By Jimmy Robertson
BLACKSBURG – Following a disappointing loss Friday night to Duke, the Virginia Tech football team has been back at practice, trying to put the past behind it and focusing on Saturday's road matchup with a talented Miami team.
Two Tech assistant coaches, including defensive coordinator Bud Foster, and several players met with the media Tuesday morning to discuss an array of topics, but mostly the Hokies' start at the quarter pole of the 2019 race. Tech is 2-2 overall, but 0-2 in ACC play, and taking on a 'Canes team picked to finish second in the Coastal Division in the ACC preseason poll.
"I think our coaches and all the players have the most confidence in this team that there is to have," mike linebacker Rayshard Ashby said. "We just have to go out there and put it on display for each other and go out there and do our jobs. I think right now we're getting back to it in practice where we have to change our mindset like we were in camp and just going at it every time we're out there, every time we touch the field. Just giving it all we've got and not thinking about the other circumstances. Just worrying about your job and focus on yourself."
Turnovers have plagued the Hokies throughout the season. Also, a few untimely injuries – Damon Hazelton, Zachariah Hoyt and T.J. Jackson – have hindered progress.
2019 VIRGINIA TECH FOOTBALL TICKETS
(The Virginia Tech Athletics Department has individual football game tickets on sale. Fans interested in purchasing a ticket to any of the Hokies' final five home games may do so by clicking here.)
But mostly, as head coach Justin Fuente alluded to following the game, the Hokies lack an identity after the first four games. They say they want to get back to what they've always wanted their identity to be – hard, smart and tough.
"He wants to find an identity, but we want to be known like what we say: Hard, smart, tough," offensive lineman Lecitus Smith said. "We need to get that hard and that tough going. Even that smart part going as well. We want to be that team that people are like, 'OK, they're a smart football team. They're also tough up front.' We want to make them have to scheme us well during the week. We want to be tough and rugged and mean when it's necessary. That's how I want to be."
Most of the questions this week have centered on Tech's offense after Tech amassed just 259 yards against the Blue Devils. But Tech's defense also struggled, allowing scores on seven of the final eight possessions of the game.
The game appeared to turn – though the players and coaches say it shouldn't have – on a Hendon Hooker fumble early in the second quarter in which Hooker and tailback Keshawn King mishandled an exchange. Duke recovered at the Tech 16 and scored on the next play to take a 7-3 lead.
The Blue Devils never trailed again, as the Hokies looked to have lost their confidence after that place.
"We've got to be better in that situation," Foster said. "We've talked about it. You've got to embrace those challenges, so to speak. That kind of defines who you are and the makeup of our team and our character when those situations arise.
"The biggest thing is we've got to look at it [stopping Duke after the turnover] as an opportunity and a challenge. It's not the end of the world, and that's where we've got to be better. It took the wind out of our sails, but we've got to be mentally tougher than that. There's a lot of football left, man. A lot of football, and we can't let one play affect several – and that's what that did. We've got to be mentally tougher. That's the bottom line."
Ashby agreed, saying that he and others need to be more supportive of those who make mistakes.
"Personally, I think I've done an awful job at that," he said. "I definitely think that, right now, I need to step up as a leader. When things go bad, I need to help the team keep our mindset and focus on us. Personally, I think I've done an awful job of helping the team overall and of helping the defense change their mindset when things like that happen."
For sure, there is plenty of football left to play. The Hokies have eight games remaining, including several critical divisional matchups, starting Saturday in Miami. They know they need to play better, but also know they do not need to panic.
"We're 2-2, and Miami is 2-2," Foster said. "There is a lot of football left. You kind of define your character and who you are when you've had a setback or had a disappointment or had adversity. Are you going to listen to the outsiders? That's today's age of modern social media. There's so many people out there, if you win, you didn't win big enough, or you didn't do this or you didn't do that. If you lose, you're not very good. You know what I mean? Those guys [the players], the only people they need to please are in that locker room right now. That's the only people, when it's all said and done, that they're laying it on the line for – their brothers.
"On Sunday, we really rolled our sleeves up and went back to work. We had a really good work on Sunday, came back and I thought we had a really good practice today. We've got to put it together day after day after day. This group, we can't be good today and average tomorrow and good on Thursday. Then we'll be good in the first quarter, average in the second, good in the third quarter and average in the fourth. We can't do that at this level. Our guys have to strain and sell out every day and develop those habits that it takes to win."
Here are some other notes from Tuesday's news conference:
TISDALE TO SEE MORE ACTION
Foster said Tuesday that redshirt freshman linebacker Alan Tisdale had earned a larger role going forward. Tisdale had played sparingly in the Hokies' wins over Old Dominion and Furman because of the relative tight margins in those games, but played well against Duke as a substitute for Dax Hollifield, finishing with seven tackles (six assists).
"It was my fault for not getting him in the previous two games," Foster said. "It kind of got tight, and we didn't play as many defensive plays early in those two wins. I just didn't substitute those guys right away.
"I did it early last week, and you saw outstanding production. The guy can run. He plays with good vision. He's got to be locked in and focused like everyone else., but he has a skill set. He's got good quickness, he's got good playmaking skills, he's good in coverage … yeah, by his body of work, he has earned an opportunity to be on the field.
"Hopefully, he's going to continue in that role a little bit. I'm not disappointed in anyone else. I'm just excited about him and the playmaking abilities he brings to the table.
HAZELTON GETTING BACK IN FORM
Hazelton, a redshirt junior, played a few reps in the Boston College game and then missed two games because of a nagging hamstring injury. But he returned to action in the Duke game and hauled in a touchdown pass. Receivers coach Jafar Williams hopes that is a sign of things to come.
"It's not been frustrating," Williams said. "I've got to keep a level head and make sure that he's prepared when he gets that opportunity to come in. It looks like we're trending in that direction."
WILLIAMS DISHES ON KILL
Speaking of Williams, he worked with new special assistant to the head coach Jerry Kill during a stint at Rutgers, and he knows firsthand what Kill brings to the table from an offense perspective. But Williams believes Kill brings a more important attribute to the staff – toughness.
"I'll tell you, he's one of the toughest individuals that you'll ever meet in your life," Williams said. "Just his mental toughness, the toughness he comes to work with every day … he brings that aspect to anyone he touches. If my hamstring hurts, then Jerry Kill. I've just got to look at that man and I'm not worried about my hamstring any more after what he's been through and how he's overcome and persevered. I think he brings that element of toughness to any organization that he touches."
