Virginia Tech at East Carolina football preview

#42 R.P.I. Virginia Tech @ #7o R.P.I. East Carolina:

Today’s word of the day is… exiguous

ex·ig·u·ous

(ĭg-zĭg′yo͞o-əs, ĭk-sĭg′-)

With family funeral traveling obligations this week, this is gonna be a short preview.

So Virgina Tech is gonna win!
Ok, now I’m done.

Well, maybe not that short, though Furman work-week truncated nevertheless.
As here is what I see on film, in brief…

East Carolina Defense: (starters back=)

• 3-4 base set with a true Ng did see some forty-three (4-3) looks as well.
• With overshift in 2nd-layer Will to left-side (be that wide, short, or even); and then a further overshift from the ILb’s as the Will is 1-2 yards further wide than even that.
• Will put the Will and Sam even up on the LOS for a pseudo 5-2 look in run fighting situations.
•  InLb twins, are pretty run-heavy, they will run blitz in support of the same.
• Did see some zone-blitz from the De or from the Sam depending upon the set. MEMO to Scot: short-side De did not impress me in coverage.
• The high-Fs lines-up dead on the Qb (or Tb) at times, which hides any lateral coverage splits or rotation(s).
• Does have some medium-man umbrella looks that almost look like the hind-3 in Beamer’s ole Murray State WT-6 set.
• Secondary did draw some P.I. and holding flags on film, Scot should have Shane working this on the sideline. Did like the deeper Dime look here, really nice flood-zones with a lotta recovery speed fueled convergence once the ball is away.
• 2 good linebackers and De’s were just a little better than Ng, though just too many leverage and run-fit misQ’s on fills. Not untalented, so much as could execute better.
• field-Cb was pretty tight; the other 3? Not so much, inexperience abounds here.
• Tackling was a little high at times, though about average overall.
• D did seem to want for some edge contain on countering and crossbucks.
• 516 rushing yards allowed in the last 2 weeks!

 Defensive letter-grade:

E.C.U. Offense: (returning starters=6, almost entire skill-set is gone!)

• oLine has experience  with mammoth (6’9” 348 lb.) starting right-Ot, 4 starters back, Center has a trick-knee, might be a good place to A-gap blitz Sean.
• almost all ‘gun, Spread or Read sets from a single Hb split just in front of the smaller Kemp Qb (6’1’ 2o7 lbs. Jr.); did see an even T-look however.
• Kemp did go to a couple of Jr.College bowls at Mesa Community College, 3 straight State Titles in high school says he is a winner! A Lefty, said to be mobile and accurate (not sure I saw that on film, though that’s just me); did however put up 3 games in 2 years in excess of 556 passing! (i.e. can get hot); does not have the greatest strength nor athletic testing metrics I’ve ever read for a Pivot.
• Kemp in lieu of Qb Kurt Benkert (knee) who is out for the year (God Bless); Kurt was whispered to have a significant edge back in Camp, FWIW.
• somewhat smaller Rb’s, this can’t hurt Sean, either.
• O has lottsa quick quick hitting old Texas Tech Air Raid elements still in it. Will play-action with short to intermediary 1 or 3 step type stuff, lotta screens on tape as well. Lottsa slanting, angular routes here. Boom-boom-boom. This offense moves fast. Better tackle well at the L.O.S., as this quick-hitting set lives for Y.A.C. or pass-protect Seams. Will occasionally isolate the sideline route for at least a little vertical stretch. Te does good work here.
• Rushing seems to have a countering element with the Qb one way and the Hb the other. Mostly in between or just outside the Ot-box.
• Qb on pace for -16o rushing this season; YIKES!
• O seemed to allow an inordinate amount of internal penetration on breaking tape. Wiles should have some fun here.

Offensive  letter-grade:

Pirates Special Teams: (P returns)
E.C.U.’s 2 FG Kickers are a combined 33% on the year, that’s not good, and snow is rumored to be white. Very average Punt and KO return squads. Did not catch many Punts for what it is worth. Punter does not have great leg-strength; he does have 45th best in coverage downfield on his directional punting. So his 37 yard net is a bit deceptive. KO coverage is 75th or just a bit below average.

Special Teams letter-grade: (D+++)

X-factor(s):

• Penalties: PUSH, both teams flag prone, VT is a little worse
• weather: looks wet, should favor the better more physical oLine, THX @coach Stacy!
• motive: might favor VT a scosche, could be a little payback vibe here
• homecourt: does favor E.c.u., though this is a smaller Stadium and it may be a soggy stadium to boot
• health: E.c.u. is actually more beat-up than we/VT are. God bless! Edge Hokies.

Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:
Rain rain go away, come again another day.
-E.C.U. fans-

According to Advanced Stats Football Study Hall, the Pirates field the following football factors on Saturday…

• 115th in rushing defense success rate
• 121st in rushing defense power rate
• 121st in defensive 3rd down conversion rate allowed
• 124th in defensive rushing stuff rate
• and 112th in Havoc Rate (TFL (including sacks), Turnovers and Qb Hurries —basically my very own Lo.FM© metric)

  

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the takeaway:
The takeaway here is… that this cursory of a preview really needs to go on and publish itself; preferably prior to Saturday at 3:30pm.

That attempt at satire aside, although this game may not be a proverbial laugher, Virginia Tech is the road fave here with at least decent if not significant reason(s).

The one concern is the sloppy elemental conditions that seem poised to strike Greenville South Carolina on Saturday. Who is to say that a Virginia Tech Tb does not drop the rock? That a Virginia Tech Qb does not have one slip away? Yes, rain should hurt the offense that can seemingly only pass, that does not run well, and the same teams’ stop-squad that does not defend the run well just the same. That’s East Carolina sports-fans, unless of course we/Virginia Tech go down there and muck things up.

Tech has a substantial edge in T.O.P. +almost 8 minutes coming in. Tech has noticeable trench-warfare check-marks as well. So why not K.I.S.S. and slow this game down, establish the O&M rush, do not let Motley throw in the rain, make the back-up E.c.u. Qb have to pass in the rain and let him become all the more 1-dimensional on the scoreboard and make him give tallying chase A.S.A.P.? Bud does pretty dang good work versus uno-dimensional offenses’  last time so I checked. Or did that just make too much sense?

Let Motley enjoy his final 120 minutes of fame, roll the game-clock, start the bus and get the hell outta town with a clean, slop-free, retro, atavistic, or throwback win. Keep this Hokie offenive game-plan brief, simple, forceful, inflicting and exiguous. Beat dat ass on the line-of-scrimmage, hit that smaller E.c.u. Qb early and often and get ready for A.c.c. play back at home hosting Pitt.

Or in other words, Frank really  should be in his Claiborne Era elemental element here, win a weathering football game he mostly controls, with power-rushing, sound defense and special-teams. This is Frank’s cup of O&M old-school tea, win the misQ blinking contest and eat up the game-clock; see you next time at 3-1.

upset Index=22%

Virginia Tech=29, East Carolina=1o

“LETS GO!“

“HOKIES!“

bourbonstreet**