wait and see what the paperwork says when the NFL sends it back.
Jawan Jamison is a very good running back. He’s quick and he hits the hole. Rutgers also has very good receivers. They are talented on offense.
Rutgers really works hard at blocking kicks. They’ve executed very well in that area of the game. They put good people on special teams who play hard.
This isn’t the same Rutgers that Tech played in the Big East. They are much more talented, and they are faster.
Khaseem Greene is a great linebacker with a nose for the football. He gets to the ball in a hurry. He’s a terrific player.
Offensively, Beamer wants the Hokies to grind the clock, pick up first downs and get touchdowns in the redzones. Defensively, Tech has to avoid the big play. They have been very good defensively when they have avoided the big play.
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I hope the coach has the new coaches lined up by the National Coaching Convention.
So you can block kicks these days? Seems Beamer always had a reason for why we don’t anymore…mostly saying that teams scheme against it and that people use talented players on special teams ahem also (?). So it can be done?
Ha. Frank used to how. Must have forgotten.
“Grind the clock” – OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Has the man been paying any attention at all this year. We cannot “grind the clock” and get anywhere. We have not done it all year and now that’s what his thoughts are facing a strong “d” especially against the run!
I was feeling un-reasonably optimistic but that did it!
He also said pick up 1st downs and get TDs in the redzone. Negative Nancy, do you always only hear the part of a sentence that concerns you? Do you want him to say we need to score as fast as we can but we don’t care how long our D is on the field because they’re our best unit?
Yea, that’s exactly what I want! – No problem with 1st downs and red zone scores but if we are capable of that with this team by grinding it out then why have we not done it before now. It’s the grind it out – which I can only presume is one zone read play with LT carrying the ball after another until when realizing that doesn’t work LT is too beat up to be accurate throwing that I object to.
Rutgers has a small defensive front. Although they look good statistically against the run, VT has the personnel to run effectively against the Rutgers D. Obviously, the interior of the VT offensive line will need to play better to get the job done, but it’s the right approach. If we can grind out first downs on the ground, we’ll wear out the Rutgers D. Success running inside also will create one on one situations for our outside receivers. Go Hokies!
A positive retort! IF is the big question, and IF I actually had the answers I would be much richer and living the dream in B’burg. I just don’t think that the O line can be counted on to exceed themselves in this game given all the circumstances with regard to coaching changes and the potential lack of focus from staff worried about their next paycheck. That’s understandable of course and the one constant in the rumors is Newsome being gone and that’s the interior line and that’s where we will need the most improvement to grind!