Virginia Tech Football: 7 Things That Need to Be Fixed Before 2012

The Virginia Tech Hokies laid a proverbial egg on Saturday night against the Clemson Tigers in the ACC Championship.

Clemson gets an automatic BCS bid to the Orange Bowl.

The Hokies? An undeserved surprise bid to the Sugar Bowl against Michigan.

Frank Beamer's squad proved itself to be the most overrated team in the BCS Top 25 and now begins bowl preparations in hopes of getting an early start for the upcoming offseason.



 

Fire Bryan Stinespring

The entire offensive staff should be terminated except for Shane Beamer.

I have detailed this statistic many times before. The Hokies have never finished among the top 30 teams in offense.

Its not for the lack of talent. Tech has had such stars as Michael Vick, Kevin Jones, Lee Suggs, Ryan Williams, Darren Evans and many more.

Teams that are moving up in stock all have prolific offenses with creative offensive minds. Teams such as Oklahoma State, Clemson and Arkansas all hired offensive coordinators capable of bringing change to the culture at those respective institutions.

Its time for that to happen in Blacksburg.

Now.

Just picture how good this team could be with an offense as formidable as the defense is yearly coached by Bud Foster.

Scary, huh?

Find an Identity on Offense

Under offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring, Virginia Tech has no offensive identity.

Is it an option team? A spread team? A smash-mouth team?

No one truly knows. Don't think that doesn't weigh heavily on the likes of Logan Thomas and David Wilson.

The Hokies are prone to running many different plays out of myriad formations. Occasionally, Tech will run the spread option out of the shotgun. Other times Virginia Tech will run straight out of the I-formation.

Regardless, Tech needs to establish itself as a power team or a spread team. Cementing the game plan will allow the skill players to flourish and will likely improve the play of the offensive line. 

Lackluster Starts

Virginia Tech walks a dangerous tightrope when it gets off to characteristically slow starts.

When facing talented teams like Clemson, the Hokies risk falling behind by multiple scores and, well, getting blown out on the big stage.

Tech fell behind in eight different games in 2011.

Frank Beamer and staff must adjust the opening script to make Tech more efficient in the first quarter of play. 

When the Hokies start off strong, the positive results are evident in the 38-0 win over Virginia.

When Virginia Tech struggles out of the gate, look no further than the two beatdowns at the hands of Clemson to find the ramifications. 

Offensive Line Play

The Hokies' offensive line has been atrocious in their two defeats in 2011.

Clemson's superior talent, headlined by Andre Branch and Brandon Thomson, physically dominated Tech up front.

In other recent spotlight losses to Stanford, Boise State and Alabama, the Hokies have similarly been manhandled in the trenches.

Virginia Tech needs to improve its recruitment of talented offensive linemen in future offseasons. The talent discrepancy between the Hokies and superior competition is all-too-apparent in difficult losses.  

Penalties

Playing its thirteenth contest of the 2011 college football season, Virginia Tech has no excuse for accumulating nearly 100 yards in penalties.

That is precisely what the Hokies did in the ACC Championship.

Tech played what looked like its first game of the season against a Clemson Tigers team that was ready to pounce for the second time.

Discipline is attributed to coaching. Virginia Tech lacks that right now. Frank Beamer, where are you? 

Find Replacements for Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale

Virginia Tech needs to find replacements for the two leading receivers in Hokie history in Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale.

Potential candidates include Marcus Davis and D.J. Coles who both have shown signs of breaking through in 2011.

However, like the Tech offense, both have been inconsistent. They will be integral in the progression of quarterback Logan Thomas over the offseason.

Also, the Hokies will look to improve play at the tight end position. Former defensive end Chris Drager will be graduating and Thomas will be eager to find a solid safety valve for 2012.

 

Get Healthy

Virginia Tech has been devastated by the injury bug in 2011.

Stars such as Bruce Taylor, Jayron Hosley, Antoine Hopkins and James Gayle have all suffered setbacks this season.

Injuries certainly do not serve as an excuse.

However, a healthy starting eleven does emit hope, for fans and coaches alike, that Tech will be much improved for a run at an ACC Championship in 2012.