Monday Thoughts: Satisfaction Heading Into the Bye

29 Comments

1. 

   Hokiestud October 8, 2024 at 9:03 PM

   In addition to blacking well in the running game, I thought that our offensive line did a very good job of pass protection against a very good Stanford defensive front. I have been critical of them this year, particularly the play of Parker Clements, but I have to give them credit for a well played game on Saturday. I hope it continues.
2. 

   hoaf October 8, 2024 at 2:18 PM

   Highly likely that at least one of the female students pictured has a billionaire parent!
   1. 

      khakiblue October 8, 2024 at 3:39 PM

      "I wish they all could be California girls".
3. 

   Painterboy October 8, 2024 at 8:41 AM

   Navy's student/athlete percentage is 35% of all midshipmen. When I heard that number I was floored! I get they are smaller than Stanford but over a third play a varsity sport was crazy - and that curriculum is no joke!
4. 

   Hokie67 October 8, 2024 at 8:05 AM

   Playing the 'What if' game for each Virginia Tech game - VT would be undefeated!!!
   1. 

      vtgriff09 October 8, 2024 at 8:36 AM

      For sure. Honestly, take away some flat awful coaching decisions, and we are undefeated. Will pointed out something important, the margin for error in every game is slim. That is why you let the players decide the game, not the coach (by either lack of attention to detail, time managment or super aggressive decisions to go for it or fake). That was the overall factor this week. We did the smart thing at every point. Punted when we could have gone for it, let players make the plays and determine the outcome....and they did. As long as Pry and Co can just do their stinking jobs by managing the game, not trying to be heroes, and let these players play...then we could win out. Pry & Co didn't have to get their buttholes tight this gm, so they didn't have to make any pressure decisions or manage a clock (the one clock management they DID have was also 100% wrong....why is Drones throwing the ball backed up when we can take a knee w/ a huge lead)
5. 

   namibiahoke October 8, 2024 at 3:24 AM

   Some really interesting stats, Will! Your first 'random thought' was the shortness of the game, i.e., 3 hours. I'm a big fan of international rugby where there are 90 minutes of playing time vs, 60 minutes in football (without time outs). An entire rugby match seldom goes beyond 2 hours even though there are 30 minutes more game time.
   1. 

      teaysvalleyhokie October 8, 2024 at 1:05 PM

      Soccer and rugby keep running clocks (I assume rugby does, I know soccer does). The only thing for soccer is added time for stuff like injuries, as the clock doesn't stop during that. I think a lot has to do with how football is played. It's ten seconds of very intense play, and the 30 seconds of rest between plays is often needed. The question is, should the clock keep running even on incomplete passes or after first downs?
6. 

   nkhooch October 8, 2024 at 3:02 AM

   For comparison. We have a 3-3 record against teams with a 16-9 record (removing our games since we aren't in the records of the 25-8 teams we have ahead of us). So, just going 3-3 against teams with a 25-8 record is going to take a step up. And that just leaves us at 6-6. Finishing 4-2 seems even more daunting. So, I hope we have improved. If we have improved, we will be asking the same question we sort of asked last year. If we can finish strong why can't we start strong. I do understand that we had some setbacks early in the year. But, all the more reason we shouldn't be 3-3 at this point. Let's hope. BC will be a good indicator of where the rest of the season is headed.
7. 

   MidloHokie October 8, 2024 at 12:30 AM

   Having spent the second half sitting in the shade of the Stanford student section you could certainly believe the student-athlete numbers. I've never seen as many 5'10" and above fit young women in one place ever. No complaints from me on that count.
8. 

   Will Stewart October 7, 2024 at 6:38 PM

   Edit: Rivals.com *did* exist back in the early 2000s. It was created in 1999 or so. I'll update the article later, when I'm not on my phone.
9. 

   Hokie101 October 7, 2024 at 5:54 PM

   Hey Will Elon is on line 2! He says knock it off with the Twitter comments- He know where you live!
   1. 

      Hokieville October 7, 2024 at 8:40 PM

      It’ll always be Hokie Central to me. (TSL should work w/ VT licensing to sell throwback Hokie Central gear.)
      1. 

         Cappydave October 8, 2024 at 3:16 AM

         I never thought I would be reading “Monday Thoughts” on the former Hokie Central while on a high speed train from Reims France to Luxembourg. Must be a lot of good Hokie engineers out there!
         1. 

            HOKIE SEAN October 8, 2024 at 10:41 AM

            Nice.
   2. 

      Tyhifam October 9, 2024 at 1:29 PM

      Twitter was a socialist non free speech forum, lets all move to X!?
      1. 

         swimsome2 October 14, 2024 at 11:20 AM

         Well said!
10. 

    `lag October 7, 2024 at 5:22 PM

    that ratio of student-athletes is probably a deeper reason for Stanford being in the ACC more than say finding a home for football and basketball. Stanford doesn't need that ESPN money but has a commitment to student - athletes which like ND they found a satisfactory home - for now - in the ACC. that getting no money from the ACC isn't a big deal to them. Crap, I applied to Stanford 26 times, just needed one more. Oh well.
11. 

    DADEC52 October 7, 2024 at 5:20 PM

    They have rules and everything on how to keep score and this one was a 24pt. win. We've been "what ifed?" to death both recently (Miami)and historically (what if a Bobby Bowden suspension actually meant you were suspended), enjoy this one.
12. 

    3Manysons October 7, 2024 at 5:19 PM

    And also with NATT folks. Long live the RATT folks! ?
13. 

    Tim Lewis October 7, 2024 at 4:58 PM

    "Twitter which I will never refer to as X". Very stubborn Will, I like it.
14. 

    TomTurkey October 7, 2024 at 4:53 PM

    Thanks for the sobering "woulda, coulda, shoulda" narrative. There is no script and games can roll out in so many ways. Reinforces Beamer's strategy of, at least, being in the position to win in the 4th quarter.
15. 

    WestyHokie October 7, 2024 at 4:23 PM

    Yep, this is why the "is everyone going to complain this week?" board posts are dumb. The game was closer than the score. It's always more complex than the PATT folks acknowledge.
    1. 

       AbsolutVT03 October 7, 2024 at 5:02 PM

       The same could be said for when we lose. We have three losses by a combined 14 points. Basically one critical play in each game needed to go a different way and those losses are wins. And I certainly don’t see nearly as much criticism of negativity following a win as I do criticism of positivity following a loss. So the reality is your last sentence should say “It’s always more complex than folks acknowledge.”
       1. 

          khakiblue October 7, 2024 at 5:17 PM

          Shouldn't have to rely on one critical play each game to determine a win.
       2. 

          mwills98 October 7, 2024 at 7:32 PM

          Yep, we should all be calling for Bowen heads still after that ridiculous pass play called at the end of the half. Run the draw and go to the locker room up.
       3. 

          HokieTC October 7, 2024 at 9:11 PM

          And we beat Miami
          1. 

             Steeltown Hokie October 9, 2024 at 11:32 AM

             The scoreboard says we didn't
    2. 

       VTDC October 7, 2024 at 5:23 PM

       This is the same with most games, from every team, in every conference. "If you just change X, Y, and Z" is almost worthless because you can just as easily say the opposite with another set of plays. There are games when you can tell who the better team is. And it was VT by far on Saturday.