Kyshoen Jarrett (34) is mobbed by Kendrick Singleton (28), Jabari Price (4), and Shawn Underwood (97) immediately after catching a North Carolina punt.
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Behind 262 rushing yards from running back Giovani Bernard, the North Carolina Tar Heels pummeled the Virginia Tech Hokies 48-34.
Following last week’s 27-24 loss at the hands of Cincinnati, the Hokies again struggled to put together a complete performance.
Bud Foster’s defense, which entered the season with high expectations, allowed 533 total yards to the Tar Heels, including 339 yards rushing.
“It was a long day at the office,” Foster said. “I thought our tackling was pitiful, and the perimeter tackling was just awful.”
Bernard, who had a career day, gave all the credit to the offensive line.
“All credit goes to the offensive line,” Bernard said. “They protected me and Bryn (Renner) tremendously today and it showed out there.”
The Hokies got off to their best start of the season in the first quarter, using a 19-yard reception by Dyrell Roberts to set up a 13-yard Logan Thomas rushing touchdown.
However, on the ensuing kickoff, North Carolina’s Sean Tapley swung momentum back to the Tar Heels, as he returned the kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown.
The defense failed to hold any lead Thomas and the offense gave them.
“They’ve done it for us plenty of times, so we understand,” Thomas said. “We need to put a complete game together, offense and defense and special teams. If we can do that, we’ll be a pretty good team.”
The Tar Heels entered the game with a prolific offense, but what the Hokies saw caught them off guard.
“(I was) pretty surprised,” said Antone Exum. “I'm disappointed with how we came out and performed, just together, as a defense. We knew that they had the talent all along, but it's pretty disappointing to go out and execute like that.”
Bernard’s 262 yards on the ground is the most ever by an opposing running back in the Beamer era. The previous high was 241 yards by Wake Forest’s Josh Harris in 2010.
“They’ve got some skilled guys,” said Frank Beamer. “(Bernard) had 262 yards today. That doesn’t happen against Virginia Tech very much.”
After a first quarter that took over an hour to play, North Carolina began the second quarter facing fourth-and-one on their own 38-yard line. Quarterback Bryn Renner hurried to the line out of the timeout, and Bernard took the handoff 62 yards for a touchdown.
“I thought we had a good plan, and we’ve just got to make plays in space,” Foster said. “That’s what we’re not doing. We’re not making plays in space. Our defense is designed, and most defenses are designed, to have a free hitter. When you have your free hitter there, you’d like him to make the play. Right now we’re not making that play. We’re missing that and it’s going for big plays after that.”
Tech trailed by eight points at the half, but Carolina wasn’t done with their offensive onslaught. Tapley and A.J. Blue scored third quarter touchdowns on the way to the most points allowed by the Hokies in an ACC game.
“To be honest, I'm not really discouraged at all,” Exum said. “I just feel like there are things that we need to put together, as a defense, as an offense. I will say, the offense really played their butts off today and we didn't step it up. We'll look at it on film and we'll get better from there and get on it next week.”
The Hokies’ 3-3 start is their worst since the start of their 19-year bowl game streak.
“It's tough,” said Bruce Taylor. “I've never been on a losing team before. Right now we're at .500. It's definitely tough. We've got to come back next weekend and try to fix it before it's too late.”
Beamer and the Hokies return home next weekend for a homecoming matchup with Duke. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. on the ACC Network.
A version of this article appeared in the Oct 7 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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< 50% season coming...
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At least the 10 win season excuse to the mediocrity is gone now and the coaches are getting exposed.
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I was going to comment but I think my comment from last week's defeat will suffice. Let's face it, Tech will probably be in a decline for the next couple of years. I don't know if it's the players (defense) that are overmatched or that the coaches are check-mated each week. Either way, who cares. We will probably win manage one more win this year. Thank you Duke! Hey Frank, do you bother to read these comments? If you did, maybe you would start to make some changes. I don't think their is anymore genius in Bud Foster's defense. What do you expect from a guy who is named after two beers? His defense looked like they had one too many. Peace out and signing off for the rest of the year.
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Watching the USC/UGA game. It's so nice watching a team that has coaches that will make adjustments, players that don't look lost, a competent offense (including offensive line), defense, and special teams, and the ability to actually play well against another ranked team. Maybe someday we'll have that here in Blacksburg.
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The definition of mediocrity is average. 10 win seasons year after year after year is anything but mediocre.
Fan is short for fanatic. Sounds like you are a fair weather fan.
Keep studying, son.
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Let's face it, I'm starting to believe those 10 win seasons can be likened to a no name heavy weight boxer that has become the champion by beating the likes of Joe the plumber and Sal the suto repair guy. This is true since I can't remember the last time we've defeated a top 10 team. Winning is great when you can back up those wins against formidable opponents. I rather lose big to great competition than win against cupcakes year in and year out leading people to believe we're a great team.
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This article says it all:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1354917-virginia-tech-football-hokies-fans-justified-in-craving-change
"The last decade of Hokie football is best described as overrated mediocrity masked by occasional ACC Championships and big-game losses. But, wait, Virginia Tech currently holds the top streak of consecutive 10-win seasons, right? So what. Nick Saban nor Les Miles would trade BCS National Championship trophies for that distinction."
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6-6 will be a miracle, with 5-7 most likely. FSU, Clemson, Miami will hammer this team, and do not bet against losing the Commonwealth Cup this year. The program is stagnant, just like Penn State and FSU during the last years of Paterno and Bowden. Time for some changes at the top and better recruiting. This team is losing because the players are over matched and the coaching is stagnated. A certain coach holds tirades defending players that are "trying their ass off", well that is great for Pop Warner football, but not a multi-million dollar division one program that gives million dollar annuities to coaches thought to be "irreplaceable."
Beamer and company, think of this. Alabama has eight new starters on defense this year and they still crush the opponent. You have nine or more veterans and look like a JV high school team.
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Yes....it is average. How many of those wins were against ranked opponents? How many of them were wins against top 10 teams? Yea.....not many. In the grand scheme of things this team is average. Until we start beating top 25 competition and getting top recruits regularly, statistically we will be nothing more than average. We've just been overrated by playing weak ACC teams and OOC opponents and we continually get exposed in our bowl games.
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10 win seasons aren't that impressive when you consider that the conference is incredibly weak and the team loses to any meaningful OOC opponent. Sure 10 wins can be racked up against the likes of Wake Forest, Duke, Maryland, directional Michigan schools, and Sun Belt teams. Anytime though the team plays against a halfway decent opponent not named Georgia Tech, it's a loss. Alabama, USC, Boise State, Michigan, Stanford, the list goes on. Frankly, I'd take a 7-5 season with compelling games, not losing to vastly inferior opponents, and the occasional upset of a top-10 team as opposed to chest-thumping about beating a bunch of basketball schools.
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Weaver needs to be the first to go. Heck he can't even come up with a competent schedule next year (yes we have Alabama which is great), but we are still looking for one additional game and will probably end up playing two FCS schools.
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Since Seth Greenberg was fired for these same results, even though he did beat ranked teams. it's time for Mr. Weaver to use the same scrutiny on the football staff.
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My post from Oct 1:
"My prediction is coming true. Including the last one, five losses. The remaining three are; Carolina; Clemson; Florida State. Florida State will beat us by 40 points. If we lose to Miami, I've vowed a year off of watching or following any game. Call me when Stinespring is fired."
I'm sure I'll be repeating it a few times until the Miami game or until Stinespring is fired, whichever comes first.
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It comes down to the fact that our coaching staff has lost its passion for the game and are players look like they should be playing for UVa, I'v never seen so many soft players in my life. We have lost the edge and are no longer that "blue collar, always physical team" that we once were. Beamer and everyone are now too caught up on what new uni's we'll be wearing for that game and not worried about the simple thing: Football.
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I heard Miss Mary Margaret's school for blind girls is available next year.
You know, for the amount of money Beamer is getting, he owes the university better assistant coaches and he should drop the nepotism and cronyism that we've seen for years. I also agree Weaver is part of the problem and we'd be better off with him in the rear view mirror.
If we want to be good, we need to clean house. But the folks yapping "bla bla bla ten wins bla bla bla" don't understand what a good coach is (take a look at South Carolina) nor do they understand what a pansy schedule we're getting in the BE or ACC.
The Hokies would get <5 wins a year if they were in the SEC. "Bla bla bla ten wins bla bla bla" - like I said, Miss Mary Magaret's school for blind girls is available next year.
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I was at the game Saturday; UNC had better players on offense than our defensive unit, except for Exum. Coaches put structure and motivation to the game - Players play the game. Our guys were slower getting to the ball and at times couldn't tackle. UNC was incredibly efficient at executing their plays.
So far as the coaches go - Did they do a lousy job of recruiting these last 2 years? I don't give a damn about the validity of a 10 win season. VT is a 15th - 20th place team when it wins 10 games or more, exception being the Michael Vick era.
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