Your winning, Western Michigan Eye in the Sky:

“Why problem make, when no problem you have?”
-Polish proverb-

Pop quiz:
Q. what animal will attack the strongest leaving the weakest to escape?
A. none, not one of the 4,000 species native to the North American higher animal kingdom will attack the strongest when the weakest is most vulnerable.

1Q 8:01 remaining:
Don’t see this very often, as our Fs is (already) giving our Boundary-Cb (Fuller ) pre-snap help on Braverman. I believe this is called a double-team, and you nearly never ever see this on our signature island-coverage trust-max hind-4 sets. This double Cover-0 set tells us one of two things, Braverman must bet better than I had thought, and/or Fuller needs the help. As our Fs was so cheating over so far laterally in the direction of the WMU sideline, that Bonner had given away at least 80% of the field. Love to hear what Bud Ultra’s thinking was on this one folks.

Or in other words…………where are all of our rolls, disguises and zone-blitzes as bait-n-switch coverages go? Well, they are gone, out the window with so many 7, 8, or even 9 man blitzes which leaves you in Island-man via mathematical default; not via deductive choice.

1Q 3:13 remaining:
Why does the right-De (top of your screen) of WMU hate my poor boy Shai McKenzie?!? Shai is clearly down, the whistle has blown, and #11 just has to tackle Shai back to the ground for a second-time?!? How is this not a late-hit, or at least a unsportsman like “tweeeeeeet”? Normally you’d have to travel to Central Park to see muggings like this; geez!

1Q 2:44 remaining:
Why is God’s Gift (which is what Bucky wants to be called; ask is triceps) pulling one way, and A.Conte pulling the other?!?

Were we attempting to collide hip-pocket Dt’s, keying Linebacker’s, or both? (or  just maybe God’s Gift went the ‘rong way?)

2Q 7:48 remaining:
“Dear knee brace manufacture, …thanks!”
sincerely, team-Conte

Just watch as poor A.Conte leg-whips himself -same as Dadi later on- right into the helmet of the prone WMU defender at the end of the Shai C-gap left-side off-tackle rumble. Dang; close call #72, a very very close call indeed.

2Q 1:07 remaining:
The play before this -recall- is the roughing the passer on #98 the right-De of WMU on Brewer on a very inexpensive shot. Now? Another INT –and I’m having to wonder out-loud now, if my boy Brewer had his head clear of cobwebs on 2 or maybe even 3 of his intercepted  throws this season? You tell me??? (as he almost looks punch-drunk, with his legs gone, and out on his feet at times when breaking tape)

2Q :022 remaining:
Boy did #11 steal K.Fuller right at the end of the Braverman catch over the middle on this one folks! WOW! Biggest hit I’ve seen a Hokie take all year. In fact, I’m mutually surprised and impressed that K.Full’ shook himself and got back up after this one, as K.Full just earned his Apocalypse Now merit badge as he too “…can drink from my canteen any day.”

3Q 5:52 remaining:
Notice how Ford uses his very own body, to block-out (in N.B.A. terms) the WMU Cb on the lob-style Flag route throw while the arching Brewer pass is in the air. As in-flight, Ford goes from stomach facing to back facing the defender, which perfectly negates the Bronco Cb’s ability to fight over the top and get to the throw (sans a penalty).

Or in other words? This is a pure natural Wideout play, not a conversion player scuffling to get himself lined up properly to receive the outside shoulder throw. This is a pass-catching Instinct or a Gift that not everyone has; and that I’ve not seen all that often from the Virginia Tech Wr’s on tape in recent years. Meaning: this Ford kid is the real deal folks.

4Q 14:10 remaining:
Watch the end of the play here with the other #4, Ken Ekanem, as the defending-four comes up ready to fight, wanting to fight, needing the fight with the right-Ot of WMU at the end of the sack by #19 C.Clark –who is having a nearly epic first year in his own right. I slowed this one down, and I can not see what the fuss is all about? Maybe it was something stewing all game-long, on even something on the previous play. Nevertheless, Ekanem goes positively Junkyard Dog on big ole rolly-polly looking #71 at the end of this one. And that tells us that Ken has a little salt in his blood. I’ve been waiting for this play from Ken for five games. As I was told that Ken was/is likes to fight guy. And we do need a few rock throwers out there; and Ken is one of the few I might ever so slightly encourage to go ‘head and set a more physical tone.

4Q game-of-life, remaining:

game#5 Editorials:

     Chris Coleman of techsideline.com just wrote about how positive he is that Virginia Tech has improved. I do not disagree, because I can not disagree, as I was looking at the very same stats at the time of his publication; which is disagreeable indeed, as Chris beat me to the P.A.T.T. temporal punch. (timing is everything, isn’t it folks?)

As Virginia Tech is 94 yards better per game in total offense folks! And no, I was not just abducted by the bigfoot piloted mothership, I did not just get that from the barking dog down the street, nor did I just read that on a West Virginia overpass, water-tower or filling station bathroom wall.

Tech is 38 spots ahead of last years total offense pace; and no, I’ve not had anything to drink in hours, I mean days. ; )

The Hokie defense however has loosened a bit; as forecast right here in these very web-pages where someone speculated Virginia Tech would drop down to about 25th best in total defense. Well that person obviously sucks when it comes to defensive-football as Virginia Tech has dropped to 27th best.

At the one-third mark of the 2014 regular season, Virginia Tech is two other critical things, one pretty damn tight the other pretty damn, well, sloppy.

Our beloved Fighting-Gobblers are an amazingly efficient football team, every bit as much as they are an amazingly sloppy football team. Check it out… right now Virginia Tech ranks 11th best in 3rd down conversion percentage offense (51.8% converted), and a downright salty looking 7th best in third down conversion percentage defense (23.8% allowed). And yet that very same Virginia Tech, who has so many teeth and so much mud, is also…

• 98th best in Turnover Margin (-.6)
• 120th best in Penalties (9.8 per contest)

Can you imagine just how good this 2014 version of Virginia Tech is if they every get a grip on the rock, cease completing passes to wide open defenders,  continue to improve on defense (as tacking sure has come up a notch) and then finally tell the Ref to put his gold handkerchief back in his pocket? Can you say: “five dash o”? You should. Because that is what we really should be!

Or, and on the other-hand, if this inconsistent, yo-yo or up-n-down play continues, with so very much youth and so few upperclassmen satiety type moments, Virginia Tech will find itself right where it has been for basically 240 minutes or 14400 seconds since the Bill & Mary ended. Or right on the razors edge, where each and every play is indeed a tangible outcome determiner of a sword that cuts both ways.

Such a level of analysis is not exactly a Ph.D. level of applied sports psyche 24/7 seminar classroom that will (eventually) go from being a marathon, to a sprint, to a crawl, to a collapse. As our Hokies are burning an enormous amount of superfluous mental energy when all less two major team metrics posit that they should be ahead in games when they are actually giving chase, or where an inferior opponent is actually tailgating and crowding our O&M emotions and taxing our reserve tank closing mentality. Mark my words sports fans, our upcoming OPEN or BYE weekend Saturday can not possibly get here soon enough. As this truly is a 5-zip football team that has already expended bucu 3-2 emotional bullets. Or in other words, this is 5-o football team that makes 3-2 problems for itself, where no problem it (should) have.

That’s not good men, and if you do not believe me just ask the cerebral cache or mental stockpile called a running on emotional E November if this opening 2014  fighting until the bitter-end sports psychology free-for-all continues.

At this 2014 O&M gridiron incarnation needs grow up quickly and learn it’s rudimentary A.B.C.

Always Be Closing.

As we do not need to manufacture or self-inflict novel ways for weaker teams such as E.c.u. or Georgia Tech to escape, we do however need to be the strongest predator or the bull of the woods! As there are not all that many Coastal predators for us to truly combat …as you will see below.

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Youth:

Ergo, this debuting youth makes some slick plays every single bit as much as it makes some sick (on-film) mistakes. This youth did not know any better than to play foot-loose and mentally fancy-free up at #8 ranked “the” Ohio State. on a VicTorious night. Every bit as much as this youth did NOT know how to handle upsetting #8 ranked “the” Ohio State, or how to refocus, reload and re-equip for about 2.75 fence traveling games vs. three more likely post-season Bowl opponents on such a short emotional turnaround after expending so very many mental and physical Buckeye bullets alike.

***

Coastal crap-shoot:
Would the #1 Coastal Division football team be any better than the Bronze Medalist in on the Atlantic aide? Do I hear any better than 4th place and a participation certificate hereby awarded? Think about that for a second gents, think about what that means…

…allow me to connect the dots for you…

• Who is left on our 2014 regular season schedule that we basically can not beat?
• Conversely, who is left on our 2014 regular season schedule that basically can not beat us (…not named Wake)?

“Survey says………………….?”
Nobody.

Or as they say in Vegas, the (eventual) Coastal Division champion is making his point the hard-way. As who knows from week-to-week which coast-watching football team is the better football team on the proverbial “…any given day.” As we have no F.s.u., we have no Klempson, we do not even have a Louisville on the Coastal side. What we do have is a record setting roller-coaster ride forthcoming where anything and everything Coastal can and prolly will happen. As this sure has the look and feel of no better than a 6-2 league action champion, possibly a 5-3 triple-tie-breaker champion at that.

Or in other words, do not fret when we take our second or maybe even our third A.c.c. L in-league play. Everyone else is gonna take their lumps as well, as there simply is not Coastal Alpha to be found. This a race of Coastal Beta’s with a few upsetting Coastal Delta’s sprinkled in for good measure. Enjoy the ride folks, as this Coastal race is gonna go right down to the hooVa wire. (and how long has it been since we could rightfully say that?)

odds and split-ends:

• WMU dropped, at least two TD throws vs. beaten or busted man-coverages; –someone, some-game, someday, won’t…
• Is there a guy who gains a greater percentage of his total yardage after contact that Byrn? Byrn may not be a game-break or home run hitter; though just watch; and tell me if he does not turn a whole lotta bunts into singles and singles into doubles.
• Virginia Tech dropped 2 Brewer passes, although for the first time all year, we had NO deflections!

Virginia Tech=tied for last in the Coastal at a mere o-1, with no tie-breakers, Coastal Games left to play=7

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

bourbonstreet**