National Trophy Case?!?
We don’t need no stinking National Trophy Case!
“So our deal is, let’s win the ACC championship and go play for the national championship and win that this time. I think that’s where our players are. I know that’s where I am.” -Frank Beamer-
We just need the bling!
The cheddar!
The Ring!
Although so did Gollum, and we all see how things went for him?
Though does Frank have a R.A.T.T. chance at “the precious”; or at least one more Atlantic Coast signet? Well, if this speedy, talented and yet thin defense can stay healthy, if Frank can go Mary Shelly, Igor and Frankenstein and manufacture just one Kicker outta special teams spare parts, and if this offense were to suddenly …and of all things… actually click?
Yes.
Yes he can.
Yes he will.
10-4 here we come!
That sunshine and puppy-dog header firmly in place, I do wanna point a couple of things out…
“Get up I said git git git down…“
Here’s the one knock I can find on my boy Michael Brewer –notice the elevation to “my boy” status as well; presuming and coach God willing, his back holds up and is good-to-go this season. That one knock you ask? He sure sits down on his throws.
Just like we teach people in sparing in Boxing, this kid scrunches up his core muscles, and vertically deflates himself, while also heavily loading his front-Deltoids (shoulder muscle) with a perfectly parallel wind-up like a rubber-band just about to go “snap” (as someone documented, earlier). However, this sit-down passing approach, while conjuring a favorably zippy enough looking throw, does industrialize one major drawback: his release point. As in it is a bit as low classical release-point’s go in textbook terms. So go ahead and expect a few batted balls and a few pop-up deflections here and there from time-to-time. The only solution(s) being …a pass-protect scheme that deliberately attempts to crave out a throwing lane or lanes per side, be that from the Cup or from the classical V-set. Or, go ahead and simply 1/2 or full roll this kid outta the pocket where the horizontal stretch or a simple pump-fake will create passing lane(s) aplenty as needed.
***
Notice as well, that part of Brewer’s notably catchable ball -or soft touch- is a product of a release that should remind you of someone; someone recent, someone who is off to a helluva a training camp start, someone who effortlessly went from Chicago Maroon to Cardinal indeed.
Observe that a good deal of Brewer’s passes tend to leave his finger tips nose-up and remain concave-soft for the duration of his flight. Hence the very catchable ball, that tends to decelerate right in the hands of O&M wideouts everywhere, right at the very last second. In the common tongue we call this putting “…some touch” on the ball, in the Canton lexicon however, you call this Montana ‘esque. The once difference here you will correctly point out is arm-strength. Logan’s nose-up release point was all about going sailing on overthrow after overthrow, thanks to a German WWII era 88 anti-tank gun strapped to his right shoulder. Brewer has more of a close range mortar if you will. He’s got a good enough arm, it’s fine out to 45-55 yards; though it’s not quite an I.C.B.M. nuclear tipped 70-75+ yard screamer (as LT3’s was) either. Hence the Brewer throw does not wanna buddy up with Dennis Connor and go America’s Cup sailing on overthrow after overthrow; instead it prefers to die, and gently, right in the hands of the intended target.
Built Ford Tough:
With apologizes to Chevy or imported truck fans everywhere, Isiah Ford is the truth! Though so (apparently) is Cam Phillis. Sources are hearing some good things re: these two rookie Wr’s right now folks.
Don’t let Ford’s weigh-in metrics fool you, this guy is all sliced up for being a relatively mere buck-seventy-four or 174 lbs. And he looks pretty nifty on the End-around play; which we know great Scot likes to run. Cam, although listed bigger in weight; looks the less physically developed of the two to me. Though he did have the more developed looking scholastic career, and by no small measure. Cameron is more parts pure Wideoout and less parts pure athlete. 28” in the vertical and a downright pokey looking 4.92 high 40 time says so. That being said, don’t forget he was a pretty fair basketball player at DeMatha and he just has a natural knack for getting open; kinda like a drunken man’s Charlie Joyner of Air-Coryell fame or maybe even a youngster with just a subtle whiff of Art Monk to his game. Ford is not exactly a T&F star either, at 4.86 in the 40. Though he does have some burst to his game with a 4.42 shuttle and a 34” vertical leap. Ford also has one other thing, an amazing offer list! Oregon, F.S.U., Florida, Louisville, Clemson, Miami, can’t all be wrong. Or as the British say: “…when 10 men tell you your drunk you’d better lie down!”
So what I’m really seeing here, is two multi year starters at Wideout, sans a bit of explosion or verticality, although do not forget that Newsome and Parker each have plenty of that. So when you blend these four together you get no less than two matched sets or bookend looking very balanced or even downright complimentary pass catching parts. Accordingly, Virginia Tech suddenly looks pretty good at Wide Receiver for the next 4-5 years — and least we forget, likewise at Qb.
Clinical Section: …the +++Fun Bunch revisited?
Frankly speaking, this may be just what the team physician ordered. As an B-12 shot of some plain ole training camp fun, seems to have perked Frank Beamer back up a bit. 1:10, that’s the ratio of facial muscles it takes to begin to smile to fully frown. See what I mean? it sure as hell takes a lot less effort to have, plain, ole, fun –than it does to be a sour puss’.
Each year’s football team is different as a composite personality goes. Last years team was a bit more by the book or business like, ginders if you will. The one the year before liked the night life, and liked to party; then complain about it being too hot up in Pittsburgh pre-game.
Each squad is different as new leaders emerge; and that’s just the inherent nature of the sporting beast.
This years club however is fun loving. NO! I did not just nag their work ethos, focus, allegiance, or anything associate to that. I AM saying that it is entirely my personal thesis of thought, that this more vibing, more vibrant, more vivacious team could not have possibly come along at a better time. You may not be able to teach an old Frank new tricks; though you can excite and reinvigorate the same thanks to a sporting breath of fresh air, a sizey clump of some very handsome looking underclassman talent, and a younger -even at times outright more playful- attitude team wide. Frank needed that like a “dead man needs a coffin”, as this ebullient bunch coagulated in a applied sport-psych or lockeroom chemistry sense at precisely the right time folks! Make no mistake on that, and even though this team may not full mature for 1-2 more seasons, and even if they may indeed make a few entry level or rookie year mistakes on the way to the Atlantic Coast Candy-shop, they have also made things new again at Virginia Tech –where things had gotten rather “stale”, and suddenly, in the last 26 games.
Loading ...I for one find this year’s training camp most refreshing –an F5 O&M sporting keystroke if you will that could not have possibly come at a better time.
–BOOK IT!
Virginia Tech freshness=10, stale=zip!
“LETS GO!”
“Hokies!”
bourbonstreet**
Another boost to my Hokie News Needs …Thank You. Enjoy every article and LOVE the picture. No, not the Players…the Puppies ..
You never know what Google Images will fine.
I mean find.
; )
b-street
B.street, put this under the good problems to have category… It now looks like we’ve got a stable of young offensive talent at the skill spots (though as a former big ugly, I always maintain some of the best athletes on every team reside on the line). It’s strange for me to think that we’ve potentially got guys who can seriously ball, but may never see the field, such as Caleb and now potentially Macmillan. I think this type of competition for spots may be standard at Bama-esque programs, but I’m not use to seeing it with VT, except maybe in the DB positions. Recruiting is cyclical for sure, but without a recent run into the top 10, is Tech a “big” enough program to keep pulling talented guys in when a starting spot looks a lot more difficult to claim?
And my vote says they’re going to be good this year, despite being young. Besides, for the O-Line every game after the buckeyes will have to seem easier.
I’m not a fan of switching sides at this level.
(let them settle in and hopefully matriculate one 1 side alone)
However, if they can not crack it on O, they gotta find a home over on the somewhat depth chart thinny Defense. (and yah; it has a subtle whiff of S.e.c. competition to it –good take Sir)
In particular my boy Joel Caleb.
He is a lb. for lb. hitter for the last 4-5 years in fact.
b.street
Thanks for the article B-Street. I used to get annoyed at the predictable annual positive outlook on the team and some of our “freak of nature athletes” (not talking about you, just the general tone of seemingly every preseason take on the upcoming season). And then the season comes, and even in the “good years”, we’d inevitably fail on whatever the biggest stage was that season. But as I get a little older it doesn’t bother me as much…for one, I think it’s just the nature of most college football fans because of their love for all things (insert alma mater here). I’ve also come to appreciate it as the nature of many human beings-look for the positives, conjecture about what could be, and just a sincere desire to want the best for the school and fans you love-not to mention rooting for kids and coaches that work their freaken tails off, to make the football season in Blacksburg the best damn time of year! And then there’s the fact that we all see things through a different lens and from varying perspectives. Maybe some of that P.A.T.T. attitude isn’t as prevalent as I think, but more of a function of how I want to interpret things. And expectations. I’ve certainly learned to tone them down a little bit, not just as it relates to VT football, but life in general-football seasons are kind of like a microcosm of life as far as expectations are concerned. As the bigger the gap between reality and what I want to happen or where I think things should be, have a direct correlation to my level of happiness and peace. The bigger the gap, the more likely I am to constantly be disappointed…and that’s no fun. And with all the calamities in life and around the world, I’d much rather be closer to the proverbial glass half full kinda person.
Having said all that, there does seem to be a palpable positive vibe with the football team this year, not to mention all things VT, including Buzz, Whit, etc. And whether or not Coach Beamer could somehow go out on top in a fairytale ending, it’s nice just to see the man who built this whole thing re-energized! That is something that is without a doubt obvious and it’s great to see. And like you said, the difference in his aura may not just be wishful thinking….as throughout the years, Frank’s demeanor has been pretty darn consistant. The world thought Ronald Reagan was just some cowboy actor, with a laid back attitude that his counterparts underestimated to their own surprise. Maybe, just maybe, Frank’s got a little bit of the old gipper’s mentality….and maybe when its all said and done the hot shot elites like Urban will look back one day in disbelief and say with a smile…that good ole boy from fancy gap did it his way, and surprised us all. After all, its not exactly easy to be the winningest active coach in all of college fb, not to mention all of the other accolades he’s racked up along the way- and continue to fly under the radar despite one of the best resumes out there. Either way, I’m gonna enjoy the ride.
One last thing-maybe its bc I’m a PA boy, but I’ve got a bit of a man-crush on Shai. The recent depth chart looks like they’re leaning towards redshirting him, but I don’t think it will be too long before Blacksburg becomes Shai-town! Keep up the good work, thanks for the article!