VT Defense v. GT 2013

Yaller Jacket

Ramblin' Wreck
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Boomer's take on what Bud Foster might do is a strange thing to think about. It would never occur to me that a VT defense could ever scheme any differently. Part of their brand as a VT defense is the idea of super aggressive chance taking in order to rattle the offense into mistakes. Not to see them playing like that is like asking a whale to fly. It's just not them.
 

Boomergump

Helluva Engineer
Featured Member
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Boomer's take on what Bud Foster might do is a strange thing to think about. It would never occur to me that a VT defense could ever scheme any differently. Part of their brand as a VT defense is the idea of super aggressive chance taking in order to rattle the offense into mistakes. Not to see them playing like that is like asking a whale to fly. It's just not them.
You may be right. If they do, I like our chances. Who knows? Maybe we will crumble under the pressure like OSU. I just feel we are positioned to handle it better with the quickness in the backfield and the quickness of the releases on throws. The speed of our option game is night and day different from last year as is the decisiveness.
 

CTJacket

Ramblin' Wreck
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You may be right. If they do, I like our chances. Who knows? Maybe we will crumble under the pressure like OSU. I just feel we are positioned to handle it better with the quickness in the backfield and the quickness of the releases on throws. The speed of our option game is night and day different from last year as is the decisiveness.

I think that's the biggest question to me. If the men come out and aren't overwhelmed by the environment/road/whatever, as young teams sometimes do, then I think we'll be fine.
 

Techster

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Pretty good insight into Foster's defense from AJC (it's paid content so I can't copy and paste the entire article...sorry guys):

http://www.myajc.com/news/sports/co...nbox_apr2013_ajcstub1#835b1985.3568866.735494

Virginia Tech doesn’t do anything against the Yellow Jackets that they haven’t seen before.

The key, according to former Tech quarterbacks coach Brian Bohannon, who is now the head coach at Kennesaw State, is that the Hokies do it very well.
When Bohannon was at Tech between 2008-12, the Hokies played a four-man front with three linebackers, something they will likely do again Saturday.
The two defensive tackles are charged with holding their ground to eliminate the dive play, a staple of the option offense, and prevent Tech’s offensive linemen from getting down field to block. The Hokies are dealing with injuries to both starters.

The two outside linebackers will start by lining up close behind the defensive ends in a stack formation. They will then move around between gaps before the snap. The movement prevents the quarterback and offensive linemen from setting the blocking scheme before the play starts.
“They don’t define what they are going to do at the snap, you have to read it as you go,” said former quarterback Tevin Washington, who was 0-2 as starter against Hokies.

The goal for that front four, which becomes a front six after the outside linebackers find their spots, is to free up the middle linebacker to find the ball and make the tackle. Two years ago, Jack Tyler had 17 tackles against the Jackets in an example of what happens when the scheme is successful. The starter for the Hokies this year will be senior Chase Williams, who is in his first year as a starter.

Here's the interesting nugget:

Tech B-back Zach Laskey and offensive lineman Shaq Mason said the Jackets are working on some new schemes this week to try to check what Foster may do.

“I feel good with what we’ve done, but I know (Paul Johnson) is going to have a wrinkle,” Foster said. “We’ve got to adjust to it. It’s always a chess match with how he’s trying to attack us a little bit differently, and then how we’re trying to adjust to that.”
 
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