Virginia Tech 2011 Season Preview: Part 2, Defense

We continue our interview here with Chris Colston of the Hokie Annual (@HokieAnnual).  If you didn’t see part one on our introduction to Chris Colston, the Hokie Annual, prospects for the 2011-2012 Hokies, and the Offense, please see that here.  Part two of our interview is below:

Defense

HOKIE GURU: Our next question comes from @vtbeach who wants to know if we have a legitimate top 5 secondary in the country (for the record, I think we do as I think we’ve become DBACK-U).  What is your opinion there?

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: Athlon has Virginia Tech as the fourth-best set of DBs nationally behind Alabama, LSU and Florida State. I have no reason to disagree.

HOKIE GURU: The last time Virginia Tech didn't send a DB to the NFL in the draft was 1998 (and Torian Gray was drafted in 1997), and Jayron Hosley is getting first and second round predictions before this season has even started... To what do you attribute the Hokies prolific run of pro-caliber db's? (h/t @BigTonyVT)

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: Good player evaluation, fertile recruiting ground, excellent coaching.

HOKIE GURU: Which defensive player from an opposing team scares you the most?  For me, it’s Luke Kuechly (@BCMike22 wants to know what we plan to do to keep him off the stat sheet… don’t tell him haha).

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: A bunch of them. Keuchly, Quinton Coples of North Carolina (unless he’s suspended for going to that draft party), Brandon Jenkins of Florida State, Tydreke Powell. The ACC is loaded with All-America defensive talent.

HOKIE GURU: With Gouveia-Winslow's improvement this spring, will Foster use a base defense more often than the nickel package we saw a lot in 2010?  (h/t @PMGingrich)

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: Bud Foster is always going to mix things up. But JGW will see more action this year than last.

HOKIE GURU: Which player on this defense who is an unknown quantity now might be a household name by the end of the season (e.g. 2^nd team All-ACC material)?

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: James Gayle, easily. He’s primed for a huge breakout year. Derrick Hopkins also. Perhaps Kyle Fuller. There are quite a few youngsters ready to bust out…JR Collins, Tariq Edwards, Antone Exum. I’m very excited to see how they all progress.

HOKIE GURU: And we’ll close with my question… what are your biggest concerns and what are you most excited about on defense? 

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: Depth at tackle is my biggest concern. Or end, when Collins moves inside. What excites me most? The wealth of young, active, fast players and Bud Foster’s ability to get the most out of them.

Special Teams

HOKIE GURU: We always seem to find a kicker when we need one, so I’m not as worried about that, but I think Hokie Nation would appreciate a special teams update… what’s your take here?

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: Frank Beamer said as recently as last week that he’s still not sure who’ll end up as the placekicker and punter. Those jobs will be determined in August.

HOKIE GURU: And, more specifically, @JakeSpain wants to know if we are making a conscious effort to go back to "Beamerball"?   Special Teams haven't produced in the last two years like they had before [on the defensive side of the ball].

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: It would be nice to block some kicks again, wouldn’t it? But teams are so aware of Frank Beamer’s special teams prowess that they spend extra time on it the week they play Virginia Tech. It’s just become tougher to exploit the weaknesses when it becomes an opponent’s week-long point of emphasis.

HOKIE GURU: And we’ll close with my question… what are your biggest concerns and what are you most excited about on special teams? 

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: I mean, is there really any way Tech’s placekicker in 2011 makes 21 consecutive field goals? Or the punter has the second-best average in school history? There’s likely going to be a drop-off there.

But the kick returners? WOW. Dyrell Roberts and David Wilson are as good as it gets there. I can’t imagine two better kickoff returners in the nation.

ACC Conference Play/Championship

HOKIE GURU: Florida State, of course, will be highly favored by the national media and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) beat writers to win the conference.  With several returning starters and excellent recruiting, many think the Noles are back.  However, @JoshuaDelung thinks we might have a more complete team than in years past (and this has been the Virginia Tech Conference as of late) and wants to know if we have a chance at winning the ACC again.  Your thoughts?  On the flip side of the coin, one of our rivals (@KilroyFSU) asks if we can continued to dominate the ACC or if others are catching up? 

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: There is no question in my mind that Virginia Tech will have a better overall football team in 2011 than in 2010. I definitely see an ACC title game rematch. But yes, the conference as a whole is getting better.

Where can we buy the 2011 Hokie Football Annual? 

HOKIE GURU: I have many DMV (e.g. DC/Maryland/Virginia… Washington DC-Centric) followers… where can my followers buy that publication in a traditional brick and mortar store?  FYI, here’s the cyberspace hyperlink (http://www.chriscolston.com/) and it’s cheap… $14.99 plus shipping and handling… it’s an awesome Father’s Day gift and a great purchase that will help you get fired up for the 2011 Hokies football season.

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: We really amped up our distribution avenues this year. It is available statewide at most Barnes & Noble stores, Giant food stores, Target, Food Lion and Borders. In June it will be available at Kroger. In southwest Virginia it’s available at most Stop-In stores, Gobbler Gear in Salem, and University Bookstore, Volume 2 Bookstore and Tech Bookstore in Blacksburg. And yes, you can always order online at http://www.chriscolston.com/

Here some traditional brick and mortar locations in Alexandria, VA or Arlington, VA where you can buy the Hokie Annual:

·         Target, 6600 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA

·         Target, 3601 Jefferson Davis Highway, Alexandria, VA

·         Bottom Dollar, 8750 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA

·         Barnes and Noble, 3651 Jefferson Davis Highway, Alexandria, VA

·         Giant, 5870 Kingstowne Center, Alexandria, VA

·         Giant, 3680 King Street, Alexandria, VA

·         Giant, 3131 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA

·         Giant, 7558 Telegraph Road, Alexandria, VA

·         Barnes and Noble, 2800 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500, Arlington, VA

·         Borders Books and Music, 1201 Hayes Street, Suite C, Arlington, VA

·         Borders Airport, 105 Air Cargo Road, Arlington, VA

·         Giant, 3115 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA

HOKIE GURU: Thank you so much for spending time with us, Chris!!  GO HOKIES!!

We thank Chris Colston of the 2011 Hokie Football Annual for spending some time with us. I can’t imagine a better publication to take with you to the beach this summer. It also makes a strong Father’s Day gift.

The Time Has Come

The time has finally come for me to rant and rave about my late but better than never birthday present of Jim Tressel resigning as head football coach at THE Ohio State University.

When I woke up on Memorial Day, both my Twitter and Facebook newsfeeds were exploding because of the announcement.  

Now, anyone who knows me knows why I despise the man.  But as the situation continues to unravel, it just keeps getting better and better for me.

It’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up.  It’s the BS internal investigation that the school went through so they could reinstate all ineligible players and beat Arkansas in their BCS bowl (Sugar?  Fiesta?  I don’t even remember and don’t care enough to look it up).

Now, the avalanche is falling – Tressel had to resign in disgrace and you would hope Gene Smith is next .  Can a school fire its president?  If so, it should, because E. Gordon Gee is the dumbest of them all.  It goes beyond trading memorabilia for tattoos.  Terelle Pryor has been depositing checks, IN WRITING, for memorabilia and no one bothered to check his bank account (which apparently schools have access to do)?

One of the things that bothered me most about Columbus was the holier than thou, we’re better than everyone else, our football team can do no wrong attitude that came flying at us from every direction – and it turns out the school’s beloved sweater-vest wearing skeeztastic cheater man, his boss, and his bosses boss were all up to no good, and have been since about 2002.  I don’t care if players accepted benefits for their own autographs, etc.  All these jackasses are getting full rides to a DI school and most of them won’t even take advantage and graduate, they will just float on over to the NFL (or the UFL/jail if you’re Maurice Clarrett) and make millions of dollars.
And yeah, I know, every school does it, this is not me preaching about how Miami has never had compliance issues or USC’s punishment was unfair.  This is just nine years of calling Tressel a cheater, justified.  Score.

Back & Offesnsive

So, remember that time when I said I was going to blog every day for the last year of my 20s, and then didn't...at all?  40-something posts instead of 365 - close enough, right?  Well, my friend the @HokieGuru asked me if I'd be interested in a guest post and I figured, what better way to get the blog back up and running than to get us all in the mood for a little ACC football.  I know, it's a little early to be previewing the Virginia Tech offense, but with the Bulls out of the playoffs, it's time to move forward.

You also may be wondering why I, as a Miami fan, would post about a rival, since I am sure most of you know I am not keen on rooting for other ACC teams, especially the ones that have given us thorough beatings the last two years..  But my mother told me to always play nice with others, and what better way to start my 30s and enter a more "mature" decade, than sharing with you this interview with long time Hokie Chris Colston.  Enjoy!

Personal

HOKIE GURU: So, how did you decide to go to Virginia Tech? @VTCaps wants to know wants to know what sold you on being a Hokie.  Also, please tell the readers here a bit about your background some of my followers (many from the Generation Y crowd) might not know you (yes that means you’re getting older lol… unfortunately, that means I, the Generation Xer, am, too, lol).

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: I’ll tell you a story I’ve never told anyone before. One soft-infested summer, I believe it was the summer of ’71, I strolled the southwest Virginia woods when I saw a shadow looming before me. From behind a maple strode a six-foot high turkey, snood a-wagglin’. He lunged, pecked and disappeared into the wilderness, leaving me standing there, blood-a-drippin’. But unlike a werewolf, who changes shape only the night a full moon, I became a Hokie for the rest of my life.

The next fall I attended my first game, where from the high corners of the West stands, amid a ketchup-packet-squirting battle with my younger brother, I watched the passing exploits of Don Strock.

I went on to attend Virginia Tech (1976-1980) and earned a degree in Marketing Management. I worked in the athletics department for 11 years as editor of the Hokie Huddler before moving to USA Today Sports Weekly and then the daily USA Today. I’ve written four books on Hokies football: “The Hokies Handbook”, Frank Beamer’s autobiography “Turn Up the Wick,” “Tales From the Virginia Tech Sidelines”, and the “Virginia Tech Football Vault.”

Hokie Annual

HOKIE GURU:  For the average football fan, tell us about the Hokie Football Annual.

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: It’s everything you want to know about the Virginia Tech football program, written by someone bitten by the Hokie Spirit. I consider myself an avid Hokie consumer, and I asked myself, “What would be my dream Virginia Tech publication?” The answer is the Hokie Football Annual.

We made some huge improvements over our premiere issue last season, and I think anybody who buys the HFA is simply going to love it. It’s the perfect magazine to take with you this summer, be it the beach, lake or whatnot.

It’s also a heck of a deal at $14.99. I just picked up the Athlon ACC book, which sells for $8. I finished all the Virginia Tech info in about 15 minutes. The Hokie Football Annual is 128 pages of 100% Virginia Tech football, with stories in there you just aren’t going to find anywhere else, like the Round Table, the Recruiting Q&A, the tailgating section, the uniforms section, the anecdotes from former players, the 2007 Rewind, the all-time Tech team…I mean it just goes on and on. I think once somebody reads it, they’re hooked.

HOKIE GURU:  For the record, I have read the Hokie Football Annual from cover to cover and I think it’s awesome.  It really gives the reader a true insider’s perspective on Virginia Tech football (especially on the logic for the coaching changes).  The publication does a great job talking about the state of the program, the roster, and the coaches.  You also get those nuggets like who the epic tailgaters are.  Every Hokie I know will love the Hokie Football Annual. 

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: Well thank you, oh great Guru! I appreciate that very very much. I tried to give a true perspective on the program, not the in-house spin; having said that, I’m a diehard fan, and I love the program. I’m still close to the people in the athletics department, and I think they do a great job there. Having written a couple of historical perspectives on the football program, I really appreciate what Frank Beamer has done, and what we have right now. We’re truly blessed.

HOKIE GURU:  Please tell Virginia Tech fans what the 16^th Tenet is for a True Hokies Fan J  I don’t want to give too much away here in the book, so I’m not going to ask you everything that’s in there J

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: One of our features is “25 Tenets For True Tech Fans.” (I could use the term rules, but they’re more like guidelines.) No. 16 is this: If a UVA fan overplays the “You Wouldn’t Be in the ACC Without Us” shtick, remind him/her that the Hokies hired former Cavalier Ricky Stokes as our head basketball coach, so they actually OWED us a favor.

HOKIE GURU:  Also, for the record, I disagree with you… I think we go 11-1 (yes, we are beating both Clemson and Miami)… you say we’re going to lose to Clemson… no way… an unseasoned QB in Lane Stadium vs. Bud Foster’s defense?  SMH, man lol… Clemson’s Tajh Boyd will be in Bud Foster’s lunch pail by night’s end on October 1, 2011.

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: We made those predictions in February before seeing Logan Thomas in the spring. We were actually hunkered down in the Greeks Cellar, over a pitcher and some spanokopitas (best I’ve ever had, by the way) the day Frank Beamer hired Cornell Brown.

Had I seen Logan play, I would’ve predicted 11-1 as well. (Which, by the way, was my prediction in 2010, and Tech finished the regular season 10-2, so maybe I did the right thing.)

I honestly think Virginia Tech has a great chance to go undefeated during the regular season. There is no glaringly tough opponent. The Hokies get three of their toughest opponents, Clemson, Miami and North Carolina, at home.

Offense

HOKIE GURU:  How much different will the offense be under Mike O’Cain (h/t for the question to @accsports and @mengus22?  More specifically, with the great group of experienced receivers that we have, do you think we’ll look to the pass more? (h/t: @TheLuxSports and @nturnage?) 

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: Last year Tech ran 62% of the time. I think you could easily see at least a 50/50 run-pass ratio this year, if not 55% in favor of the pass, for a number of reasons.

The depth at running back isn’t what it was last year, and the returning receivers are terrific. With Mike O’Cain, the quarterbacks coach, calling the plays, there’s a much better chance of a mind-meld with Logan, and that has me very excited. Plus, Logan can make some of the throws that Tyrod Taylor, because of his height, simply couldn’t make.

Bryan Stinespring and Mike O’Cain aren’t going to let talent like Jarrett Boykin, Danny Coale, Marcus Davis and Dyrell Roberts go unutilized. Plus, expect to see David Wilson as a big receiving weapon as well.

HOKIE GURU: Another offensive question (and I’m not talking vulgarities) comes from @Hokie8807:  We’ve seen that Logan Thomas has all the physical tools to be successful, but he’s still only thrown 26 passes in his career.  How can Mike O’Cain adjust the playbook so that the game doesn’t move too fast for Logan?  Can he do that without becoming too predictable in the play calling?  Also, there have been a lot of comparisons of Logan Thomas to other QBs - what QB does he most resemble to you? (h/t: @ACCBlogger)  Is he ready to take over for @TyrodTayor? (h/t: @Bob_Swagg)  For the record, no one will replace Tyrod (who is not replaceable in Hokies lore), but will be taking over as QB.

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: Ideally, Virginia Tech will have a core group of plays installed in August that it can execute to perfection. You really don’t need a huge playbook to be successful. Better to execute 10 plays well than 50 plays with mediocrity. With no big Top 5 opponent early this year, the Hokies can afford to do that, then add plays as the season goes along.

I am not going to make the too-easy Cam Newton comparison. One guy nobody has brought up yet when talking about Logan is Ben Roethlisberger. But they’re both big, tough guys with good arms, and yeah, Ben can run a little bit too. But seriously, it is WAY too early to make any comparisons for Logan, because we simply haven’t seen enough of him in game situations.

He’s definitely ready to continue the Tech tradition of quality quarterbacks. While he won’t have Tyrod’s grasp of the offense initially, he can do some things Tyrod can’t do. I am extremely excited about watching him play this year, as much as any player Virginia Tech’s ever had. We had heard rumblings about how Michael Vick was tearing up practices during his freshman year, but nobody really knew how good he was going to be till he got on the field for real.

The thing that excites me about Logan is the combination of off-the-chart physical attributes with strong intangibles.

HOKIE GURU: Also, what are your thoughts on the backup QB situation? (h/t: @DougHead) 

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: It will be Ricardo Young or Mark Leal, depending on who performs better in August.

HOKIE GURU:  Our next question comes from one of our friendly rivals, @BCHysteria.  He asks us who will be tougher to replace:  Tyrod Taylor at QB or Ryan Williams/Darren Evans at RB?

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: Actually I don’t have any worries there at all. I’m more concerned over who will replace Chris Hazley and Brian Saunders. David Wilson has a bigger upside than Evans and is probably faster than Ryan. He just needs to stay healthy. I think Logan will be fine at QB.

HOKIE GURU: @BCInterruption asks will Kevin Rogers' past work experience at Virginia Tech gives Boston College an edge when the two teams hook up in October (I vote no as this is the Homecoming game, but please smack down our rival, okay? haha.)

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: Well, Bud has made so many tweaks to the defense since Kevin was here, that I’d say the advantage isn’t all that great. The biggest advantage is that BC has a really good coach.

HOKIE GURU: And @CougarTrainee (the godmother of @MDavis_7) wants to know if you think her godson should go pro after this year or wait another (my personal opinion is that he should wait one more, but I’m selfish as a Hokies fan and he needs to contact his family and his agent on this subject)… what are your thoughts?

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: Oh my goodness. Marcus had, let’s see…19 catches for 239 yards and two touchdowns last year. And you’re already talking about turning pro? Really? How about this: focus on 2011 and have the best year possible as one of four strong receiving options. Then come back in 2012 as the primary receiver, have a monster year. Maybe THEN think about the NFL.

HOKIE GURU: And we’ll close with my question… what are your biggest concerns and what are you most excited about on offense? 

No question, my biggest concern is David Wilson’s health (and Logan Thomas). Those two can’t get hurt. I wonder about our field goal kicker too.

What excites me most: a 6-6 QB with a big arm who can run; his ability to hit Marcus Davis on a quick slant on the dead run; an offensive line with depth; Boykin and Coale; a salty tight end who used to play defense; and the mind-meld play-calling of Logan and O’Cain.

Where can we buy the 2011 Hokie Football Annual? 

HOKIE GURU: I have many DMV (e.g. DC/Maryland/Virginia… Washington DC-Centric) followers… where can my followers buy that publication in a traditional brick and mortar store?  FYI, here’s the cyberspace hyperlink (http://www.chriscolston.com/) and it’s cheap… $14.99 plus shipping and handling… it’s an awesome Father’s Day gift and a great purchase that will help you get fired up for the 2011 Hokies football season.

HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: We really amped up our distribution avenues this year. It is available statewide at most Barnes & Noble stores, Giant food stores, Target, Food Lion and Borders. In June it will be available at Kroger. In southwest Virginia it’s available at most Stop-In stores, Gobbler Gear in Salem, and University Bookstore, Volume 2 Bookstore and Tech Bookstore in Blacksburg. And yes, you can always order online at http://www.chriscolston.com/. 

Here some traditional brick and mortar locations in Alexandria, VA or Arlington, VA where you can buy the Hokie Annual:

·         Target, 6600 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA

·         Target, 3601 Jefferson Davis Highway, Alexandria, VA

·         Bottom Dollar, 8750 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA

·         Barnes and Noble, 3651 Jefferson Davis Highway, Alexandria, VA

·         Giant, 5870 Kingstowne Center, Alexandria, VA

·         Giant, 3680 King Street, Alexandria, VA

·         Giant, 3131 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA

·         Giant, 7558 Telegraph Road, Alexandria, VA

·         Barnes and Noble, 2800 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500, Arlington, VA

·         Borders Books and Music, 1201 Hayes Street, Suite C, Arlington, VA

·         Borders Airport, 105 Air Cargo Road, Arlington, VA

·         Giant, 3115 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA

HOKIE GURU: Thank you so much for spending time with us, Chris!!  GO HOKIES!!

We thank Chris Colston of the 2011 Hokie Football Annual for spending some time with us. I can’t imagine a better publication to take with you to the beach this summer. It also makes an excellent Father’s Day gift.