As kickoff approached for this one, I started to really look forward to it. I was anticipating it the way I anticipate conference games or bowl games ... okay, not really bowl games, but I was excited by the challenge the Hokies were about to face.
I knew from the research we'd done that Marshall, in particular Rakeem Cato, was the real deal. I knew he would challenge the Tech defense in a way that ECU hadn't, maybe in a way that even Alabama hadn't.
I also expected the Hokie offense to be challenged by the Herd defense, the fifth-ranked defense in the nation coming in. Sure, that had come against a schedule of Miami (OH), Gardner-Webb, and Ohio, but any time you've got the #5 defense after three games, you're doing something right.
I think a lot of people hear the name Marshall and see the green jerseys and think "easy win," but I went into this one eyes wide open. Virginia Tech's defense is very good, but their offense is inconsistent, to put it nicely, and the program is at a point where Marshall presents a tough game. Sorry, but that's where we are right now.
I don't mean to paint the picture of Marshall as a team that's going to go 10-2 during the regular season. They're not top 25 material. But they're better than most people think, and they were a bad matchup for the Hokies. It's not 2005 anymore, and though the Hokies had won the last three in this series by an average score of 41-11, this one wasn't going to be easy.
Had this been a game against Miami, Clemson or FSU, Hokie fans would still be celebrating a huge, hard-fought win against a quality opponent. The stands would have stayed full to the final, soaking-wet dropped pass, and those in attendance would be talking about this "classic" forever. But since it was Marshall, not one of those teams, it's viewed by many with angst, trepidation, and relief.
Too bad. I really enjoyed it. Tech played poorly at times, but I was impressed with Marshall, and I was impressed with the Hokies' resiliency in the win.
For once, special teams comes up big in a W
We have to take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate the role that special teams played in this win.
For years now, Virginia Tech's special teams have been a shell of the units that earned the BeamerBall label from the 1990s through the mid-2000s. In just the last few years, special teams have made critical blunders in big games, contributing to multiple losses. That ground has been well-covered.
I don't remember the last time I could point to a game where a big special teams play, or two, or three, was a factor in a close win. Oh, there are numerous situations where special teams were part of a big win, and they often sparked an avalanche of points in the past, but rarely are special teams contributions a big key to a close win. In this game, they were.
- Kyle Fuller blocked a punt that bounced cleanly into the grasp of Derek DiNardo, who ran it in from 11 yards out for a touchdown.
- Punter A.J. Hughes dropped a snap, scooped it up, thought about punting, then channeled his inner Jimmy Kibble and ran for a first down. (VT later missed a field goal on this drive, but the run helped VT eat some clock.)
- Defensive tackle Derrick Hopkins blocked a 39-yard field goal attempt that would have won it in the first overtime for Marshall.
Special teams weren't perfect. Ethan Keyserling, subbing for the suspended Cody Journell, was oh-fer on three field goal attempts, including one in the second quarter (36 yards) and two in overtime (50 yards and 32 yards). But without the blocked punt, and without the blocked field goal, Virginia Tech loses this game, all else being equal.
Right off the top of my head, the last time I can remember special teams being the difference was the 2004 West Virginia game, when Vincent Fuller returned a blocked field goal 74 yards for a touchdown in a 19-13 Hokie win. (Editor Chris Coleman, always with a better recall for these things, reminds me that David Wilson had a game-winning kickoff return for TD against Georgia Tech in 2010.)
Let's also give a nod to fortuitous bounces and twists of fate.
- Fuller blocks the punt, and it takes a super-clean hop into the waiting arms of DiNardo, who runs it in easily without breaking stride.
- Marshall defensive back Darryl Roberts reads a potential touchdown pass, has Logan Thomas dead to rights, cuts in front of it for a potential pick-six ... and it slips through his hands into the waiting arms of Willie Byrn, where it becomes an actual touchdown to tie the game.
- Rakeem Cato lofts a potential game-winning touchdown into the arms of Devon Smith, and just as Smith is about to catch it and break the tie, Tech's Kyshoen Jarrett arrives at the same time, the two players collide ... and Jarrett comes out with the ball.
- Marshall's Davonte Allen drops a touchdown pass at the end of the third overtime that might have extended the game.
There were other turns of good fortune and bounces of the ball, including at least two blown calls that went the Hokies' way, a missed fumble by Tech and a missed defensive holding/pass interference call on the Hokies.
Sometimes, the opponents play right into your hands. Marshall's decision in the first overtime to run the ball into the line three times and then try a field goal (which was blocked), was ... well, I just disagreed with it, we'll say. It took the ball out of the hands of their best player and put it on the foot of a kicker whose longest field goal on the year was 35 yards, in a driving rain. I would have let Rakeem Cato have a shot at winning it. I sent out two tweets on the subject during the game:
https://twitter.com/TechSideline/status/381501416423968768
https://twitter.com/TechSideline/status/381501466646560768
Between the special teams plays and the twists of fortune, there were over a half-dozen ways this game could have ended up in favor of the bad guys, and we'd be torturing ourselves over it today. But instead, we get to celebrate the win.
Logan Thomas even alluded to the Hokies' good fortune, opining in post-game comments that Tech hasn't been that lucky in a long time:"Considering our past history, it usually doesn't bounce our way. Usually the flags are against us. Usually the bounces are against us. But when you keep fighting, you keep bringing the effort every single time — luck doesn’t just appear for no reason."
Actually, Logan, sometimes luck does appear for no reason. In any event, a lot of breaks went Tech's way in this game.Hot-and-cold LT, but is that the point?
Ah, will we ever grow tired of breaking down every game by Logan Thomas ? Probably not. It's a quarterback's lot in life, and I'm more than a little fascinated by how inconsistent Logan can be from series to series, quarter to quarter, and game to game.
- First 2 passes: 0-2
- Next 7 passes: 6-7 for 80 yards
- Next 8 passes: 0-8 with 2 interceptions
- Last 17 passes: 12-17 for 101 yards, 1 TD and 0 INT
When he's good, he can be really good. His two good stretches add up to 18-24 for 181 yards and a touchdown.
When he's bad, he can be really bad. His two bad stretches add up to 0-10 with 2 interceptions.
I think people spend a lot of time breaking down his stats, analyzing his footwork, discussing whether or not he has much touch on his throws, and wondering if he'll be a pro quarterback. Right now, there's a lot of talking about the "trees" of Logan's career, but pretty soon, in just a few short months, the trees will be full-grown and we'll be able to analyze the "forest" of Logan's career.
At this point, Logan's kinda like Al Clark, who played for Tech from 1995-98 and was the starter in 1997 and 1998. Admittedly, Logan gets to throw the ball a hell of a lot more than Al ever did, but Frank Beamer's offense has changed a lot since Al Clark's days. Al had 361 attempts in his four years; Logan had 429 attempts last year. But their career completion percentages are similar (Al was 53.5%, Logan is 54.2%), and Al had a better TD:INT ratio (19:9 versus 41:32 for Logan).
Both are pretty good runners, in their own way. Al had some speed and could run the option, while Logan has size and can run over you.
And they're both good leaders and warriors who leave it on the field. Al played through injuries and was at his best when he played against the hated Miami Hurricanes. Logan, even when he's not having a good game, battles and can will the team to a win (within reason). And Logan's best game to date was against Miami, in Lane Stadium in 2011.
Al presided over some dark days for the Virginia Tech offense, the 1997 and 1998 teams that could barely get out of their own way. Logan was the QB during a rough year last year, and one that has started out rough this year.
No one will ever tell you that Al Clark was a great quarterback. I won't even tell you he was a good one. But he earned people's respect, and few who watched him play will question his heart and dedication.
Saying that Logan Thomas is like Al Clark isn't a ringing endorsement. But Logan Thomas still has time, as I keep hoping and wishing, to turn into Bryan Randall, a guy who finished strong and led the team to a string of victories on his way to ACC Player of the Year. Or maybe when he's done, Logan Thomas will just be Logan Thomas , not Al Clark or Bryan Randall. Time will tell.
But enough slicing and dicing of LT ... what about the offense as a whole?
The offense
With the offense struggling the way it is -- 102nd in the nation in total offense and 85th in scoring offense -- there's a section of the fan base that is growing restless, despite our best counseling for patience.
"Looks like the same old offense to me," "The play calling's terrible", "They're still predictable," and other such statements are thrown around. As you can tell from previous articles, I disagree, and I'll disagree some more in this article, too.
Yes, there are still some head-scratching play calls. The decision to run LT up the middle on 4th and 1, near the goal line, out of the shotgun, on a delay, when the middle of the offensive line wasn't getting a push, was questionable. Scot Loeffler paid for it, too. Marshall had a linebacker come in untouched, plus Caleb Farris was tossed aside by his guy, and LT never had a chance.
And yes, there is an awful lot of "running up the middle" on first down. Unfortunately, I don't have time to do a really in-depth analysis -- this is a short game week -- but I took a spin through the box score and my own notes and came up with the following first-down play selection. It may or may not be completely accurate; I'm guessing not, but it will give you a general idea:
First down play calls by the Hokie offense
- Read option, keeper by Logan Thomas : 11111
- Read option, handoff by Logan Thomas : 1
- Handoff to Trey Edmunds: 11111111111
- Designed run up the middle by Logan Thomas : 111111
- Handoffs to others: 11
- Pass plays: 11111111111
That's about 37 first down plays. The red-zone first downs are shown in (get this) red. By my unscientific count, the Hokies passed 11 times in 37 first down plays, and ran it seven out of eight times on first down in the red zone.
The red zone stats are skewed a little bit by overtime, when Scot Loeffler made the decision to put the ball in Logan's hands and let him win it. The last five "designed runs up the middle" by LT (out of six total) were all in overtime.
Do with those stats what you will, but I don't think they show any tendency that is particularly surprising, given the head coach and OC's penchant for trying to establish the run.
As for "predictable" play-calling and "lack of imagination" ... sigh. Let me show you a few things.
Number one, watch the receiver action on this play -- sorry for the poor video quality, I don't get ESPNU in high def and don't have good video capture hardware, either:
It's a 3rd and 7, and with Marshall playing a zone, the Hokies flood the short patterns with five different receivers, including Chris Mangus out of the backfield and tight end Kalvin Cline , who makes the catch for a first down. Logan had a lot of options on the play. If Marshall had been in man coverage, the two receivers running the short crossing routes could have run a pick play and really sprung someone loose for a potential big gain.
Secondly, watch these two receptions by Chris Mangus .
In both instances, Mangus explodes out of the backfield as the outside receiver slants inside, drawing the outside defender towards the middle, away from Mangus. Really nice design by Scot Loeffler.
Loeffler had Mangus all over the field, doing everything. He lined up in the backfield and ran the ball a couple times. He lined up in the slot as a receiver. He came out of the backfield to catch passes. He lined up as a receiver and faked the jet sweep/end around, including one play where it helped freeze the defense, and Logan scored on a two-yard run up the middle.
Lastly, here are three identical pass plays to D.J. Coles (who unfortunately drops the third).
In all three cases, the Hokies have the fullback in the game, which makes the defense respect the run (despite the lack of tight ends in the formation). Logan fakes the read-option, further selling the run, and that causes the linebackers to stay home, close to the line of scrimmage. That gives Logan room to complete the short slant to D.J.
On the third example, the timing isn't quite right, and the linebackers drop back and disrupt the play a little bit, plus Logan's not as accurate, and D.J. shortarms it. Nonetheless, very nice play design by Loeffler.
I could go on and on. I don't consider the offense to be "predictable" or "vanilla." There are some really nice plays in there. Are there head-scratchers? Sure. The Hokies ran 87 plays on Saturday, including overtime. You're not going to love every one of them.
But overall ... I know you've heard me say this before ... I like the direction of the offense. They just don't have the horses to run what they're trying to run, and youth is a big key as well.
I'm going to talk about the "horses" on offense, particularly the in-state guys, in a separate article soon. It deserves to be broken out and not lost in a Monday Thoughts.
Let's switch to the defense.
Defense struggles, then recovers
What a strange game for the defense. Watching it through an emotional lens, it feels as if Rakeem Cato and his teammates tore the Hokies up all day long. They made some fantastic plays and kept the pressure on all sixty minutes and in overtime.
No, not really. It just felt that way. Take a look at the following stats, and you'll see that while Cato, several receivers, and tailback Essray Taliaferro had a good first half, the only thing that worked consistently in the second half was Cato throwing to Tommy Shuler.
First half:
- Cato: 11-17, 98 yards, 2 TDs, 7 rushes for 53 yards, 1 TD (0 sacks)
- Tommy Shuler: 3 catches, 37 yards
- Devon Smith: 3 catches, 21 yards, 1 TD
- Demtrius Evans: 3 catches, 16 yards
- Gator Hoskins: 1 catch, 13 yards, 1 TD
- Essray Taliaferro: 9 carries, 71 yards
Second half:
- Cato: 8-24, 130 yards, 2 INTs, 8 rushes for -7 yards (4 sacks for -33 yards)
- Tommy Shuler: 7 catches, 83 yards
- Eric Frohnappel: 1 catch, 11 yards
- Essray Taliaferro: 17 carries, 34 yards
And remember, Marshall didn't score for the last 39:06 of regulation and all three overtimes.
Oh, they had their chances:
- 3rd Qtr: Marshall drove to the Tech 24 and missed a field goal.
- 4th Qtr: Marshall drove to the Tech 30 and Cato threw an ill-advised pass that was picked off by Kendall Fuller.
- 4th Qtr: Marshall drove to the Tech 39, and a bomb to the end zone was picked off by Kyshoen Jarrett . (You know the play I'm talking about...)
- 1st OT: The Herd, needing just a field goal to win, ran three times into the middle of the line, then had a field goal blocked.
- 3rd OT: A perfectly thrown ball on 4th down was dropped in the end zone.
I guess that fits into the category of the breaks that went Tech's way, and had they gone the other way, we'd be mourning a loss today. To be fair, two of the five items listed above were great plays made by the Hokies: the Jarrett interception and the field goal block. But the missed field goal, Cato's terrible pass into the arms of Fuller (caused by pressure from J.R. Collins ), and the dropped TD pass were all just fate.
What's the old saying? More football games are lost (through mistakes) than are won? There was a little bit of both going on here.
Before we close down this article and add some bullet points, let's give some love to J.R. Collins .
All hail Lanford ... uh, J.R. Collins
Listen, we love James Gayle here, but let's be honest: at this point, he's playing John Engelberger to J.R Collins' Corey Moore. Gayle's running the part of Chris Ellis here, and Collins is Darryl Tapp.
There's no question that Gayle is the superior athlete, and he's bigger: Gayle goes 6-4, 255 to Collins' 6-2, 248. Gayle will impress at the Combine next spring, but he's being outplayed by Collins so far this season.
- Gayle: 12 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 12 QBH, 1 FF
- Collins: 22 tackles, 5 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 13 QBH, 1 FF
None of this is mean to talk down James Gayle of course. (I'm not that stupid.) It's just to point out that Collins has really elevated his game, and though Gayle has gotten more press during their time here, Collins needs to start getting some respect, especially if he keeps playing like this.
Maybe that's starting to change; just this morning, there's an article on NFL.com about Collins.
But the real answer is that it's great to have two defensive ends playing at that level. When you combine that kind of pressure off the edge with what Derrick Hopkins and Luther Maddy are doing in the middle, you have a defensive line that is living up to its pre-season billing as tops in the ACC and #6 in the nation (per Athlon).
Gotta motor and start working on other stuff, so let's close this out with some ....
Random thoughts
- Logan Thomas 's second interception of the game was a terribly overthrown ball on a short dumpoff to Trey Edmunds. It didn't look as if the DE pressuring Logan made contact with him. I think the ball just slipped out of Logan's hands. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
- Frank Beamer to the media after the game: "Did y'all see that block in the back on #22? I'm still looking for that one." Yeah, Frank comes out of his shell every once in a while.
- Speaking of the officiating, I ... never mind. This article's already long enough. Let's move on.
- Ya know, the Virginia Tech receivers aren't the best blockers in the world ... but they're trying. They're trying to block on every single play, all over the field. Cough, cough.
- Brandon Facyson nearly had his fourth interception of the season, and this one was nearly a pick-six. On the third-to-last play of the third quarter, he jumped in front of a pass at the Marshall 32 yard line and nearly picked it off and took it to the house.
- Kyshoen Jarrett played deep center field a lot during this game. Very deep. I don't want to use the word "bait", but I do think it was an intentional strategy by Bud Foster that he thought might pay off, and it did, on Jarrett's interception. The picture below is a pre-snap screen capture from that play. Count the number of Hokie defenders: there are ten. The eleventh, Jarrett, is standing at about the five-yard line, far offscreen and way downfield. All he had to do was run sideways to get in position to defend the pass and make the pick.
- Logan Thomas completed 9 of his last 12 passes.
- Before throwing his interception to Kendall Fuller, Rakeem Cato converted third downs of 8, 11, 8, and 9 yards to go. The pick was thrown on 3rd and 7.
- The Hokies failed to convert their last 13 third downs. They finished the day 2-16 on third downs, and are now 101st in the country in third down conversion percentage.
- On the blocked punt, Marshall had an uncovered gunner to the right. Would have been an easy pitch and catch. You can't tell in this screen shot, but there's no one in front of the guy (another reason for Marshall fans to torture themselves).
- Worth noting: In the third and fourth quarters, Marshall had back to back 11 and 15 play drives that didn't produce a single point. They ended in a missed field goal and an interception.
Next up: Georgia Tech
Before last season, a lot was made of the fact that the winner of the VT-GT game won the Coastal every year from 2005-2011. That streak was snapped last year, when the Hokies beat Georgia Tech to open the season, then tanked and finished fourth in the Coastal Division. Georgia Tech tied with UNC and Miami for the Coastal title, and with UNC banned from bowls by the NCAA and Miami self-imposing a bowl game ban, Georgia Tech played in the title game and lost to FSU, 21-15.
I don't know if the winner of VT-GT is going to win the Coastal, but I do know one thing: if Virginia Tech loses this game, it's going to be extremely difficult for the Hokies to catch and pass the Jackets, who already have two ACC wins.
After the game Saturday, we started hearing something very interesting via the grapevine, namely, that VT compromised their ECU and Marshall game prep to spend some time prepping for Georgia Tech.
During today's press conference, Kyle Fuller confirmed that, per Mike Barber of the Richmond Times-Dispatch:
https://twitter.com/RTD_MikeBarber/status/382183784860241920
I can see the rationale. If your goal is to win the Coastal -- and that's the way this program is going to get rebuilt, by winning the conference -- being ready for GT is more important than beating Marshall and ECU. The five days rest before this Thursday night road game is a huge mountain to climb, and you have to take extraordinary steps to be ready.
The Hokies got away with it, surviving both ECU and Marshall. We'll see what they've got for GT. My bigger concern is that the game against Marshall was a back-and-forth, emotionally draining, triple-overtime game. David Wang, already struggling, got dinged up, as did Trey Edmunds and Kyshoen Jarrett (no word yet on their injuries and if they'll affect them going forward).
The wrapup on this game, though, is that it was a big challenge, underappreciated by most fans (and even a good chunk of subscribers reading this). Like I said above, if Marshall had been Miami or Clemson instead, this would be a "A CLASSIC WIN". As it is, though, it was a good football game with a lot of twists and turns and drama, even if not always played well.