Tech Talk Live Notes for August 24, 2015

Bud Foster, Brandon Facyson and Frank Beamer were Monday’s guests.

Bud Foster

Camp went really well.  They finished it up with the scrimmage on Saturday.  They took Monday off, and they are cranking it up for Ohio State on Tuesday.  They have been very consistent with how they’ve approached things, and he thinks it will pay off this season.

Foster doesn’t think there have been any surprises.  They picked up where they left off in the spring.  He likes the leadership on defense, and he likes the chemistry of the whole team.  They put up some great numbers in the weight room over the summer.  He’s really looking forward to the season.

Foster likes some of his young players, especially guys like Mook Reynolds and Adonis Alexander who spent the spring in Blacksburg.  Reynolds will play.  He is backing up at nickel and corner right now.  Foster is really intrigued by Adonis Alexander.  He’s really big and athletic.  They’ve settled him in at rover right now.

It means a lot to Bud Foster to still be at Virginia Tech.  He’s blessed.  In this business you can be a nomad.  He can’t thank Whit Babcock enough for being proactive with his contract after the season.  He works for the best guy in the business in Frank Beamer.  Next to his father, Frank has been the biggest influence in Foster’s life.

It’s great to see Beamer back at practice after missing the Military Bowl.  He’s a tough guy.  He battled back after that surgery, and he’s as competitive as ever.

Tech is really excited to play Ohio State.  They had a great plan against them last year.  They will do some similar things this year, and they will do some different things.  A lot of teams tried to copy what Tech did against OSU last year, but nobody could do it like the Hokies could.  Foster doesn’t think Ohio State has played anyone with the quickness and explosiveness that Tech has up front.  This will be a huge game, and he’s very excited about it.

Tech has a lot of veterans on defense, and that excites Foster.  They have a lot of maturity, and they’ll be ready to go against Ohio State.

The Tech offense is much improved.  Michael Brewer is a major competitor.  He had too many disadvantages last year.  The improvement with the offense starts with him, and it goes to the offensive line.  Stacy Searels has done a great job with that group.  Foster hopes the running backs can stay healthy.  They look very good so far.  He thinks this will be a much better offensive team, and they should be much more explosive.

Brandon Facyson

Facyson feels a lot better now than he did a year ago.  He’s humbled to get the chance to play the sport again.  It’s been a long journey, but it’s made him a stronger person mentally and physically.

It was a tough time when he got hurt last year, but he took advantage of it.  He was in the training room two or three times a day.  He took it as a great opportunity.

Ohio State is a great team.  They are #1 for a reason.  He remembers it being very loud up there last year, but not as loud as Lane Stadium.  He thinks it will be a great game again this year.  He’s very thankful that he’ll have the chance to play in this game again, and he’s 100% this time.

Facyson and Kendall Fuller had a great chemistry two years ago, and it will be great to be on the field together again this season.  He feels like the entire team has a great chemistry.

When Facyson was out in the spring, it did give the younger guys a chance to play.  Tech has a lot of good young players in the secondary.  They are looking good.

Facyson still wants to be a heart surgeon.  Balancing his academics with athletics is frustrating, but it’s also very rewarding.  His parents are very hard on him about academics, and it’s something he takes pride in.

Frank Beamer

Beamer is excited about what’s coming up two weeks from Monday night.  It’s one of the most anticipated games in Lane Stadium history.  He doesn’t know that there has ever been a #1 team in the country that has as strong a case as Ohio State.  They are really, really good.

Both Tech and Ohio State were young teams last year.  It was a great game.  Most games like that come down to one or two plays, and the Hokies made them.  They played hard and they played well, and they hope to do so again.

Hosting the #1 team in a prime time game is a good indicator of where the program stands.  Jim Weaver deserves a lot of credit for scheduling them.  You have to have a good strength of schedule in the new playoff system.  That’s where Tech wants to go.  This game will be great exposure for the program.

Beamer feels good about this team.  He just had the seniors over for a cookout tonight.  They have a great group of seniors from a leadership and character perspective.  The FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) program has made a great impact on Tech’s program.  They’ve got a tough schedule, but it is what it is.  Tech has a good team, they just have to put wins together.

This Ohio State game is big and important, but it’s not going to define the season one way or another.  It certainly didn’t last year…for either team.

Beamer doesn’t know what to think about the new extra point rule in the NFL (extra points kicked from the 15 yard line).  He kind of likes it.

Dwayne Lawson is a talented guy.  The staff has discussed him quite a bit.  He brings something to the table.  He’s thrown the ball really well the last few practices, but he was a little wild earlier in August.  He’s a threat in the read option.  They haven’t made up their minds whether or not he’ll play this year.

There is no question about Tim Settle’s ability.  He’s a little overweight, and Tech is very deep at defensive tackle.  It’s been awhile since they have been that deep there.  They are still undecided about whether he’ll redshirt this year.

3 Responses You are logged in as Test

  1. Why do we even count the days of the cup anymore. We should have built it into the new practice facility.

  2. Laaser did very well too.
    Only heard last :20 though. But he already is busting Burnop’s chops!

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