Ricky LaBlue's personal blog
Another Hokies win, another semi-positive Monday Mail.
That doesn’t mean fans are thrilled, but they are indeed happy that Virginia Tech’s nation-leading bowl streak is still alive and well. However, if this week’s questions are any indication, fans are already looking towards 2019.
Let’s dive in.
Continue reading “Monday Mail: Reasons for Optimism and Concern in 2019 for Virginia Tech”
Let’s begin this article by hearkening back to an old tweet from yours truly. I’m sure you’ve seen it all over Twitter.
Virginia Tech should focus on next year for the rest of this season. A bowl game is no longer a realistic possibility and the team as constructed won’t keep the UVA win streak alive. Just play all the young guys and let them make mistakes. It can’t get worse. #Hokies
— Ricky LaBlue (@RickyLaBlue) November 10, 2018
Obviously, this prediction went nowhere. Virginia Tech proceeded to win their next two games, capping things off with a 41-20 win over Marshall that cemented the Hokies in a bowl game for the 26th-straight season.
For years, Paul Johnson has been a thorn in the side of every single head coach in the ACC.
Johnson’s option attack at Georgia Tech never brought him tremendous national success, but the Yellow Jackets were always good enough to mess with teams who doubled them in talent. Virginia Tech is no different.
Continue reading “Paul Johnson’s Retirement Potentially Changes the Dynamic of the ACC Coastal”
It feels like it’s been forever since we did a Monday Mail after a Hokies win. Virginia Tech ended their four-game losing streak on Friday, winning their 15th in a row against Virginia and locking in a matchup vs. Marshall with bowl implications.
The Hokies made plenty of mistakes, but made just enough plays to win. If Virginia Tech can knock of Marshall on Dec. 1, the fans might be able to forgive this team for their season-long struggles.
Without further ado, let’s get into the questions this week.
Continue reading “Monday Mail: Conservative Play Calling, Staff Changes and More”
Virginia Tech wasn’t supposed to defeat Virginia for a 15-straight time on Friday night.
Tre Turner wasn’t supposed to make two uber-important receptions, one for a touchdown and another for 45 yards. Dalton Keene wasn’t supposed to make a miraculous 45-yard reception on a third-and-10 in the final period. Virginia Tech wasn’t supposed to recover Steven Peoples‘ fumble for a touchdown. And Virginia wasn’t supposed to mishandle a quarterback/running back exchange in overtime, leading to a Hokies’ recovery and a Tech win.
And yet, all of these things happened.
Virginia Tech knocked off Virginia once again, extending one of Tech’s most important streaks and giving the Hokies one more shot at another bowl game.
The transfer market is all the rage these days. More and more college athletes are leaving their original schools and looking for greener pastures, in search of playing time, a bigger spotlight, etc.
Virginia Tech is no different. Players leave every season, usually looking for a bigger role and a chance to showcase their talents. These transfers are generally announced after the season or after spring practice, when a player’s role on the team is clearer and more defined. But this week, two Hokies left the program and announced their plans to transfer.
Continue reading “Mid-Season Transfers and What They Mean for Virginia Tech’s Football Program”
These Monday Mail’s are becoming a bit redundant. But when Virginia Tech keeps losing, what else is there to talk about?
The Hokies are on the verge of a worst-case season. Murphy’s Law is in full effect, as Virginia Tech now sits at 4-5 with a four-game losing streak. Miami earned bowl eligibility with their win over the Hokies on Saturday, something that is becoming less achievable by the week for Virginia Tech.
Continue reading “Monday Mail: Continued Offensive Struggles and Leaving the Hokie Club”
I’ve been sitting on this article for a couple of weeks now. I’ve been thinking of a way to explain Virginia Tech’s lack of depth and talent at key positions and I’ve started hinting at it in past articles and tweets.
I think it’s time to explain my point, which is that Virginia Tech’s roster problems originate from a familiar source, one that’s been blamed for many of the Hokies’ misfortunes in the Justin Fuente era.
Continue reading “Digging for the Root Causes of Virginia Tech’s 2018 Struggles”
Virginia Tech’s depressing season continues. The Hokies have now lost three straight games after being dragged by Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon.
Fans are losing hope and it’s understandable. This year’s Hokies are now eliminated from ACC Coastal contention and Tech must win each of their next two games to qualify for a bowl game. The program’s two prized streaks, a 25-year bowl streak and a 14-year win streak over Virginia, are both in serious jeopardy.
Thank you all for sending in questions. Let’s get to it.
Continue reading “Monday Mail: How does Virginia Tech Fix This?”
There’s an overarching theme with this week’s questions. Many fans seem worried, or maybe even convinced, that Virginia Tech’s football program is in need of serious and dire change.
I tried to attack things with a clear mind this week, and hopefully I succeeded. Without giving any more away, let’s dive into this week’s questions.
Continue reading “Monday Mail: Assessing the State of Virginia Tech Football”