WAR a happy TSL New Year!!! (plus 3 months give or take)
Thanks in no small part to a Hokie win in the CFA Bowl. Seriously, think what this CFA Bowl win did not only for this Spring (big Mo’), not only for 2010 pre-season rankings (I’ll say 5th or thereabouts) … but for Techsideline.com itself. We benefited as much as anybody. Check it out…
Milked are so many post-season posthumous and redundant venom filled threads. Done is so much carping about how Frank had never (past-tense now); won two Bowl games in a row. Over, done, through are countless Hokie on Hokie crime filled threads of shark jumping and dead horse two wrongs make a right and a left hook beating threads. We’ve all seen enough of that every time VT gets beat. I put it to you, have we not?
All because of our 6th straight 10 win season, our 17th consecutive Bowl appearance, our first win over an S.E.C. powerhouse in what seems like forever — all of that to say Virginia Tech 37, Tennessee 14. And if you bet VT-22.5 my hat is not only off to you, it is yours for keeps!
So lets take a look-see at some entertaining 1st Quarter plays in what was precisely a one play game for the first 15 minutes of play.
1st Quarter 14:52 remaining:
233 miles apart are the VT and UT respective campus; and yet the gulf between these two schools did not seem to be real broad when the game started. It started auspiciously as we did not block the UT Linebacker(s) or all-world Safety Berry on our first 3 carries; upon which R.Will managed to grind out 12` of rushing the hard way. On top of all of that #99 for UT stole “Boooooooone” right over the top of the pile on the very first play. UT was indeed hitting early and they were hitting often.
Note also that our first 4 plays all went left; 6 of our first 7 plays went left in fact. Away from Berry who could not possibly cheat up any further; and away from Williams who Monte redeployed as a left-side Dt in either a 0 or 1-technique with the Stillers old-school “pinch” to match Williams up against Brooks; which on paper is a better match-up than launching Williams vs. 4 year starting Guard Sergio Render.
Gotta give Stiney credit for not butting heads with the strength of the UT defense and pulling a Monty Python Holy Grail and “run away” from Williams and Berry; just as I said we should in my previews. Stiney had one of his best play-calling games in a long long time as well folks; and somewhere Hokiestud is smiling.
1st Quarter 11:45 remaining:
Tipped pass by #93 of UT just as my preview said would happen. The book is now out on getting your hands up to get a piece of a T-mobile throw. Watch for this next year; as TT will never be tall; and personally, I would just live with this rather than revamp his throwing technique for the second consecutive season. That risk stripping the gears on so very many other improvements that Coach O’Cain and Tyrod have made over the last 3 seasons.
1st Quarter 11:26 remaining:
Watch Bud’s new found love-affair with slanting our dLine left or right continue. This is a make or break technique. Hell or high water if you will; as the slant technique can make blocking back a fait accompli if Coach Wiles guesses incorrectly. Further, I have noticed that we tend to slant towards the Boundary side or the short-side of the field all year. Watch to see if this continues in 2010; or if opposing teams simply adapt and sweep to the wide-side to take full advantage of just how slanted we’ve become.
1st Quarter 10:29 remaining:
Conversely; note the opening tendency that should surprised no one regarding UT play-calling as Kiffin Jr. went after #9 Hill early and often. Crompton’s first 4 throws were right at Hill who held up well vs. such much 1st Quarter attention. With Hill playing solid ball, Hosley poised as a fluid and a highly instinctive pure ball-hawking CornerBack (Cb) -which suits our Field side much better-; the Roc’ playing extremely well, Whitley a star in waiting and 2 to 4 quality secondary newcomers … if there is a deeper position than Running-Back (Rb) in 2010 that positions name is certifiably Cornerback.
1st Quarter 10:28 remaining:
One thing I noticed about Crompton that surprised me for a senior Qb was that he tended to telegraph his throws by looking at only one receiver at times. We are in Man-to-Man coverage underneath on this one with Zone on the wide side edge. Crompton never sees #6 at the bottom of the screen who is wide freaking open for six after blowing right on by a badly out of position Cody Grimm, after the Roc’ correctly reads Crompton and releases #6 to make a play on the ball. The result is a deep INT for the Roc’ and #6 would still be running if for only one pump-fake to #1 the intended Wr who Kam has smartly covered in Man-to-Man with perfect inside-leverage. UT left a lotta passing points on the field in the ATL folks; Lane Kiffin’s arrogance must be on fire as he watches this play on tape.
1st Quarter 9:48 remaining:
Watcher Jefferson with the crushing C-Gap Hook-Block on #84, the right Defensive-End (De) for UT. This is extremely hard to do; as Jefferson begins with a jab-step outside before grinding #84 into powder on this one; and yes, there was a whole lotta running room to the outside if R.Will had only bounced this one to the edge; thanks to such an outstanding quasi seal-block by Jefferson. Who will replace Jefferson and his Lando Calrissian ‘stache at Fullback for VT in 2010? Younger is ok; and things really thin out behind him. Maybe Josh gets a look at Fb? I’ll be betting the under on how long that experiment lasts however. Also note that #94, poor Wes Brown has his right knee give out on this beautiful drive block by Sergio Render about 5 yards downfield off the line-of-scrimmage (LOS). Watch Serg’ he was pretty happy with himself after the play; though we only got 9` for such A+ individual blocking. I am solid on Nosal and Becton taking over the left-side. The Experience-Curve and the Learning-curve may disagry throughout the month of September.
1st Quarter 9:01 remaining:
R.Will has nothing on this new play; a motion screen to the wide side of the field that was really a jailbreak in favor of UT. However; R.Will breaks 5 tackles on this one play! That’s 5 tackles folks! Where would the 2009 offense be without R.Will? Would it have been as good with former starter D.Evans fulltime? Note that UT’s best remaining Linebacker (McCoy) hurts his left-elbow, his right-knee and his neck all at the end of this play in what turned out to be a game of attrition that saw numerous Vol starters get nuked. Finally note the torque 0n poor McCoy’s neck in this photo for the so-called “stinger”, and on top of all of that he gets his toe caught in the turf (hence the knee injury). The Georgia Dome turf was VERY unforgiving for both teams; just ask R.Will three different times later on. On the very next play; a awful attack angle from McCoy’s replacement nearly scores 6 points for R.Will.
1st Quarter 7:41 remaining:
Watch Smitty totally abuse #42 for UT on this seldom seen Dooley era refugee “Toss Sweep” play to the leftside for R.Will. Ichabod Crane and I both loved this play as #42 for UT does lose his helmet and nearly loses his head on this hammerhead block by Smitty on the left hand edge. WOW! Smitty is the best blocking VT Te since King, and maybe since Burke. He needs a friend at Te however; which has me expecting a lotta 4-Wide sets for 2010.
1st Quarter 6:45 remaining:
The one thing I’ve already seen rewatching this CFA Bowl for the 4th time is that ‘Quell and Gibby still do not shed blocks worth a dang! Seriously folks; I’ve not seen it this pitiful since 2003. Watch #65 maul poor Gibby like the final scene in Brad Pitt’s Legends of the Fall. Graves being healthy does mask some of this; nevertheless, our Lb’s must improve at getting off of blocks this Spring and next August or any team with a strong G-C-G internal blocking wedge matches-up well with next year. Now ‘Quell is hurting; Taylor may just surprise some of you, at least in terms of combating the Run.
1st Quarter 4:10 remaining:
We do live and play in the modern era of college football folks; just check out our blaze orange newfangled Athletic Tape! Works well on the last day of October, during hunting season, or if you are a Mummy. (note the game time and the big PIC link for a rarefied triple entendre)
1st Quarter 3:11 remaining:
If there is such a clinical thing as a hyperextension to an ankle this would be it; as R.Will’s left foot gets its high side caught in the Georgia Dome turf as big #94 and his entire body mass land right on top of R.Will’s left-foot. This was R.Will’s first of three ankle/foot injuries that eventually conspired to prematurely end his CFA night. This one required a new brace and an outer layering of black athletic tape on top of that as R.Will’s left ankle was never the same after this carry. (tape job big PIC link)
1st Quarter 2:52 remaining:
Watch my boy D.Wilson on the sidelines. I’d wager the over on the numbers of times Coach Hite has accidentally stepped on him as that’s right where D.Dub stands. Right in between Coach Hite and Coach Hite’s shadow the whole entire time. That said, guess who got into the game when R.Will went down on the previous play? #4, our Johnny on the spot. The question now is when will we see our proverbial Johnny on the spot out on the field again? 2010 or 2011 per a r-shirt for D.Wilson?
1st Quarter 1:10 remaining:
Four different screen-pass plays called by young Kiffin to begin the game. He did hit two later on; though this surprised me. UT had the 12th best pass-blocking oLine coming in; a great play-action based attack vs. a stop-unit that has taken a lot of play-action bait in the last 25 games with Kam playing out of position at Free-Safety (Fs), and our best Cb academically ineligible. Go fig’?!? Maybe Kiffin Jr. is not as smart as he thinks he is. That, and why did we not prep a 2009 Fs for 2010 and give Kam some time off? Exum is my pick here; though everyone else is picking Whitley.
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1st Quarter outakes:
My Time To Throw chart is blank (other than the tipped pass) for the first time ever after 15 minutes of play! WOW! Could we really be learning how to pass-block and therefore becoming a complete oLine for the first time since 2000 folks?
I said in my preview that it was “our imperative” to win the 1st down battle and make the UT offense chase the chain-gang all night long. How’d we do?
- 1st UT Drive: 2nd and 7, then 2nd and 10, result=INT.
- 2nd UT Drive: 2nd and 5, result=Punt.
- 3rd UT Drive: 2nd and 13, result=Punt.
See what I mean? We allowed 1.25 yards on First Down on average to open the game and made UT play behind the sticks; at least early on. The result was a shutout until the 5:13 mark of the 2nd Quarter, or a goose-egg for the first 25 minutes of play.
Curious that both teams oLines struggled to reach the second layer of the opposing defense to begin this CFA contest. Though Coach Newsome did change that later on. I was also intrigued to see all-everything Berry reduced to a virtual non-factor in the first 20 minutes of play; outside of one jarring hit early on. I have to applaud the Frank-n-Stiney offense for that one folks; as they sagely did what I averred they do and don’t even bother with Williams, McCoy and Berry and simply run away from UT’s strengths. I’ve said it before, and I’ma gonna say it again … football ain’t rocket surgery folks. There were indeed some handsome strong points to UT’s defense; with a next level ballers (Williams, McCoy and Berry) in each of the Vols three defensive layers. However, there were some weak spots that were quite inviting as well. We did a wonderful job of hammering these weak spots in the opening stanza which yielded big time dividends in full during the final 19:40 of play.
“LETS GO!”
“HOKIES!”
b’street
You should consider embedding videos of specific plays in your blogs and your analysis articles. Phreak obviously makes videos for your analysis, which helps, but it would make things much easier for your readers if the clips were included. I know people like me could also use a diagram or two to better understand the plays you describe. I know it’s extra work for you, but I think it might not be that much extra work, and it would be worth it. Consider it.
You’re the man. Keep up the good work.
That is one of 3 ideas I have under scrutiny.
Our software did not like the one time I tried some Vid Hosting. Though that was numerous versions ago. I have to hope it is more video compliant at this point.
Still looking for a good free-ware or share-ware X’s and O’s diagram’er.
Thank you CCT. I will try to add something before Boise.
b’street
🙂 That’s great.
What are the other 2 ideas under scrutiny?
Well, I’ve found an X’s and O’s diagram software system that I like. That’s one. And that’s done. Just a matter of when I roll it out. Might trial run it with the old UT stuff to make sure it works a-ok.
Some video capture. Real chalk-board (or erasable white-board) stuff with me drawing the play manually like a real coach still does. Which would have visual and audio blended together like a real filmstudy room always does.
Or Happy Hour with bourbonstreet. Some kinda version of a live real-time Q&A on TSL.com. A proverbial TSL chat for an hour or so once a week or every other week. Though the logistics on both the 2nd and 3rd ideas are just a tad sticker than the software I got last nite to do X’s and O’s.
I am always looking to add something new (if it is good). Added the check-box match-up’s for hoops this year. That went well. People liked that.
Also always willing to field good solid suggestions.
Anyone please feel free………..
b’street
Gosh, all three of those things sound great. I’m a junior at Tech, and I really only started watching football my freshmen year, with this year being my first year reading your articles or being active on the site.
Your analysis has been a huge help for me understanding what is going on on the field, but not being very knowledgeable about football tactics, I sometimes get lost trying to picture a play in my head or understand a player’s role. That Xs and Os software and the real chalkboard video both sound like just the ticket.
Happy hour sounds pleasant too.