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Saturday, August 22, 2026
Monday, December 25, 2017
Virginia Tech Football: Coach Frank Beamer’s 3 Best Teams
During his notable college football coaching career at Virginia Tech, Frank Beamer made a point of scheduling contenders early in the season.
But through the 2015 opener
versus Ohio State, overall the Hokies were 0-5 against ranked FBS teams in Week
1 since 2004. The Hokies were 0-9 all-time against No. 1 ranked teams. Beamer got
credit from some quarters for pushing the envelope, like Soda Popinski taking
on Tyson. Critics wonder why they never win those high-profile games.
The fact that the Hokies were
usually overmatched just gave the team something to grow on, leading up to bowl
time. That kind of preparation always threatened to launch Beamer’s young men
into a contending season. Except for the Michael Vick years, the prepping never
panned out.
Now that Beamer has retired, what
might it take for succeeding Tech coaches to match some of his finest teams?
There is a lot of quality football in VT’s recent past. Here are briefings from
three of Coach Beamer’s best:
#3 The 2007 team was blasted by
second-ranked LSU early in the year, 48-7. They recovered to go 11-3 (7-1 ACC),
as QBs Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor combined for 17 passing TDs. Receiver
Eddie Royal, who would go on to a successful pro career, caught four of those
scores. After losing to Matt Ryan and Boston College, they reeled off five
straight wins to end the year, then fell to Kansas 24-21 in the Orange Bowl.
The Hokies’ emotional season was underlined by the April campus shootings in
Blacksburg.
#2 He had highlights that are
still amazing to watch, like the 210-yard rushing effort from behind center
against Boston College. Unfortunately, injuries to sophomore quarterback
Michael Vick hindered the Hokies in 2000. The team still finished 11-1 overall,
only falling to the Miami Hurricanes. Vick saw the signal and moved on to the
NFL. The season’s other standout, running back Lee Suggs, began his quest to
set the record for most consecutive games scoring a touchdown (57).
#1 In 1999, freshman Vick led
the Hokies through their finest campaign. Their undefeated regular season came
to a head in early November, with a thrilling last-minute field goal victory at
rival West Virginia. By this time, Coach Beamer had helmed Va. Tech for
thirteen years. Everything (almost) came together perfectly, as Tech made it to
the title game against powerhouse Florida State. Future pros Chris Weinke(QB),
Peter Warrick (WR), and Sebastian Janikowski (K) put a late surge on Va. Tech,
winning 46-29.
Friday, November 17, 2017
College Team Mascots: The Silly, the Profane, and the Caricature
William Shakespeare asked, “What’s in a name?” The King James Bible declares, “A good name is better than precious ointment.” W.C. Fields said, “It ain’t what they
call you, it’s what you answer to.”
In the world of sports,
names mean plenty. They conjure
rivalries and the spirit of competition. Names serve to identify you, setting
you either with or against other fans. The teams and fanatics want to take on
the mascot’s persona, because it is their representative in a battle.
Speaking of battles,
many universities like to call themselves versions of soldiers, including
Knights, Vikings, Spartans, and Trojans. Pirates and Marauders belong in this
category. The Illinois College Blueboys and Lady Blues got their nicknames from
the blue Union soldier uniforms worn during the Civil War.
Naming school teams
after members of the animal kingdom is always popular. Felines, canines, ocean
creatures, and birds of prey are wild and supposedly ferocious. Costumed insect
and spider mascots with deadly real-life counterparts dance on college
sidelines year-round.
Then there are
localized nicknames, like the Miami Hurricanes, the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors,
UNLV’s Runnin’ Rebels, and UNC’s Tarheels. Columbia College in California calls
themselves the Claim Jumpers. Wichita State’s Shocker is a cousin to the many
schools holding up the Aggie mascot, short for agricultural, which evokes
visions of a farmer in overalls hooping it up.
But these are all
rational names, either concerned with representing the region or with
presenting a fierce attitude. Some colleges take it further.
The
Silly. The Artichokes of Scottsdale, Arizona were
obviously named tongue-in-cheek. Same goes for the Nads of the Rhode Island
School of Design. UC Santa Cruz’s Banana Slugs and Delaware’s Blue Hens make
most fans laugh the first time they hear of them, which was partly the goal.
And have you ever heard of a Gorlok? Webster University of the SLIAC’s rep has
the paws of a cheetah, the horns of a buffalo, and the face of a Saint Bernard
dog. Virginia Tech’s Hokie might be the most famous head-scratcher of a college
nickname… if it isn’t the Maryland Terrapin.
The
Profane. This group starts with the Duke Blue Devils, DePaul
Blue Demons, St. Louis Billikens, and Arizona State Sun Devils. There are
DustDevils, Red Devils, Sea Devils, Golden and Red and regular (green?)
Dragons, Titans, Devilettes, and plain ol’ Devils. Few believe the Bible in our
time, but most believe in the devil. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be this popular
with the schools. The Wake Forest Demon Deacon seems to represent some kind of
crazed, possessed religious fanatic. Probably it’s a good thing that there are
Saints, Preachers, Friars, Fighting Christians, and Samsons to balance things a
little.
The Caricature. Notre Dame Fightin’ Irish never gets mentioned in these conversations, but the Irishman is as much a stereotype as Native American mascots. St. John’s switched from the “Redmen” and Marquette did the same with “Warriors” some years ago.
In 2012, North Dakota was forced by the NCAA to abandon the Fightin’ Sioux name. But there are still the Florida State Seminoles, existing under the controversy radar. Most polled Native Americans don’t seem too wound up about it. Which leaves one question: Do any descendants of the Aztecs hold a grudge against San Diego State?
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