First and foremost, it was good to watch the Hokie O move the ball at will. It brought back memories of Miami and BC... before the Dark Times. And it's apparent that Tyrod has followed the Bryan Randall plan of quarterback development: slow start, underwhelming numbers the first couple of years, splitting time under center, and then it just clicks. At this point if you're a Tyrod detractor there's just not much for us to talk about. Tyrod has settled into the leadership role of this offense and is simply getting it done. I'd suggest that anyone who wants more out of a VT quarterback than Tyrod brings to the table needs to accept that it wasn't really so much that Mike Vick was a great quarterback, it was simply that the defenses being run while Mike Vick played at Tech were completely unprepared for him.
I've heard some criticism about the Hokies' inability to convert red zone appearances into touchdowns in the second half, but I think that argument is bunk. The first half was more than enough proof that Maryland could not stop whatever the Hokies wanted to do on offense, and Beamer could have hung 60 points on Maryland if he had wanted to. What people need to understand is that Frank is never going to do that to Ralph Friedgen. There's way too much history between those two, and their friendship is way too strong - and Frank Beamer is just simply too decent a guy - to run up the score to the point of humiliation.
So if we can't really hang all the red zone field goals on Stinespring, there's really not much to criticize Stinespring for in this game. Except, of course, for what might well have been the single worst call we've endured from Stiney all season. At the 11:34 mark of the 4th quarter with the game completely in hand VT faced 1st and 10 from their own 1 yard line. Stinespring, who had found success all day with the pass, seemed to miss the memo on where we were on the field and that the focus of the game had shifted to clock control. Bryan called a pass play from our own end zone, and the inevitable blitz by the Terrapins shredded the offensive line and forced a fumble which was recovered in the end zone for a Terps touchdown. With that one mind-bogglingly stupid call Stinespring managed to triple the Hokies' points allowed in the game.
But the biggest indictment of Stiney came not from the Maryland game on Saturday, but from Durham, NC, where Georgia Tech scored 49 unanswered points to throttle the Duke Blue Devils and clench the Coastal Division crown. VT is now officially an also-ran in the ACC. VT - with the best running back in the ACC and perhaps all of college football, with a vastly improved receiving corps, with a quarterback touting a 4:1 touchdown to interception ratio - misses out on an opportunity to defend its conference championship.
Why?
Because this season Bud Foster is fielding a top-20 defense instead of a top-10 defense.
Forget any thoughts of national championships. With Stinespring calling plays for the offense, it takes the best defense in college football to give us a chance to play for the championship of our own conference.
How can there be any question that this guy needs to go?
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Sunday, November 15, 2009
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Fully agree, this time I didn't get to watch the game on TV but heard a little over the local radio here. I think at this point the only game left to give us a clear picture of how this season went and Stinespring overall is the bowl game. Our next two opponents "should be" easy wins.
So far this season has been a crash and burn with Stinespring from what it should have and could have been. However that's in the past and just got to look forward and hope for improvement.
I have some fellow students saying they wouldn't change the offensive scheme until after Tyrod Taylor leaves because switching out Stinespring next year or changing the offense overall would confuse Taylor ect.
I've also heard that it's not so much Stinespring as Beamer's ball control philosophy, if we got a new OC, he'd be forced to follow the same kind of offensive plan.
Could it be a flawed philosophy on offense overall?
Just some questions I had.
Hope your feeling better.
Zing. I have no more intelligent of a comment. You said it.
That's true... good post, IH... we left right before the 4th qtr began... to tailgate lol.
Concerning the 4th quarter call
on the 1 yard line, just when you
thought you had seen it all until..
I have seen Stiney call plays
on the opponents 1 that were just
as bone head. Like 1 and goal taking the snap and fading
back 5 yds to hand off. like
trying to play out of the gun on
the 4 yd line after losing 3 on the
above play.
Stinespring just does not get it.
He never will and until Beamer goes, Stiney will not.
A few years ago, the whole coaching
staff went to U. of Nebraska to
study and copy the Tom Osborne
system. They have succeeded by making VT a second level team just
like Nebraska. We lose games we
should win, just like Nebraska lost
to VT this year
Quick hitters and dives are how
we should be playing our "power"
running game in short yardage
situations.
On the fumble in the end zone, if you want to blame someone, blame Tyrod. I was actually hoping Stinespring would call a play action pass there. Its got to be a quick hitter pass though. It's a good call to try and catch them off balance and try to get a few yards for some breathing room.
They were going to come with a run blitz anyways and try to stuff the middle, but the throw has to come out quick. Tyrod held onto it like any other pass play and you can't do that in the endzone. I actually agreed with Stinespring's call there, but you either have to throw it quick or throw it away. That's been Taylor's biggest problem, not throwing it a way when he needs to.
Sorry HokieSteeler, that's just a bonehead call. Play action pass from your own 5, maybe I could see it. But from your own 1? With a 30 point lead? In the 4th quarter? Just doesn't make sense. Quarterback keeper to get 2 yards, give yourself a little breathing room, then maybe get creative. But at that point all that was needed was clock control. Even a 3 and out would have been preferable there. And like you said, Tyrod doesn't have much of a quick release passing game. You blaming Tyrod is exactly the same as Stinespring blaming losses on lack of execution. Know your personel, their strengths and weaknesses, and call plays to put them into possitions to win.
Charlie, Beamer is conservative on offense, but we had offensive success with Rickey Bustle as OC before Stiney. We even had success under Stiney while Rogers was on staff.
It's okay to be conservative on offense - especially when you have running backs like Darren Evans and Ryan Williams. In fact, I'd prefer us be a run-first offense with those kind of tailbacks. But you have to call smart runs with misdirection.
Don't doubt Beamer. He's a hell of a coach, one of the best in the college game. But he eventually has to realize stability in a coaching staff is only a good thing if you have the right guys in the right positions.
That's true, so I guess there's no hope that they will change anything next year on offense especially since Tyrod Taylor is a senior quarterback. Although I personally doubt removing Stinespring would confuse the quarterback like my roommates were saying. I could see how a massive change of offensive strategy could but not just switching the OC. The time to change though is this off season for sure. With this kind of talent, our best shot at an NC would be next year with a change on offense. No change = no NC next year, I just don't see it. If we make it to the NC next year with Stiney I will forever stop commenting and doubting him but I just don't see it. Bummer since it may be my last football season as a student if I graduate on time and I won't give a dime to the Hokie Club unless the changes are made. Oh well...
They are replaying the game on comcast as I type and I just saw that call on the 1 yard line in the 4th quarter. Generally you run the ball in that situation but I don't know who's to blame on that one, if that was Tyrod hanging on too long like HokieSteeler said or Stinespring since they were going to blitz anyway.
Back to watching my NE Patriots.
i have two points. well, three if you count saying, "nice post IH".
[1] prior to any dissenting comments coming in on IH's post because we did win 36-9 and we should layoff bryan. please note that IH is coming down on bryan for the season of work. obviously we Hokies all love a 36-9 demolishing of a team we should beat 36-9. keep it up and let's roll NCST and UVA as well!
[2] to hokiesteeler's point. yes, you are totally correct to blame tyrod for holding on to the ball on *THAT ONE EXACT PLAY*. but you cannot continue to blame him for hanging on to it too long, or blame him for the long developing play action pass in his own endzone, or blame him for the slow developing pass routes while he stands with his own goal post over his head. the point is that IT IS the coaching. whether it's the play call. whether it's the repetitions at practice to learn to get rid of it quicker. whether it's not calling a slow developing route. whether it's not adding in the play action delay if it's supposed to be a quick read. etc. etc. etc. it's the COACHES.
like you, i agreed with a pass play from there, but i also agree with IH that we should have slammed Ry Will once to get it to the 3-4 yd line. then run a quick slant to boykin or roberts.
but my point is that it's still the coaching. you can ask my wife, i yell at tyrod to "roll out and throw it to the f^cking tuba player!!!!!" ALL THE TIME when everyone is covered. but i still don't blame him for it. if we're noticing his trend to hold onto it too long in the pocket as fans, wouldn't you think paid offensive coaches would notice it too? and maybe make a move as a coach to work on it?
[3] nice post IH
VT was successful on offense against Maryland. I think this has more to do with the sheer talent of the Vt offense than Stinespring's genius.
After all, Maryland is not considered a defensive powerhouse.
Before the game they were 2 and 7
for the year.
They lost to Duke, Virginia and Middle Tenn. State. The only legitimate win was against Clemson.
Clemson is somewhat like VT, you never know who is going to show up
on game day.
HS, When IH says, "Sorry HokieSteeler, that's just a bonehead call." He means from Stinespring... IH isn't saying getting personal with anyone here.
I know HokieSteeler from Virginia Tech Fan Focus.
I'm sorry I missed that 4th quarter... I left too early LOL.
Yeah, to avoid any potential confusion I meant a slow developing play action pass from your own 1 yard line with a 30 point lead is a boneheaded call, not anything that HokieSteeler said.
"VT - with the best running back in the ACC and perhaps all of college football, with a vastly improved receiving corps, with a quarterback touting a 4:1 touchdown to interception ratio - misses out on an opportunity to defend its conference championship."
And this is what drives me crazy. The misuse of talent. Arghhh.
And, I was at the game, and agree that it was 1. a boneheaded call and that 2. Tyrod held onto it too long, but like HokieJayBee said, you can't let a play develop that slowly, especially when you are smack in the middle of the wrong end zone.
There is more to criticize than that one idiotic slow developing pass out of the end zone. We still telegraph our plays. UMD just wasn't good enough to stop most of them. In two cases they were- the reverse by Dyrell Roberts and the run after the two tight end shift. We run every single time out of that formation. If a casual fan like me can see that, any defense can. In fact when the tight ends shifted, you could see the MD linebackers all point to Williams because they knew what was coming too.
Allow me first to make this disclaimer, lest everyone jump down my throat for my opinion: Stiney, by all accounts a nice guy, has no business being OC. I hope he resigns and becomes recruiting coordinator.
OK, having said that, I dont think that pass play on the one was a bad call. Everyone in the universe was expecting VT to run it up the middle. MD had a run blitz called, that was evidently not picked up. (I had to listen to the game so I did not see the play). If VT had run the ball and Ry was tackled in the end zone for a safety, people would be crucifying Stiney for calling a "predictable" play. In his post game comments, Stiney said he called a "double post" and it was open. Perhaps it was the WRONG pass play to call, but it was not a bad call just because it was a pass.
You also can't really blame Tyrod for holding the ball there. All the routes took forever to develop so he didn't have an option to dump it off quickly. He tried to buy time like he usually does by moving around in the pocket but with limited room in the end zone he couldn't get away. It is sad when the best possible outcome from a particular play call is a throw away.
Mark , you see that's the problem everyone expects us to run up the middle.. how about run one on the outside. Not necessarily on this particular situation but in general?
We seem to run the outside only in the narrow of the field.
Just can't understand why Stiney never gets creative with the run plays. If we want to be run first team, hell go watch some Oregon or Nevada film and take notes.
I don;t even remember the last time we had 2 backs in the backfield, make the D wonder who is taking the freaking snap at least.
Mainaman:
An outside running play is more risky when on the one.
similar to hokiesteeler's assessment, mark is not that far off base in support a pass play there. i'll start with the fact that i did watch the game. and the replays.
so,the same as past reviews of stinespring's ratio improving this season [pass:run, down:distance], i can't be super upset at the fact a pass was called there.
but not a 2-step drop, play-action, (means tyrod's back is to the field of play), then 3 more step drop, slow developing double post, (i'll have to watch a replay again and see how deep those posts were).
i would have preferred any of the following:
*quick slant
*pump left, hit [RB name] in right flat
*greg boone at the 7 boxing out his LB cover
*QB draw
*"if [WR name] is not open immediately, throw it to bud foster please"
JayBee you're on the mark, it wasn't necessarily the pass that was bad but that particular slow developing pass. But still, VT had been dominating the line of scrimmage all day, so there was really not much need to worry about RW getting stuffed for a safety.
Mark ,
read my comment carefyly, I never said that it should have been outside run on that play.
There's nothing wrong with Beamer's philosophy about ball control. The problem is with the implementation. It's possible to have a run-based offense that keeps possession AND scores points. Look no further than GT. For a few seasons, WVU had one of the most potent attacks in college football and they got it done mostly on the ground.
I think we can see a huge improvement in just one season. Take a look at what happened at GT. The first year Paul Johnson took over, they almost won the ACC and their offense was vastly improved.
He took Galey's players, who were recruited for a completely different offense, and produced a very high octane offense.
Right now, our offense fails to meet all of Beamer's objectives. They don't keep possession of the ball because they go 3 and out so often. They don't get good field position because they seldom gain yards against good defenses. They don't score points and they leave the defense exhausted.
Beating up on the hapless Terps means absolutely nothing.
What the F*ck?
I am listening to the Hokie call in show for the fist time since VT outlawed having phone calls from their fan base on the air.
It is 8:45 and Frank Beamer just blamed our running back for some sort of not "clipping" the rush. For T.Taylor having a fumble in the endzone.
While I do not blame Talor I wonder why the HELL you blame a young student athlete instead of the freaking guy calling the damn Fuck%d up play?
If we were not up by 25 I could understand the play call. When did you stop giving a shit about the players? Please place responsibility on who made the mistake instead of roasting an innocent running back.
Look at your self in the mirror Frank.
Do you like what you see>
Dollar Dave
Howevrer
Damn Frank.
yeah, that might be the thing that annoys me the most about the offensive coaching staff. every game we play poorly, the problem is execution. who's job is it to make sure the team is executing correctly?? the coaches.
and that's why nothing will change, the first thing that needs to change before getting rid of Stiney is stop blaming our players not executing and taking accountability. Great coaches take accountability even sometimes when it isn't the coaches fault. I have yet to hear Beamer take accountability once. Stiney did take some accountability earlier this season but fell back to doing the same damn thing after 5 wins (maybe the 5 wins were an offensive fluke?) so it doesn't mean anything. He hasn't since taken any accountability for the losses. Beamer however always seems to throw the players under the bus or at least every time I hear him weekly on the radio and newspaper articles. Is he wearing thin on coaching? Time to stick to golf? Please retire or turn things around next year!
I totally agree...
However, we have all hear Bud Foster take responsibility more than once. And he has the most consistent and productive unit on our team. Does anyone other than me see a pattern?
Foster has shown the ability to summon the best from his players over and over again. Foster actually uses the talent he sends to the NFL.
So what if your D is ranked 30th or so this year. Hell if your offense cracked the top 30 in the past 10 years we would of won at least one natty.
Plus, look at all of NFL talent gone to waste.
I'd love to see Foster match up with Stines in a boxing match! I know Bud has to be upset after so many years of putting national championship like defense on the field only to see the offense shit the bed.
Again. Frank i know Stines wife was your secretary but what the hell?
Stines if I got paid what you get paid I would not show my face in public. Not with the amount of talent you have and the results you produce.
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