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Looking deep into the crystal football: FSU vs. Tech predictions

Just in time for Halloween, our Seminole Seer predicts the future. Or at least what should happen on Saturday afternoon at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Tech will have the emotional edge, certainly in the first half. The team is still smarting after last Saturday's loss, hungry to prove they're worthy.

Fisher tries to wear out Tech's D with sustained drives. It worked for Virginia last week as they kept the Jacket's D on the field for a season-high 75 plays.

Bubble screens to keep Tech's secondary chasing and playing on tired legs.

Home run balls to Carr, Parker or Reed to exploit GT backups replacing CB Word-Daniels (definitely out) and Safety Dominique Reese (questionable and nowhere near 100% if he plays).

Jackets will attempt to hit a few bombs of their own to Demaryius Thomas, ranked #2 in the ACC in receiving yards per game with a 71.9 average.

Rollouts by Ponder to elude Tech's ferocious, experienced D-line.

More runs by D'Vo to keep Jackets off-balance and reduce wear and tear on Ponder.

Just when Tech is locked in on D'Vo's running, he heaves one to a streaking Nole WR (crystal ball going out on a limb here).

We're seeing a shovel pass play to take advantage of Tech's rush.

Nole D pressures Jackets QB Josh Nesbitt into a turnover or two. Last week Nesbitt fumbled twice in the third quarter, was sacked four times and threw a pick on Tech's last ditch final drive.

Finally, FSU's defense will see that sneaky TE drag across the middle at least once, maybe more. But then you could have made that prediction without a crystal ball, right?

"Players are saying good teams don't lose 2 in a row": Q's & A's with the AJC's Georgia Tech beat writer

Who better to talk Tech than the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Yellow Jacket beat writer. He's Larry Hartstein, author of a daily AJC Tech blog that makes for excellent pre-game reading. Here's how Larry responded to our questions.

Against Virginia last week, Tech rushed for a season low 156 yds. versus D-1 teams. Are coaches learning how to scheme Johnson's triple option?
Virginia certainly adjusted well to speedy A-back Roddy Jones, who gained 47 yards on the first drive on one particular toss play, and only 28 after that. But I think it was more about Tech's offensive line, which has struggled all season except for left tackle Andrew Gardner. This was probably the best front 7 Tech has faced. Another factor: QB Josh Nesbitt missed some reads that could have been big plays.

Is Johnson putting in new plays and wrinkles to invigorate the offense and surprise FSU?
I doubt there are new plays, but there are some trick plays Tech has practiced that it hasn't used yet. This might be the week. Coaches would like to throw the ball more, especially to stud wideout Demaryius Thomas, but the O-line can't protect long enough for those routes to develop. The Jackets definitely want to get Roddy Jones involved in a big way, because Nesbitt and Jonathan Dwyer can't do it alone.

Tech was riding high and believing in the system before the Virginia loss. How has the team responded this week?
The players seem angry; they know they blew a golden opportunity to control their own destiny. The D-line (all 4 are NFL players) should bounce back with a huge effort. Players are saying good teams don't lose 2 in a row, and that they believe they're a good team. So we'll see.

Will starting corner Jahi Word-Daniels and safety Dominique Reese be out this Saturday? Any other starters out or questionable?
As I write this Wednesday afternoon I believe Jahi won't play due to his hamstring injury, and that's a big loss because he's the only senior in the secondary. Coaches are much more hopeful about Reese, who missed the second half Saturday with concussion-like symptoms.

My guess is Reese will give it a go if he can practice Wednesday or Thursday. WR Tyler Melton is out with a knee injury for the second straight game; Correy Earls starts in his place. Coaches are optimistic A-back Embry Peeples, another speedster, will contribute after being bothered by an ankle injury the last few weeks.

Coming to Atlanta for the Tech game? Don't expect the same old Bobby Dodd Stadium

Old, yes. But in fashionable Atlanta, even stadiums get a facelift. Since the Noles last played at Tech, the venerable structure has been expanded to 55,000 seats, with  lower East and North end zone seating areas rebuilt and permanent seating added in the South end zone. If you've been to Tech games before, you'll notice the changes in the photo at left.

Did we mention old? Bobby Dodd Stadium, named after the late great Tech coach Robert Lee Dodd, was built in 1913 and is currently the nation's oldest on-campus stadium in Division I. Fortunately, the latest addition added and/or modernized its restrooms and concession areas.

"What'll ya have!" Maybe the best thing about the stadium is its neighbor across the freeway, The Varsity (the glowing neon lights at the lower left of the photo). For a pre-game meal -- and, what the hell, post-game pig out -- hit the "World's Largest Drive-In." It may be fast food, but it's light years from anything you'll get from a drive-thru window (it's worth a trip for the onion rings alone).

Finding your seats. Visiting fans are mostly stuck in the nose bleed sections of the expanded North end zone. Check here and you'll see visitors seats in yellow. The graphic also shows the numbered sections, so grab your tickets and find where you'll be sitting.

Last but certainly least, the "P" word. Parking. Don't expect anything close, unless you plan to pay. On-campus parking (details and map here) is $15 - $20, and more for an RV. We've been able to park free on campus streets around the baseball stadium (North of Bobby Dodd), and even in residential areas North of campus. Your best bet is to book a hotel in Midtown, giving you a short walk. Or stay in Buckhead or the Perimeter area and take MARTA to the North Ave. station, just a few blocks from Bobby Dodd. MARTA trains are clean, fast and safe, and the fare is $1.75 each way.

Georgia Tech Triple Option 101 with Yellow Jackets Coach Paul Johnson

While FSU's defense crams for its big test against Georgia Tech's triple option, Nole fans are also curious about this dangerous offense. So here's a two-part primer with Tech Coach Paul Johnson. First, watch the video for a lesson from the Coach himself. Then read below how Johnson assembled his Frankenstein monster to shock and befuddle defenders -- especially those like FSU's that read and react quickly.

"I was a defensive coach when I first started out at Georgia Southern in the 80s. We always felt the hardest offense to stop then was the wishbone with two wide receivers. In '85, Coach Erk Russell asked me to take over the offense. So we started running more option, coupled with different schemes out of the option, and we've been running it now for 23 or 24 years. Through the years, whenever somebody came up with a way to defend us we'd add some plays or add something to the formation, and it's just kind of evolved. So it's a combination of a bunch of offenses put into one.

"We can basically run all the plays that you run out of the I if we choose to. The personnel is kind of different for us. The B back is the featured guy. And with the quick motion we can do a variety of things. 

"The last few years we've been very heavily option-oriented. Not just the triple option, but the counter, etc. And then we've incorporated some of the run-and-shoot passing game, the sprint-out game, three receiver routes, or even four receiver routes. So you can do anything out of this offense that you can do out of the others. "

Is it a read-and-react situation for the QB?
"A lot of the options are reads. It actually depends on how much he can handle and how good a player he is. You can limit what he has to do if the guys around him are better. If we have a really strong front, we may not ask him to read that much. Ideally, the perfect guy there is someone who understands the system and can get you in the best direction. He's more involved in the running game with us. Because if the defense has to account for a runner at quarterback, it changes the way they play."

How long will it take for your players to really "get" this offense?
"There's no magic wand. We may not put any more in until we can do what we're trying to do now. We've got enough in now to play with that we can do it right. There are a lot of bells and whistles that we could add during the game. Tweak the way you're blocking, tweak the formation. The big thing is, we keep doing what we do and we'll get good at it."

Voraciously Random and Factiously Meaningless Thoughts

 1. Welcome Virginia Tech. Hope you enjoyed your inaugural visit as ACC members to Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium (or as Gene Deckerhoff sometimes calls it Doak Campbell Stadium at Bobby Bowden Field) . Certainly FSU fans were glad to host the Hokies.

2. What do you know; thirteen (as in thirteen straight FGs) IS a lucky number.

3. Clever ploy by the coaching staff in calling for the OL to get that five yard penalty so that Graham Gano could kick that sure thing 50 yarder.

4. With the offense struggling early on, came this question from Mrs. BFT. “Can we get some positive yardage on this series?” “Sure, we can do that” I replied. “No problem.” First down Smith loses two yards. Second down Easterling loses two yards on a flanker end around. Third down Ponder is sacked for a nine yard loss. Hell of a prognosticator aren’t I!!

5. Question now for Mrs. BFT: You sang the Michigan fight song after an Antoine Smith 39 yard touchdown. Why?

6. In perusing the VT message boards this week prior to the game there was this comment from one poster. “VT’s offense consists of Tyrod Taylor running for his life.” Extraordinary how accurate that assessment was. For one play anyway.

7. For the Raleigh News and Observer sports writer who said earlier this week “neither team will score more than twenty points”, would you care to re-think that prediction? Obviously that was someone who hadn’t been watching a whole heck of a lot FSU games this season.

8. With yet another wide open tight end scoring yet another touchdown against Florida State, here’s a thought. Has anyone thought to check Bobby’s contract for a stipulation that reads “the coaching staff shall be prohibited from implementing any strategies that remotely resembles covering the opposing team’s tight end”?

9. The good news for Auburn is the offense now is scoring more points since dismissing their offensive coordinator as was shown by the 17 scored on last Thursday night. The bad news is the defense gave up 34. If the Tigers are looking for fewer points in that area maybe they should hire him back only as the defensive coordinator. After all, he is very familiar with low scores.

10. Just wondering if Kansas will be wanting to schedule Texas Tech as their homecoming opponent any time soon? I can’t imagine 63-21 losses make for festive homecomings.

Here's the 4-1-1 on the Hokies with Q's and A's from Glenn at virginiatechfan.com

VT is last in passing offense in the ACC and eighth in scoring offense. How much of that is due to youth, especially at the skill positions?
Frankly the problem is worse than you characterize, in that the Hokies rank 110th in total offense in the nation out of 119 teams.  A lot of it is youth, because by some strange combination of graduation, injury, dismissal, and poor performance Virginia Tech is all freshman in the 2 deep at wide receiver and running back.  Plus quarterback Tyrod Taylor is a 19-year old true Sophomore who’s still a dual-threat type learning the passing game.  Even key players at tight end and fullback are starters for the first time this year.  So, yes, our offense is really, really green.

However there aren’t many Hokie fans who’ve been paying attention the last several years that will let the problem be totally be blamed on youth.  The lack of offensive production at Virginia Tech is nothing new and we’ve had plenty of talent at those positions in previous years.  For example, last year Virginia Tech had several experienced wide receivers who are now in the NFL (some already productive) and our offense had problems last year.  So I’m sure most Hokies would say there’s also issues with scheme, play-calling, coaching or some combination of these contributing to the problem.

Is Tyrod Taylor secure as the starter at quarterback? Or will Sean Glennon get a chance against FSU if Taylor isn't getting it done through the air?
Frank Beamer and Mike O’Cain (the VT quarterbacks coach) were asked about that again this week, and both hinted that the coaches have briefly considered putting Sean Glennon in the game during times when Taylor struggled.  However they reiterated that the staff really wants to avoid the dual quarterback approach that was used last year.  I think Beamer especially has had enough of the decision making, media scrutiny, and ‘player management’ that goes with constantly figuring out which QB is going to play when and will really avoid pulling Taylor at this point.

I wouldn’t count anything out, and this coaching staff has obviously shown itself to make abrupt decision on quarterback play, so who knows.  For all we know, Tyrod will get pulled after his second bad series.

Bryan Stinespring may be Va. Tech's version of Jeff Bowden, the much criticized former O.C. of the Noles. How much do Hokie fans blame Stinespring for this year's offensive downturn?
Yeah, when contemplating our upcoming game versus Florida State, I had the same thought.  Stinespring is under serious fire from Hokie fans.  He’s completely lost their confidence as an offensive coordinator.  The statistics don’t help his cause (VT’s been at the bottom in offense during his tenure) and he unfortunately gets measured with Virginia Tech’s defense, which Bud Foster regularly has in the top 5.

If his grin looks bogus, it's because he's the most hated man in Hokie Land

Bryan Stinespring is a name you hear a lot among Virginia Tech faithful -- usually proceeded by $%&!. Now in his seventh season as the Hokie's offensive coordinator, Stinespring is Tech's version of Jeff Bowden, without the family connection.

Hokie fans see Stinespring as "prehistoric" and unwilling to make use of all Tech's offensive talent. For example, one fan rant that's fit to print: "Our offensive philospophy is based on Tyrod running for his life."

Of course, the ultimate tribute to a coach under fire is to have a hate site dedicated to him. And Stinespring has a doozy, complete with a wish list of coaches to replace him.

The embattled O.C. hasn't always been a target for tantrums. His offenses have made the Hokies a major ACC contender, while producing numerous all-conference players and NFL draftees.

So is this year's downturn Stinespring's fault, or because of all the youth on Tech's offense? Keep tuned for answers as we trade Q's and A's with one of Tech's top fan sites.

Beamer looks ahead to FSU: "We have to find out what we did wrong and what we need to do better"

Virginia Tech is a younger team than the one that ran away from the Noles in the second half of last year's game. And it showed in Saturday night's 28 - 23 loss at B.C. But Hokie Coach Frank Beamer is still trying to figure out Tech's dysfunctions against the Eagles:

"We never got into rhythm in the first half for a variety of reasons and didn't have a good flow of the game. We've got to go back and see what we need to do better as we always do. We need to rally around each other. We'll look Monday and I'm sure we'll see the opportunities we afforded ourselves. We need to take advantage of those, we didn't do that and we've got to do that."

That's an understatement. VT had only 240 yards total offense on the night (150 rusing and 90 through the air).

And what happened to the vaunted Beamer Ball special teams? Tech allowed B.C. 110 return yards. Smell an opportunity there Michael Ray Garvin?

So what's Beamer's early take on the FSU game?

"We're going down there and they are a good football team. They are in the hunt. Wake Forest got beat today and it's wide open...but I'm concerned about our football team and us getting better. We have to learn from this and it's not about blaming. We have to find out what we did wrong and what we need to do better to win football games."

How Ugly Was Thursday Night's Win?

Hey, they can't all be beautiful. Not like the Miami game that was only half ugly. But to beat columnists and commentators to the punch, FSU can't play like that against a good team and have any chance of winning.

Too many flags, missed assignments, questionable play calls, plus bumbled execution, abysmal tackling, confused coaches ("Hey, Jimbo, did ya know that was our last time out?")...whew, and that's only a short list.

But let's look a little closer and discover the bright spots in this cow pie:

Half the number of penalties. FSU finished with only six (though it sure looked like more), about half of their 9.80 average of the first five games. N.C. State actually had one more flag (7 for 70 yards).

Ponder passed the test. Despite some big drops and often poor protection, FSU showed it can move the ball through the air, finishing with 254 yards and a TD.

Special teams didn't disappoint. First, they kept the rush from harassing Gano, giving him time to nail four field goals. Second, they allowed no huge kick returns, like the kind that helped the Canes get back in the game.

Antone's encore. In a TD romp similar to his instant classic at Miami, Smith made like a pinball, bouncing off defenders, breaking tackles and refusing to be denied.

Best of all? Though they started flat and dug themselves a hole, despite all the mistakes and frustrating penalties, the jacked up crowd and upset-minded Pack, the Noles refused to lose. And that's something that probably wouldn't have happened in 2006 and '07. Chalk it up as another Can-Do confidence builder for a young team in search of an identity.

Think tonight will be a walk over the Wolfpack? Not so fast, my Seminole friend

Forget the Noles are an 11-point favorite to win tonight. This won't be a Tobacco Road slam dunk.

For starters, here are two good reasons not to get too overconfident: Carter-Finley Stadium on a Thursday night. Want more? DT Alan-Michael Cash is back from injury and reported to be 100%. LB Nate Irving, sometimes mistaken for a Sidewinder missile, is listed as probable.

And then there's fast-improving redshirt freshmen QB Russell Wilson, the kind of versatile run-pass guy that's usually a thorn in the Noles side.

For a preview of what could be a long night if the Pack brings its A game, check out the video of Wilson and Co. at their best. East Carolina came into Raleigh undefeated and mocking Pack fans. They limped away with big canine scratches and an "L" on their record.

Bottom line: Every game left on the schedule is a knockdown drag out. And, for all of the aforementioned reasons, tonight is no different.