Press Conference: Frank Beamer

Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer talks with the news media. Virginia Tech (9-2, 7-0 ACC) hosts Virginia (4-7, 1-6 ACC) on Saturday.

Opening Statement: I’m really proud of our football team. I thought we went down and played a pretty good Miami team. With how good they are and how physical they are, I’m happy we were able to come out on top. Looking at Virginia, they play hard. Defensively, they fly around and they’ve been in every ball game. North Carolina and Florida State got them pretty good, but other than that, they’ve been right there in every game. Their quarterback is playing well, completing a lot of his passes. I think [Kris] Burd has caught about 55; [Dontrelle] Inman has caught about 48. The two running backs average about 130 yards together, so they are moving the ball. I think they are a tough football team and they are playing very hard.

On leading the nation in turnover margin

That’s one stat that there is no question, it directly effects winning. When you don’t turn it over and then you get turnovers, the last couple games we’ve been really good at that, when you are playing away from home you need that stat in your favor.

On the struggles with the rushing defense

I think that just goes back to a couple plays that just got away from us and then not fitting in the gaps like we need to and not supporting like we need to and I think some new people have helped, like with Hosely changing sides, and stuff. We just haven’t had the consistency we would like to have; I think its personnel and our play. We just have to keep working tough, we have a lot of young guys. I think 40 out of the 66 are sophomores and freshman, and a lot of those guys are on our defense.

On the injuries to Rashad Carmichael and Marcus

Yeah, I’m hopeful but we will have to see. Davis was fine at the end of the game, just for a little while, he got knocked out a little bit. We are pulling for both of them play.

How scary was that play with Marcus Davis?

I think he was just bothered for a couple seconds and then, like I said, at the end of the game he was fine. He was running up and down the sideline, and when Ryan (Williams) scored he was running right beside him on the sideline for a while. He was fine at the end of the game.

Tariq Edwards has made some big plays recently, is he pushing for some more quality playing time?

He’s doing a good job. He has come along. He needs to practice better so we can feel more confident. When he gets in there it seems like he does a pretty good job. He’s been doing kickoff coverage and he’s doing an excellent job there. He’s on our punt team and he’s doing an excellent job there, so I think he’s the guy that we just want to practice better during the week on defense so we can get him in there and play him more.

With Lyndell Gibson and Tariq Edwards, is it the situation where one of them can distinguish themselves this week in practice and earn the majority of playing time in that spot?

Well right now Gibson is playing the most, and is doing okay. I think Edwards has got a lot of ability. He’s got size, a quick step; he’s got a taller body. He’s got a lot of things that tell you he’s a good football player and I could be a really good football player.

What was your conversation like with Tyrod Taylor after that excessive celebration penalty once he got back to the sideline?

I don’t think you can put it in the officials’ hands. He was over there, he wasn’t on the field, he wasn’t being disrespectful to the other team, he wasn’t showboating, and he was just celebrating with our fans, really. The officials said he just stayed there too long. If you aren’t celebrating with your own teammates heading to your sideline, you are putting the official in a position where he may or may not call it. When you get in these tight games, every yard counts, but he understands that too.

How different would these last four seasons have been for your program if you had not landed Tyrod Taylor?

That’s hard to say, but I think if you look back on the games we’ve won in the last four years and how many he has directly effected, he has done a lot. I’ve said this before but Michael Vick does some great things for a football team, and did for us here, but Tyrod does some of those same things and a lot of those same things. He just gives you a chance to win every Saturday. We’ve had a chance to win every game he’s been involved with.

If you are talking about having only one play-making type guy, is there a more important position than quarterback?

Oh, absolutely not. If you have a quarterback, you have a chance. If you don’t have a quarterback you need to have a really good football team. I think you are shaky though, you need to have that guy that can lead you and can pull the string and can get it done. That ball starts with him on every play and what we run out there and it goes directly back to him. Even just with play calling, you feel good calling plays because you feel like he’s going to do the right thing; he’s going to take care of the ball. He’s not going to throw it into the wrong plays. He not only gives his team a lot of confidence but he gives the coaching staff as far as having him there and knowing he’s going to do the right thing.

What do you guys have planned for Thanksgiving?

We have a brunch Thursday where the coaches’ families, coaches and players come in and we have that together. Then we practice an hour earlier so that people who live close by can go home for a while and take some of their teammates with them and then some scout team guys can catch a flight out or go home for the weekend.

Is Boise State national championship game worthy?

I think they are a really good football team and I think they are really well coached. I think they belong in the conversation, for sure. I think you just have to wait and see who is standing at the end and then choose the two best teams, but they certainly belong in the conversation.

Do you think that long term success against a certain team helps swing some of the recruits, especially when you are in this in-state battle?

Again, I think the direction a program is going over time does effect a kid’s decision. I think the other thing that contributes to it now is that they have a new coaching staff in there and he has these kids playing hard so I think that’s another part of the equation as far as us going against Virginia. I don’t think one particular game makes a difference but I think over a period of time it does effect the guys’ decision.

How much do you take notice to what Mike London has done recruiting wise early in the cycle?

Well we’re going to do what we do and that is that we’ve spent a long time building relationships with coaches here in the state. I think those guys know that they can trust us and that we will take care of their kids if they come to Virginia Tech and they are going to play at a high level. I think we worry about ourselves, how we do business and handle situations. I think that that is where our emphasis is and we will continue to do the things we have done for a number of years here.

What is your relationship like with Mike London? Do you know him real well?

I kind of know him. I think he is certainly doing a good job and working hard at it. He’s got a good staff. They have done a good job.

Did you change all that much in your approach the Sunday after the 0-2 start?

One thing that I value a lot around here is consistency. I tell people, we practiced the same the Monday before the Boise State game as we did the Monday after the James Madison game. Around here, when things go bad or not the way we want them to, we don’t look to try and blame somebody, we really look to find out what went wrong and correct it to be better to go out and win the next ball game. I think that’s what the kids did. We said some things that we didn’t do very well in the first two ball games and realized we needed to improve. We had some good senior leadership and I think we have really good kids overall in our program and I think you need that when things aren’t going well so they aren’t pointing and blaming and coming apart. I think we came close together. I told the team that the other night after we beat Miami, I appreciate the way that they respect each other and win football games together and hang in there together. I think a big key to our success is that we really have gotten tighter. When you have a tough loss like James Madison, that’s when you have a chance to get tighter and I thought we did that as a football team. I’ve been proud of the way they have handled this whole situation.

As a coach, did you feel you needed to do a little extra after the start to get the players back and motivated?

No, I just try to deal with what’s real. The week before we played Boise State we felt we had a good football team. We knew we had some good players and those same people are still sitting in the room. We just had a couple tough experiences. We just had to go do what we do and play the way we know we can play, and that’s what we work towards. I think if you are up and down as a coach and coaching staff, you’re team probably gets to be that way. The consistency in the way that we have been able to win games year in a year out, that’s what I’m most proud of and that’s the way I try to be as the head of this thing.

Were you surprised or impressed with how quickly David Wilson was able to return from having mono?

The guy can catch a rabbit, so you know he can beat mono. The Sunday that they told me he had mono, I saw him later that day just bouncing around. He’s a different guy. He has a lot of energy, he just has fun and enjoys life and the people around him enjoy life. He’s quite a guy.