Nov
9th – VT
In Part 9 of the 12 part 2013 Miami Hurricanes Opponent
series, we’re going to talk about a team that is a perennial contender in the
ACC every year and has won it 4 times, and that’s the Virginia Tech Hokies, our
opponent in Sun Life Stadium on November 9th.
Here’s what you need to know about the Hokies:
They are led by the legendary Frank Beamer, who’s the
dean of FBS coaches. This man has
seen it all in his 27 years in Blacksburg. However, what’s different this time
is that he needs to bounce back from a terrible season in 2012. They finished
7-6, winning their final three games of
the season. This wasn't your typical Hokie team and as a result, there were
changes in the off season.
Let’s break down the Hokies:
Special Teams: This is the M.O. of Beamer. They have everyone
back, which is great news for that unit. They have back a stud PK in Senior Cody Journell, who came off a monster year, in which he was
20-25 on FGs, and three of those won games for them. While he’s 81% in
his career on FG attempts, his long is just 42 yards.
At Punter, they have back Sophomore A.J. Hughes, who won that job in 2012, and will look to maintain it in 2013. He’s more of a coffin corner type of Punter, averaging 40.6 yards per punt and placing 22 of his 79 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Hughes’ backup is RS Freshman Hunter Windmuller, who the staff believes has a great future.
On KR/PR, the likely returners, respectively, are Knowles and Jarrett. The former was 12th in the nation in 2012 with 28.3 yards a return, while the latter was 9th in the nation with 13.9 yards per return. Both had returns of at least 93 yards.
At Punter, they have back Sophomore A.J. Hughes, who won that job in 2012, and will look to maintain it in 2013. He’s more of a coffin corner type of Punter, averaging 40.6 yards per punt and placing 22 of his 79 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Hughes’ backup is RS Freshman Hunter Windmuller, who the staff believes has a great future.
On KR/PR, the likely returners, respectively, are Knowles and Jarrett. The former was 12th in the nation in 2012 with 28.3 yards a return, while the latter was 9th in the nation with 13.9 yards per return. Both had returns of at least 93 yards.
If there was an issue that drove Beamer nuts, it was the Kick coverage. This is something Beamer prides
himself on. This was something that let them down last season and it was
addressed in the off season They were just way toooo soft in their coverage,
and they missed tackles. As a result, they were 94th in the country, allowing a
TD and more than 23 yards an attempt. That’s
not vintage Beamer Ball as we know it, but they’ve shown some
strides there. With everyone back in Blacksburg, you’ll see a good year and
some semblance of Beamer Ball in 2013.
Defensively: You know what you’re
getting from a Bud Foster Defense, one
that is aggressive and edgy. The 2013 version will be no different. They have
back nine starters, five of those honorable mention All-ACC. Everything is
there to have a another monster year here. The question mark here is will CB
Antone Exum, who suffered a knee injury during the off season be ready once the
bell rings vs Alabama in Atlanta on August 31st? If and when Exum comes
back, he’ll have on the other side, another excellent CB in Senior Kyle Fuller. This is a third-year starter, who wasn’t as good in 2012, as
he was in 2011, where he had 52 tackles, 2 INTs, and broke up 7 passes. As a
result, he was named honorable mention All-ACC. You have to factor in that he
was hurt most of last season. At 6’ and 193 lbs. this guy has all the tools to
be a very good one on the next level. Foster will use him in multiple ways.
Along with the cover skills, this guy hits like a safety, maybe even a LB, and
has speed and the savvy to be a problem for opposing offenses, on blitzes.
While Exum is out, look for Sophomore Donaldven Manning to fill the seat until Exum returns. He did play in 8 games in 2012, making four tackles and gradually getting used to the college game, which is a lot faster than H.S. ball. At 5’9”, and 174 lbs., he has added much-needed weight this offseason. He has the base cover skills to ultimately be a very good CB.
At ROVER, they have Junior Kyshoen Jarrett back, especially now, with the retirement of backup Michael Cole due to a neck injury. In 2012, he was 2nd on the team with 83 tackles, with 4.5 of those being for losses. Also he broke up 4 passes. Never mind the fact that he’s just 5’11”, 194 lbs. This guy has the swagger and nastiness of a much bigger safety, and he can hit with the best of them. This could be his breakout season this year.
While Exum is out, look for Sophomore Donaldven Manning to fill the seat until Exum returns. He did play in 8 games in 2012, making four tackles and gradually getting used to the college game, which is a lot faster than H.S. ball. At 5’9”, and 174 lbs., he has added much-needed weight this offseason. He has the base cover skills to ultimately be a very good CB.
At ROVER, they have Junior Kyshoen Jarrett back, especially now, with the retirement of backup Michael Cole due to a neck injury. In 2012, he was 2nd on the team with 83 tackles, with 4.5 of those being for losses. Also he broke up 4 passes. Never mind the fact that he’s just 5’11”, 194 lbs. This guy has the swagger and nastiness of a much bigger safety, and he can hit with the best of them. This could be his breakout season this year.
At FS, they have back 6’, 189 lb., Junior Detrick Bonner, who played all 13 games in 2012. He
finished fourth on their team in tackles with 60, with 3 of those being for
losses, a pick and broke up 11 passes. He has outstanding speed, and his cover
skills are very good. He’s like a third CB in their secondary.
Hopefully, they’ll have a
healthy Senior LB Tariq Edwards back and ready to go. Last year, was tough to watch
if you’re a Hokie fan, because of the fact he had a leg injury last off season and never healed fully and therefore, was a non-factor there. However, now with
him healthy and quickly amassing confidence, this defense will be a lot better.
Edwards has to be man to help out the leader of that unit Jack Tyler. Tyler’s
backup is 6’2” 230 lb. Junior Chase Willams. This is a guy that’s going to be
vital in Foster’s Defense to give short breaks to Tyler. They are most excited about Sophomore Ronny
Vandyke. At 6’3” and 211 lbs., he has the range to plays all over the field.
They brought him along very slowly. He did start two games in 2012, and had 21
tackles. In 2013, he will be unleashed.
As for their D-Line, they have Senior DE James Gayle back. With a Foster coached
Defense, you know they’re going to have very good and talented players there.
The impact player here is Gayle. He’s already an excellent player on the
surface. He’s the type of guy that can really give opposing OL Coaches and OCs
nightmares having to find ways to stop him. He might be just 6’4”, 253 lbs., but
he’s one of their best players on that team overall. He runs a sub-4.5 in the
forty. He’s also a two-time Second Team All-ACC pick that got a lot of attention
in 2012, and still had 43 tackles, 11 of those for losses. Not to mention he
had five sacks and a team-best 27 quarterback pressures.
Offensively: If they are going to get back to the
VT of old, the offense must step up and produce. They were just pitiful as they
ranked 81st nationally in both total and scoring offense. And as the season
wound down, they got only worse, averaging 19 points over the final six games.
A change was made on this side of the ball, as Bryan Stinespring got the boot
and in came, Scot Loeffler, whose main job is to rebuild the confidence of
Senior QB Logan Thomas. While Thomas wasn't the only problem there, he was the
focus of the Tech fan-base on why the O was just awful. With Loeffler watching Thomas’ every
move, he needs to step it up and be that confident leader, not only for his
team, but his future on the next level. However, this will be no easy task.
Look what has to be done with the O here:
- · There’s a new coach (Loeffler)
- · A new offense and very little talent with which to connect.
- · Uncertainty in the backfield, which has been a staple of Beamer teams through the years,
- · Last year’s top two receivers are gone.
- · Thomas is going to have to step up and be the man in 2013
The RB job is open and a
battle to watch here. They are going to commit more to running the ball, and in
the past, a Beamer staple. In 2012, though, they averaged just 3.7 yards per
carry. Who will be the man to step up here? Think about this: None of their
backs rushed for more than 500 yards in 2012, and you add the fact that no
starter has been named as of yet. The leaders to win that job are Sophomore
J.C. Coleman and Freshman Trey Edmunds, who had a very close battle in the
spring, however, no one stood out here. Another option they could look to is
Michael Holmes, however, only if a spring suspension doesn't carry over to the
fall, we’ll see. The one guy that has to be that guy and they really hope it
turns out to be 6’, 183 lb. 5th year Senior Tony Gregory. If remains healthy for an entire
season, look out. He did carry the ball 64
times for 311 yards and 1 TD.
Their FB, who’s a staple of Beamer offenses, will be Riley Beiro. At 5’9”, and 229 lbs., he only played the first four games of last season, but a shoulder injury ended his season. He’s more of a threat as an H-Back, than he is running.
Their FB, who’s a staple of Beamer offenses, will be Riley Beiro. At 5’9”, and 229 lbs., he only played the first four games of last season, but a shoulder injury ended his season. He’s more of a threat as an H-Back, than he is running.
The WR core took a big hit
due to graduation. As a result, Thomas’ mechanics isn’t going to be the only
problem he deals with in 2013. Though having Senior D.J. Coles back is huge here. At 6’4”
and 238 lbs., he’s as good as anyone when healthy, which wasn't the case in
2012, as he missed the entire season with a knee injury. He
reminds them of Marcus Davis, who was one of the three WRs who’s gone to
graduation. Coles, like Davis, is a big and strong target who can fly with the
best of them when healthy. In 2011, he had 36 receptions for 480 yards and 3 TDs.
On the other side, they have Sophomore Demitri Knowles back. He’s a much smaller and faster version of Coles, but at 6’1” and 177 lbs., he’s still developing. However, their staff think he has the speed and the after burners, to be a deep threat. The area he needs work on is the more short to intermediate routes in order for him to become a reliable target with sure hands.
At TE, they have back Junior Ryan Malleck back, who started seven games in 2012 for them. At 6’4” 248 lbs., he’s a better pass catcher than he is a blocker. He caught 17 passes for 174 yards last year. He makes very good adjustments to the balls in the air, and the expectations for him in 2013 will be greater now that he’s recovered fully from last year’s neck stinger. He will be the go-to guy here for Thomas.
After Coles, Knowles, and Malleck, the rest of the core is very young and will evolve as the season goes on. Coles’ backup is 6’1”, 189 lb., RS Freshman Joshua Stanford. He has big play capabilities, but a injury last season, stripped him of a chance to be an immediate impact player. If he can this new offense on the go, there’s some big plays to be made there for him. Knowles’ backup is 6’, 184 lb., Sophomore Kevin Asante. Like Stanford, he also could not stay healthy all season, only making 2 catches for 18 yards in 10 games.
On the other side, they have Sophomore Demitri Knowles back. He’s a much smaller and faster version of Coles, but at 6’1” and 177 lbs., he’s still developing. However, their staff think he has the speed and the after burners, to be a deep threat. The area he needs work on is the more short to intermediate routes in order for him to become a reliable target with sure hands.
At TE, they have back Junior Ryan Malleck back, who started seven games in 2012 for them. At 6’4” 248 lbs., he’s a better pass catcher than he is a blocker. He caught 17 passes for 174 yards last year. He makes very good adjustments to the balls in the air, and the expectations for him in 2013 will be greater now that he’s recovered fully from last year’s neck stinger. He will be the go-to guy here for Thomas.
After Coles, Knowles, and Malleck, the rest of the core is very young and will evolve as the season goes on. Coles’ backup is 6’1”, 189 lb., RS Freshman Joshua Stanford. He has big play capabilities, but a injury last season, stripped him of a chance to be an immediate impact player. If he can this new offense on the go, there’s some big plays to be made there for him. Knowles’ backup is 6’, 184 lb., Sophomore Kevin Asante. Like Stanford, he also could not stay healthy all season, only making 2 catches for 18 yards in 10 games.
They really want have one
go-to guy there, but only if he steps up and wins the job in Fall Camp. If VT
offense is going to rebound in 2013, its going to be up to the OL to step up
and produce. It starts with Tackle bookends here. They will have a couple of
new starters on the flanks, with Freshmen Jonathan McLaughlin and Laurence
Gibson the likely starters on both the left and right side, respectively. The Center and both Guard spots have experience returning, which
is the strength of this unit. At RG, they have
back Senior Andrew Miller, who started
the first seven games of 2012 at Center before breaking his ankle and missing
the rest of the 2012 season. However, by the end of spring, they moved him over
to RG. The 6’4”, 293 lb. RG, who is also a former wrestler, benefits from
having his toughness and the use of his hands.
With Miller moving over to RG, that opens the door for 6’3”, 303 lb. Junior Caleb Farris to move over to the Center position. Farris actually filled in for Miller in 2012, starting the last five games after Miller got hurt. New OL Coach Jeff Grimes likes his blocker’s versatility, also giving him occasional reps at left guard.
However, the starter at LG will be 6’5”, 301 lb. Junior Brent Benedict, who transferred from UGa. This guy is a stud and he started 6 games in 2012, adjusting to a new system. He has the maturity, is hard-working and very powerful at the point of contact. He comes off a huge off season in the weight room.
Also back for them is 6’3”, 291 lb. Junior Matt Arkema, who started 2 games at left guard in 2012, but currently is Farris’ backup at Center. Let’s not forget that there’s experience in 6’2” 291 lb. G David Wang, who was a 10-game starter in 2012. If healthy, this guy is an animal with a mean streak, but injuries, including a foot injury in April have kept him out of the lineup.
With Miller moving over to RG, that opens the door for 6’3”, 303 lb. Junior Caleb Farris to move over to the Center position. Farris actually filled in for Miller in 2012, starting the last five games after Miller got hurt. New OL Coach Jeff Grimes likes his blocker’s versatility, also giving him occasional reps at left guard.
However, the starter at LG will be 6’5”, 301 lb. Junior Brent Benedict, who transferred from UGa. This guy is a stud and he started 6 games in 2012, adjusting to a new system. He has the maturity, is hard-working and very powerful at the point of contact. He comes off a huge off season in the weight room.
Also back for them is 6’3”, 291 lb. Junior Matt Arkema, who started 2 games at left guard in 2012, but currently is Farris’ backup at Center. Let’s not forget that there’s experience in 6’2” 291 lb. G David Wang, who was a 10-game starter in 2012. If healthy, this guy is an animal with a mean streak, but injuries, including a foot injury in April have kept him out of the lineup.
In closing, they’ll have a
better year than they did in 2012, but after they get spanked by Alabama in
Atlanta. The standard in Blacksburg is to get to Charlotte and win the ACC
Title. They are good, but do avoid FSU
and Clemson this year. The big game for them is on Nov. 9, when they come down
to Sun Life to face us.
My prediction for the Hokies in 2013 is 10-2.
In Part 10 of the series, we’ll
talk about the Duke Blue Devils.
No comments:
Post a Comment