Hokies fall to Michigan in OT in Sugar Bowl

Tech fans, be sure to check out the game story from a wild (and disappointing) Sugar Bowl game against the Michigan Wolverines on Tuesday. Also, check out the notes and quotes section as well. Both have been posted on the main page of hokiesports.com

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Hokies hold final walkthrough

Tech fans continued to arrive in New Orleans en masse as the Sugar Bowl match-up with Michigan draws nearer. As for the team, both players and coaches are tired of practicing and can’t wait for kickoff, just over 24 hours away.

The day marked a light one for Tech’s team, as the coaches coordinated a walkthrough for the team at the Superdome later in the afternoon. Tech’s walkthroughs usually consist of going over certain special teams situations and other special situations related to offense and defense. At this point, the game plan has been installed and gone over repeatedly, so there is little to cover.

Tech head coach Frank Beamer’s day began with a press conference at a local Marriott, where he joked with media members about them being out past curfew on Bourbon Street – a reference to a media bash at a place down in the French Quarter. He also addressed more serious issues related to his team and the game.

Beamer said that he planned on going with Justin Myer as the kicker – no great surprise there – and that he also planned on placing Conor Goulding on the dress squad. Goulding, a walk-on kicker from Florida, has never dressed for a collegiate game.

Here are a couple other questions he answered:

• Beamer reiterated his desire to see the BCS go to a “plus-1” system. In this system, the top team in the BCS rankings would play the No. 4 team and No. 2 would play No. 3. The winners would play a week later.

“A few years back, I thought it was gaining some momentum, and I really thought that was a good idea,” Beamer said. “And the reason I thought it was the way to go is when we played Auburn here in the Sugar Bowl, and Auburn was an undefeated team, and there were two other undefeated teams that year. Auburn was good enough to play for the national championship.

“Generally, there are about four teams that really deserve to play for the national championship. Some years there's more. There always would be controversy about the fifth team, but not as much, I think, as the third team.

“And so to me, I think that's the best solution right now, and I understand that it's coming back around a little bit. And hopefully, I'd like to see us go in that direction.”

• Beamer also said he thought bowl games should be played on Jan. 1, or at least by that particular date. That’s been a hot subject between A.D.s because schools are struggling to sell tickets to bowl games after the 1^st. Many families can’t take time off from work at this time of the year.

“You know, after New Year's, your kids are going back to school,” he said. “Now here it's the 3rd, and it's a three-day stay with hotels. It makes it a difficult situation to fill the stadiums.

“And I believe in a BCS game, the first thing is the stadium needs to be sold out. But I understand the other side of it, too, the way that TV works. They spread them out. I understand that part firmly, too. But I do think it's an issue. I think it's something that probably needs to be thought out and talked about, and find out what's best for college football in general.”

• Tech’s players and coaches will move to a different hotel this evening to be together and to get away from the distractions of family, friends and fans. Beamer started doing this a few years ago and likes the idea of getting away.

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Hokies hold "Thursday" practice at Saints facility

Sunday brought forth a change for the Virginia Tech football team, as practice was moved from the Superdome because of the New Orleans Saints game with the Carolina Panthers. The Hokies instead practiced at the Saints facility in nearby Metairie, La., and it afforded them two opportunities – 1. to get outdoors; and 2. to get off the artificial turf.

The day also marked a rather significant increase in media attention as the game draws nearer. Approximately 30 members interviewed requested players before practice.

Here are a few notes from the day:

• A familiar face attended the Hokies’ practice on Sunday – former offensive coordinator Rickey Bustle, who stopped by to say hello to Tech head coach Frank Beamer and the assistants. Bustle spent this past season as the offensive coordinator at Tulane, but recently landed as the offensive coordinator at Southern Miss under new coach Ellis Johnson.

• Beamer said none of his player missed the New Year’s Eve curfew of 12:30 a.m. and that the players have done a great job of making curfew other than the Tyler Weiss incident on the first night. As for himself, he spent his New Year’s Eve getting a massage at the hotel and eating oysters, but he didn’t stay up to ring in the New Year.

“I learned a long time ago that you can get up the next morning, and it’s kind of like SportsCenter,” he said, laughing. “I watched New Year’s in Hong Kong and New York City. I saw it all, so I was good after that.”

• Beamer continues to field questions about the importance of the bowl game considering the criticism for Tech’s selection to play this game. He also was asked if the Hokies have changed their preparations in lieu of the importance of the bowl.

“Not particularly,” Beamer said. “We’ve talked about the importance of playing well. I learned a long time ago. When we first started out, a bowl was a reward for your players, and I think it is because they’ve accomplished something good.

“But I’ve also realized as we went along that the alumni don’t want to just get here to a bowl game, they want to win. They like it a lot better when you win. A lot of our alumni spend a lot of money to come here and watch you play, and we’re going to have a bunch of them down here, and they deserve to see a great effort by this football team.”

• Beamer also addressed the kicking situation. As most know, starter Cody Journell has been suspended indefinitely for an off-field incident and will not play in the game. When asked how the kickers were progressing, Beamer gave a tepid response.

“It’s looking okay,” he said. “[Justin] Myer finished yesterday kicking really well. That’s the key thing right now.”

• The broadcast crew of Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge and sideline reporter Holly Rowe arrived in town and came to the Hilton Riverside to meet with Beamer and several Tech players. They spent over an hour talking with quarterback Logan Thomas, tailback David Wilson and safety Eddie Whitley, as they get prepared for the game.

• Following practice, the team returned to the Hilton for lunch and then had the rest of the evening free. In short, this was a light day for news coming out of New Orleans.

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The Goodbye 2011 Blog

It’s a great honor to be given the responsibility of filing the final blog of the 2011 calendar year as your faithful blogger Jimmy Robertson was occupied watching the Hokies’ big basketball win on the road against Oklahoma State and didn’t make it to practice.

This New Year’s Eve was supposed to start early with the offensive press conference, but many were awakened at 5:30 a.m. to the unpleasant sound of fog horns sounding from the nearby cruise ships. With heavy fog blanketing the city overnight, visibility was near zero along the Mississippi River, thus making for the earlier-than-anticipated wakeup calls for most staying in the Hilton Riverside Hotel.

Offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring, along with players Danny Coale, Blake DeChristopher, Chris Drager, Logan Thomas and David Wilson, had the first shift on the day’s media conference down the street. Most of the guys got questions they have gotten most of the postseason, but handled it well as usual. Many questions for DeChristopher centered around his fluffy beard while Wilson got “about 30” questions about the NFL in his estimation. Wilson said he has not heard back from the NFL on his feedback and will announce his decision about turning pro or not after the game is over.

For the fourth day in a row, the team boarded the busses and headed one mile up Poydras to the Superdome for their “Wednesday” practice. Michigan practiced there earlier in the day and in between sessions crews from Fox Sports were setting up for Sunday’s Saints/Panthers game. The Panthers will be using the same locker room the Hokies will be in on Tuesday and equipment managers were setting up for the game. There was a thought of leaving a note for former Hokie and current Panther starting linebacker James Anderson in his locker, but the security officials advised us it probably wouldn’t be prudent.

Speaking of Superdome staff, the building will be super busy over the next week. After tomorrow’s NFL game, all the signage will be shifted over to the Allstate Sugar Bowl for Tuesday’s game. Crews are hoping the Saints get a first-round playoff bye, but if they don’t, crews will have to set back up the Saints’ signage for a first-round game on either Jan. 7 or 8, and then turn right back around and set it up for the BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 9.

Coach Frank Beamer addressed the media and didn’t give a whole lot of new information, but did say it looks like Justin Myer will be the kicker Tuesday. Myer was booming the ball pretty consistently during the kicking period. He missed a couple of long ones, but they were close. In the punting situations, Danny Coale was kicking it pretty good despite distractions from the offensive linemen as he was kicking. The four seniors - DeChristopher, Brooks, Nosal and Lanier - all were right up next to him cheering him on and going crazy after every kick, especially when he uncorked some bombs. Coale really is not only a fan favorite, but the linemens' fave as well.

Right before stretching, Coach Beamer had a few officers from the New Orleans Police Department address the team about New Year’s Eve in the city. Commander Walls told the team it will be crazy crowded out there tonight advised the players that if they wanted to watch the fireworks, they should do it from the riverfront, not Jackson Square. Coach Beamer followed him up by telling the guys that “getting stuck in a crowd is not an excuse to miss curfew.” Curfew is set for 12:30 tonight and will go back to 11 p.m. the final two nights before the game.

The only player in blue today who isn’t out for the year is Nick Dew, who sprained an ankle on Friday, but trainer Mike Goforth expects him, and everyone else, to play Tuesday. Several players who will play Tuesday will have surgery back in Blacksburg on Jan. 5, but those names won’t be released until the team gets back after the game for obvious reasons.

Tomorrow will be Tech’s “Thursday” practice and it will be held out at the Saints’ Training Facility in Metairie. Weather pending, the Hokies will practice outdoors for the first time this week and then will be back in the Dome on Monday for the walk-through.

That’s about it for this edition. The first of three Tech Talk Live shows air tonight from the hotel here in New Orleans so come out out for that. For those wondering, the radio frequency for Tuesday’s game inside the stadium will be 96.3 FM. Catch Bill and Mike with the call as the Hokies take on Michigan. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. local time.

That’s about it for this edition. Hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year. Geaux Hokies!

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Day 3 in New Orleans

The morning started with the first press conference of the week, as defensive coordinator Bud Foster and selected members of the defense – Kyle Fuller, Eddie Whitley, Jack Tyler, Derrick Hopkins and Tariq Edwards – went to a local Marriott to meet with members of the media.

Foster got asked an array of questions. Here are a couple of samples:

· Q: Wonder if you could speak to Kyle Fuller's versatility. You had to use him a lot of different places and seems like he shored things up for you a little bit.

BF: “He has. We have had some injuries at our whip position, which is our outside linebacker, hybrid strong safety type outside linebacker position. And Kyle played it last year at times.

“But this year he was going to be our nickel package player and fit that position. We played him a little bit more than what we wanted to, really. But he's played a lot of positions for us. He's played obviously our corner position. He's played our whip position.

“He has really had a great football season for us. In my opinion, I think he's our MVP. He just made some big plays at opportune times, and some important times and key games for us, and I'm really, really proud of him. He's just one of those … he's just a complete football player, and he's had a heck of a year for us.

• Q: You have a huge task ahead of you with the Michigan quarterback, who is very, very mobile in a lot of different ways. Is it possible, though, to get too wrapped up in trying to scheme for him because it's kind of a multi-headed beast there?

BF: “It is. And Denard [Robinson] has had a great year and is a great athlete and dynamic player with the ball in his hand. And unfortunately, he throws the ball a little better than I want him to.

“We played some guys over the years, the Pat Whites and guys of that nature, when we played them they were dynamic ball carriers, and you want … if you stop the run, then I think you gained a huge advantage. And I'm not for sure that's the case right now. You know, Michigan has an outstanding corps of receivers. They catch the ball. They have a couple of guys that can really stretch the field. And that sets up, if they can run the ball, their play action and ability to throw it down the field.

“But then the Toussaint kid is really a dynamic player as well. I think if you're focused on Denard, then Toussaint's going to expose you. And he reminds us of a lot of guys. We had a kid, Branden Ore, who played for us and was a dynamic tailback. That’s who he [Toussaint] reminds me of. The same size and same explosiveness, and we've got to do a good job.

“There's two tailbacks. It’s a two-headed beast at tailback, and Michigan, they're physical up front. They have fourth- and fifth-year guys up there. And I think that's one of their strengths is obviously that group and their cohesiveness there.

“And then to have those two guys that are touching the ball a lot, you know, that are breakaway threats every time they have it in their hand, that really creates a problem for defenses.”

A couple of hours following the session with the media, Tech held its “Tuesday” practice at the Superdome, There, Beamer addressed the media for the second straight day, talking about his kickers and the importance of getting David Wilson going among other topics.

“If we can mix it in there, then we’re a pretty good offense,” Tech coach Frank Beamer said. “If we can’t mix it in there … we need to get him going.”

Other notes from the day:

• Beamer admitted that receiver Danny Coale had attempted a few field goals in practice on Thursday, but said Coale, the Hokies’ punter, wasn’t an option as a field-goal kicker.

“We’ve got him doing enough,” Beamer said.

Beamer later was asked about Coale and his contributions to Tech’s program over the years. The staff found him and invited him to a one-day camp, and after that, Beamer offered a scholarship.

“It kinds of says something about how we recruit,” Beamer said. “We liked him. He wasn’t heavily recruited. You get out there and watch him work, and we offered him a scholarship right out of our one-day camp and he decided to come. After that, it’s been nothing but pluses. There aren’t many guys who can punt in a game and return a punt in a game. Then the big plays he’s had at Virginia Tech … he’s a smart player and he has a good knack for the game.”

• A few injured members of Tech’s team – Bruce Taylor, Antoine Hopkins, Kwamaine Battle and Jeron Gouveia-Winslow – visited a local children’s hospital during practice and took some gifts to the kids. The impact on the kids was profound, just as it was on the players.

• After practice ended around 3 p.m., the players returned to the Hilton Riverside for lunch. Later that evening, they attended a bowl-sponsored dinner and then were free for the evening. Curfew was set for midnight.

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Day 2 in New Orleans

After a morning full of position meetings, Tech football players and coaches traveled to the Superdome for their “Monday” practice in preparation for the Sugar Bowl next week.

The big news of the day centered on a walk-on kicker named Tyler Weiss from Spotsylvania, Va. The fifth-year senior missed Tech’s 1 a.m. curfew on Wednesday night/Thursday morning and became the first, and hopefully, last player to be sent to the bus station for the Greyhound experience – a 1-day, 2-hour and 35-minute bus ride back to Roanoke.

Tech head coach Frank Beamer addressed the matter with the media this morning.

“We had curfew,” Beamer said. “We talked about it a lot. He [Weiss] didn’t make it, and we’re going to send him home. That’s about it.”

Weiss’ transgressions wouldn’t be a huge deal in the grand scheme of things except that Tech’s starting kicker, Cody Journell, has been suspended indefinitely for an off-field transgression and is not on the trip. Weiss actually replaced Journell in Tech’s win over Duke while Journell sat out with a quadriceps injury.

Weiss and Justin Myer figured to be in competition this week for the job to replace Journell. Now, Myer gets the job, though Beamer plans on getting Michael Branthover and Conor Goulding ready in case of an emergency.

“We’re going to give Justin a lot of kicks in practice,” Beamer said. “He’s got about as strong a leg as I’ve seen a kicker have. He’s got the capabilities and the maturity to do what we need him to do.

“We’re going to give Branthover some work. He’s a good field-goal guy and Conor Goulding is a good field-goal guy. They just haven’t done it. But we’re going to look at them this week. My plan is that Justin is going to be our field-goal guy.”

When asked if he meant business on this trip, maybe more so than on past bowl trips, Beamer didn’t hesitate.

“We do mean business,” he said. “We talked a lot about how it was important that we play well in this ball game, and we spent an hour yesterday with people from New Orleans about where to be and where not to be. We emphasize that we all needed to be going in the same direction. My kickers aren’t bad guys, but they’ve made bad decisions, and young people will do that.”

Other notes from the day:

• Beamer refused to get into the status of Journell for the future. He told reporters that he wanted to let the legal process play out before deciding on Journell’s future at Tech. Journell has two more years of eligibility.

• An article in a newspaper recently made reference to the fact that Beamer is one of just two Division I head coaches in the country to have coached at least 15 years at that particular school (the other was Nevada’s Chris Ault). Beamer received a question about this before Thursday’s practice.

“I don’t think it’s going to happen much any more,” he said. “I think what happens is that money is up there, and people want results quicker. The way news gets out these days, and then you have a lot of people expressing opinions, and they may be right or may not be right. I think it’s going to be hard to last at one place going into the future.”

• Former Tech punter Vinnie Burns, a native of New Orleans, showed up at Thursday’s practice. Burns now lives in Sarasota, Fla., and works as a personal trainer. He came back to his hometown for the game and even shared some insight with Tech’s punters after practice.

• Tech receiver Demitri Knowles, who redshirted this past fall, may become a member of the track and field team once the Sugar Bowl ends. Knowles has terrific speed and ran track at Liberty Christian Academy in Lynchburg.

• After practice, the players and coaches returned to the Hilton Riverside for a late lunch. On Thursday evening, the players headed to a bowl-sponsored bowling outing, and afterward, were free for the remainder of the evening.

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Hokies arrive in New Orleans

Greetings from New Orleans! We welcome you to the first installment of the Sugar Bowl blog, which will be compiled by several people throughout the week as we attempt to bring you the latest on the Hokies’ experiences leading up to the Sugar Bowl game against Michigan next Tuesday night.

The massive Virginia Tech travel party of roughly 250 people made it to New Orleans on Wednesday. The first plane carrying head coach Frank Beamer and the players left Blacksburg at 7:30 a.m. and arrived at the Hilton Riverside, the Hokies’ headquarters for the week, around 11 a.m. The second plane consisted of families and support personnel, and it left Blacksburg at 10:45 a.m., arriving in New Orleans at 2 p.m.

The team consists of 118 players – or all but two players on the roster. Offensive lineman Bruce Benedict, who transferred to Tech from Georgia last January, did not make the trip because of NCAA regulations related to transfers. Kicker Cody Journell also didn’t make the trip. He has been suspended indefinitely because of an off-the-field matter.

The travel party ate lunch at the Hilton, and a little later in the afternoon, Beamer held a team meeting. At that meeting, Sugar Bowl president Paul Hoolihan spoke briefly to the team before giving way to a local police officer, who delivered a Powerpoint presentation on the dangers of New Orleans, and specifically, to the French Quarter.

The officer warned the players (and fans) not to walk past Dauphine Street and to stay between that street and the Mississippi River. He also warned about potential pick-pocketers and debit card scams, telling the players not to withdraw money from ATM’s with large groups of people around. And he spoke to the potential perils that happen to those who get drunk in the French Quarter. In other words, use good judgment and travel in groups.

The head of security at the hotel also spoke to the team and told them that the hotel had more than 200 cameras strategically placed throughout the hotel. There will be a security officer on every floor during the team’s stay in New Orleans. He also told the players that he can do a “lock audit” on every door in the hotel to find out every time a door is opened. If a player attempts to break curfew, he can relay that information to Coach Beamer, if Coach Beamer asks.

“I’m in no mood for distractions this week,” Beamer told the team.

Beamer told the players that any distractions will be sent home. All players were expected to abide by the curfews, or else, they would get to experience the “Greyhound experience” – a bus trip from New Orleans back to Roanoke. The bus trip back to Roanoke takes 1 day, 2 hours, and 35 minutes, with three transfers.

Curfew for Wednesday night was 1 a.m. On Thursday and Friday nights, curfew is at midnight, but the players do get an extra 30 minutes for Saturday night – New Year’s Eve – with curfew set for 12:30 a.m.

Following the meeting, the players headed to the Superdome for their first practice. The practice was brief, and the team will begin regular game-week operations on Thursday. After practice, the team ate dinner at the hotel and then had the rest of the evening free.

Be sure to follow us in the world of Twitter as we'll have quick tidbits, morsels, nuggets and more from practice, the hotel, photo galleries, links and other interesting items. The username is @VT_Football.

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