Text by Will Stewart, infographics by OXVT (follow him on Twitter here, and view all previous infographics updates on TSL here). Click all infographics for a larger version!
It’s the easiest stuff to write in all of Hokie sports journalism. It’s our go-to when we’re looking for a new piece to write. We simply slice and dice the greatness of the defenses Bud Foster has put on the field. Here’s the latest angle: the last decade of Bud Foster D’s, in infographic form.
We begin with Total Defense rankings, where Bud’s defenses have always shined. The Hokies are #4 among Power 5 conference teams since (and including) 2005.
(remember, click for a larger version)
Of course, the most important measure for a defense is points allowed, and Bud’s defenses are a smidge better in that category, rising to #3 overall (not just Power 5 teams):
Two hallmarks of great defenses are tackles for loss (including sacks) and turnovers (including interceptions).
The Hokies have always been an attacking defense, and the TFL numbers bear that out.
(Lots of interesting entries in that list, including Rutgers, Oregon, and UCLA.)
A quick glance at Tech’s 2014 TFL totals show us that Bud’s defenses aren’t slowing down in that category — they set a single-season record for TFLs under Frank Beamer:
Back to the last-decade infographics: Delving into sacks, we finally find a category where the Hokies are #1 …
… and the decisions by a few highly-rated defensive ends to spurn the Hokies (cough-Josh Sweat-cough) become even more baffling, in light of that infographic. Who wouldn’t want to come to a place where you get after the quarterback better than anyone else?
A look at the 2014 sack totals show that the Hokies aren’t slowing down in this category, either, registering the second-best sack season ever under Beamer.
Lastly, great defenses pick the ball off, and in the last decade, the Hokies (#DBU) are fourth-best at it — and they have more NFL DB draft picks than everyone but Ohio State since 2000:
(Oregon again? Interesting.)
But of course, we would be remiss if we didn’t slice and dice the data where the Hokies end up #1 … VT is still the best at interceptions since the start of the 2000 season.
Spread the word! It has been a Decade of Budness … er, Greatness … at Virginia Tech, with more to come.
Many thanks to OXVT for the great infographics! Follow him on Twitter, where he produces all kinds of interesting stuff, constantly.
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For the time period of 1999-2014, it’s interesting to see the ’99 team had the highest amount of sacks ever. But, over the same time period, the ’99 team was near the bottom for TFLs. I guess that team was all about getting to the QB and ignoring most anyone else behind the line of scrimmage?
It might be as simple as that 99 team got such big leads so quickly that opponents had to abandon the running game altogether by halftime.
So, surely Frank and all recruiters are taking OX’s graphs out on recruiting trips and showing them to recruits, RIGHT? If not before now, they should now. Do any of the posters who cry about Josh Sweat committing to FSU know whether Sweat knew these data about VT defense and DE success at VT? I bet he had only a passing knowledge of how good Bud and VT are with DEs. I bet he thought he’d have greater success at FSU and go to the NFL. Come on, VT coaches! Fix that!
Come on man….I disagree. I really like what OXVT brings to TSL, and I appreciate his analysis! He provides a valuable service to TSL !! Still, to think our entire coaching staff and athletic administration (including the infallible Whit) is unaware and does not make use of this information (much less USE it to their advantage) is a huge discredit to everyone involved with VT football.
Guys like Sweat et al obviously don’t CARE about that (though for the life of me I don’t know WHY), any more than the few TOP recruits who go to uva care about winning football games!
+1 for realizing the greatness that is OXVT ;o)
To anyone that would like to criticise Bud Foster’s decisions- think where you team would be without him. that’s all i’ve got to say about that……..
Simply put, Bud always finds whatever it takes to stop the other guys.
So what we see here is that if we had put an offense on the field worthy of a top 25 school anytime in the past decade+ we might have 2-3 national titles by now…the bipolar nature of our team with respect to offense/defense frustrates me to no end. There is no reason we can’t have both.
Spot on!
I am guessing Oregon leads in interceptions due to teams playing from behind and having to throw a lot. Similar for BSU and TCU.
To put a finer point on it, Josh Sweat did not commit to the #1 sacks school. He committed to the #11 sacks school.
May not be anything to it, but I’ve had this gut feeling that Sweat winds up at VT, maybe by transfer. Something about his mother wanting him to go to Tech.
If it happens you heard it here first.
CC and I were actually discussing this the other day. It looks like Korren Kirven, for example, is struggling at Alabama, and transfer rumors are starting to build. But to our knowledge, VT is not interested in Kirven. (It’s almost as if Bama “vettted” Kirven for VT and other Power 5 conference teams.)
Now, Sweat, if he decides he wants to leave FSU, for whatever reason, that might be a different outcome. But he’s got the tools to succeed anywhere. I can’t see him leaving FSU, unless he just doesn’t like it there (which is unlikely, IMO, as long as he’s performing well).
I like that thought. Keep thinking.
Well.. If I’m not mistaken, he would have to sit for 2 years by transferring in conference so I don’t see him coming here.
Correct. Only way around that is to go to Junior College for a semester or two and then transfer the follwing year. That has been done a few times. That said, I would bet my house he never plays in a VT jersey.
As good as Bud has done it could have been a lot better if VT did not go to the “prevent” defense at end of games trying to hang on to a slim lead. Numerous games have been lost with that mentality. The rare exception was the OSU game this year where the D kept attacking all the way to the end. In the post game interview Bud said “yeah we always attack to the end”. I thought I would choke! That almost never do that. Then they go on to loose the ECU and GT games in the last minute trying to “protect” their lead with the “prevent” defense. Just saying, Bud D is good but with a little sense it could be much better with more W’s.
Soooo let me get this straight, Ox puts together an article about how amazing Bud Foster has been over the last decade, but you think you know more about football than him…mkay
Just saying what is obvious if you watched the entire 28 year career of Beamer/Bud at VT. And yes, I am pretty smart
Sometimes we play prevent and sometimes we dont. I recall several times when we stacked the box and missed a gap and the RB or QB went the distance…that is not prevent and it cost us…I also recall prevents that bit us and others that were successful. What ever the case, SML, we are SOOOOOO lucky to still have Bud and he has not been the DC all 28 yrs – if you were really watching and really smart!
You would have been better to mention that our offense historically puts our D in a precarious position at the end of many games. Too often a simple breakdown in assignments or a slip at the wrong time (even a cramp or charlie horse) can lose the game. Too often our O hasn’t scored enough during the game to allow our D a 2 score cushion at the end of the game.
Moral of the story – Bud is not now nor has he ever been the problem even if he goes into the dreaded prevent defense.
“Moral of the story – Bud is not now nor has he ever been the problem even if he goes into the dreaded prevent defense.”
I couldn’t possibly agree more. Same goes for vtrider’s post.
Where does VT finish if you don’t slice and dice and use just a decade instead of going back to 2000?
Not sure I understand your comment – all the data is for the decade (2005-2014)
The last one goes back to 2000…
Proceeded by the decade one – there’s two charts for INT’s
Yep. Go back and read closely.
Right, I’m just assuming that’s why he asked the question…