HATE WEEK REDUX

0:44 Welcome back to be boundary Corner podcast. I'm Curtis Wilson. I'm Brian siglo Thursday night, buddy. How you doing? How you doing, buddy? I gotta sit down the glass. I've got eggnog. And I've got some Irish whiskey in that eggnog. Mwah. I can some football things are good. Aw, geez about his perfect of a December evening situation that I can imagine. So I'm right with you. I've got a little little Porter here, snowdrift vanilla porter. So that's a great winter beer, man. Yes sir. Great winter beard a have.

1:24 There was that alarm kugel? Yep, ha ha only saw a portion of the bottle. Folks know your beer, 10/10 your Or beer, man. How's your week member, man? It's been one of those weird weeks where it's either really slow. And then, like for like three hours, I would get like, a lot of stuff that crosses my desk and have to, to bang some stuff out. So, been one of those. How about you, man, Pretty Petty, other than several technical issues at work, which this time of year is never any fun to be sitting there trying to make something process and It's like air and you're like here, God go through, do it. And then you having to tell someone yeah I told you. I've had this back by 11:00.

2:13 Might be closer to 1200 there anything. Okay. Just won't pry. Sorry, I'm waiting. Nothing I'm doing, you know, and why we're going to have a beautiful mid-fall weekend in late in mid-December This weekend, like 65 degrees. So yeah, I'm like, I'm not sure if I'm ready for that again. Like, I'm one of those people that once I get in a certain mindset, I kind of like to plow ahead so these like fake fake Falls and then like in the spring, where you get like that, like late February, you get that one really warm day, right nowhere. But then it, you know, you two more weeks of 20 degrees like we do, I like that.

3:02 Other stuff. Yeah, I don't really like I don't really like it but you know, it is what it is sinuses, which I hate and be. It's just like my body says, it's winter. Yeah, my body. It's winter. It needs to be winter. There needs to be, is no, it needs to be cold. It is, it's like you've thrown me a day in the 60s. I've already burned all my hoodie's, I can't go back. A burn, the hoodies. I put the shorts away. Which I have put the shorts. What? Except I found a pair of the other night in my bathroom underneath some things. So maybe, you know, Karma.

3:49 It was being going to need this one. We're going to need, you know, on that weirder than still wear shorts, like all winter though. Although you did, I agree. But I mean, it gets to a point where I'm like, nah, I'm good. As long as I know. I'm not going to be out more than like five minutes. Like I'm just getting into my car driving around out of my car into a building. Like, you know, that's not cold enough for me to sacrifice comfort. Awesome. Well, folks, obviously it is hate. We here on the boundary Corner podcast, as the Hokies this week will be battling UVA for the don't know what is going to be the number. A big number for the Commonwealth cup. Yep.

4:39 Trying to take it back after losing for the first time. Since 2003 eight-week part to head up, we had a teaser earlier and now we're, you know, that got that got pushed back. So, now we're officially in. Hey, tweek it is happening. Ladies and gentlemen, the game will be played the governor's announcement earlier, did not change that, despite some whisperings and dark corners of the interwebs. We are plowing ahead with this game. Yeah, so I mean that's where we're at in hate week, just to recap a little bit guys, we saw a big stinker from for Mike Young and the Gang against Penn State.

5:23 That was brutal to a point. I was going to follow it on my phone. I kept the TV on the main cave to Peak in every few minutes as I was watching something with my wife, and we were doing something and I kind of lost track of the game, it started when one I looked down, it was 2:43 and it was just like, that's not good. That's not how you want to start it. Yeah, that it started bad. And then it just kept getting gradually worse and Penn State had one of those nights where like, the Hokies played a bad game. Don't get me wrong. Bad game. Had a bad shooting night. What wasn't very active on the defensive end? But Penn State had one of those magical shooting nights were like everything.

6:11 They threw up, was falling. Yeah, everything they threw up was falling. I mean, they were legitimately be percent from the field. So, you know, just from the field like they couldn't miss. They went out a little bit further. Hey, man, I don't know if you saw this, but from three-point range, they were 52 percent. Yep. So it was one of those nights I can't win. They have a bad possession and then get bailed out. Like, you know, then with the Hokies were doing the right thing, they were still getting burned. So yeah. Back to the drawing board to sort of figure it out because again, you can't can't score 55 points and expect to win many games. You can't shoot under 40 under 30 from three and fifty percent from the free-throw.

7:07 Line. I mean, just awful awful. But I think you know, after two stinkers like that, you know, have faith, you know, in mi kyung that he can pull it together. No law of averages, says the shooting percentage is going to go up a little bit so it's true and we'll find out a lot Tuesday night. Yeah I agree we'll find out a lot to do not against Clemson. I mean Clemson's for know, they beat Maryland. They beat Purdue, they beat Mississippi State. Obviously Purdue in Maryland, being usually two of your top, 25 teams out of the Big Ten so we'll find out more.

7:48 Do they bounce back or they kind of keep this skit going because it's almost last year, it was the loss to Michigan State. Then they lost the next few games to Dayton and BYU who were going to be tournament teams. But it continue the downward spiral this year, the big win happens. The Solid second one, the solid went after happens, then they start hitting the skids a little bit. So yeah. And like I said, I think I'll be encouraging is that at least against VMI, it was just shooting and against Penn State, regardless of how they shot, they were probably losing that game. But based on how Penn State was playing. So, I mean, there's a, there's probably only one or two teams in the country that would have beat Penn State when they were shooting like that. So at that point, you know, it's still early. Early.

8:37 Let's not get discouraged by the laws, especially after how you started. Yep. Keep plugging ahead try to fix. What's what's a little sketchy? They like I said, as I care more about the stuff I saw on the defensive end and the the rotations than I do about anything that happened on the offensive end, they did pretty well on the boards All Things Considered. So yeah if they can just hit some shots which I think will eventually come, they'll be fine on the offensive end. I'd like to see them clean up some of the defensive stuff though. Absolutely. All right, before we get deep into sort of breaking down UVA and we're not going to be, you know, the enemy and break it down because it again similar to lab.

9:17 This is our most hated rival, probably the team we see the second most of living here in the Commonwealth, we're going to do strengths and weaknesses of both sides of their ball with data and some tape right now. But Brian, I'm gonna ask you a question. Give me your honest opinion. If Justin Fuente brings back, the Commonwealth cup, what makes the Commonwealth cup stay in Blacksburg? Does he save his job? Absolutely not. That's a firm. No. Okay, and I say from this perspective we've gotten to a point now where you know there was excuses and there was reason to potentially say this might get better with more time.

10:02 But I think we're past the point where regardless of what a win-loss record looks like in a given year. Justin Fuente is not going to be the coach that gets us. Lead to the ACC Championship game, gets us over the hump against Clemson, potentially gets us a future shot in at the college football playoff. He's not that guy and if we know that and we know that we're going to have these weird Seasons where we win five or six games and then we're going to have a couple Seasons where you might win, eight or nine, I don't think that's good enough and that, that doesn't stand up to the expectations. We had for him as a coach and I think that now we know that we need to move on.

10:44 Yep, this isn't a situation. Someone mean, you chatted with this week, I can't remember who it was, was trying to compare this to the Harbaugh situation and I sat here and when that conversation I said if Justin Fuente was 21 and 11 over his last 23 Seasons, hell no, we wouldn't be fired him because he would have been waiting somewhere between nine and ten Gaming's before this season started. It would be a completely different story. You can't put that in with her ball because Harbaugh had one ten and nine games. Harbaugh's problem is that he's losing the Ohio state every year. That pretty much never gives him a chance to play for the Big Ten Championship true. Now, the other piece is this the end? I've got to record right here.

11:35 Justin Fuente started the 10-year out 19 and eight I think after 2017. I think being you felt good after 18, it was skepticism after Duke skepticism but you saw the rebound more fact. But then seeing it reasonable, it's almost like the snowball that went into a good Avalanche. Got somewhere where it's stopped. But then something happened behind it, and shook it loose and it started rolling, he's 18 and 18. It is like true citizens. He's 500. Yeah, that's not good. That and that's not what we signed up for. That's not what we signed up for it all again. I think our expectations were somewhere between 8:00 and 11:00 every year and we got that three seasons. But what happened is as we've mentioned numerous times, it's where the losses come to who the laws has come to its games where you're looking like, you're not even putting up a fight, it's games where you looking like, you have no answers. And when that's happening too many times, the no answer games, not so much.

12:45 You know, somebody pulls an upset to my pulls. I'm upset tip your hat to them. It's the games, when there aren't answers where it's like, okay, do something different. We keep doing the same. Why are we doing the same thing? It's Working and I think that's where we're at again. I've said it before and I'll stick to this, if not for him, a lot of things that are, that were not good with in the program, don't get reflected. Thank you for that and hopefully him doing that. You're able to wit in the athletic department, as they start, looking through the next head coach will be in saying, we know these are out of fish.

13:26 Entities. Here's how we're going to fix them for you. Yeah. And what do you want to do to put your stamp on this? Yeah but I think on the whole he's ultimately leaving the program about at the same level that he found it. I think from a brand perspective, our brand isn't quite as good as it was when he took over. But I think because of Shining Light on some of the things we need to improve, I think we're taking some steps where we need to Ratchet it up. And I think that ultimately, you know, cancels out some of the brand losses there. So you know, well, I think I've got zero so you know, he didn't completely run the program into the ground.

14:11 I mean the big problem right now is because of everything else happening is that Donors are getting antsy and donors want answers and I think donors are getting what they want. So exactly the other pieces You talk about where we were you know Public Image level perception level yeah is slightly down but right I went to a slightly down View and perception knowing that you're going to get what you need operationally. It's not sexy, it's not saying oh we're you know, we're winning 10 letting games a year.

14:54 It's not safe. Sexy and it doesn't all happen overnight either. So it's a, it's a slow, build up more on, but the whole piece is you get that in place. You get back to where you were, you get back to competing for the ACC. You get back to weighing 10, 11 games every year and as nice as the brand is, I think the new coach would appreciate the other stuff more than the brand. Damn, right. All right, well, let's jump to it folks. Time for a little break down here of the UV 18. Let's start with their defense when I was just doing the data dump, as I always like to do. I look first at their strengths and I'm gonna run off three to you here. And you tell me if this is correlating, what you're seeing on tape.

15:40 First of all, they are basically top corner of the country rushing defense. Why they're only giving up a hundred twenty, five point nine yards, a game 3.49 a carry right against one of our biggest. strengths they're up there and sax number nine in the country 33 total sacks for the year and also the are forcing a ton of turnovers 17 total Six fumbles, 11 picks top 15 and that. So kind of seems like they're doing some very good things on defense. So what are you? It does the tape show this or is the tape a little more. You know, the tape definitely Bears out exactly what those stats are showing and I'm going to I'm going to name three names and one of them we do not have to deal with. So I'll start with the one we do have to deal with Charles Snowden.

16:41 Yes. For most of the Season, Charles Snowden was giving offenses, fits. Yep. Yeah, six foot, seven Edge rusher. Great speed. Great athleticism hits you with a low to so not having to deal with that coming off the edge. The problem with that is that we do have to deal with Noah Taylor. He was lining up opposite of Snowden. He's now their primary Edge rusher, Snowden was deaf Only the dude, but Noah Taylor is no slouch as well. And still gonna have to stop him from getting to the quarterback.

17:21 Is he's going to come hard and Zane's endear is the inside. Linebacker for them big player in the middle of that defense. Kind of an enforcer in the middle. Really good run Stoppers. He's the guy that's getting tackles for laws. He's kind of packing the stat sheet in the tackle column as well. So you know they're going to do a lot of things to kind of slow down our Length, which is our running game, whether it's painting the ball to Khalil Herbert or running one of our quarterbacks up the middle, or on the outside. All right. So we talked about that, we talked about they forced turnovers but they have weaknesses hum as good as they are at sacking the quarterback.

18:04 I was shocked by this number, they are absolutely Dreadful against passing. I'm talking quarterback passing efficiency there, 153 out of 165. They almost average 15 yards per completion. They are the most passing yards allowed in the country. Now I know they play nine games and there are some other teams that haven't played as many, but there's enough teams. There's enough teams out there that have played more than eight games. It just shows something. They're also 62 percent completion so you know That's a that's not a good number. Your, you want to be substituting as a defense also. Really big and allowing first downs. You know, they are averaged nearly giving up twenty first downs, a game, you know, 86 in the country. So on the bottom, half of that, the Brian a couple of the things that they aren't Really.

19:06 But our weaknesses, but they aren't really great at, you know, third down, conversions, 39.8, that's a big Bugaboo of the Hokie, so right under 40% and then the other is they're giving up 30 points a game, okay? So, you know, paired the Hokies defense, we're giving up like 30, I think 32.1. And obviously I think I think we feel like we've had more issues than they have. So it ain't all sunshine and Roses on their defaults. No, and I mean the big thing is how we feel. We are in the back end, man. They don't tackle great on the back end in the passing game. They actually do pretty good job from the safety position, filling up in the run, but they end up missing a lot of tackles with with guys that are elusive in space. UNC game.

20:03 I mean UNC just ran out of time. What if they had? You know, one more stop. They were going to win that game. I mean, they stopped the fake punt. Yeah. They when they game and Thompson, did it just a great individual effort on that? You know, you're getting off topic here? A little bit. Just that was designed to go, right? And he went left, cutting it back and got there. So but the yeah, they're weak on the back end. Like I said, struggles, with tackles bunch of Chunk plays crossers, seems Deep shots on the edge. I mean there It shouldn't be a route in our repertoire that we shouldn't be able to exploit them with in some way.

20:48 The question is, do we take advantage of that? If we can stop? The big thing is we can stop them getting to our quarterback or making our quarterback have to throw before. He's ready. That's where that secondary gets good because they are opportunistic. So that they're out, they're opportunistic, but they are very suspect that as long as long as we can make good decisions, With the ball in the passing game. We should be fine. That's what I was going to kind of ask is how can you have that many interceptions? That many sacks would be that pad in the passing game and it sounds like what it is is when they force essentially the throw to go early or forced to throw to the wrong spot or rush to throw that's when they're getting their picks.

21:31 When the pocket stays clean, people are just carving them including be seized back up. It went. What 502 last week, yes. You know, we can put up 300 plus, you know, one of those things, I feel like if we don't put up over 270 but we shall move on anything else on the defensive side, you want to hit Brian before we jump over to the offensive side of the ball. Yeah, I mean, I think, in terms of like how we would attack it, I mean, from a passing game perspective, I think we should kind of pass the set up the run. I think we need to not just work in the short, intermediate stuff that I've been pounding on a lot.

22:12 A lie but also we need to take some shots. Stretch them, we need to make them work for it but we need to be strategic with our shots. We don't want to put the quarterback back there for you know, 45 seconds. Waiting for routes to develop before you can get rid of it with, you know, Noah Taylor and zhen zhen zhen, dear bearing down on them. So that's what I would. I would do to kind of start things up, and then once they loosen up a little bit and have to start pulling some of those, those safeties out of the box, And that's when we can start with the running game and pounding them a little bit and kind of eating them up between the tackles. Now, when you talk about Not Giving 45 seconds, is this something where you're thinking about the alignments, where, you know the gold is going to be filled side.

22:58 We're going to put three guys, and we're going to be one guy down here, your high safety. Has to make a decision because if he chooses to come over here and going to help. You're allowing three routes to develop on this side where most of the time in those cases, you tell me if I'm right or wrong, we're going to put our best corner on this side, free safety. You're going to go to the other hash don't worry about that side. He's got the out of bounds as down. Is his extra Defender I think you want to try to isolate you know if you got man coverage you read man coverage kind of isolate where that Where that safety is going to be shading to and kind of attack opposite that. That way you can throw the ball earlier in the route and just thinking it could be a 50/50 type situation versus having to wait for a guy to come. Open on top of that.

23:49 I'd like to see some of the RPO stuff just because that's going to slow down that pass rush a little bit. If you can work some of those in there, should be able to take some shots up the scenes, maybe throw a fade out of that. All right. Well let's hope so my burn the Excel spreadsheet. Then this week. Did you burn the Excel? Spreadsheets at the end of the week. Anyway, looking for items items.

24:30 A weakness, believe it or not. Kind of shocked me they're passing offense is actually really a strength of there's you know averaging 260 a game about 12 yards per completions that's kind of impressive, losing Armstrong for the games that they did. You know, the only slight hiccup is they are only averaging about 58 percent completion. I'm have a feeling. You might be able to tell me why on that in a few minutes here. The one thing that shocked me even more Is protecting the quarterback, they're giving up less than two sacks of games, and only about four tackles for loss. So again, I'm still trying to figure out how with that Mash unit that they're doing it.

25:15 I hope you can shed some light on that, they consistently win time of possession all year. Usually averaging about 31 minutes of game and running the ball, I consider more average only about 174 yards. So not, you know, not terrible, but not dominating their very much below the pack. Yeah, pretty much. I mean, that kind of checks out as well with what I'm seeing. I mean, you know, we talked about the couple games Armstrong Miss, but when he's been in there he's really he's paid that offense more consistent. So whereas, you know, last year with Perkins, they could just kill you at any given moment. Yeah, the ability to either throw it deep or Perkins to beat you with his legs.

26:06 This is really more of a kind of a balanced approach with with Strong having a lot more, poison the pocket, and a lot more poised behind the line of scrimmage and making good choices there than I really thought I would see. He had some early problems in the season with some interceptions, but he's really clean that up and, you know, he's really good at feeling when to step up in the pocket, when to break the pocket window, look down the field to make the play. Once he's broken the pocket and went to just take off and And try to get a first down and you know I'll say this you know he's not Elite like Perkins in terms of athleticism he's probably more similar to a Sam Howell in terms of his athleticism but he's definitely more run first than Sam how he's a guy that's going to if he sees it there he's going to take it and he's going to run so we got to watch him in both elements there.

27:05 A true dual threat at the quarterback position. So that's where their offense runs through. They've got a good kind of collection of running backs as well. The main one is tala pop up. He doesn't jump off the tape when you see him, there's nothing Elite about him but he's a solid one, a guy for them. He kind of does a little bit of everything. He's a good blocker. He kind of works through the garbage a lot between the tackles even though he's a little undersized and then they got Simpson, who does a really good job of catching balls out of the backfield. I saw him take one against against UNC, he broke a really big on things, like a 70 or 80 yard touchdown.

27:51 Down off just like a quick swing pass out of the backfield so he can hurt you in the receiving game, they throw a lot of screens to him stuff out, you know, check downs and things like that. So he's got to watch in that type of thing. And he'll also carry the balls. Some, he actually likes to Thump A little bit more than table. Papa. So kind of athletic guy that'll bring a little bit of lumber at the end of a run. Very nice Brian. What about their offensive line? Again, I look at the fact numbers. I don't see a lot about that, you know, is it is it, you mentioned, you know, the Dual threat capabilities of Armstrong but to still have that low number.

28:37 I mean, are they is it just a perfect combination and what they're doing or is it, are they borderline? You know, a really really good offensive line. I'd say they're above average offensive line, they're not a really good offensive line but they are they are a good offensive line. They're probably, I don't know, maybe three or four in terms of the best lines you've seen this year so they're not like, Clemson. They're not, you know, they're not Elite level but they get the job done. But pairing it, what they do with what Armstrong's capabilities are they look a little bit better than they are. And, you know, they got lucky a little bit. Armstrong is done a good job of oftentimes getting rid of the football when he needs to.

29:22 He has kind of that little bit of Russell Wilson type thing where he can get in trouble and then get himself out of trouble and then get rid of the ball. Okay, it's in. Sometimes that goes for completion and sometimes it just goes for you know getting thrown out of bounds and moving on to the next place. So he's definitely helped him in that regard. Where is kind of Perkins. Once you were there, he was going down. He has a little bit more of ability to break, tackles in the backfield and still be able to get rid of the ball to save a sec. What we're going after Franco. I know you're going to have ways to attack this D for this offense, excuse me and kind of second here, but Many mentioned aren't many talked earlier this week and you just kind of been and we kind of talked about it. There's been one good running quarterback that really burned us this year.

30:19 I was Malik Willis at Liberty. Yep. Are there guys have got some yards but not absolutely kill this. I know. Trevor Lawrence broke 217 yards for the touchdown last week and he had a couple other good runs. We held the Eric King Sam. Halden have much going on his day. We played enough to where it's like, if anything comes out of this year, good, the fundamental change out front. We're running right. Quarterbacks not necessarily dual threat, but guys who have a little wiggle aren't killing us? And I always go back. Remember that night day, we went to Big Al's against Maryland. Yep. In this son of the that kid could not have been faster than me but he kept In the pocket, getting like 12 to 15 yard games on the left side and me and you were just sitting there Furious like him. What are you doing?

31:12 What are you doing? Yeah. Well Brian. What are how can we attack this offense? And really you know exploit the weaknesses. I'm going to mention in a second here. Yeah so the big thing is getting them off. The field on third down. You know, they've got a couple guys that are really good at kind of moving the sticks when they get in like a second and long third and long situation Jana being the probably the biggest returning, receiver from that we talked about from last year. He's a stick mover, but he also has the ability to stretch the field vertically. Then they've got Kemp, he's more of that slot receiver underneath the coverage threat, you know, working some quick outs.

31:58 Somebody, you know, drag some shallow crossers, things like that. They just kind of through the thorn in your side, I'll game the newcomer Lavell Davis jr. He tall well mr. 67 right. He tall. Yeah. So obvious Red Zone, threat here. Obviously a guy that could pick on smaller Corners if we don't give them some help. And then you've got a guy like Paul Jay in that really big red zone threat for them at tight end. So they've got a Quadra of weapons there that they can take advantage of in those third-down situations in those Red Zone situation. So the key is to get off the field and those situation and don't let them keep the ball in the field. Like you said, time of possession is good for them. It's because they're able to get some of those stick, movers in the passing game.

32:56 And when things break down, Armstrong can take off and still get it with his legs too, so we can be good on third down on defense. I think. We like, are we like our chances here? All right. Well Brian, I'm going to just go right into it. You talk about the third down, it is one of their biggest weaknesses. They are 96 in the country at converting third Downs at 36.4. So clearly probably the games they've won they've probably been really good at it. The games they've lost they probably been really bad at it in probably what you've been looking at. More recently is probably the last four games where they won. Yeah. Obviously if they're converting them it kind of says something that they're doing it better but overall they're not doing it.

33:41 Great. Now I'll say this and you mentioned it with Armstrong. You talked about his interceptions earlier in the year but they're still turning the ball over at a pace of sitting them at 115. The country 17 total turnovers 12 picks five fumbles. So although you've talked about him cleaning it up lately It still has that possibility there that. Absolutely absolutely. I'll get now the other one and I think this is going to be the key to winning Saturday night. They're not great at converting, their Red Zone in two touchdowns. 39 attempts, only 24 touchdowns We must been not break their just similar to the Clemson game is gonna sound really weird. But first drive we held them to a field goal right later on, they get deep, we force a turnover know, we give it right back but that's essentially saying right there. Well that's 11 points if you tell me that we do that and we hold them down 11 points.

34:49 I think we win this game by a couple of stores. Yeah, we see I'll be the key is going to be how well we do on third down and how well we do in the Red Zone. They've shown a propensity to be bad in some of those situations lately. They looked a lot better lately. They look more like a team that converts on those and I mean we've seen it of the last this little run they've been on. Yeah, they've been winning more than they've been losing and Some of that goes back to them. I'm just cleaning up some of those things that were really bad for them at the start of the season and and you know it's really we're kind of at a mirror image right now like this UVA team is probably playing the best football. They play all season coming into this game and we're probably playing some of the worst football. We played all season coming into this game so something's got to give I think from a talent perspective we probably have the more talented team but That doesn't, you know, paper doesn't win the game, my brother didn't.

35:57 Let me ask this to, and in this is where does this sounds? But do you think that when because of the NC State game when Armstrong got hurt and he was out the next to? Yep. Or he was out the Wake Forest game at least and then he was sort of limited with Miami. Do you think that helped them more than hurt them where we essentially, he got hurt they were able to take him out, do something. Things different, instead of having games where he was in there. Let's say he, let's say you didn't get hurt. They play Wake, they lose to wait with him where the failures just keep piling on top of each other over and over where the coaching staff can say Hey listen you're healthy now.

36:40 Clean slate. We're going to do some different things while you are out we found some niches for Kiante Thompson. So you know, Do you think that's helped them more than hurt them? I think so, I think it provided them, the ability to give defensive fronts different looks with their offense and especially working in Thompson a lot as kind of like a wing extra quarterback. Like he kind of does a little bit of everything in there. They use them like primarily from the wing. Sending him in motion on like jet sweeps, doing some counters with him, like there's a lot that they do with him in the running game, that gives them use defenses.

37:22 Different looks than they would get from a typical offense that typical team that runs the the type of offense that Eva runs so yeah. I think those extra wrinkles have given Armstrong a little more flexibility in how he plays the game and that offense is a hole, a little bit more room to work because there's an extra thread out. They're Well, normally we do pivotal players folks, but we're not going to do tonight. You've seen our team, you know who needs to play. Well, you know what needs to happen. And if you haven't Go back and look at all the games over the next 48 hours.

38:02 You'll figure it out pretty quick, condensed tapes out there, guys, just take a look at it. See what you can find pull some of the good stuff out there but, you know, we know who needs to play. Well, we know at this point that, you know, if we're not getting off the field, third down on defense, or if we're not converting, third Downs on offense. Those those are the two big things that have really determine how good or bad this team has been this year and if we're not doing those things, well then we're probably not going to win this game if we can do them. You know somewhat proficiently. We we should be able to make this happen. So we'll see how it goes but how you feeling heading into this will man?

38:46 I really I'm at a point where I don't really, I don't know, know what to throw out there for this one. I don't know, I don't know what to throw out there. For this one. I mean, I'm going to make a prediction here in a couple minutes because what I've seen from this team it's the inconsistencies we have not put for good quarters together since NC State back in September. Yep. There's been at times second. Half of Boston College. If that team on both sides of the ball shows up every week since then, the only game we would have lost, would have been Clemson. Hindsight, hindsight, some of the corners.

39:27 Again, spit if that team had showed up every game since Boston College, we wouldn't have want any games. We won't be going to the game before that. So we are a jekyll-and-hyde team and that's what's scary. The upside is there a Jekyll and Hyde team and their good side has been showing out the last four weeks where There are worse off, has been showing out for weeks. You've hope that what we are opinion is we got a lame-duck coach, you hope that he wants to go out in a blaze of glory and do things different query, risks in an attempt to win the game and, you know, I'm working. We said have significantly more Talent than them. I mean it probably at every single position where more talented than them A linebacker is the only position that I'd say they might have is beat him, but without Snowden, it's probably closer to even than it would be normally. And there are the three four, so you're putting their outside linebackers in with their backers. So, it's a little to me, it's a little different. So let's just get to it.

40:49 What's your prediction for Saturday night? Oh man. It is at night, you know, when nothing matters with it, it's a night. Yeah, it's kind of weird that we've been getting this. This like Prime spot, as we're playing the worst football, we've seen all year. That's been a little frustrating because we have to keep watching it over and over and over again happen and as does everybody else. So that means we get to hear about it a lot too. To get a Primetime slot, you hear about how you did a whole lot more. So, Here we are.

41:29 Give me 31. 27, Virginia Tech 3127 Virginia Tech. Alright, I am I'm with you after a few weeks of picking against us. There's just a part of me that couldn't in this case, I think we come out. I think we come out fired up. I think we come out and run some trick plays. I think in the end.

42:10 They're going to revert back to some of their highlighted portions of this game. Okay I think they're going to revert back to their height. A few portions this game which Tony wrong. Our hands are going to show too but I think for them since it hasn't really shown and close to five weeks, I think that's what's going to be the toughest thing to overcome for them. Give me 3831, Virginia Tech the cup stays in Blacksburg. And I think I think our guys are playing for something I mean whether it's for for Coach Fuente or for Pride or just to get the damn cup back. You know, I think I think our guys are going to show up and be as focused as they've been on any game probably since Game one against NC State or less. What they?

43:01 They were focused last week. I least for a half or two and a half. I mean, to me, that was two and a half of the better quarters of football. We play on both sides of the ball. It's true man. We can put if we could put another quarter together with that, you know if we're all if we're only having half a quarter where we're playing, like we don't know what we're doing. We probably win this football game. If we have a half a quarter where we don't know what we're doing, Doing by more than seven and four points? I think we would probably say 10:50, maybe two touchdowns but we have to say there's going to be some really bad quarters. All right.

43:42 Well, let's roll on Brian to our picks for the week. Folks, going to pick some ACC games, a couple out of conference games as well. First one Brian since you let off with the Commonwealth Cup game lead. All of this one Wake Forest. Louisville Louisville is laying one and a half points. I am trying to figure this one out. I'm trying to figure out if there's players heard on Wake clearly. Right. Well without je viens out, if someone can explain to me. Why Louisville is laying points because I think wait for us when just came out, right? Yeah, give you wake for his legal limit.

44:23 Legal, you see, like, Wake Forest has like essentially quite a bit to play for if you think about it. I mean, I mean they've had one of their better Seasons, you know, beat some good teams so out of their starting to stack some decent Seasons together under clause in there man. So yeah, yeah. And they're going to be happy with who they are and I think Klaus will be there for another five years if they keep at this pace. All right, Brian. This is kind of the toilet bowl of the ACC. Duke and Florida State, Florida State Lane, four and a half. Oh man.

45:15 Toilet bowl. Welcome to the toilet. I'll take. All right, you're going to late points. With the team that basically hasn't been playing for the last month because of covid. Exactly that. That's that's how bad the situation is. At this point man. I just you know I feel like Duke is really been rudderless Wait, wait. So I think FSU after kind of having their wad built up for the last several weeks.

45:57 They finally get to hit somebody again. So I think we'll see some action there. Well true. But to me, it feels like they laid down and the last three games they play they lost by 32 24 and 16 not exactly a ringing. Endorsement, the biggest loss was to Louisville who's 3 and 7. So I'm going to flip and say, take Duke after getting waxed by. Miami last week. I think they show some pride. Come out. I don't know if they win the game but as bad as both of these teams are, I'll take the dog. I'll take points, okay? I'm good with that. All right, Brian going to do it, but let's go to the dairy versus Corn here. Iowa laying a slim one and a half points, where you got Brian.

46:58 He is a after what I saw from Wisconsin, I'm going to actually take Iowa here. Okay, after what I saw last week with this constant, I mean you know all credit to buy you there but I think Wisconsin had a chance to show something and they just completely scrapped the bed, I think. Well they're not quite the team. We thought they were going to be this year. So I'll take Iowa, we are who they thought they were. By the way, the over-under for this game, you know, you want to guess it real quick. Is it under 50 is under 50. Let me get loot, let me go 4442.

47:39 Ah okay well it's also Iowa in December of sure, it's probably going to be about 15 degrees with a knife. He's got something to prove. They've had a couple bad games in a season where many thought that they would be the team coming out of the West. I think they're going to go try to prove something. At kinnick stadium. And so just as, basically a coin flip, pick them game. Anyway, I'll pick them to win this game over the Iowa Hawkeyes, okay? Alright, next Braun, lets go to the SEC East in essentially a battle for second place, believe it or not. Where is Missouri.

48:26 Takes on, Georgia, Georgia laying 13 and a half points. I've been back and forth on this one, you know, obviously, we got a connection there with Damon Hazelton got a big game last week did have a very big game last week, which, you know, that took him a while to get there to do it. But, you know, you know, it is what it is. I mean, you look last week at his stat line and he goes out there. R5 catches 98 yards so we'll see. We'll see if he can keep that up against Georgia. I just can't see, Missouri staying with Georgia, you know, Missouri, beat Arkansas by two points. Blowout, Vanderbilt Vanderbilt doesn't count, but the couple of elite teams they played this year. That would be Florida.

49:23 In Alabama, they got waxed by 2419 poetically. They also lost by 23 to Tennessee. I I just I feel like Georgia, maybe feel like they're playing for something still maybe sec. I'll do something wild seed. They play Texas A&M in an effort to sneak in Texas A&M. You know, do the playoff Bama Beats Florida. So give me you go. Okay, I'm right there with you, man. I like what Mizzou is done of late, but at the same time as you've noted, when they've had to go up against the big dogs in their conference. They've kind of not look that great even a up and down, dog like Tennessee. You know that wasn't a great performance. So I just I don't trust them in big games and this is a big game for them.

50:15 So I'm going to take oh yeah, alright, alright, let's go to the biggest game in the ACC Battle of top, 20 team. Is number ten, Miami 17, UNC Miami, laying three and a half Miami. Is there potential to probably get a new year six bowl if they pull this win out. So if you gotta run, Oh, man, both of these teams, despite how good their records are have played games where you're like, ah, what, what are you doing? And then they pull out the wind so it doesn't matter and then obviously there's been a couple losses there for you and see that you kind of shake your head at. But in terms of consistency, I like Miami a little bit better when even when they play down to their competition, they generally still keep them at arm's length. Well this is a big match up.

51:12 Or them. You know, they showed up and played pretty well against us. They showed up and played. You know, decent a couple other games, this year really Clemson's the only one that kind of kind of beat them. Pretty good. So, I'll take Miami in the three and a half. Yeah, the Clemson game, but on pretty good, but I mean, they were within 11 points at halftime, essentially the most people against Clemson. You lose it in the second half North Carolina to me, it's just been They lose when they're not supposed to lose. You know. They lost against UVA shouldn't have lost against UVA. They lost against Florida State.

51:52 They shouldn't have lost against Florida State and again I really am going to put it on there that for Miami. They blew the doors off to you glass week, my hammy. Essentially, got this respect to the insane. Hey, when Clemson wins, and when Notre Dame wins this week, they're in we're not making anybody else play anymore. Games. There's not even though they could have stood up and said listen we only have one loss to a top five team. Yes. It's by multiple, you know touchdown. Yeah we should still get a chance. I've gotta say I'm on Miami with this. Okay, I'll be right there with me this, you know, it's close enough to a pick them. Where, you know, I trust Miami's consistency. Shocking to say more than I trust you and see the play consistently, so it's true.

52:48 But the other piece is this unc's defense is like, swiss cheese where the Miami defense several times has essentially locked people down You see in this game like me like 4131 where it's a really good game but unc's defense, just can't stop them. Miami gets that one or two stops in the awesome. All right, folks, last game and to me the biggest game of the week and rankings don't matter, it's the Army-Navy game first time and oh my God.

53:30 Shoot. I lost it first time in how many years it's going to be on campus Because it's going to be in West Point. And I lost it. I had, I'm very sorry I had this up, um, Equity because so many years, it's either where it's like, Philly it will be at The Meadowlands sometimes. Sometimes it'll be down at the Ravens Stadium, which is really awesome. So, let me yeah. Sorry, guys, this was terrible because I had it and then I lost it.

54:13 It's a long time, by the way 1983 they played in the Rose Bowl in. Pasadena do not have been a great game to see. Oh unbelievable. And I'm wondering if it's like 1931 either way, it is been a long time since it's been played on the campus. It's going to be played at West Point which is really cool. And for me, Brian, Navy started looking bad. Beginning of the year, they have really not righted, the ship even with a couple wins. I've got to go Army even though it's a triple option game in Army, literally not scoring one possession. Versus Navy not scoring two possessions could push this game but I just I can't see that.

55:05 I've got to go Army. I'm with you man. I think Army is just been working system this year. Year, Navy started the season just and Army's been kind of steady Eddie. So I'm going to take our me, I think they're going to pull it out as much as we hate the triple option especially when a team named The Yellow Jackets run it. Well, I love seeing it in games like this where it's like you know, almost heads up so let's let's let the triple option Shine. The flexbone shine When it's running the way it should, it is a thing of beauty as annoying as it can be for a defense and oh absolutely when they're when they're humming.

55:54 And would a couple years ago, I can't remember what year it was where. It's like, neither one could not either one could stop each other but like it was that perfect paced game where it was just like back forth, back forth, back forth and it goes really fast and it's just like thing. The beauty almost say this to if Jeff Monken and army wins Vanderbilt and I know no one who's a Vanderbilt fan, probably listen to us. But Mighty who is first of all, give them a pat on the back because life of that Phantom and football has got to be just absolutely brutal.

56:38 It's like Duke fans been worse. Exactly. Go hard. Jeff Monken. You will be a competitive football team for five to ten years with him, running the triple option, you will win somewhere between 57 and your best years. Eight games a year, they do it van Dee's out there. They've always been like going for, you know, not splashy hires. But like, hires that get them Pub. I mean, you know, that's why you see Healy attached to probably a lot of their rumors this this office. He's a man. Well, so it'll be interesting. Did you catch the Jeff Collins patent are doozy handshake? No, I did not have that, man.

57:27 Jeff Collins is my new favorite, unless we're playing them, very brief and jerked his hand. Away from n��r du zi and like took off towards the end zone and are doozies like who Mike. Shut up. Fuck up. Nor do you see? No one gives a shit about you and I'm in for that Jeff Collins right now. You are the man. Are you the main columns yesterday are dizzy? All right, Brian, anything in the smoker this weekend, this weekend, man. I am doing some more smoke K. So, we got a little little gathering. We're going to Saturday evenings on, make some of that. Take that over with some.

58:12 I don't know what type of chips. I'll get. I might actually Food line makes a good good tortilla that that they make fresh there and house I usually will pick up some of those nice man. Nice. Anything breaking while we've been sitting here the last hour on a Thursday night other than laughing at in our doozy think and he deserves a better handshake. Nah man, we're good. Yeah, I'm seeing it now. I'm seeing it. I know I do. The question is what in our doozeedoo during the welding are doozeedoo? During the game is there everything? Dude, you know him?

58:56 Yeah. We've had a deal with him for years because he's the biggest asshole on the sidelines. In the ACC he is he is a fucking asshole and a lot of time the shit he's complaining about. It's like dude, your team is doing this. It's nothing to argue about or your team is not getting interfered with. It's like he's trying to overplay the He's trying to overplay the. I'm trying to get in their heads for a call later on because it gets to a point where the rest like, I don't care if they do understand with him, I'm not throwing the flag. He's been in my ear about mom calls because pushing of he's pushing up, shut the hell up by far, maybe maybe one of the best 20 games in 2016, maybe during his 10-year with because he would not control in the face.

59:52 I'm gonna throw the fade over and over and over. I will throw the fade until you stop it and they didn't stop it. It was either interference or a catch for Buffy and Isaiah every single time that Thursday night in our dues, he's lost his Regan every catch. He got a little bit closer to Madness, always wary. And then let me last season when he was talking, all that shit about, not jumping off sides in Beaver Stadium. We didn't jump off that night would probably not going to jump off in Lane. Well, fuck you. Yep, that's going to happen. That's, it's definitely going to happen.

1:00:34 All right. Well folks, that is going to wrap up this episode of The Boundary Corner podcast. I'm Curtis Wilson. I'm Brian Sigler. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, subscribe to the podcast on your favorite Source, including Spotify, Amazon and apple podcast. As always, we let our friend Jay In Long play us out, catch him on Spotify and apple music. We thank you for listening. And as always let's go Hokies