Blocked PATs chief among Hokies’ concerns

By Nate Crossman  |   Thursday, September 21, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Virginia Tech Hokies
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It's a good sign that the Virginia Tech Hokies' biggest concern heading into Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Bearcats are blocked PATs. Sure, the Bearcats were the last team to shut out the Hokies. But that was way back in 1995, toward the end of the bad old days. Eleven years later the Hokies have transformed themselves into a national power, while the Bearcats are essentially the same scrappy team but in a new conference, the Big East.

Yet the two blocked PATs by the Duke Blue Devils last Saturday are a big concern around Blacksburg. If you know anything about the Hokies, you've heard the phrase "Beamerball" once or a hundred times. Essentially Beamerball refers to the Hokies' outstanding special teams, especially their ability to block kicks: They have blocked 111 kicks in 229 games under Beamer, who also happens to be the special teams coach in addition to the head coach.

Although the Hokies' special teams have been living on reputation for the past few years, they were off to a good start this season. They blocked a field goal and a punt in the season opener against the Northeastern Huskies, and a punt against the North Carolina Tar Heels. But they had the tables turned on them by the Blue Devils, who became the first team since Miami in 2004 to block two kicks.

Of course, the two blocked PATs had no bearing on the outcome, as the Hokies won 36-0 to improve to 3-0. But Beamer made it a point of emphasis in his weekly Tuesday press conference, saying that he would spend extra time in practice to make sure it didn't happen again. From an X's and O's standpoint, Beamer said he'll switch tackle Ryan Shuman with guard Nick Marshman on PATs and field goals to give kicker Brandon Pace a little added protection.

"It's little stuff, too. Even in the kicking game, details are critical," Beamer said during his press conference. "For a guy to get his foot up and get it back down and establish himself, so he's moving forward instead of backwards, giving him leverage instead of the other guy having leverage. It's a little thing but it turns into a big thing."

PATs may be a significant area of concern for the Hokies Saturday. But for the Bearcats, whose porous offensive line (four sacks per game this season) will be going up against one of the best defenses in Div. I, they'll be the least of their worries.

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