Virginia Tech Hokies
ACC
The 2012 season was one of the most disappointing Virginia Tech has had under Frank Beamer. With so many expectations coming in, it is hard to believe it came to the last week of the season just to break .500. Logan Thomas was a preseason favorite for player of the year in the ACC. The Hokie defense is usually one of the strongest in the conference if not the nation. All lofty expectations fell short. Tech started slow and never recovered. Some in Hokie Nation are wondering if Frank Beamer’s time is up in Blacksburg. That remains to be seen, but if anyone can bounce back it would be a storied program like the one Beamer has built.
2012 Record: 6-6, 4-4
Coach: Frank Beamer
Coach Bowl Record: 8-11
Big Wins: 9/3 Georgia Tech (20-17), 10/13 Duke (41-20)
Bad Losses: 9/15 at Pittsburgh (17-35), 11/1 at Miami (12-30)
Strengths:
A 6-6 team tends to be average to below average in about everything, but despite their record, the defense was the heart and soul of this team. They ranked in the top three in the ACC in a few categories. Along with Florida State, the Hokies led the conference in sacks. They hit the opposing quarterbacks nearly three times per game. They were relentless against opposing runners. They attacked the backfield to nearly 10 tackles for loss per game. They were top 25 nationally in total defense. Bruce Taylor and Jack Tyler were the defensive leaders, and they were tackling machines. The Hokies were also really strong on the back end. Their secondary only allowed 205 yards per game through the air. They forced 12 interceptions in the 2012 regular season. They generally have higher totals, but they still had ball hawking corners like Antone Exum to throw off a quarterback’s rhythm. As is typical of a Frank Beamer team, their special teams was good again in 2012. They were third in the conference in kickoff returns.
Weaknesses:
The Hokies really came up short on the offensive end. Logan Thomas was far and away the team leader, but he fell short this season where he once excelled. He only had 17 touchdowns passing this season. He also threw 14 interceptions, which is the worst total of his career. He led the Hokies in rushing, but that is not necessarily a good thing. The advantage with Thomas is that he is a dual threat. When he is the leading rusher on the team, it means that the running game has problems. They ran for 157 yards per game, good enough for middle of the conference. Without any outstanding weapons, Virginia Tech notched less than 400 yards per game. Worse, they had a problem scoring. Twenty-six points per game is their lowest total since 2008. Their defense was much better that year so they were able to win more games. The most uncharacteristic trait this version of Beamer’s team carries is their inability to protect the ball or force turnovers. They have been on the wrong end of the turnover battle all season long.
Statistical Leaders:
Rushing: Logan Thomas, QB, 531 yards
Passing: Logan Thomas, QB, 2,783 yards
Receiving: Marcus Davis, WR, 891 yards
Tackles: Jack Tyler, LB, 112
Sacks: Bruce Taylor, LB, 5.0
Interceptions: Antone Exum, CB, 4
2012 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 157.75 (66th in nation, 5th in conference)
Passing Offense: 234.08 (60, 9)
Total Offense: 391.83 (72, 9)
Scoring Offense: 26.08 (78, 8)
Rushing Defense: 139.67 (35, 3)
Pass Defense: 204.92 (29, 2)
Total Defense: 344.58 (24, 3)
Scoring Defense: 23.92 (40, 2)
Turnover Margin: -0.33 (79, 7)
Sacks: 2.67 (20, 1)
Sacks Allowed: 1.75 (53, 5)
Recent Bowl Appearances:
2011 Sugar Bowl Michigan (20-23)
2010 Orange Bowl Stanford (12-40)
2009 Chick-fil-A Bowl Tennessee (37-14)
2008 Orange Bowl Cincinnati (20-7)
2007 Orange Bowl Kansas (21-24)
*all team stats through 11/24
