On Saturday the Virginia Tech Hokies blanked Boston College by a final score of 19-0 in Chestnut Hill.
With the win, Tech picks up their first ACC Conference win and their first road win of the 2010 season. It was also the first win for the Hokies in Beantown since 2002. That year Tech, led by the stellar tailback duo of Kevin Jones and Lee Suggs (better known as "The Untouchables"), ran past the Eagles by a final score of 28-23. To put things in a timeline perspective for you, the Hokies starting quarterback was a scrappy sophomore named Bryan Randall. Needless to say, it had been a while since we had won in Boston.
The big story from Saturday's game...the Defense. Bud Foster's crew held the Eagles to 250 total yards of offense, and most importantly allowed NO POINTS. It was the first shut-out for Tech since 2006, when they stumped Virginia 17-0 in that year's battle for the Commonwealth Cup. The Lunchpailers, led by linebackers Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi, held the Frenchmen to 112 yards of offense...and of course NO POINTS. (I don't mean to brag, but Vince Hall autographed my game ticket after that game and proceeded to take a gangster pic with me and my friend Keith...what up).
Back to the present. Tech's defense looked the best that it has all year. The new guys are starting to mesh with the veterans, and it's starting to show. The blitzes really looked a lot better, and in-turn produced 6 sacks. Bruce Taylor and Steven Friday had David Shinskie (BC's version of Chris Weinke) wishing he was back playing Minor League baseball. Shinskie definitely had more hits on Saturday than he ever did in the minors, but they were all on him. That's what a Virginia Tech defense is supposed to do...rough up the quarterback. Chris Drager was a monster up front all afternoon. His forced/then recovered fumble play reminded me of former Tech-great John Engelberger, and that's an outstanding compliment to say the least. The pass coverage was great compared to the first 3 games. Jayron Hosley made a sweet interception in the end zone, which prevented the Eagles from getting any points from their best drive of the day. Linebacker Jeron Gouveia-Winslow made a spectacular read and athletic catch to jump a BC receiver's route, and get a pick of his own. It was also nice to see Rashad Carmichael do a pro-wrestling style standing back-drop on Montel Harris. Roc flipped him like a half-cooked burger. Would you like fries with that?
When it came to scoring, it was a Boston Three Party for the Hokies. Place-kicker Chris Hazley had a career day, as he single-footedly kicked the Eagles in the tailfeathers. Hazley made all four of his attempts, which accounted for 12 of the Hokies 19 points. You could say he was the player of the game...but he's the kicker and that would be lame. Punter Brian Saunders could also be in the convo for player of the game, as he pinned the Eagles deep all afternoon. Once again, that's just lame. It's a huge hint to our offense that they need to step it up. I do have to say that it sure was nice to be on the other side of a kickfest. I thought I was going to pull my hair out in last year's Nebraska game, as it looked like they would beat us with 5 field goals. Luckily they didn't. It's just so demoralizing when you're sitting there watching the other team's smallest, wimpiest player tally up 3-pointers on you, and there's nothing you can do about it. Sorry about that BC, but it couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch.
The punt block/return team was a catastrophe yet again. How does 7 return yards and 4 fair catches sound? Pretty whack-o in my book. My main man Zach Luckett got a 15-yard roughing the kicker penalty, but it should have only been the 5-yard running into the kicker penalty. He almost got the block. I'll give him a free pass on this one because he's been our special teams assassin for the past couple of years. What I didn't like was how Beamer stopped trying to block at all after the penalty. I mean I can understand why he did (because we get a penalty every time we try to block something), but come on Frank let's get one. For the good ole days. For Beamerball. For goodness' sake.
All griping aside, I can't complain. It's a win, and not just any win...a SHUTOUT! I mean those things are harder to come by than decent offensive coordinators...well not quite. At halftime, ACC Network Reporter Mike Hogewood remarked to BC Head Coach Frank Spaziani that he must be happy with his offense's progress. It was fun to hear Spaziani reply, "with all do respect, we're not happy," before trudging to the locker room. I guess you could say the Eagles were "soar" losers.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Fighting For A Phone...A Megaphone
The Michigan State/Notre Dame rivalry is a rivalry that is often overlooked in college football, but it shouldn't be.
I'll give you three good reasons why it shouldn't be overlooked.
1) The 1966 game between the Spartans and the Fighting Irish. The game is referred to as "The Game Of The Century." That nickname says A LOT. I mean out of all the collegiate games played (or at least up until 1966), this was the game that was agreed upon as supreme. The game was held at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. The visiting Irish entered the game ranked #1 in the nation with an 8-0 record, while the #2 ranked Spartans (who were the defending National Champions) came in with a 9-0 record. The Spartans defense, led by All-American D-lineman Bubba Smith (yes the mythical quarterback-eating Bubba Smith), reeked havoc on Notre Dame's offense. Smith knocked out the Golden Domers' starting QB Terry Hanratty in the first quarter. Now that's taking care of business. Michigan State took a slight 10-7 lead into halftime, and looked to take down the top-ranked team in the country. The third quarter showcased just how evenly matched the teams were, as neither team managed to score a single point. Notre Dame tied the game with a field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter, and then the stalemate resumed. The Irish had the ball on their own 30 yardline with 1:10 to go in the game, but legendary head coach Ara Parseghian (Rudy's initial coach) chose to run out the clock. That's right "The Game Of The Century" ended in a 10-10 tie. Parseghian received flack from practically everyone for not taking a shot at winning the game. He defended himself by saying he didn't want to make a foolish turnover, and give Michigan State an easy score. With the game ending in a tie, both teams resumed their rankings from before the game. It was like the game never happened...oh but it did. It was truly the Game of the Century. Both teams would finish the season undefeated, and share the National Championship from that year. That 1966 game lives on in infamy to this very day, and poses a very familiar question to both MSU fans and Notre Dame fans. "What if...?"
2) The Megaphone Trophy. This trophy has been awarded to the winner of the yearly game since 1949, which was a 34-21 Notre Dame victory. It's no secret that the Big 10 has the best rivalry trophies in the country. Michigan State is in the Big 10 conference and even though Notre Dame isn't, this is still a pretty sweet trophy. The trophy is a large megaphone with a heavy, wooden base. One side of the megaphone is painted green with white trim, and has the Spartan logo on it, while the other side is painted navy with gold trim, with the interlocking "ND" logo on it. Whichever team wins the annual game gets that year painted on their side of the Megaphone. Notre Dame has more years painted on their side, as they lead the rivalry with 31 wins to MSU's 26 wins, with a lone tie in the series. (and we all know which one that was).
3) The 2010 game. That's right, this year's game is the third and final reason why this rivalry shouldn't be overlooked. If there was any doubt that this rivalry was "dead" or undeserving of its rivalry status, then this year shredded those doubts. The 2010 match-up would have many similarities of the infamous Game of the Century. This game, like the 1966 game, was held at MSU's Spartan Stadium. Unlike the '66 game neither team entered the game ranked, as Notre Dame limped in with a 1-1 record and Sparty entered 2-0 (just not ranked). The similarities resume as soon as the game starts. It was a slugfest right from the sounding whistle. Both teams exchange blows, back and forth...back and forth. (Go to ESPN.com and look at the boxscore of this game, it's fantastic). The game was all tied up (this is a recurring theme in this rivalry) 7-7 at the half. In the second half it went from slugfest to scorefest. The third quarter was like a game of tic-tac-toe. Sparty scored on the first possession to go up 14-7, but Notre Dame answered on the ensuing drive to even it up at 14. Things go quiet for a while. Michigan State livens things back up with a touchdown to go up 21-14. Guess what happens next. Notre Dame scores with a minute and a half left in the quarter, it's all tied up heading into the fourth. The Golden Domers break up the scoring sequence, as Dayne Crist finds Michael Floyd for a 24 yard TD pass. The Irish go up 28-21. Sparty says "anything you can do, I can do better." They score on a 24 yard TD pass of their own, as Kirk Cousins connects with B.J. Cunningham for six with 7:43 left in the game. Things go back silent. This time it's Michigan State who has a chance to win it all. They get the ball with 1:44 left in the game, but their drive was filled with bad luck. Two big sacks and two big penalties force the Spartans to punt. Notre Dame has 33 seconds to bury the ghost of the 1966 game. After 44 years of wondering, what will they do? They run the clock out...again. Just like the 1966 game, the two teams are tied with no time left on the clock. But this time the game won't end in a tie. This is a new century. The game has changed. This is 2010. To overtime we go. The Irish get the ball first, but no dice. They go 3 and out. They kick a field goal to go ahead 31-28. Sparty's turn. It's the opposite team, but it's the same result...3 and out. They'll kick a field goal and we're off to the second overtime...right? The Irish definitely thought so. I quote the great Lee Corso when I say, " Not so fast my friend!" The Spartans line up for the field goal. Dan Conroy comes on to kick, Aaron Bates to hold. The line gets set, the snap good, the hold...is moving? Oh my! They wouldn't dare fake it here...they would! Bates is going to throw it. He's got a man open. He throws, the tight end catches. It's a touchdown...Spartans win! Spartans win! No one can believe it. The Irish don't want to believe it. The Spartans can't believe it worked...but they're glad it did. And how about this? Later after the game, Spartans Head Coach Mark Dantonio had a mild heart attack. I can see why he did after making a call like that, and then getting the big win. The 1966 game may have been the Game of the 20th Century, but I think we just found the Game of the 21st (at least in this rivalry).
Quick Honorable Mention (that should be 1 of the 3 above reasons, but that I will use as an endnote): The 2005 game. The Spartans beat the Irish in double overtime by a final score of 44-41 in South Bend. The rowdy Spartans parade (almost) to midfield, and jab a Michigan State flag into Notre Dame's home turf. The Irish's response. They sandbag the Megaphone trophy despite losing, and don't give it to the victorious MSU team. Now if that's not the definition of a rivalry, I don't know what is.
Bottom Line: The rivalry between the Fighting Irish and the Spartans is a very REAL rivalry, and it is alive and well. The movie Rudy almost makes me tear up when I watch it. Sparty knows how to Party, and I want to Party with Sparty.
I'll give you three good reasons why it shouldn't be overlooked.
1) The 1966 game between the Spartans and the Fighting Irish. The game is referred to as "The Game Of The Century." That nickname says A LOT. I mean out of all the collegiate games played (or at least up until 1966), this was the game that was agreed upon as supreme. The game was held at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. The visiting Irish entered the game ranked #1 in the nation with an 8-0 record, while the #2 ranked Spartans (who were the defending National Champions) came in with a 9-0 record. The Spartans defense, led by All-American D-lineman Bubba Smith (yes the mythical quarterback-eating Bubba Smith), reeked havoc on Notre Dame's offense. Smith knocked out the Golden Domers' starting QB Terry Hanratty in the first quarter. Now that's taking care of business. Michigan State took a slight 10-7 lead into halftime, and looked to take down the top-ranked team in the country. The third quarter showcased just how evenly matched the teams were, as neither team managed to score a single point. Notre Dame tied the game with a field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter, and then the stalemate resumed. The Irish had the ball on their own 30 yardline with 1:10 to go in the game, but legendary head coach Ara Parseghian (Rudy's initial coach) chose to run out the clock. That's right "The Game Of The Century" ended in a 10-10 tie. Parseghian received flack from practically everyone for not taking a shot at winning the game. He defended himself by saying he didn't want to make a foolish turnover, and give Michigan State an easy score. With the game ending in a tie, both teams resumed their rankings from before the game. It was like the game never happened...oh but it did. It was truly the Game of the Century. Both teams would finish the season undefeated, and share the National Championship from that year. That 1966 game lives on in infamy to this very day, and poses a very familiar question to both MSU fans and Notre Dame fans. "What if...?"
2) The Megaphone Trophy. This trophy has been awarded to the winner of the yearly game since 1949, which was a 34-21 Notre Dame victory. It's no secret that the Big 10 has the best rivalry trophies in the country. Michigan State is in the Big 10 conference and even though Notre Dame isn't, this is still a pretty sweet trophy. The trophy is a large megaphone with a heavy, wooden base. One side of the megaphone is painted green with white trim, and has the Spartan logo on it, while the other side is painted navy with gold trim, with the interlocking "ND" logo on it. Whichever team wins the annual game gets that year painted on their side of the Megaphone. Notre Dame has more years painted on their side, as they lead the rivalry with 31 wins to MSU's 26 wins, with a lone tie in the series. (and we all know which one that was).
3) The 2010 game. That's right, this year's game is the third and final reason why this rivalry shouldn't be overlooked. If there was any doubt that this rivalry was "dead" or undeserving of its rivalry status, then this year shredded those doubts. The 2010 match-up would have many similarities of the infamous Game of the Century. This game, like the 1966 game, was held at MSU's Spartan Stadium. Unlike the '66 game neither team entered the game ranked, as Notre Dame limped in with a 1-1 record and Sparty entered 2-0 (just not ranked). The similarities resume as soon as the game starts. It was a slugfest right from the sounding whistle. Both teams exchange blows, back and forth...back and forth. (Go to ESPN.com and look at the boxscore of this game, it's fantastic). The game was all tied up (this is a recurring theme in this rivalry) 7-7 at the half. In the second half it went from slugfest to scorefest. The third quarter was like a game of tic-tac-toe. Sparty scored on the first possession to go up 14-7, but Notre Dame answered on the ensuing drive to even it up at 14. Things go quiet for a while. Michigan State livens things back up with a touchdown to go up 21-14. Guess what happens next. Notre Dame scores with a minute and a half left in the quarter, it's all tied up heading into the fourth. The Golden Domers break up the scoring sequence, as Dayne Crist finds Michael Floyd for a 24 yard TD pass. The Irish go up 28-21. Sparty says "anything you can do, I can do better." They score on a 24 yard TD pass of their own, as Kirk Cousins connects with B.J. Cunningham for six with 7:43 left in the game. Things go back silent. This time it's Michigan State who has a chance to win it all. They get the ball with 1:44 left in the game, but their drive was filled with bad luck. Two big sacks and two big penalties force the Spartans to punt. Notre Dame has 33 seconds to bury the ghost of the 1966 game. After 44 years of wondering, what will they do? They run the clock out...again. Just like the 1966 game, the two teams are tied with no time left on the clock. But this time the game won't end in a tie. This is a new century. The game has changed. This is 2010. To overtime we go. The Irish get the ball first, but no dice. They go 3 and out. They kick a field goal to go ahead 31-28. Sparty's turn. It's the opposite team, but it's the same result...3 and out. They'll kick a field goal and we're off to the second overtime...right? The Irish definitely thought so. I quote the great Lee Corso when I say, " Not so fast my friend!" The Spartans line up for the field goal. Dan Conroy comes on to kick, Aaron Bates to hold. The line gets set, the snap good, the hold...is moving? Oh my! They wouldn't dare fake it here...they would! Bates is going to throw it. He's got a man open. He throws, the tight end catches. It's a touchdown...Spartans win! Spartans win! No one can believe it. The Irish don't want to believe it. The Spartans can't believe it worked...but they're glad it did. And how about this? Later after the game, Spartans Head Coach Mark Dantonio had a mild heart attack. I can see why he did after making a call like that, and then getting the big win. The 1966 game may have been the Game of the 20th Century, but I think we just found the Game of the 21st (at least in this rivalry).
Quick Honorable Mention (that should be 1 of the 3 above reasons, but that I will use as an endnote): The 2005 game. The Spartans beat the Irish in double overtime by a final score of 44-41 in South Bend. The rowdy Spartans parade (almost) to midfield, and jab a Michigan State flag into Notre Dame's home turf. The Irish's response. They sandbag the Megaphone trophy despite losing, and don't give it to the victorious MSU team. Now if that's not the definition of a rivalry, I don't know what is.
Bottom Line: The rivalry between the Fighting Irish and the Spartans is a very REAL rivalry, and it is alive and well. The movie Rudy almost makes me tear up when I watch it. Sparty knows how to Party, and I want to Party with Sparty.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Yo Ho(kies)! Blow The Man Down!
On Saturday the Virginia Tech Hokies pillaged the East Carolina Pirates by a final score of 49 to 27, and claimed their first win of the season.
In the beginning of the game it was tough sailing for the Hokies. The Pirates, who are always a pesky hoard of scallywags, came out blastin'.
The scurvy crew drove down the field effortlessly on their first two possessions to take a quick 10 to nothing lead over the Hokies. Once again the Tech defense looked as porous as a sea sponge, and the offense looked like a bunch of landlubbers. Just then the Techmen fired back. Tech's star tailback Ryan Williams capped off a 70 yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, and the bloodfest was underway. Midway into the second quarter, the Hokies receive a ghastly sight. Ryan Williams being carried off the field. He was out for the rest of the game with a hamstring injury. Darren Evans entered the ballgame, and picked up the slack. Evans scored on a 7-yard touchdown run (his first touchdown since returning to the team). After exchanging cannon fire for two quarters, the Hokies garnered a 21-17 lead. But the Pirates, being the scallywags that they are, scored a touchdown with only 26 seconds remaining in the second quarter to take a 24-21 lead into halftime. Shiver me timbers.
The Hokies find themselves in the third game of the season trailing to ECU, and looking anything but shipshape. But the tide would turn.
Sophomore David Wilson entered the ballgame and gave Tech the speed, determination, and confidence the Hokies have been lacking so far this season. Wilson scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to pull the Techmen ahead of the Pirates 35 to 27. Trailing by just 8 points, ECU still had high hopes heading into the fourth quarter. Those hopes would soon be dashed. The Pirates started driving into Tech territory. It's first and ten ECU from the VT 36-yardline. East Carolina quarterback Dominique Davis drops back to pass, throws, and...it's picked off by Rashad Carmichael. Roc takes it 68 yards to the house, and drives a cutlass into the Pirates' black hearts. "ARRrrrrrggh," they cry. Tyrod Taylor finished off the Pirates with one final blow, as he connected with Jarrett Boykin for a 69-yard touchdown bomb to add some insurance doubloons on the win. It's the plank for the Pirates. They're shark bait.
Staying with the Pirate theme, this game was eerily reminiscent to an infamous moment in seafaring history. That of course being "Blackbeard's Last Fight." Blackbeard the Pirate was quite the bad dude. His real name was Edward Teach, but his nickname Blackbeard definitely fitted him better. He had a gangly, black beard braided in pig tails that went all the way down to his belt buckle. He wore a banister with three guns attached to it. He hung lit canon fuses from his hat during battle to scare opponents. Like I said, he was a bad dude. Anyways the Virginia Government (ironic I know) wanted to get rid of this scallywag for good. They sent out Lieutenant Robert Maynard of the Royal Navy to extinguish Blackbeard. When Maynard's ship approached Blackbeard's ship, he wasted no time throwing the first punch (like ECU on Saturday). Blackbeard fired all 8 of his cannons, which took out a number of Maynard's men. The band of pirates saw that almost all on deck had been blasted, and boarded the ship to pillage it. Little did they know that Maynard was sandbagging (just like the Hokies were sandbagging). He had twice as many men as the pirates hiding below deck. He had tricked the pirates. The swashbucklers fought angrily, but there's power in numbers. Blackbeard went right after Maynard, and used his mighty cutlass to break Maynard's sword off at the handle. He had him right where he wanted him. Blackbeard reached back for the kill shot, but just then a member of Maynard's crew crept up and sliced his throat (like Rashad Carmichael's interception). Blackbeard continued to fight, yelling curses at the Navymen as blood sprayed from his neck. Maynard's men bumrushed him (like the defense rushed ECU's quarterback), and after 5 gunshots and 20 cuts Blackbeard was dead. Just to make sure he was dead, Maynard beheaded Blackbeard and hung his head on the front of the ship. They threw the body overboard. Much to their surprise Blackbeard's head yelled,"Come on, Edward," and his body swam three laps around the boat before sinking to Davy Jones' Locker. (I wish I could say that the HokieBird beheaded the ECU Pirate mascot and his body ran three laps around Lane Stadium, but instead the Bird just did the Hokie Pokie with him).
Back to the game. It wasn't the prettiest win I've ever seen (that's to be expected when pirates are involved), but it's a win nonetheless. It's a very much needed win to get the Hokies back on course for any chance of a decent season. This was just the turnaround that Tech needed. At the beginning of the game, they looked like the Hokies who had lost their first two games...maybe even worse. The defense couldn't wrap up a Christmas present. The cornerbacks wouldn't turn around and look for the ball even if their helmets were on backwards. I'm actually looking into petitioning the NCAA to ask for special side mirrors to put on our cornerbacks' helmets so that they'll actually look for the ball. For the past two games Darren Evans has been a big pinata. If you hit him hard enough, the candy comes flying out and other kids scoop it up. He fumbled on the drive that would have beaten JMU, and he fumbled another one to the Bucko's in this one. I'm also positive that Dyrell Roberts had horse blinders on during kickoff returns. He had huge holes on almost every return, but insisted on running sideways like a crab into the ECU blockades. Luckily the Hokies put the Busch League-ness behind them at halftime. It was like a whole different team in the second half. The defense started tackling. Cornerbacks started turning around, and in-turn got interceptions. Evans didn't fumble (but once). David Wilson outran his underperforming offensive line along with the Pirates defense. Roberts took the blinders off and caught TD passes. And most importantly the Hokies scored 7 touchdowns in the game, and no field goals. That's right SEVEN touchdowns, no weak field goals. That's what wins ball games. That's what I'm talking about. It was like old times. It was Virginia Tech Football for the first time this year.
In the beginning of the game it was tough sailing for the Hokies. The Pirates, who are always a pesky hoard of scallywags, came out blastin'.
The scurvy crew drove down the field effortlessly on their first two possessions to take a quick 10 to nothing lead over the Hokies. Once again the Tech defense looked as porous as a sea sponge, and the offense looked like a bunch of landlubbers. Just then the Techmen fired back. Tech's star tailback Ryan Williams capped off a 70 yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, and the bloodfest was underway. Midway into the second quarter, the Hokies receive a ghastly sight. Ryan Williams being carried off the field. He was out for the rest of the game with a hamstring injury. Darren Evans entered the ballgame, and picked up the slack. Evans scored on a 7-yard touchdown run (his first touchdown since returning to the team). After exchanging cannon fire for two quarters, the Hokies garnered a 21-17 lead. But the Pirates, being the scallywags that they are, scored a touchdown with only 26 seconds remaining in the second quarter to take a 24-21 lead into halftime. Shiver me timbers.
The Hokies find themselves in the third game of the season trailing to ECU, and looking anything but shipshape. But the tide would turn.
Sophomore David Wilson entered the ballgame and gave Tech the speed, determination, and confidence the Hokies have been lacking so far this season. Wilson scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to pull the Techmen ahead of the Pirates 35 to 27. Trailing by just 8 points, ECU still had high hopes heading into the fourth quarter. Those hopes would soon be dashed. The Pirates started driving into Tech territory. It's first and ten ECU from the VT 36-yardline. East Carolina quarterback Dominique Davis drops back to pass, throws, and...it's picked off by Rashad Carmichael. Roc takes it 68 yards to the house, and drives a cutlass into the Pirates' black hearts. "ARRrrrrrggh," they cry. Tyrod Taylor finished off the Pirates with one final blow, as he connected with Jarrett Boykin for a 69-yard touchdown bomb to add some insurance doubloons on the win. It's the plank for the Pirates. They're shark bait.
Staying with the Pirate theme, this game was eerily reminiscent to an infamous moment in seafaring history. That of course being "Blackbeard's Last Fight." Blackbeard the Pirate was quite the bad dude. His real name was Edward Teach, but his nickname Blackbeard definitely fitted him better. He had a gangly, black beard braided in pig tails that went all the way down to his belt buckle. He wore a banister with three guns attached to it. He hung lit canon fuses from his hat during battle to scare opponents. Like I said, he was a bad dude. Anyways the Virginia Government (ironic I know) wanted to get rid of this scallywag for good. They sent out Lieutenant Robert Maynard of the Royal Navy to extinguish Blackbeard. When Maynard's ship approached Blackbeard's ship, he wasted no time throwing the first punch (like ECU on Saturday). Blackbeard fired all 8 of his cannons, which took out a number of Maynard's men. The band of pirates saw that almost all on deck had been blasted, and boarded the ship to pillage it. Little did they know that Maynard was sandbagging (just like the Hokies were sandbagging). He had twice as many men as the pirates hiding below deck. He had tricked the pirates. The swashbucklers fought angrily, but there's power in numbers. Blackbeard went right after Maynard, and used his mighty cutlass to break Maynard's sword off at the handle. He had him right where he wanted him. Blackbeard reached back for the kill shot, but just then a member of Maynard's crew crept up and sliced his throat (like Rashad Carmichael's interception). Blackbeard continued to fight, yelling curses at the Navymen as blood sprayed from his neck. Maynard's men bumrushed him (like the defense rushed ECU's quarterback), and after 5 gunshots and 20 cuts Blackbeard was dead. Just to make sure he was dead, Maynard beheaded Blackbeard and hung his head on the front of the ship. They threw the body overboard. Much to their surprise Blackbeard's head yelled,"Come on, Edward," and his body swam three laps around the boat before sinking to Davy Jones' Locker. (I wish I could say that the HokieBird beheaded the ECU Pirate mascot and his body ran three laps around Lane Stadium, but instead the Bird just did the Hokie Pokie with him).
Back to the game. It wasn't the prettiest win I've ever seen (that's to be expected when pirates are involved), but it's a win nonetheless. It's a very much needed win to get the Hokies back on course for any chance of a decent season. This was just the turnaround that Tech needed. At the beginning of the game, they looked like the Hokies who had lost their first two games...maybe even worse. The defense couldn't wrap up a Christmas present. The cornerbacks wouldn't turn around and look for the ball even if their helmets were on backwards. I'm actually looking into petitioning the NCAA to ask for special side mirrors to put on our cornerbacks' helmets so that they'll actually look for the ball. For the past two games Darren Evans has been a big pinata. If you hit him hard enough, the candy comes flying out and other kids scoop it up. He fumbled on the drive that would have beaten JMU, and he fumbled another one to the Bucko's in this one. I'm also positive that Dyrell Roberts had horse blinders on during kickoff returns. He had huge holes on almost every return, but insisted on running sideways like a crab into the ECU blockades. Luckily the Hokies put the Busch League-ness behind them at halftime. It was like a whole different team in the second half. The defense started tackling. Cornerbacks started turning around, and in-turn got interceptions. Evans didn't fumble (but once). David Wilson outran his underperforming offensive line along with the Pirates defense. Roberts took the blinders off and caught TD passes. And most importantly the Hokies scored 7 touchdowns in the game, and no field goals. That's right SEVEN touchdowns, no weak field goals. That's what wins ball games. That's what I'm talking about. It was like old times. It was Virginia Tech Football for the first time this year.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Green Machine
On Sunday the Philadelphia Eagles may not have played like the best team in the NFL, but they sure looked like it.
The Eagles wore classic 1960 throwback uniforms in honor of the 1960 World Champion Eagles. That year the Eagles went 10 and 2, and capped off the season by defeating Vince Lombardi's Packers for the NFL Championship. From that moment on, they were the only team to ever defeat Lombardi's Packers in the playoffs.
The 2010 Eagles recognized the remaining members of the 1960 team by giving them new versions of their classic jerseys, and then they marched across the field to a standing ovation from the Philly crowd.
The uniforms looked truly amazing (of course I would say that though, green is my favorite color). The billiard green helmet featuring the grey wings and grey facemask was like a time machine. It took me back to a place and time that I had never been, but that I had always wanted to go to. Some throwback helmets that teams bring back just don't have the same old school look and flair of the originals, but these did. I almost expected to see Norm Van Brocklin come out, break the huddle, and lead a touchdown drive. The jerseys looked just plain classy (emphasis on the plain and classy). Kelly green. Grey numbers. Nothing high-tech. Nothing flashy. Just what the doctor ordered. The white pants with green stripes were born to be worn with those jerseys, and you could tell. And the finishing touch...the socks. I've always thought the Eagles throwback socks were some of the coolest in the NFL. I just like how they have one small white stripe and one large white stripe separated by a small green stripe. They're eye-catching, they're different, and most importantly they're GREEN.
The retro sideline gear also looked quite snazzy. From Andy Reid's classic Eagle logo polo to Michael Vick's hybrid trucker-style throwback hat, it was all dapper. And how about the field paint. It was like icing on the cake. They placed a HUGE classic football-carrying Eagle logo on midfield, and they used old-school font writing in the endzones. It completed the trip back in time...and it was AWESOME.
Michael Vick played up to the level of the uniforms, as he led the team in both rushing and passing. Vick really looked like his old self. He's definitely gotten his wheels back, as he rushed for 103 yards on 11 carries. One of which was the classic Vick play. He's standing in the pocket. A d-lineman tries to grab him. He spins away from it, and the chase is ON. He rolls out of traffic, weaves up the sideline, races toward the endzone, and bowling balls into the secondary as he reaches for the touchdown. His passing game looked as good as it ever has. He finished the night completing 16 of 24 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown. He looked like the same Michael Vick who led the nation in passing efficiency during the 1999-2000 college season (yes he really did that, surprised?). That's right folks Vick is back.
However the Eagles would lose this game despite the awesome throwback uni's and an energized Vick performance. I guess those green jerseys must have left all their luck back in 1960. The Packer defense ,led by wild-man Clay Matthews, shut down Vick on a horrible play-call on 4th and 1. I mean everyone in the stadium knew what was going to happen. Fourth and one, shotgun formation, Vick at quarterback. No duh it's going to be a Vick run. The Cheesehead D zero'd in on Vick, and got the stop...game over.
On this day the Packers may have won the battle, but the Eagles uniforms stole the show.
Click here to check out pictures from the game featuring those glorious throwback uni's.
Monday, September 13, 2010
When White Turned To Black
On Saturday America witnessed the worst loss that Virginia Tech has ever received, and will ever receive. Believe me...no loss will ever be worse than this one. The rainy, dreary Blacksburg day was more than appropriate as the James Madison Dukes turned the 13th-ranked Hokies White Out game into the new "Black Saturday." I can't believe what I just typed. This must be a nightmare...it has to be. Truly this is some sort of sick joke. I mean I could even believe/respect losing to Duke, but not THE Dukes. This is ludicrous. This is madness.
With this loss Tech becomes only the second (Division 1, yes clarification is needed) team ranked in the AP Top 25 poll (or any poll for that matter) to lose to an FCS opponent. The other unlucky team was the then fifth-ranked Michigan Wolverines when they lost the infamous and shockingly jaw-dropping game to the Appalachian State Mountaineers in 2007. Well I guess if you go by rankings, Michigan is still the biggest loser...but to me, right now we are truly the biggest losers. We should be put on probation by the NCAA and banned from all bowls and poll rankings for the next 5 years because of this loss. This loss takes precedence over any and all of Virginia Tech's previous losses, which includes "Black Saturday."
For those of you who are fortunate enough not to know about "Black Saturday"... kiss your innocence goodbye because I'm about to tell you all about it (but don't worry you can handle it, we just lost to James Madison High School).
Let me set the scene for you: It's 1998 and the Virginia Tech Hokies have won their first 5 games (including impressive wins over Clemson (37-0) and Miami (27-20 in OT). The undefeated Hokies have earned being ranked 14th in the nation. It's Homecoming and the Hokies have scheduled the defeated (0 and 6) Temple Owls for a (what-seemed-to-be) guaranteed win. Nothing is ever as good as it seems though, is it? The Hokies are forced to start Sophomore Nick Sorensen (who happens to be my all-time favorite Tech player, and that means a lot) at quarterback thanks to an injury to starting QB Al Clark the week before in Tech's 17-0 win at Boston College. Sorensen was recruited as a quarterback, but had switched to defense because Tech had signed a certain top-rated QB that just happened to be named Michael Vick. A safety playing quarterback? No biggy though right? It's just Temple. The game starts. Tech jumps out to a 17 to nothing lead, and gets ready for halftime. With 2:08 remaining in the second quarter Temple starts a drive. They pick up two first downs, and then a fluke happens. A fluke just like James Madison's 77-yard first touchdown this past Saturday. Temple receiver Rashad Harrison catches a screen pass, and takes it 67 yards for a touchdown. It stunned those unfortunate enough to be in attendance, but much to their dismay...it would get worse. Temple scored 14 points in the third quarter to take a 21-17 lead. Tech answered with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to regain the lead 24-21. Temple takes the lead right back on the next drive, 28-24 Owls. The Hokies have 1:58 to go down the field, and avoid disaster. Nick Sorensen takes over. He throws a 13-yard completion on 3rd and 15, and then rushes for 4 yards on 4th and 2 to pick up the first down, keeping the Hokies alive. Sorensen then completes 5 consecutive passes for first downs to bring the Hokies to Temple's 3 yard line. Tech running-back Shyrone Stith rushes up the middle for...no gain. It's 3rd down, Sorensen chunks one in the end zone to Ricky Hall for the win...but it's incomplete. One play left for the money. Tech's leading rusher in the game Lamont Pegues gets the call. He takes the hand-off and...gets blown up for a loss of three yards. It was over. The Owls had done it. They had handed Virginia Tech its worst loss ever...until now.
That's right folks, there's a new "Black Saturday." It's unquestionable, It's unbelievable. The Hokies have lost to the other "President's School" in Virginia (yes James Madison was the fourth President of the United States). James Madison was most famously known for his work on the U.S. Constitution, but what happened on Saturday wasn't RIGHT at all. It broke all the laws of physics, reasoning, and sanity. Not even James Madison himself would have ratified the outcome of this game. He would think it was some preposterous joke, along with the Dukes mascot which is a bulldog wearing a crown and cape(what's up with that?). I'm not sure what a Duke is, but I know it's not a bulldog wearing a crown and a cape. What I do know is that we are Virginia Tech and that we always give the underdog a chance (like last year's 34-28 win against Duke or 2008's 27-22 loss to East Carolina), but COME ON! This is ridiculous. We are the Virginia Tech Jokies. We are Virginia Tech, Inventing the Future...one loss at a time.
Side Note: I chose to write a recap of the original "Black Saturday" because I haven't recovered enough to write about Saturday's obscene debauchery. Maybe I'll have the strength to write about it in the coming days, but what's the point. You don't want to read it, and I don't really want to throw up a third time.
With this loss Tech becomes only the second (Division 1, yes clarification is needed) team ranked in the AP Top 25 poll (or any poll for that matter) to lose to an FCS opponent. The other unlucky team was the then fifth-ranked Michigan Wolverines when they lost the infamous and shockingly jaw-dropping game to the Appalachian State Mountaineers in 2007. Well I guess if you go by rankings, Michigan is still the biggest loser...but to me, right now we are truly the biggest losers. We should be put on probation by the NCAA and banned from all bowls and poll rankings for the next 5 years because of this loss. This loss takes precedence over any and all of Virginia Tech's previous losses, which includes "Black Saturday."
For those of you who are fortunate enough not to know about "Black Saturday"... kiss your innocence goodbye because I'm about to tell you all about it (but don't worry you can handle it, we just lost to James Madison High School).
Let me set the scene for you: It's 1998 and the Virginia Tech Hokies have won their first 5 games (including impressive wins over Clemson (37-0) and Miami (27-20 in OT). The undefeated Hokies have earned being ranked 14th in the nation. It's Homecoming and the Hokies have scheduled the defeated (0 and 6) Temple Owls for a (what-seemed-to-be) guaranteed win. Nothing is ever as good as it seems though, is it? The Hokies are forced to start Sophomore Nick Sorensen (who happens to be my all-time favorite Tech player, and that means a lot) at quarterback thanks to an injury to starting QB Al Clark the week before in Tech's 17-0 win at Boston College. Sorensen was recruited as a quarterback, but had switched to defense because Tech had signed a certain top-rated QB that just happened to be named Michael Vick. A safety playing quarterback? No biggy though right? It's just Temple. The game starts. Tech jumps out to a 17 to nothing lead, and gets ready for halftime. With 2:08 remaining in the second quarter Temple starts a drive. They pick up two first downs, and then a fluke happens. A fluke just like James Madison's 77-yard first touchdown this past Saturday. Temple receiver Rashad Harrison catches a screen pass, and takes it 67 yards for a touchdown. It stunned those unfortunate enough to be in attendance, but much to their dismay...it would get worse. Temple scored 14 points in the third quarter to take a 21-17 lead. Tech answered with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to regain the lead 24-21. Temple takes the lead right back on the next drive, 28-24 Owls. The Hokies have 1:58 to go down the field, and avoid disaster. Nick Sorensen takes over. He throws a 13-yard completion on 3rd and 15, and then rushes for 4 yards on 4th and 2 to pick up the first down, keeping the Hokies alive. Sorensen then completes 5 consecutive passes for first downs to bring the Hokies to Temple's 3 yard line. Tech running-back Shyrone Stith rushes up the middle for...no gain. It's 3rd down, Sorensen chunks one in the end zone to Ricky Hall for the win...but it's incomplete. One play left for the money. Tech's leading rusher in the game Lamont Pegues gets the call. He takes the hand-off and...gets blown up for a loss of three yards. It was over. The Owls had done it. They had handed Virginia Tech its worst loss ever...until now.
That's right folks, there's a new "Black Saturday." It's unquestionable, It's unbelievable. The Hokies have lost to the other "President's School" in Virginia (yes James Madison was the fourth President of the United States). James Madison was most famously known for his work on the U.S. Constitution, but what happened on Saturday wasn't RIGHT at all. It broke all the laws of physics, reasoning, and sanity. Not even James Madison himself would have ratified the outcome of this game. He would think it was some preposterous joke, along with the Dukes mascot which is a bulldog wearing a crown and cape(what's up with that?). I'm not sure what a Duke is, but I know it's not a bulldog wearing a crown and a cape. What I do know is that we are Virginia Tech and that we always give the underdog a chance (like last year's 34-28 win against Duke or 2008's 27-22 loss to East Carolina), but COME ON! This is ridiculous. We are the Virginia Tech Jokies. We are Virginia Tech, Inventing the Future...one loss at a time.
Side Note: I chose to write a recap of the original "Black Saturday" because I haven't recovered enough to write about Saturday's obscene debauchery. Maybe I'll have the strength to write about it in the coming days, but what's the point. You don't want to read it, and I don't really want to throw up a third time.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
You Get What You Ask For
Well it happened...again. The third-ranked smurf-turfers give the Hokies the blues with a game-winning two minute drill touchdown. The Hokies lose another heartbreaking opener...but we should have expected this. I know I did. We asked for it.
If you stand on a railroad track in front of a train, and the train runs you over. You got what you deserved, you asked for it. No surprise there. Well same difference for last night's game. If you sign up to play the third-ranked team in the country, who went undefeated a year ago and won a BCS bowl game, and has 19 starters coming back...you're asking for a loss. And we got what we asked for.
We should have learned our lesson last year, but I guess we didn't. It didn't take a stern warning from Admiral Ackbar quoting his famous line of "It's a Trap!," for Beamer, Weaver, or anyone else to realize what we were getting ourselves into. A quick glance at Boise State's statistics from last season and their roster should have been enough to tell us to STAY AWAY. If the 14 and 0 with a win in the Fiesta Bowl didn't give it away, the number of returning players should have given us the heads up. A quick tip for whoever scheduled this game on our part. The little Jr., So., and Fr. letters beside the Boise State players' names on last year's roster meant that they would be returning THIS YEAR you twerps. This was more than just "a very good football team (in Beamer's voice)" we were playing last night. Also it doesn't take a genius to figure out that our defense would be inexperienced, as we lost 7 starters off of last year's non-stellar defense. To me it's a big "No Duh!" that we lost.
I know Bud Foster is the best defensive coach in the country, and I have tremendous faith in him. We ask way too much of him year-in and year-out. He did the best he could possibly do with what he had. It was pleasantly surprising how good his greenhorns played last night, and I can't give him enough credit for that. However, he did make some bad calls in the fourth quarter though. He stopped blitzing and rushed only 3-4 guys during the Broncos final (winning) drive. That's when we needed to bring the house the most. I mean that defense should have turned into one of Santa's reindeer...Blitzen. It was blatantly obvious that the Broncos offense was completely timing-based, and when we put the pressure on it disrupted the whole operation. I wish I knew why Bud didn't bring the heat on that last drive. But once again I don't blame Bud. He did great. He did his job, and exceeded it. He should have never been in that situation to begin with. That's right folks I'm pointing the finger right back at the perennial scapegoat Bryan Stinespring.
I thought with this year's offense that no one could hold us back or slow us up...not even Bryan Stinespring. I guess I was wrong. He sure showed me. Now I'll give him credit where the credit is due. He called a pretty amazing game, until the end where he got scared. The Boise defense crushed us early, but ole' Stiney found a nice rhythm of running and passing to keep the Bronco defense off balance. He made some great calls that resulted in first downs, and most importantly touchdowns. Like the fourth and five touchdown play that gave us the lead. I would have called the exact same play as Mr. Stinespring on that one, pure genius. But when it came down to it, he went right back to what he always does. He plays to punt and hopes the defense will hold (and bail him out). In past years it has worked out alright because Bud has had an experienced lunch-pail defense. In recent years not so much. Go back and look at when we played East Carolina in the 2008 opener. That's what playing to punt will get you...a loss. And that's what we got last night. When the pressure came on, Stinespring abandoned his good offensive scheme to "play it safe." He was playing not to lose instead of playing to win. He chose to hide in his shell instead of going for the throat, and we all payed for it. The predictable two running plays then mid-level passing play to pick up the first down scheme came out. Boise recognized it, shut it down, and got the ball back (with the win coming shortly thereafter). How long can we put up with this passiveness, prudence, and complacency? I know Stinespring is Beamer's friend, and Beamer can't fire him. I'm not asking him to fire him...just demote him. Make him the punt team coach or the victory formation coach because he enjoys giving the other team the ball, and knows how to take a knee. I would even replace Bryan Stinespring with Bruce Springsteen because Baby We Were Born To Run!
The bottom line is history repeats itself. The Hokies are now 0 and 22 against Top 10 teams away from Lane Stadium (my goodness I LOVE that stadium, that's where we do work son...not neutral site pro stadium opening game classic rip offs). Last night was oh too sickeningly familiar as Tech took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter, just as it did last year against Bama (17-16) and in the National Championship against Florida State (29-28). It truly is a recurring bad dream for the Hokies, myself, and the rest of the Hokie Nation. I have this false feeling of hope that we could actually win one of these games, while at the same time having this horrible stomach-ache of knowing that we're going to blow it...and we always blow it. That's why Boise State opted to fly thousands of miles to come play us. They hunted us. They selected us for termination. They sat back and said,"hmm...who can we play that will be easy to beat while increasing our BCS stock? Who's the easiest perennial top-ten team to beat?" I'm sure it didn't take them long to come up with Virginia Tech. They know we're not scared to LOSE to anybody. We've been a quality, easy win on many commemorative National Championship soda bottles...just not our own (except for our 1999-2000 runner up RC Cola bottles). Just look at how many National Champions we've played and lost to over the last decade: in 2000 we lost to Florida State in the National Championship game, in 2001 we lost to Miami who beat Nebraska for that year's title, in 2004 we lost the season opener at Fed Ex Field (sounds familiar) to USC who would beat Oklahoma for the title, also in 2004 we lost the Sugar Bowl to Auburn (who finished the season undefeated and could be retro National Champs pending the USC scandal), in 2007 we got destroyed by eventual champ LSU in the second game of the season, and finally last season (2009) we lost the opener in the Georgia Dome against the Alabama Crimson Tide...the latest National Champions. Wow that's a lot. Hard to believe isn't it? We'll be able to add another team to that list now...2010's Boise State. It sucks. When will we finally get our slice of the pie? When can we finally put a crystal football in the trophy case that sits empty in the Hall of Legends inside the Merryman Center? Hopefully soon, possibly never.
If you stand on a railroad track in front of a train, and the train runs you over. You got what you deserved, you asked for it. No surprise there. Well same difference for last night's game. If you sign up to play the third-ranked team in the country, who went undefeated a year ago and won a BCS bowl game, and has 19 starters coming back...you're asking for a loss. And we got what we asked for.
We should have learned our lesson last year, but I guess we didn't. It didn't take a stern warning from Admiral Ackbar quoting his famous line of "It's a Trap!," for Beamer, Weaver, or anyone else to realize what we were getting ourselves into. A quick glance at Boise State's statistics from last season and their roster should have been enough to tell us to STAY AWAY. If the 14 and 0 with a win in the Fiesta Bowl didn't give it away, the number of returning players should have given us the heads up. A quick tip for whoever scheduled this game on our part. The little Jr., So., and Fr. letters beside the Boise State players' names on last year's roster meant that they would be returning THIS YEAR you twerps. This was more than just "a very good football team (in Beamer's voice)" we were playing last night. Also it doesn't take a genius to figure out that our defense would be inexperienced, as we lost 7 starters off of last year's non-stellar defense. To me it's a big "No Duh!" that we lost.
I know Bud Foster is the best defensive coach in the country, and I have tremendous faith in him. We ask way too much of him year-in and year-out. He did the best he could possibly do with what he had. It was pleasantly surprising how good his greenhorns played last night, and I can't give him enough credit for that. However, he did make some bad calls in the fourth quarter though. He stopped blitzing and rushed only 3-4 guys during the Broncos final (winning) drive. That's when we needed to bring the house the most. I mean that defense should have turned into one of Santa's reindeer...Blitzen. It was blatantly obvious that the Broncos offense was completely timing-based, and when we put the pressure on it disrupted the whole operation. I wish I knew why Bud didn't bring the heat on that last drive. But once again I don't blame Bud. He did great. He did his job, and exceeded it. He should have never been in that situation to begin with. That's right folks I'm pointing the finger right back at the perennial scapegoat Bryan Stinespring.
I thought with this year's offense that no one could hold us back or slow us up...not even Bryan Stinespring. I guess I was wrong. He sure showed me. Now I'll give him credit where the credit is due. He called a pretty amazing game, until the end where he got scared. The Boise defense crushed us early, but ole' Stiney found a nice rhythm of running and passing to keep the Bronco defense off balance. He made some great calls that resulted in first downs, and most importantly touchdowns. Like the fourth and five touchdown play that gave us the lead. I would have called the exact same play as Mr. Stinespring on that one, pure genius. But when it came down to it, he went right back to what he always does. He plays to punt and hopes the defense will hold (and bail him out). In past years it has worked out alright because Bud has had an experienced lunch-pail defense. In recent years not so much. Go back and look at when we played East Carolina in the 2008 opener. That's what playing to punt will get you...a loss. And that's what we got last night. When the pressure came on, Stinespring abandoned his good offensive scheme to "play it safe." He was playing not to lose instead of playing to win. He chose to hide in his shell instead of going for the throat, and we all payed for it. The predictable two running plays then mid-level passing play to pick up the first down scheme came out. Boise recognized it, shut it down, and got the ball back (with the win coming shortly thereafter). How long can we put up with this passiveness, prudence, and complacency? I know Stinespring is Beamer's friend, and Beamer can't fire him. I'm not asking him to fire him...just demote him. Make him the punt team coach or the victory formation coach because he enjoys giving the other team the ball, and knows how to take a knee. I would even replace Bryan Stinespring with Bruce Springsteen because Baby We Were Born To Run!
The bottom line is history repeats itself. The Hokies are now 0 and 22 against Top 10 teams away from Lane Stadium (my goodness I LOVE that stadium, that's where we do work son...not neutral site pro stadium opening game classic rip offs). Last night was oh too sickeningly familiar as Tech took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter, just as it did last year against Bama (17-16) and in the National Championship against Florida State (29-28). It truly is a recurring bad dream for the Hokies, myself, and the rest of the Hokie Nation. I have this false feeling of hope that we could actually win one of these games, while at the same time having this horrible stomach-ache of knowing that we're going to blow it...and we always blow it. That's why Boise State opted to fly thousands of miles to come play us. They hunted us. They selected us for termination. They sat back and said,"hmm...who can we play that will be easy to beat while increasing our BCS stock? Who's the easiest perennial top-ten team to beat?" I'm sure it didn't take them long to come up with Virginia Tech. They know we're not scared to LOSE to anybody. We've been a quality, easy win on many commemorative National Championship soda bottles...just not our own (except for our 1999-2000 runner up RC Cola bottles). Just look at how many National Champions we've played and lost to over the last decade: in 2000 we lost to Florida State in the National Championship game, in 2001 we lost to Miami who beat Nebraska for that year's title, in 2004 we lost the season opener at Fed Ex Field (sounds familiar) to USC who would beat Oklahoma for the title, also in 2004 we lost the Sugar Bowl to Auburn (who finished the season undefeated and could be retro National Champs pending the USC scandal), in 2007 we got destroyed by eventual champ LSU in the second game of the season, and finally last season (2009) we lost the opener in the Georgia Dome against the Alabama Crimson Tide...the latest National Champions. Wow that's a lot. Hard to believe isn't it? We'll be able to add another team to that list now...2010's Boise State. It sucks. When will we finally get our slice of the pie? When can we finally put a crystal football in the trophy case that sits empty in the Hall of Legends inside the Merryman Center? Hopefully soon, possibly never.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Thunder in Paradise
On Thursday night the USC Trojans escaped a bushwacking at the hands of the Hawaii Warriors in Aloha Stadium.
If not for a few questionable calls, the Warriors would have won this game. You may think I'm crazy, but I think Hawaii has one of the best offenses (if not the best) in the country. The Warriors have another great quarterback named Bryant Moniz, who could break records (both school records and NCAA records). He finished the night last night with 269 yards and a touchdown before he was knocked out of the game midway in the third quarter. That's right in the third quarter. Just imagine his stats if he would have played the whole game. The Warriors also have a hoard of fast, shifty receivers (just ask the USC cornerbacks). Kealoha Pilares finished with 5 receptions for 176 yards with 3 TD's. It was Greg Salas who proved to be Hawaii's go-to-guy, as he finished with 8 receptions for 124 yards. The Warriors suprisingly have a decent rushing attack this year, led by Alex Green who is quite an intimidating runner (his blacked out visor and multi-colored dreds play a big role in that though).
Don't let ESPN mislead you about this game with their phrases like "USC is back" and..."USC is back." Because they're not back. They should have lost this game, and they were more scared than a puppy in a thunderstorm. Monte Kiffin almost had a heart attack as the Warrior offense outgained the Trojan offense by putting up 588 yards on his defense. That's right 588 yards. It takes most teams two games to rack up that many yards.
The Warriors had two should-be touchdowns called back by the refs. The Trojans also took a cheap shot on Hawaii's starting QB Moniz giving him a blatant blow to the head that would keep him out of the game. Moniz's absence didn't slow up the Warrior offense one bit though. His replacement Shane Austin came in and went 6 for 9 passing, racking up 141 yards and 2 TD's. The Trojans went on to win by 13, but if the refs would have given Hawaii their deserved touchdowns it would have been a 1 point win for the Warriors.
It seems that the Trojans favoritism extends all the way to Hawaii. It's like Kirk Herbstreit and Snoop Dogg are cleverly disguised as the refs for every USC game. Lane Kiffin must have found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow that was hanging over Aloha Stadium, but his luck will run out. That I can guarantee. USC is lucky that they can't make it to a bowl game because they might not win enough games this season to go to one anyways. The Pac 10 is stacked, and they're not going to have any sympathy for the washed up bully that is USC. The Ducks, Beavers, Golden Bears, and Christmas Tree are all going to knock USC right off their Trojan high horse.
On and end note, watch Hawaii if you get a chance to this season. It's well worth staying up until 2 or 3 in the morning to do. They've got a high-flying, run-and-shoot offense that is guaranteed to entertain you. So do yourself a favor and jump on the Warrior wave. Also for my college friends, if you live on a college campus (or can get internet access while on a college campus) re-watch this game on ESPN 3. ESPN 3 is free to all college campuses, so enjoy you lucky kids. If you don't want to watch the whole game, at least check out the 3rd quarter. You'll get to see spectacular plays from both teams, and you'll also see Hawaii get hosed like a fire department by the refs.
So go ahead, Surf it up Dudes: http://www.espn3.com/
If not for a few questionable calls, the Warriors would have won this game. You may think I'm crazy, but I think Hawaii has one of the best offenses (if not the best) in the country. The Warriors have another great quarterback named Bryant Moniz, who could break records (both school records and NCAA records). He finished the night last night with 269 yards and a touchdown before he was knocked out of the game midway in the third quarter. That's right in the third quarter. Just imagine his stats if he would have played the whole game. The Warriors also have a hoard of fast, shifty receivers (just ask the USC cornerbacks). Kealoha Pilares finished with 5 receptions for 176 yards with 3 TD's. It was Greg Salas who proved to be Hawaii's go-to-guy, as he finished with 8 receptions for 124 yards. The Warriors suprisingly have a decent rushing attack this year, led by Alex Green who is quite an intimidating runner (his blacked out visor and multi-colored dreds play a big role in that though).
Don't let ESPN mislead you about this game with their phrases like "USC is back" and..."USC is back." Because they're not back. They should have lost this game, and they were more scared than a puppy in a thunderstorm. Monte Kiffin almost had a heart attack as the Warrior offense outgained the Trojan offense by putting up 588 yards on his defense. That's right 588 yards. It takes most teams two games to rack up that many yards.
The Warriors had two should-be touchdowns called back by the refs. The Trojans also took a cheap shot on Hawaii's starting QB Moniz giving him a blatant blow to the head that would keep him out of the game. Moniz's absence didn't slow up the Warrior offense one bit though. His replacement Shane Austin came in and went 6 for 9 passing, racking up 141 yards and 2 TD's. The Trojans went on to win by 13, but if the refs would have given Hawaii their deserved touchdowns it would have been a 1 point win for the Warriors.
It seems that the Trojans favoritism extends all the way to Hawaii. It's like Kirk Herbstreit and Snoop Dogg are cleverly disguised as the refs for every USC game. Lane Kiffin must have found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow that was hanging over Aloha Stadium, but his luck will run out. That I can guarantee. USC is lucky that they can't make it to a bowl game because they might not win enough games this season to go to one anyways. The Pac 10 is stacked, and they're not going to have any sympathy for the washed up bully that is USC. The Ducks, Beavers, Golden Bears, and Christmas Tree are all going to knock USC right off their Trojan high horse.
On and end note, watch Hawaii if you get a chance to this season. It's well worth staying up until 2 or 3 in the morning to do. They've got a high-flying, run-and-shoot offense that is guaranteed to entertain you. So do yourself a favor and jump on the Warrior wave. Also for my college friends, if you live on a college campus (or can get internet access while on a college campus) re-watch this game on ESPN 3. ESPN 3 is free to all college campuses, so enjoy you lucky kids. If you don't want to watch the whole game, at least check out the 3rd quarter. You'll get to see spectacular plays from both teams, and you'll also see Hawaii get hosed like a fire department by the refs.
So go ahead, Surf it up Dudes: http://www.espn3.com/
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Back In The Saddle Again
Strike the band, wake up the mascot, clap your hands and cheer because College Football is BACK!
That's right folks it's the moment you've all been waiting for...the 2010 College Football Season, and it starts TONIGHT.
We kick things off with both USC's in action tonight. The Carolina Gamecocks will take on the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at 7:30, while the So. Cal Trojans head to paradise to take on the Hawaii Warriors. Both games should be pretty exciting, and may be closer than expected.
The Gamecocks have a history of coming out of the gates slow (like last years 7-3 win opener against NC State), and have a nack for letting undeserving jobbers hang around (like last years 14-10 win over Vandy or 2008's 23-13 win over Wofford). Southern Miss could prove to be quite the formidable opponent, as they return some of their explosive offense from last season. That includes Senior quarterback Martevious Young who finished last season with 1,861 passing yards and a passer rating of 145.70. The Eagles also return Young's favorite target in DeAndre Brown, but believe me Stephon Gilmore will be up to the task. The real task for the Gamecock defense will be replacing Eric Norwood. Norwood was the heart of the spur defense, and the whole team for that matter. On offense the pressure will be all on quarterback Stephen Garcia...as usual. Hopefully Garcia can have a breakout season, and keep the ole ballcoach and Connor Shaw from breathing down his neck. Be on the lookout for the patented Spurrier visor through tonight though. It's early and mistakes are going to be made. But breathe easy Carolina Fans. I think Carolina is a way better team this year, and certainly more focused. It's ridiculous that they don't have South Carolina ranked in the Top 25. The Gamecock offense will prove too much for the Eagles' defense, and all will be well. So get on your feet Carolina Fans for the Mighty Sound of the Southeast.
Now to the other USC. After a swift roundhouse kick to the face from the Hokies in the Chik-Fil-A Bowl, Lane Kiffin tucked his tail and ran leaving Rocky Top high and dry. Now he'll make his coaching debut with the evil empire of the west coast, and I hope its a miserable one. I'm definitely not calling for an upset alert by any means, but it would be nice to see the scary Warrior mascot badger Kiffin with a spear or some steel drum mallets. It definitely won't be an easy season for Kiffin after taking the reigns of the Trojans after the Watergate of College Football (I think Pete Carroll bolted even faster than Nixon though). As for tonight we know the Trojan offense will score often, as the Warrior defense is traditionally as porous as a sponge cake. Hawaii's offense though can rack up tons of points and tons of yards. Hawaii has at least 2 quarterbacks (Timmy Chang and Colt Brennan) on the NCAA All-time passing list. This season the pass-happy Warriors return Bryant Moniz, who threw for 2,396 yards last season. The pineapple chunking Hawaii offense might make things interesting if they can get things rolling against a nameless, faceless Trojan defense. If nothing else the Warriors are guaranteed to look awesome even if they play horrible. They've got sick colors with the Black and Green, and the tribal design accents in the uniforms place them high on the coolest uniforms list. Plus the Under Armour logo looks almost like the Hawaii H, which ups the cool factor even more. So Aloha Nui Loa to the Warriors. Surfs up Bra!
Other than these two games we have some snoozefests going on. (2) Ohio State takes on Marshall and (15) Pitt takes on an unkown Utah team. Also we'll have a Sunshine State color war, as the thirteenth-ranked Miami Hurricanes take on the Florida A&M Rattlers in the clash of the Orange and Green.
So grab you some good ole Bar-B-Cue before the Carolina game (or box of Chicken from the best BoJangles in the Palmetto State in front of Williams-Brice Stadium), and get your Big Kahuna burgers ready for a midnight snack for the So Cal/Hawaii late game.
That's right folks it's the moment you've all been waiting for...the 2010 College Football Season, and it starts TONIGHT.
We kick things off with both USC's in action tonight. The Carolina Gamecocks will take on the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at 7:30, while the So. Cal Trojans head to paradise to take on the Hawaii Warriors. Both games should be pretty exciting, and may be closer than expected.
The Gamecocks have a history of coming out of the gates slow (like last years 7-3 win opener against NC State), and have a nack for letting undeserving jobbers hang around (like last years 14-10 win over Vandy or 2008's 23-13 win over Wofford). Southern Miss could prove to be quite the formidable opponent, as they return some of their explosive offense from last season. That includes Senior quarterback Martevious Young who finished last season with 1,861 passing yards and a passer rating of 145.70. The Eagles also return Young's favorite target in DeAndre Brown, but believe me Stephon Gilmore will be up to the task. The real task for the Gamecock defense will be replacing Eric Norwood. Norwood was the heart of the spur defense, and the whole team for that matter. On offense the pressure will be all on quarterback Stephen Garcia...as usual. Hopefully Garcia can have a breakout season, and keep the ole ballcoach and Connor Shaw from breathing down his neck. Be on the lookout for the patented Spurrier visor through tonight though. It's early and mistakes are going to be made. But breathe easy Carolina Fans. I think Carolina is a way better team this year, and certainly more focused. It's ridiculous that they don't have South Carolina ranked in the Top 25. The Gamecock offense will prove too much for the Eagles' defense, and all will be well. So get on your feet Carolina Fans for the Mighty Sound of the Southeast.
Now to the other USC. After a swift roundhouse kick to the face from the Hokies in the Chik-Fil-A Bowl, Lane Kiffin tucked his tail and ran leaving Rocky Top high and dry. Now he'll make his coaching debut with the evil empire of the west coast, and I hope its a miserable one. I'm definitely not calling for an upset alert by any means, but it would be nice to see the scary Warrior mascot badger Kiffin with a spear or some steel drum mallets. It definitely won't be an easy season for Kiffin after taking the reigns of the Trojans after the Watergate of College Football (I think Pete Carroll bolted even faster than Nixon though). As for tonight we know the Trojan offense will score often, as the Warrior defense is traditionally as porous as a sponge cake. Hawaii's offense though can rack up tons of points and tons of yards. Hawaii has at least 2 quarterbacks (Timmy Chang and Colt Brennan) on the NCAA All-time passing list. This season the pass-happy Warriors return Bryant Moniz, who threw for 2,396 yards last season. The pineapple chunking Hawaii offense might make things interesting if they can get things rolling against a nameless, faceless Trojan defense. If nothing else the Warriors are guaranteed to look awesome even if they play horrible. They've got sick colors with the Black and Green, and the tribal design accents in the uniforms place them high on the coolest uniforms list. Plus the Under Armour logo looks almost like the Hawaii H, which ups the cool factor even more. So Aloha Nui Loa to the Warriors. Surfs up Bra!
Other than these two games we have some snoozefests going on. (2) Ohio State takes on Marshall and (15) Pitt takes on an unkown Utah team. Also we'll have a Sunshine State color war, as the thirteenth-ranked Miami Hurricanes take on the Florida A&M Rattlers in the clash of the Orange and Green.
So grab you some good ole Bar-B-Cue before the Carolina game (or box of Chicken from the best BoJangles in the Palmetto State in front of Williams-Brice Stadium), and get your Big Kahuna burgers ready for a midnight snack for the So Cal/Hawaii late game.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Back in Black
Today Nike unveiled Virginia Tech's new Nike Pro Combat uniforms that the Hokies will wear in the season opener versus third-ranked Boise State. To the surprise of the Hokie Nation the uniforms weren't Maroon, Orange, or even White, but Black. That's right Black.
To see a Virginia Tech football team wearing black you would have to travel all the way back to the year 1895. That would be the last year that Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College would wear their original school colors of Cadet Grey and Black. The following year Chicago Maroon and Burnt Orange would be adopted for its unique and eye-pleasing combination, along with the university's motto "Ut Prosim," and the university's seal. VAMC would also add Polytechnic Institute to its name, and become known as VPI.
Now that the history lesson is over, let's get down to the real business at hand. The new uni's. I'm not going to lie, I was shell-shocked when I first saw them. I had to take multiple hour-long breaks, and then return to evaluate the outfits. I didn't know just exactly how I felt about them. My first impulse was "man these things are high tech, non-traditional (which is an injustice), and most importantly fugly." I had a hard time coping with the numbers on the jerseys looking like the inside of a clear, neon calculator. I also thought the stripes on the front of the helmet looked too UVAish, which is disgusting. I also thought the timing was all wrong. If we were ever supposed to wear black for an opener, it should have been in 2007 against East Carolina in remembrance of the April 16th victims. Why would we choose this season with such high hopes and national title aspirations to look so grim in black? I decided to take a break. You know take a couple of plays off to gather my thoughts, and let the images simmer in my brain.
Surprisingly I have now grown to actually like the uniforms. I know that this is probably a shock to most of you because if you know me, you know that I am an avid, old school traditionalist to say the least. What can I say, I'm a sucker for anything Nike. The flashy pro-combat website reeled me in like a starving bass. The uniform looks tough, and I mean TOUGH. Black and Orange always play nicely together, and its no different in this case. It definitely brings the word technology to mind, and maybe Armor All. The Orange Pro-Combat undershirt really makes the uniform pop. The Orange Zoom Vapor Carbon Fly cleats are very sleek and eye-catching. (I can't wait to see Ryan Williams rip off a huge run with those puppies on, it'll look just like the cartoon Road Runner's feet). The calf-length black socks with the Orange Swooshes are an overlooked gem in this ensemble in my opinion. I'm sure even my 40 yard dash time would go up if I had those on. The Orange Swoosh on the jersey is icing on the cake, but like I said I'm smitten by the Swoosh. The flat-Black helmet looks legit (minus the Maroon stripes on the front). The Orange VT logo jumps right off the dark helmet like a neon sign. The Ut Prosim on the back pad of the helmet is a very classy addition, and probably the best part of the helmet.
To me this uniform screams Thursday night in Blacksburg, but I'll settle for a Monday night in the capitol. I really hope we win this game, so the possibility of wearing these on the Thursday-nighter versus GT stands. It would be awesome to show them who the real Tech is in these babies, as we grasp sweet revenge from last season. The black uni's also come in handy if we lose, because they would signify the death of our National Title hopes. Let's just hope we win this show-down, and avoid being Thunderstruck.
To check out the sweet new uniforms click here. Also, explore the rest of the sweet Nike Pro Combat website. They've done an awesome job with it, so don't be afraid. Sniff around a bit.
To see a Virginia Tech football team wearing black you would have to travel all the way back to the year 1895. That would be the last year that Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College would wear their original school colors of Cadet Grey and Black. The following year Chicago Maroon and Burnt Orange would be adopted for its unique and eye-pleasing combination, along with the university's motto "Ut Prosim," and the university's seal. VAMC would also add Polytechnic Institute to its name, and become known as VPI.
Now that the history lesson is over, let's get down to the real business at hand. The new uni's. I'm not going to lie, I was shell-shocked when I first saw them. I had to take multiple hour-long breaks, and then return to evaluate the outfits. I didn't know just exactly how I felt about them. My first impulse was "man these things are high tech, non-traditional (which is an injustice), and most importantly fugly." I had a hard time coping with the numbers on the jerseys looking like the inside of a clear, neon calculator. I also thought the stripes on the front of the helmet looked too UVAish, which is disgusting. I also thought the timing was all wrong. If we were ever supposed to wear black for an opener, it should have been in 2007 against East Carolina in remembrance of the April 16th victims. Why would we choose this season with such high hopes and national title aspirations to look so grim in black? I decided to take a break. You know take a couple of plays off to gather my thoughts, and let the images simmer in my brain.
Surprisingly I have now grown to actually like the uniforms. I know that this is probably a shock to most of you because if you know me, you know that I am an avid, old school traditionalist to say the least. What can I say, I'm a sucker for anything Nike. The flashy pro-combat website reeled me in like a starving bass. The uniform looks tough, and I mean TOUGH. Black and Orange always play nicely together, and its no different in this case. It definitely brings the word technology to mind, and maybe Armor All. The Orange Pro-Combat undershirt really makes the uniform pop. The Orange Zoom Vapor Carbon Fly cleats are very sleek and eye-catching. (I can't wait to see Ryan Williams rip off a huge run with those puppies on, it'll look just like the cartoon Road Runner's feet). The calf-length black socks with the Orange Swooshes are an overlooked gem in this ensemble in my opinion. I'm sure even my 40 yard dash time would go up if I had those on. The Orange Swoosh on the jersey is icing on the cake, but like I said I'm smitten by the Swoosh. The flat-Black helmet looks legit (minus the Maroon stripes on the front). The Orange VT logo jumps right off the dark helmet like a neon sign. The Ut Prosim on the back pad of the helmet is a very classy addition, and probably the best part of the helmet.
To me this uniform screams Thursday night in Blacksburg, but I'll settle for a Monday night in the capitol. I really hope we win this game, so the possibility of wearing these on the Thursday-nighter versus GT stands. It would be awesome to show them who the real Tech is in these babies, as we grasp sweet revenge from last season. The black uni's also come in handy if we lose, because they would signify the death of our National Title hopes. Let's just hope we win this show-down, and avoid being Thunderstruck.
To check out the sweet new uniforms click here. Also, explore the rest of the sweet Nike Pro Combat website. They've done an awesome job with it, so don't be afraid. Sniff around a bit.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)