Hokies hope tough week pays off

By Nate Crossman  |   Thursday, October 19, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Virginia Tech Hokies
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It was not a good week to be a Virginia Tech Hokie.

There was, of course, the 22-3 loss to Boston College, in which the Hokies not only failed to score a touchdown for the first time since 1998, but committed a few more brain-dead personal fouls, were caught bickering with one another on the sideline, and were given a tongue-lashing by ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, who calls head coach Frank Beamer a friend.

As if their second ACC loss in a row wasn't bad enough, however, things got considerably worse in Blacksburg. Beamer laid down the law in the days following the loss, saying he wouldn't put up with anymore misbehavior on the field or off it. Earlier this week he made good on that promise, kicking a pair of defensive linemen - William Walls and Joey Hall - off the team for disciplinary reasons. He also said he and the coaches would make some changes in regards to personnel. He did that too, benching defensive back Aaron Rouse in favor of Cary Wade, and hinting that redshirt freshman quarterback Ike Whitaker would see some playing time Saturday against Southern Mississippi, although Sean Glennon will make his seventh start of the season.

The question is, will all the moves and suspensions and tough talk translate into better play on the field? The answer is it depends.

This past week in Blacksburg reminds of a players-only or closed-door meeting a baseball team might have after a particularly tough stretch. I've always been against these types of meeting for the simple fact that if you have one and the team continues to struggle, what do you do? Have another meeting?

What if Whitaker goes out against Southern Miss and throws four touchdowns and rushes for 100 yards? Then you have a quarterback controversy on your hands, which is the worst situation a struggling team can have. What if, after all the threats and dismissals, the Hokies still go out and commit four personal fouls, or a player is caught someplace he shouldn't be prior to the game and has to be suspended? Judging by the quotes coming out of Virginia Tech, the players understand that they haven't exactly lived up to expectations, yet also feel as though they're being made examples of.

It's not fun to be a Virginia Tech Hokie right now. Lose to Southern Miss, however, or fail to show any improvement in the discipline department, and it could get a lot worse.

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