#119 R.P.I. Western Michigan @ #39 R.P.I. Virginia Tech:
The Western Michigan Broncos were picked 124th by Lindy’s pre-season, opening as a 28 point point dog out in Vegas and now stand as a 21 point underdog; huh?!? What am I missing here sports-fans?
Maybe the so-called “Top Recruiting Class in M.A.C. history” has a little something-something to do with that?
Or could there truly be some Hokie blood chumming the Duck Pond waters???
W.Mich Defense: (starters back=5) (4-3/3-4 hybrid base)
- will Center pinch the Ng/Dt, just like the Stillers and Joe Green
- #8 (Ng/Dt) sure is a beasty boy on tape; especially to be so small.
- VERY little dLine depth exists here, ask the final 20 minutes how this tastes (hopefully)
- not the most athletic 2nd-layer I’ve ever seen (all the more so for being so small); does not change directions well in tape, suggesting counter work vs. these Lb’s
- slightly greater Lb offset (linear one) at times as well
- Secondary toggles man coverages very well, press, medium, off, sag, help, whatever, it is all on tape. Boundary-Cb will align as a 4th Lb at times.
- Linear looking Safeties, about 15 off the LOS (line-of-scrimmage), almost 2 Centerfielders if you will. Hence, there is a area downfield along the sideline that is basically Safety free due to the time it takes for help to arrive laterally.
- Every team I saw seemed to wanna go after the WMU left-side Cb, (#7) as the other one (#34) Celiscar was named the best pure cover-Corner in the M.A.C. pre-season and could have a Sunday payday forthcoming | watch for great Scot to give #7 some love as well
WMU Offense: (returning starters=7) (OFF-set Gun looks)
- somewhat narrower looking splits on tape (surprising for such a bantamweight oLine); bit less Te all things being equal; Te=short-side when deployed
- lottsa downhill (off the slope of the Crown itself) almost wvu looking 45-degree zoning.
- all 5 oLine starters are back!
- Will offset sometimes 2 same-side Slots, by 2-3 yards, almost linear with a Pistol type Qb, very odd.
- Curiously enough, will throw to the motion-man, pre-snap, be that Tb or otherwise.
- Excellent play-faking Qb (best I’ve seen a a while), dude can vend user cars tomorrow, if he Roy L. Fuchs and Kurt Russel, want.
- Lottsa classical Spread set plays, read-options, misdirection, will go under C on short-yardage, play-action most of the time from the offset Gun.
- Will run Reverses and other backside misdirections, our defenders must stay home
- Very nice Plunge play work with Franklin (the 3rd leading rusher in college football) up the middle. Hits the hole quickly, great pad-level, much faster than his 530 lb. dead-lift avers. (we do NOT need to arm-tackle this one folks)
- The Jump Sweep to the motioning Se is something to see! (a Utah Pass to a man-in-motion); at full-speed!
- Terrell the Qb is a bit prone to picks when on the MOVE. Must not let him set-up, plant, and simply throw. NOT a speedy Qb at all, our blitzing speed could really get to and possibly bust this Bronco up.
- #1 in RedZone offense and 15th in Run Offense for all of D-1! (15 in TOP as well, so fatigue could be a factor for such a hurting Hokie D here, if WMU controls the clock)
Bronco Special Teams: (both return)
Watch, the pre-KO dance/taunt, call it what you will from Western Michigan, just call it something I’ve never seen on film before. And how often at this stage do I get to see that? Tied for dead-last in Punt Returns at -5 (yes, negative five) yards per return! 10th best however in KO returns at +28.83 per kick. 114th in punt coverage and 98th in KO coverage defense is about as user-friendly as we will see all year. Schroeder has a bionic leg and yet only average consistency and direction as a Punter (76th in Net). The Kicker is indeed 18 of 19 on the year; although only two of those were FGA’s (both makes) … Haldeman (the place-Kicker) has however made 22 of his last 26 going back to 2011, so there is that. Although it is said that Haldeman struggles with KO distance, which suggests a lack of long-range FGA strength as well (only 1 make beyond 42).
Special Teams letter-grade: (C—, only KO returns and Haldeman inside of just beyond 40 mean much here)
X–factor(s):
Hokie: focus, youth, execution of leverage, practice intensity vis-à-vis consistent reports of inconsistent or downright “sloppy” participation in the last two weeks. Including taking some praktikē, time …off?!? WTH?!? That was Greek for practice by the way, which seems foreign to us.
Loading ...Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, Virginia Tech should win this, Virginia Tech is supposed to win this one; and yet how many of you (still) reading this would wager your life that Virginia Tech will win this one?
Me neither, just like all my years (thank you Coach God) of playing the Point in hoops …I’ll pass on this one. As who can be sure which Virginia Tech is the real Virginia Tech? The blitzy hell-bent-for-leather @Ohio State downright upsetting Virginia Tech? Or the flat as a board emotional and mental carpenter’s dream Virginia Tech that twice got upset, and that just extended our B.c.s. home L streak to, four.
Will the real Virginia Tech: “please stand up, please stand up”?
In point of fact, Virginia Tech has not beaten a D-1 opponent, at home, inside of Lane Stadium, down on Worsham Field, ….in coming up on a full year, less a fortnight (or basically two weeks)! No really! I’m not making that up, and since half-past-when is that the new norm’?
***
As Western Michigan is out-rushing our beloved Hokies by 278 to 113 per game in each squads most recent three contests. More pointedly, the Broncs average 6.4 per rush, and we only confess 3.2 per carry. So you tell me how I’m supposed to make this pick; when everything should point to a Hokie VicTory, and yet with mounting defensive injuries, not a whole helluva a lot here actually does. As crazed as this may read, cold these upstart BIG-M.a.c. Broncos be catching us at just the right upsetting time?
And yet, it is our Hokies that are precisely 12 points removed -or less than 2 full plays- from still being perfect on the fourteen campaign. And if my Aunt Kim had nutz and a bolt she’d be my Uncle Tim.
““Just too many penalties, too many mistakes and too much not coming up with the play. But we can be a good football team and it’s up to us to get there. We’re not there right now.” -Frank Beamer, head football coach Virginia Tech-
Bingo that, we can be a good football team, we prolly should be a good football team men; and yet the training-room in particular is filing a dissenting opinion, and so am, I.
As this one has ugly win written all over it, maybe even a fugly win at that –in a game where the final score does not reflect the true nature of the contest itself. As I fully expect this one to be hotly contested, and stay closer for way longer than it should, as Western Michigan just has to be liking its chances and licking its chops, right about now.
Virginia Tech=3o Western Michigan=15
“LETS GO!“
“HOKIES!“
bourbonstreet**
If WMich is tied for dead-last in punt return average, you have to wonder which other team shares that dubious honor.
I’m presuming that may have to do with penalty yards, creating the negativity.
(that sound familiar)
+1 for Schroeder on the piano!
b.street
Stroman finally busts a punt return for 6 tomorrow.
In years past, the leaders on the team always stepped up and did the leading. I remember reading about lots of team meetings called by players. Haven’t read that this year, yet…
Stroman=WHEN.
(not if, he has tons of moves and almost as much speed)
b.street
p.s. I’m NO fan of Players-Only-Meetings; if there ever was a serial killer red-flag, that traditionally is it