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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 8, 2010

Frank Beamer

MIKE FINN: We now welcome Virginia Tech head coach, Frank Beamer, whose 13th ranked Hokies will host James Madison this Saturday in a 1:30 game in Lane Stadium in Blacksburg. The game will be video streamed over ESPN3.com. James Madison this week is ranked 11th in the Coaches' FCS weekly poll. We'll bring on coach, a brief opening statement and go to questions. Coach?
COACH BEAMER: Yeah, we're on a short week here, getting ready to play a really good James Madison team, a team that took Maryland into overtime last year. They've had a lot of success over the last few years, a well-coached football team.
We've got our work cut out for us, that's for sure. Again, playing on Monday, and coming back and playing on Saturday, it gets you out of it. It's a tough deal. But it is what it is, so we've got to get ready to play. Questions?

Q. I'm working on a piece about scheduling, and kind of the changing with the 12 games now. Of course I guess there are two questions you ask: Why would you play the cupcakes and on the other hand, you'd be the right guy to ask, why do you take on the Alabamas and Boise States? Just overall what is your coaching philosophy in terms of the big game versus maybe playing a softer schedule?
COACH BEAMER: Well, I see both sides of it. I think number one, I do think it makes you a better football team. We've lost I guess the last three opening games. I think I'm right in saying that. But we've won ten games each of those years also.
I think in the long hall it makes you a better football team. But when you're playing a good team, a solid team, you know, we could have won all three of the games. It was close, but in the end we lost all three. But we came back and won ten. So I think there is an argument there that in the big picture it makes you a better football team. I think your preparation for the season is better. I see that side of it.
The other side of it is -- and we got into a situation this year where Boise had most of their guys back, and we've lost some real play makers and kickers and so forth. Then when you don't have an exhibition game, and you don't have scrimmages against other people, that first ballgame, we would have liked to have had that this year. But it can work both ways.
Generally speaking, I think we made some mistakes in this one that we don't normally make and shouldn't make. We've covered most of this, or not covered most of it, covered all of it. But we had some mistakes there that got us a little bit. But I think there are arguments both ways.

Q. Quick follow-up if I may. There is the Big Ten expanding with adding Nebraska. They're talking about going to a nine-game conference schedule. The Big 12 is doing that and the Pac. What are your thoughts about being on balance, and every year you'd have one more game on the road in the conference. But what would you feel about playing nine games in the SEC and three non-conference games?
COACH BEAMER: Well, it probably goes back to how you schedule the non-conference games. But it's just a fact. You're giving all your conference teams a chance at another loss. Half of those guys are going to have another loss, so that probably affects your bowl picture somewhat.

Q. Can you give us a coach's perspective on what makes Boise State so good?
COACH BEAMER: Well, I've said it before the game, I'll say it afterwards, they've got good players. They've got guys that impress you playing. They've got enough of them that they can get it done.
I think they're really coached up. I'm really impressed with how they play, how efficient they play, how I think they really coach up their players. My hat's off to Boise State. We certainly had a chance to beat them, but we didn't.
It's a credit to them. They came back and did it at the end. A lot of it you see all through the game, a lot of good coaching going on.

Q. Just getting guys in the right spot, is that a lot of it?
COACH BEAMER: Yeah, that, and how the tempo of the game and just a lot of things. You know, moving people around, offensively, they do a lot of different things. The kicking game calls you to prepare for a lot, and a lot of formations. So I just think overall it's just a well-coached football team.

Q. I wanted to ask you about the special teams and you've had a chance to digest what happened Monday night. Do you think the mistakes that were made on the beginning of the game there on the punt coverage unit and the punting unit there, do you think that was more of a question of just nerves being in the first game and having some young guys? Or was there something fundamentally wrong that you think the team needs to correct heading into this week?
COACH BEAMER: No. On the block kick we just had poor communication. There were two new guys and there wasn't a reason. I understand why it happened, but it shouldn't have happened. That was just purely communication.
Then roughing the kicker, that was the first time the guy had ever roughed a kicker. He's been on our punt-rush team quite a bit. But that was a big play.
We were taking the ball over at I think the 40-yard line. We got a good return off the kick and the whole deal. Then we got the block, and we got the penalty, roughing the kicker penalty, then we got a block in the back after that. So they get the ball back at our 32. That's quite a turn around.
We kicked our ball out of bounds, and Meyer's is too good a kicker to be doing that. He missed two field goals. They were close, but they were still misses. I think our kicker has been doing really well, and I think Hazley will hit them next time.
Overall, I think there are things we can fix, but we need to make sure they get fixed because those are critical plays, really critical plays. Giving up field position, and you play a good team like Boise State, every yard counts. We gave up a lot of field position on those plays right there.

Q. Obviously the players are really frustrated following the loss on Monday night. Are you concerned at all about getting them ready for James Madison on Saturday, especially with it being a short week?
COACH BEAMER: Well, I think we really are challenged right now. But I think we've got a lot of pride, a lot to play for. I think we can be a really good football team. We're counting on all of those things to get ready to play a really good James Madison football team.

Q. Did Tyrod, is that what you expected out of Tyrod the way he played or did he really show you something?
COACH BEAMER: Oh, I think Tyrod played his heart out. Just tried everything he could to win that football game and did a lot of great things to give ourselves a chance to win it so that's exactly what I expect from Tyrod.

End of FastScripts

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