VT Defense

[gtg936g]

If you think back to last year, you probably think VT dominated that game. I watched that game again today. It was 14-10 VT going into the 4th and we got the ball on a VT punt. This is after 5 false start penalties in the first half, and two turnovers. We shot ourselves in the foot every conceivable way, and we were still in the game. I think we can win this year, and should have won last year. I do not think we even need to run the triple to beat them.

Couple notes.

1. Smelter got good separation from their corners on almost all pass plays.

2. I think we will have a good strategy to deal with gap blitzing. The gap blitzing is a high risk play for the D. If the D jumps the gap, and the ball is pitched to the side the pressure comes from the D will get burned. Last year we seemed to run to the edge away from the pressure instead of toward it, and I am not sure why. If VT plays us the same way this year expect CPJ to test the edge often.

3. The dive was hard for VT to deal with when they did not crash the gaps. More of the same this year.

4. I expect a good cat and mouse game this year, and I like our chances with JT.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

A week early, but I like it.

 

[DvilleJacket]

I was at that game and it was so uncomfortable to watch. Just couldnt ever get into a rythme on offense.

 

[gtg936g]

Our O moved the ball last year and would then shoot itself in the foot. If we just come out and pound the rock we will be fine.

 

[Eric]

Have to give credit to Foster, he comes up with great schemes.

Look forward to seeing what twist he adds this year, he isn't going to stay the same.

I know CPJ wants this one bad...I look forward to this one.

We will truly see where we are at.

 

[takethepoints]

I think we pretty much saw what Bud has in mind: single coverage for the WRs, pressure on the edges, and trust the DTs. Pretty much what they did last year.

That worked against OSU because: their WRs didn't hit block one, their OL isn't all that good, and their QB kept throwing routes that his WRs couldn't get separation on. I might add that, whatever else you might have heard about Urban Meyer, his offense makes it pretty hard to run a lead option. I didn't see much from their RBs in the way of blocking either, iow.

I'm sure Bud is telling his D right now, "Ok, that was easy since they don't know how to block the edge. It won't be like that with Georgia Tech!" He's right. I don't know if we can beat them up there - it's always difficult and we need to improve a lot - but I bet we do better on O then OSU did.

 

[jeffgt14]

I'm more worried about their offense. They were hitting curl routes with great timing against OSU. This has historically killed us even since Tenuta was here. Their TE is the real deal too. We'll need to score some points on them which I believe we can do.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

Gonna be a tough game pure and simple. We need to win or break even on turnovers and limit mistakes / penalties.

Their D is good. We can move the ball on em. I'm hoping they think We will be easy compared to Oh st

 

[4shotB]

2. I think we will have a good strategy to deal with gap blitzing. The gap blitzing is a high risk play for the D. If the D jumps the gap, and the ball is pitched to the side the pressure comes from the D will get burned. Last year we seemed to run to the edge away from the pressure instead of toward it, and I am not sure why. If VT plays us the same way this year expect CPJ to test the edge often.

IMO, all of our passes are to the sidelines. It would seem that a quick, short to intermediate slant route in the middle off of play action would be open, especially against VT's blitzes. Of course you have to protect and pick up the blitzes. Can one of you guys who analyze film/understand CPJ's offense better than I explain to this idiot why we don't utilize these throws? Or do we and I just haven't noticed?

 

[InsideLB]

If we are going to beat VT we are going to need to get a lot better between now and then. I agree we are better blocking the edge then we were last year. However we are worse at pass pro and they ate us up on that last year.

The difference for VT this year is they have an offense. They can run and throw the football effectively. We will have to keep pace against a Bud Foster defense and without great improvement on both sides of the ball I don't see it.

What we need to focus on is just getting better against GSU. If we can improve then and only then will we have a shot vs VT.

 

[MWBATL]

If we are going to beat VT we are going to need to get a lot better between now and then. I agree we are better blocking the edge then we were last year. However we are worse at pass pro and they ate us up on that last year.

The difference for VT this year is they have an offense. They can run and throw the football effectively. We will have to keep pace against a Bud Foster defense and without great improvement on both sides of the ball I don't see it.

What we need to focus on is just getting better against GSU. If we can improve then and only then will we have a shot vs VT.

This.

VPI&SU's offense will not score only 14 points in the first 3 quarters against us. The pressure will be on offense big time to score almost every time, and to chew up clock, to keep us in the game. I am not optimistic about this game at all. Now, if we were playing last year's VPI&SU team, I would feel a hole lot better about it. Unfortunately.....

 

[Boomergump]

They have a good coach in Foster. It won't be easy. Also, in terms of their offense, even with a small sample size of a single game, I believe their new QB to be an upgrade over LT. I can't wait.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

This.

VPI&SU's offense will not score only 14 points in the first 3 quarters against us. The pressure will be on offense big time to score almost every time, and to chew up clock, to keep us in the game. I am not optimistic about this game at all. Now, if we were playing last year's VPI&SU team, I would feel a hole lot better about it. Unfortunately.....

Before I saw the VT QB at Ohio State, I thought we had a good chance this year despite being in Blacksburg. Now I don't think our chances are that good; unless the QB gets hurt (very good chance given his running style) or we can intercept some of the passes that he forced against Ohio State. Did others think that the VT QB was wild. but fortuitously effective?

We will get 21-28 probably on O. ST will add another 6 or so in FGs. The D will need to have a really good game; and the O will need to keep our D off the field and Butker and Rodwell and the coverage boys will need to generate worse starting field position for VT.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

You guys are over rating that QB IMO. He's good I'll grant him that. But he's a gunslinger and prone to mistakes n turnovers.

 

[redmule]

Y'all are comparing this year's VT qb to the overall pitiful-in-most-games Logan Thomas. What you have to do is compare this year's VT qb to the beast Logan Thomas that played in our games the last three years. Their qb will have to have a much better game against us than he did against Ohio State to approach the Logan Thomas performances against us. If you start with that assumption, it's looks much more winnable. We may wet our pants, but it will be hard for us to play with less execution than we did last year. More efficiency from us and less efficiency from the quarterback position for VT I think is a given. Hopefully that shows on the scoreboard.

 

[ramblinvak]

I don't know. Im pretty worried about this game. Foster basically threw everything at the new qb for osu, and told him to try beating him. I wonder how JT will respond in the same situation. As we all know, the mistakes we have been making the last two weeks will not cut it against VT. We need a clean game from the QB but more importantly we need an o-line that can protect the few times we run a pass play and good perimeter blocking from our skill players in order to be successful.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

I'm more worried about their offense. They were hitting curl routes with great timing against OSU. This has historically killed us even since Tenuta was here. Their TE is the real deal too. We'll need to score some points on them which I believe we can do.

Agree. Their QB has held them back the last few years (except QB sneak against us).

 

[dressedcheeseside]

I wanna see us take our Bback out of the mesh and blast him straight into the gap blitzing db and just blow his arse up. I don't care if we get zero yards on that play.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

Lets just "Cam" him......we destroyed ole Cam Chancellor on a few plays his senior year.

 

[GTJake]

Bud Foster = GT nemesis. We can't be one-dimensional on offense in this game, JT and the OL will have to combine to create a passing threat.