#Beamer ball how to

Cornerback Jayron Hosley, when healthy, provided a threat on punt returns, but the kick return group lagged despite featuring All-America running back David Wilson, ranking 94th nationally with a 20.02-yard average.įittingly, last year's Sugar Bowl loss to Michigan hinged on a couple of costly special teams plays. The return game, once one of Tech's stronger units, was mediocre at best last season. But the Hokies have five blocks the last three years, with only one last season - by Tony Gregory in the opener against Appalachian State. Virginia Tech peaked with 12 blocked kicks, punts and field goals in 1998, then averaged 5.2 from 2000-08. Built on a record of blocked kicks and big returns, the Hokies' special teams have been in a noticeable decline. But whomever will lead the Hokies out of the tunnel next fall at Lane Stadium to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” will have a tough act to follow as Beamer has certainly raised the bar of expectations for Virginia Tech Football.'Beamer Ball' is in line for a makeover, though. Beamer does have some stroke at Virginia Tech and it will be interesting to see if he will be able to influence that school’s decision on the next hire of a head football coach.

#Beamer ball how to

Foster has been the only defensive coordinator that Beamer has ever employed at Virginia Tech and he has always led a unit that knows how to disrupt what opposing offenses want to do. Beamer wants to name his successor at Virginia Tech and you can expect to hear the name of Bud Foster as one of the first candidates to replace him. This will be the fourth consecutive year in which the Hokies will have lost at least five games and you have to wonder if Beamer is being pushed out from his position at Blacksburg, Virginia as we live in a what have you done for me lately society. At a big-time college football program, it is easy for the head football coach to become a star and reign over the university, but that is not how Beamer goes about his business as he has simply been stoic, successful, and a man of the people. Beamer has sent his fair share of talent to the National Football League from the likes to former Detroit Lions running Kevin Jones to current Washington Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall as he has put a stranglehold on recruiting in the State of Virginia and the surrounding areas.īut Beamer’s time at Virginia Tech has gone by without that much fanfare largely due to the fact that he was never able to lead the school to a national title along with the fact that he has always shunned the spotlight. And in the Hokies first year in the ACC, they won the conference. In 2004, Virginia Tech felt that it was time to move on from the Big East as they decided to join the Atlantic Coast Conference. In two seasons at Virginia Tech, Vick would go 22-2 which is the best two-year span in school history. Vick’s dazzling athleticism along with the Hokies solid defense led the school to it’s first undefeated regular season along with a berth in the BCS Title Game. In 1999, Beamer introduced a redshirt freshman quarterback from Newport News, Virginia in Michael Vick onto the college football world who was simply unstoppable. The Hokies would continue to be one of the top teams in the Big East until 1999 when the program went to another level. But Beamer and Virginia Tech announced themselves on the national stage in 1995 when they won the Big East Conference for the first time in school history and capped it off by knocking off the Texas Longhorns in the Sugar Bowl. At first the Hokies would struggle in the Big East, but by 1993, they were able to contend as they went 9-3 and won the Independence Bowl. Beamer’s teams have also relied on solid and aggressive defense that helped to put Hokie football on the map.īeamer’s first four years seasons at Virginia Tech saw the Hokies compete as a football independent until the Big East Conference decided to bring football on board in 1991. Under Beamer’s watch, Virginia Tech has had one of the best special teams units in the nation as they’ve perfected the craft of blocking field goals and punts along with returns for touchdowns.