Frank Beamer
(Note: Beamer’s interview was recorded earlier on Monday. Because the Hokies are playing on Friday, Monday was a regular Tuesday practice for Tech.)
Tech had opportunities to win on Saturday, but they didn’t take advantage. That makes this Saturday’s game with UVA a lot more important. Of course, the game with UVA is always important. Tech is looking to the future and thinking about UVA.
Andrew Motuapuaka has grown a lot as a player. He does things very naturally. He’s a talented player.
Wake Forest struggles a bit offensively, but Tech played a great defensive game. They didn’t allow any big plays and they flew around the ball.
Beamer is very excited about the defensive line next year, especially when Luther Maddy comes back next year.
Brenden Motley will get some more work in practice and they’ll see where that goes. Beamer has been happy with him, though he wishes he hadn’t fumbled against Wake. He’s a talented guy. It’s an important week of practice for him.
Michael Brewer has done a good job. He’s a good leader and he’s very smart. He watches a lot of video, and he comes in with the offensive staff and watches video. He physically made a few mistakes against Wake, but his heart’s in the right place.
Trey Edmunds is cleared to come back, and Beamer is interested to monitor his progress this week. We’ll see where it goes.
The UVA game is very important from a lot of perspectives. Even if nothing was riding on the game, it would still be important because it’s VT vs. UVA. It’s a great rivalry game. The pride of it all is probably the biggest thing.
Beamer feels like his team has a lot of pride. They are deeply hurt about the Wake Forest game. He is sure they will crank it up against UVA.
UVA is a good football team. They have some outstanding talent on the defensive side of the ball. Eli Harold, Quin Blanding and Max Valles are very good. They are also one of the better offenses on Tech’s schedule. They have three quality tailbacks, and they can all catch it out of the backfield.
If Kevin Parks can’t play for UVA, it wouldn’t change a lot. The UVA backup tailbacks are very good, and they are all similar players.
Tech put the Wake game behind them quickly and moved ahead to UVA. They won’t have a regular Friday practice, and that’s the only thing that changes this week.
Beamer said the team needs the fans on Friday. Parts of the season have been disappointing, but he hopes everyone puts it all on the line on Friday night.
Sam Rogers
It’s an awful feeling to lose like they lost against Wake, but they have to move on to UVA. They are jacked up to play the Hoos, and they are ready for Friday.
The game will be emotional, just because it’s a rivalry, plus bowl eligibility is on the line.
Rogers’ mother went to UVA, so he’s seen the rivalry from both sides. He’s glad to be on VT’s side now.
Rogers and his teammates want to go to a bowl. They have to go to a bowl. But it all starts with UVA. They have to get this win.
The young players know all about the VT-UVA rivalry, and they can feed off the older players’ feelings about the game.
UVA plays really hard. They have a lot of athletes on defense. Tech will have their hands full, but the Hokies will be ready too. It should be a good fight.
UVA’s defensive line is aggressive, and they play really hard. The Hokies have to match their intensity.
Rogers knows several of UVA’s players. He knows Maurice Canaday, Anthony Harris, and some others. It will be fun to play against them again.
Tech has to be more crisp on offense. They have to play faster and with more energy. They have to fix the little things and be more consistent.
Roth and Burnop
Bill Roth and Mike Burnop joined the show from Mexico where they will call the basketball games in the Cancun Challenge. Roth interviewed Burnop and got his takes on football and basketball.
Burnop’s take on Monday’s press conference and this week’s game: Everybody on the team is clearly disappointed and frustrated. They know they need to have a short memory and move on to the UVA game. There is a lot on the line on Friday, including the Commonwealth Cup streak and the bowl streak. Mike London has never beat Frank Beamer. You know London wants to win this one badly.
Burnop’s take on why the Hokies struggled to protect the QB against Wake: Tech’s biggest problem was they didn’t do well on first down against Wake. They knew Tech had to throw it, and they overmatched the Hokies on some blitzes. The Hokies didn’t play well, Michael Brewer didn’t help himself out, etc. Burnop thinks they’ll see Brenden Motley a little more on Friday.
Burnop’s take on Michael Brewer and Brenden Motley: Michael Brewer doesn’t run very well, and you can’t have a statue on the pocket. Brenden Motley gives you that. That’s been an issue this year, and they are working on that. It’s a big week of practice for Brewer and Motley.
Burnop’s take on the improved running game with J.C. Coleman: It’s really nice to see J.C. Coleman running the ball well. He’s worked very hard. Having Trey Edmunds cleared to play could be a big boost, however they have to be able to sustain drives.
Burnop’s take on how big this game is: You’ve got to feel for Tech’s seniors. They went through this two years ago, and they didn’t think they would have to do it again. This one is winner take all. It’s been such a crazy year.
Burnop’s take on the trip to Mexico: Tech has a lot of young players, and they are excited to get out of the country and play basketball. They played too soft and without a sense of urgency against Appalachian State. It was almost like the football game against Wake Forest.
Burnop’s take on the game with Northern Iowa: It’s a huge test. They return all 10 lettermen from last year, and over 90% of their scoring and rebounding. They are a really good team. They will challenge for their conference championship this year. Tech has to buckle down and play a lot better against Northern Iowa.
Burnop’s take on Buzz at this point in the season: Buzz is still learning about his team, as are a lot of coaches at this point. Buzz is disappointed in rebounding and free throw shooting. He wants a paint touch before any shot is taken, and they didn’t get that against Appalachian State. Joey van Zegeren got in foul trouble again, and that is a big issue for this team.
Burnop’s take on the student athletes playing and practicing over Thanksgiving: There’s no class, so the coaches have these guys 24/7. It’s particularly tough for the basketball players, who miss Christmas and foul break as well. However, that’s what they sign up for when they decide to play college basketball.
Burnop’s take on the UVA game: What scares you is that they laid an egg against Wake Forest. Are they ready to pack it in and go home for the holidays? You know the seniors don’t, especially a guy like Willie Byrn. It should be a whale of a game on Friday night.
Kevin Dresser
The wrestling team is feeling good after the win over #4 Ohio State. They got a weight lifting session in, and they will go home for Thanksgiving later in the week. Then they have a big event in Las Vegas.
Cassell Coliseum was very loud on Sunday, and that was a big help to the team. It really made an impact on the overtime matches. They had a ton of recruits on campus, and they were all impressed. Dresser really appreciates the fans making such a big impact.
Ohio State was just one event. It was a great event, but they have to move on. It was good to see so much competitiveness. It was a scrappy event, and everybody battled.
Dresser feels like the team has 10 guys who can get it done. The guys who progress the furthest in the tournament score the most points, and he feels like he has 10 guys who can make the NCAA Tournament. He feels like he has some guys who can get to the later rounds. He obviously likes this group of wrestlers.
Tech will wrestle at the Moss Art Center on Tech’s campus on February 1. They also wrestle Pitt and NC State there. It’s a brand new building, and it should be a lot of fun.
Virginia Tech has held the Commonwealth Cup for 3649 days. #ItsGood2Be #Hokies
— Commonwealth Cup (@CommonwlthCup) November 24, 2014
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Just because someone’s heart is in it does not win games. I think Brewer is a nice enough guy, but not a D1 quarterback. Because he studies film and has heart does not win games! It takes heart, study, and (not optional) athletic ability to win games. Brewer has 2 out of three, but lacks the most critical points, talent and athleticism.
I believe your comment about MB not being a D1 quarterback is wholly unfair to him. Brewer would be a very good quarterback in a system where the offensive plays were designed around him and had an offensive line that could block well enough to give him the time to get through his progressions.
At Virginia Tech, we saw a great example of that against Ohio State. Since then, the offensive line has been a mess, and as such MB is taking hit after hit and being hurried in all sorts of different ways. When things are so unpredictable like that, it’s hard to get into a good rhythm. On top of that, I really believe the sentiment that our offensive program is ruining MB. He doesn’t seem confident at all and looks like he often can’t make up his mind on what the right thing to do (which often I can’t blame him because his choices are usually a.) throw it super quick and hope the receiver is there and open enough to catch it b.) wait it out and probably get sacked c.) try to run out of the pocket somewhere and probably get sacked). I really do believe that under better offensive coaches he would be a very solid quarterback.
Please, for the love of everything holy, play Motley Friday night. I would rather lose 24 – 20 after throwing a few interceptions but staying competitive than lose 24 – 3 with MB. What do we have to lose? We can’t play any worse…can we?
I am disappointed that Coach Beamer characterizes Motley’s fumble as a turning point in the Wake game, when in reality the atrocious play calling in this game and others led to defeats. In fact if anything, Motley sparked this team’s offense in two consecutive games, and was taken out never to return in each game. Politics can definitely be demoralizing, even in a college football game. The only good thing that came out of the Wake game was the many thousands of HOKIE Fans who supported their team, and had more fans there than Wake had. GO HOKIES!
This is my point exactly.
I really hope that we get to see the twitter post about the Commonwealth Cup and VT at this time next week!
Blows my mind how FB characterizes Motley’s fumble as just demoralizing and a game changer but that interception by Brewer was just a one of a “few mistakes”?
The definition of insanity applies to this offensive meltdown and it starts at the top. FB made the bold move back in 2007 to change QBs @ LSU. It was a bold move and a good move that made sense. Football is not rocket science and the obvious applies to the game.
This is a similar situation that I think is actually more dire in the sense that Glennon was a better QB IMO.
If Motley got all the snaps this Friday and we lost badly, I would be totally fine with it rather than doing the same ole same ole and get killed.
That’s not how he phrased it at all. He said “I wish he hadn’t fumbled.” That’s it. He then went on to say that he thought Motley handled himself well, and he needs more work in practice this week.
Well I wish Brewer hadn’t thrown a unforced interception with VT within FG range; which was much more critical. Admit it Coach Beamer has no clue about what makes an offense work. Do you?
Where did he say that. Some people just get a thought in their head (they hate Beamer) and mold every phrase or thought to support their views. I don’t see where he said anything of the kind!
I do not hate Beamer. I love him. It’s not what he said but it was the emphasis he put on that fumble that made it seem that it was a much larger mistake than it actually was.
I take it as Beamer saying “I wish Motley hadn’t fumbled the ball at that point because he’s a young QB with next to no playing experience, and the first thing young players need are successful plays to build up their confidence.” In no way did I take it as “I wish Motley hadn’t fumbled because that is inexcusable, but it’s OK that Brewer threw that interception.”
Also, it probably has hidden meaning with regard to the decision that Frank and the assistants are going to have to make: how much to play Brewer and how much to play Motley? The hidden meaning being that had Motley not fumbled the ball, his stock would be higher and probably an easier choice for Beamer to say “Yes, let’s try using Motley a lot more at QB against UVa.” Despite Brewer’s INT (which isn’t something new this year), he still has a lot more stock because of his experience in a college program coupled with actual game experience. And with the way fans and writers have been jumping all over Beamer lately, he’ll be damned no matter who he goes with unless we win the game in good offensive fashion. If we lose with Brewer, it’ll be because Frank is too senile to see that Motley is the right direction to go in. If we lose with Motley, it’ll be because Frank was too quick to throw a newbie QB to the wolves.
Sounds like more coachspeak from CFB. Maybe the “business as usual” approach is intended to lull UVA into a false sense of security. If the actual approach on the field is business as usual, the results could be disastrous.
Re: Wrestling in the Moss Arts Center – very interesting! I haven’t been in that building yet, but am a bit surprised that the Powers That Be would allow an athletics event to take place in an arts venue. I like it, though!
Nah, the “business as usual” approach is always Frank’s approach. He will always up-sell the opponent and say they will give us everything they’ve got, so we won’t overlook them and will come out prepared. He’s not saying any of that to get UVa’s hopes up that we’re down and they can win the game. And if there is one thing we have learned from this season is that there is no such thing as “business as usual” for this team on the field!! LOL
Trey Edmunds cleared to play! I like the sound of that, he owe’s those boys a bit of hurt on Friday, let’s hope he delivers!!
Nice touch on the “foul break” comment from Roth, I laughed out loud LOL!! Bill Roth has some perspective on this, and it seems like that comment was he was trying to lighten the mood with that comment. I agree, lighten up and beat UVA like a rented mule!!
Two words for next season. Andrew Ford.
What?. Uva one of the best offense we played. I could be wrong but only wake and WM worse.
MB can study all the film in the world but it want make his arm any stronger and it want make him run any faster it want make him throw less interception come on CFB Motley fumbles 1 time and you don’t know about playing him, look at the positive, he completed his only pass for 17 yards down field not lateral he ran for 36 yards he didn’t get sacked -36. I’m not saying don’t play him(MB) he does come up with a play every now and again, give Motley at least a guarter you might like what you see or we may win one of those close games!
Won’t not want. If you’re going to criticize someone at use the right words. That being said, I’d like Motley to start. He provides two things Brewer does’t: size and the ability to run. And he’s from my home town.
Not – a- Hoo not much at writing either.
There’s nothing funny about Hokies football right now… And if we best UVA that fact remains, new blood needs to take over.
They’ve got Jimbo and we’ve got dumbo.
You may want to reset if trying to be funny.
Really? Who’s got Jimbo? UVA?
Who exactly is dumbo? Frank Beamer? His ears aren’t nearly that big!! LOL