2012 Sugar Bowl: Motivation an Issue for Hokies in Bowl Games

by furrer4heisman on Dec 20, 2011 12:36 AM EST in Virginia Tech Football

Whether college football likes it or not, Frank Beamer's Hokies are heading to the Sugar Bowl. Virginia Tech's selection to the game over the likes of Kansas State and Boise State has inspired a lot of outrage from the folks in the media. Even my own network has skewered the Hokies leading up to the game.

How's that sitting with the team? About as well as you'd expect, according to this story from Nathan "Tommie Frazier" Warters of the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Lynchburg News and Advance:

"I hope our kids are a little ticked off by this," Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster said. "Hopefully, we can use it to our advantage from a standpoint of we are the underdog, we don't belong."

Motivation is always a factor in bowl games because of their nature as glorified exhibitions. Some teams show up for them, some teams don't. That's especially true for the Hokies during the Beamer Bowl Era.

In the early days of the bowl streak that began in 1993, when the program still had a lot to prove, you saw mostly good efforts from the Hokies in bowls. That seemed to change after Michael Vick left following the 2001 Gator Bowl against Clemson. After that, my opinion is that you saw the bowl games get treated as a reward for the players.

We saw lackluster efforts against the likes of Air Force and Cal following the 2002 and 2003 regular seasons, you saw an undisciplined group against Louisville following the 2005 season and you saw a complete collapse in the second half against Georgia after the 2006 season.

I think there was another change after the 2008 Orange Bowl loss to Kansas. Fans were embarrassed and tired of the way Tech was playing in bowls and you saw a change in the way the Hokies prepared for them. The result was two wins against lesser opponents in Cincinnati and Tennessee.

In the case of the Cincy game, Tech was motivated to win its first BCS game. Against Tennessee, Beamer talked a lot about maintaining the 10-win streak, giving the ACC a win over the SEC and winning bowl games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history. In both cases, Tech had something to play for and Tech played well.

Last year? Complete regression. In the Orange Bowl against Stanford, the Hokies looked like a team on vacation. Players were sent home from Miami for violating team rules prior to the game. On the field, the team got blown out of the water by a much better and much more motivated Stanford team.

Now, going into this year's Sugar Bowl, it's fair to wonder if Tech is going to be motivated to play this game. Will Beamer use criticism of the team's selection to motivate them against Michigan? Or will they be a victim of Bourbon Street? It will be interesting to see what kind of storylines emerge when the team gets to New Orleans.

If the feedback fans gave The Roanoke Times and Norfolk Virginian-Pilot's Andy Bitter is any indication, the fans are tired of Tech's performance in big games like this against stiff competition like Michigan and it's a reason a few fans are using to avoid making the trip. Maybe that's more kindling for the Hokies' motivational fire.

Don’t forget to show support for your favorite coach by voting him as the 2011 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year at www.coachoftheyear.com.

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Show up on Jan 3

Agree. This is a defining moment for the program. I love how the coaches are talking about whether or not this will motivate the team. It is like they can’t do it themselves and need the fan and media bashing to get them jump-started. In their last three loses the score at half-time was 10-9, 10-3 & 10-7. It is like they go in at half time and Beamer tells them everything will work out because against the also-rans they have good second half’s. Beamers needs to lite a fire under these guys and play for real. Michigan is there for the taking…they are 2-2 on the road this year and 6-12 over the last 4 years. Northwestern is their best win away from the friendly confines. If we lay an egg again this year the BCS folks will never invite us back. Please "since of urgency needed"….Frank

by LJCool on Dec 20, 2011 12:29 PM EST reply actions

Bottom line, the Hokies are getting heat from the media and can’t sell tickets because they are egregious in big games. The record speaks for itself. Nobody wants to spend the money for the trip to watch a typical VT big game performance and be laughed out of the stadium. Let’s face it, they are called the Chokies for a reason. I’m just glad I was in the stands for the 2003 Miami game. And this will continue until a head coaching change is made. Every year we field a top notch defense and a horrible offense yet we recruit both sides of the ball from the same pool of athletes. Are the kids from VA only good at defense? Of course not, it comes down to coaching. On defense you have a guy that bleeds with his players and is an incredible motivator and actually gets fired up and cares how his team unit plays. On offense you have a "flavor of the week" playbook with no sense of urgency or utilization of talent. It’s essentially a rudderless ship with one guy calling plays, another designing them, and another picking the backfield at random. I can hear the bs coach speak now, "give Michigan a lot of credit…" and "we just didn’t execute…". For once I’d like to see Beamer get angry and lay it on the line. Make it your mission to win this game. There’s a reason guys like Les Miles play in National Championship games. They actually get fired up and motivate their players.

by Duckman0802 on Dec 20, 2011 4:32 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

While I agree with the flavor of the week statement and coach speak premonition

But, this offense has the distinct possibility of finishing the season as the best statistically in school history. In regards to the offense being carried by the defense, for the majority of the season, I’d have to ask what were you watching?

by chicagomaroon on Dec 21, 2011 3:57 AM EST up reply actions

Hatchet man

Yea, I agree to some extent. But don’t get me wrong, VT has a very good program and Beamer is a solid citizen and a good man. Why are fans like me taking a step back? I have been to six bowl games in a row…not this year. Like you said, was Stanford 28 points better than VT last year? Was Clemson 23 & 18 points better this year? Why does VT quit playing…because there are no repercussions? Other coaches would have chewed some A$$ and taken scholarships and got in some faces…Frank adds a coach…his son. Like every leader in history …you need a hatchet man, if Frank is too nice a guy then find someone to come in and make every player uncomfortable and on edge? Les Miles, Bobby Petrino, Steve Superior and Nick Saban you dot think they get in kids’ faces….you bet they do

by LJCool on Dec 20, 2011 5:14 PM EST reply actions

I would hope

that getting their asses kicked 2x this year by Clemson is motivation enough.

If the thunder don't get ya then the lightning will!!

Robert Hunter

by Buck Melanoma on Dec 21, 2011 4:22 AM EST reply actions

I do not want to sound confrontational or naive but

are there actually Hokies out there calling for Frank Beamer’s head? Even though this will not happen, I am surprised to see comments appearing to back that way of thinking. I would like to see what the pros and cons of doing that would be from the people that think we need a coaching change. My mind is open. Enlighten me.

by HOKIESTONES on Dec 21, 2011 10:06 AM EST reply actions