Virginia Tech Football

The 2015 football season is over for the Virginia Tech Hokies. Tech finished this season with a thrilling 55-52 Independence Bowl victory over Tulsa on December 26 to send legendary head coach Frank Beamer into retirement a winner. 

Now, it's time to start looking ahead to the 2016 season. 

New head coach Justin Fuente is now officially the big man on campus. Since being named coach in late November, Fuente has mostly worked in the background staying busy on the recruiting trail and filling out his staff.

With a new coach in place just as a new year begins, it's time for a few New Year's resolutions for the Hokies.

Finish Strong in Recruiting

For the most part, Tech's 2016 recruiting class is almost set. There will possibly be a few more additions. The Hokies hope that there will be no more defections. Since Beamer announced his retirement in early November, Virginia Tech lost a pair of defensive backs to other schools. Fortunately, though, that's been it.

Wide receiver Phillip Patterson backed out of his pledge, but once he spoke to Fuente he quickly jumped back on board, per Alex Koma of the Key Play.  

"When I talked to him, he was sitting there, telling me exact plays on my highlight tape," Patterson said. "It just made me feel special that he actually took the time out being as big time as he is, and he actually evaluated me, and we had a real good conversation."

For Hokie fans, Patterson's words couldn't sound better. A head coach closing the deal is something Virginia Tech hasn't been used to in recent years. While Patterson is only a 3-star recruit, per 247Sports, he possesses a nice combination of size (6'2") and sizzling speed. 

Tech has already signed a promising group of players set to enroll later this month, led by a pair of quarterbacks: junior-college transfer Jerod Evans and early enrollee Joshua Jackson. 

Evans is the only 4-star prospect currently committed to the Hokies.

The Hokies would love to land prized offensive tackle Landon Dickerson of Hudson, North Carolina, but those hopes appear to be fleeting. 

Dickerson is expected to choose between Florida State, Tennessee and Auburn at this point. 

It's tough to expect Virginia Tech to field a top-20 recruiting class in Fuente's first year, but fans will still be watching with anticipation to see if the new coach can convince a few more players to commit once official visits pick back up in late January just before national signing day. 

Keep Bucky Hodges Around One More Year

The redshirt sophomore tight end submitted his paperwork to the NFL draft advisory board at the end of the season, and Bucky Hodges was told to stay in school, according to Norm Wood of the Daily Press.

However, Hodges is still planning on sitting down with his family before making a decision.

At 6'7", 241 pounds with 4.4 speed, Hodges is exactly the type of player NFL teams covet in this new pass-happy era. He can line up in a number of positions to exploit mismatches with the defense. 

So why would the NFL advise Hodges to return to school one more year?

Likely because of his struggles blocking and the occasional lapse in concentration. Hodges can make spectacular catches with ease but has also dropped some catchable balls. 

Fuente wants Hodges back for another year in his offense, and you can't blame him, according to Andy Bitter of the Roanoke Times. 

"For me, it was about getting to know him and talking to him and kind of building the foundation of our relationship," Fuente said.

A return to school would presumably work out well for all parties.

A Clear Winner in the Quarterback Competition

Fuente is a former quarterback—and a good one, too. He's also molded some pretty good ones in current NFL star Andy Dalton and expected first-round pick Paxton Lynch.

So, in his first year in Blacksburg, Virginia, he wanted several quarterbacks on the roster competing for the job. 

Brenden Motley, a rising senior, should be back next fall. The 6'3" Motley started six games in 2015 after Michael Brewer went down and produced mixed results. His athleticism shined, but he made several critical mistakes in the passing game. Some of that was largely due to his inexperience. He has a big arm and is not afraid to take chances.

Fuente's presence should help him.

Dwayne Lawson returns, too. The 6'6", 207-pounder played sparingly as a true freshman in 2015. Coaches had hoped to utilize Lawson more, instead he attempted just nine passes and none in Tech's final seven games.

Lawson has Tech fans excited and will have every opportunity to win the job.

Jackson is an athletic dual-threat and could be ticketed for a redshirt season. Fortunately for him, though, he is enrolling this month and will be on the field for spring practice. That will allow coaches the time to see if he could play in 2016 or redshirt. 

Evans is probably the odds-on favorite to win the job. After all, he didn't sign with the Hokies just to sit with other opportunities available. 

At 6'4", 225 pounds, Evans is a big, strong-armed passer that can thrive in any style of offense. He just happens to be an impressive runner, too. 

Fuente is excited about the potential of Evans, but he's specifically thrilled about the competition he's added at the game's most important position, per Mike Barber of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. 

He’s a big, athletic kid that’s really enamored with the position. I think he really wants to be good and wants to do whatever he’s asked to do in order to improve at the position. A big, strong-armed, good athlete who has been promised a chance to compete with the other guys we’ve got here. I think competition makes everyone better and we’ll provide everybody that opportunity and see if that works out.

Starting this season, the quarterback position should be in good hands at Virginia Tech for a long time.

And so it ends. 

Tough to swallow for most in Blacksburg, Virginia, yet still understood by that same majority, Frank Beamer's tenure as not only the best football coach in Virginia Tech history, but also as one of the best ever college football coaches period, ended with Saturday's 55-52 Independence Bowl win over Tulsa. 

Saturday marked the 23rd straight season the Hokies played in a bowl game. Perhaps it was most fitting that the streak started with the Independence Bowl in 1993. 

The college football world needed one last purge, though, to exorcise Beamer from the game and to close the book on a legend. 

That purge happened in the form of an Independence Bowl-record 107 points scored by both teams. The 55 scored by Virginia Tech were the most in school history, per ESPN. 

Beamer's teams were never known for high-powered offenses, even during the mythical Michael Vick years. Vick was explosive, but his team as a whole wasn't.

Instead, the Hokies relied on the colloquial "Beamer Ball." That meant playing solid defense and swinging the tide of the game with special teams. It meant dominating in the trenches and scoring points off turnovers. On Saturday, though, the Hokies and Golden Hurricane went into barnburner mode. 

Through the first quarter of the ballgame, the Hokies led 24-21. It seemed as though 25 years of forgotten firepower on offense was ready to explode. 

In the end, Virginia Tech collected 30 first downs. They racked up 598 total yards of offense. They also gave up 563 yards to the Golden Hurricane. 

Even Beamer said afterward he wasn't accustomed to that style of ballgame, per Jon Laaser, the radio voice of the Hokies (0:20 mark). 

There were still Beamer Ball moments, no doubt. It wouldn't be a Frank Beamer-coached game without them. The Hokies' final touchdown with Beamer roaming the sidelines was Greg Stroman's 67-yard punt return. 

Classic Beamer Ball and a perfect ending to folklore. ACC Digital Network highlighted the memorable ending:

Then the final meaningful play, sealing a win and quelling a Tulsa comeback effort—a Dadi Nicolas sack to end the Golden Hurricane's final drive. 

That sack ended a tenure that includes a 238-121-2 overall record (those 238 wins are the most in the FBS by an active head coach as of this year), 11 bowl victories in 23 tries, seven conference titles and two Maxwell Coach of the Year awards—a mark noted by ESPN's Ron Jaworski:

Seeing Beamer fade into the sunset elicits stronger emotions than Frodo and Co. sailing away from Middle Earth. 

While the end choked up plenty of Blacksburg's most faithful disciples, the coach himself seemed at peace with moving on, per ESPN. 

"I realize how fortunate I've been to last this long at Virginia Tech," Beamer said. "All I am is grateful and looking forward to the next step."

But the thrilling win gives the Hokies a brighter outlook for the future, which includes former Memphis head coach Justin Fuente as Beamer's replacement.

The Virginia Tech Hokies (7-6) defeated the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (6-7), 55-52, on Saturday in the highest-scoring Independence Bowl of all time. 

Hokies' quarterback Michael Brewer led the Hokies with 344 yards passing, but sophomore receiver Isaiah Ford was VT's biggest star. The first-team All-ACC receiver caught 12 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown.

Virginia Tech tallied up 598 yards of total offense and also scored on Greg Stroman's 67-yard punt return to send legendary head coach Frank Beamer out a winner.

Pass Offense: Outside of one pass, Brewer was good. Unfortunately, that one pass made the game more interesting. The Hokies were up 52-31 when Brewer was picked. Overall, Brewer had a strong game. Ford was unstoppable, and that led to him being named MVP of the Independence Bowl, as Virginia Tech Alumni noted via Twitter:

Run Offense: Tech rushed for 254 yards and five touchdowns. The offensive line was strong all night. Four different players ran for a score, and Travon McMillian paced the Hokies with 82 yards and two touchdowns. 

Pass Defense: It was a tough night for Bud Foster's defense. Things were especially tough in the second half as Tulsa QB Dane Evans had his way with Tech's young secondary. Fortunately for the Hokies, Dadi Nicolas sacked Evans when it mattered the most. 

Rush Defense: Virginia Tech allowed 189 yards rushing, most of which were of the big-play variety. The Golden Hurricane averaged 4.8 yards per attempt. The run defense improved in the second half, mainly due to Tulsa passing the football more.

Special Teams: "Beamer Ball" goes out with a bang as the Hokies returned a punt for a score, connected on both field-goal attempts, averaged 33 yards per punt return and over 26 yards per kick return. Special teams definitely played a role in this win for the Hokies. ACC Digital Network highlighted Stroman's punt-return TD:

Coaching: The offensive staff did a good job, especially in the first half. They were a little too conservative in the second half. Defensively, it's tough to pin this one on the coaches. Tech was often in position to make plays, but often missed tackles. Overall, how can you give Beamer nothing but a positive grade?

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and for the Virginia Tech Hokies, things couldn't be any better.

There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic if you're a Virginia Tech fan these days. The Hokies are going to a bowl for the 23rd consecutive season and just hired, arguably, the hottest coach in this frenzied coaching market.

Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports gave the Hokies an A-plus for their hiring of Justin Fuente to replace the retiring Frank Beamer. 

Dan Wolken of USA Today also gave Virginia Tech an A-plus for its selection of Fuente. Tech's ability to retain longtime defensive coordinator Bud Foster was extremely smart, Wolken noted: "The possibility of Fuente's offense producing like it did at Memphis, which won 19 games the last two seasons, combined with Foster's defense is a scary thought for the rest of the ACC."

How does a dynamic, new-age offense sound, Hokies fans? 

Replacing Beamer will be tough. He built the program from the ground up and did the unthinkable by making Tech relevant on the national level, even playing for a national title. 

So, while things are great in Blacksburg this Christmas season, they could be even better if three of the Hokies' holiday wishes are granted. 

A Bowl Win for Frank Beamer

This weekend represents the official end of what is one of the more storied careers in college football history, as Beamer retires after 29 years in charge of his alma mater.

Overall, he was a head coach for 35 seasons, including six years at Murray State. He compiled a record of 277-143-4 and leaves as one of college football's all-time winningest coaches. In this age of instant gratification, how likely is it that another coach stays in one place for 29 years?

What better way for the Hokies to honor their legendary leader by sending him out a winner?

Tech stands a good chance of defeating Tulsa—its opponent in the Independence Bowl on Saturday—as it is presently a 14-point favorite, according to Odds Shark.

It won't be easy, though, as the Golden Hurricane are one of the more explosive teams in the FBS, ranking No. 14 in total offense and averaging more than 500 yards per game.

Beamer will need another great effort by Foster and his group. 

Bucky Hodges to Bypass the NFL Draft

Cornerback Kendall Fuller is gone. Last week, he made it official, bypassing his final season of eligibility to join his brothers in the NFL.

Now, the Hokies have one more important NFL decision: tight end Bucky Hodges.

Hodges will reportedly submit his paperwork to the NFL Draft Advisory Committee after Tech's bowl game. At that point Hodges will get information about where NFL teams see him and how high he could be picked in the 2016 NFL draft. 

For his part, Fuente is trying to convince Hodges to stick around for another season. A redshirt sophomore, Hodges has two years of eligibility remaining.

Why is Hodges so important to the new regime?

In two seasons, he has caught 81 passes and 13 touchdowns. That's impressive numbers for a tight end, specifically in Virginia Tech's traditionally inferior offense.

At 6'7", 241 pounds, Hodges has remarkable size. In addition to his basketball-player frame, he also runs a wide receiver-like 4.46 40-yard dash. 

Another season in Fuente's aggressive, uptempo offense could do wonders for Hodges. With most of Tech's top skill-position players returning next fall, the Hokies have a chance at becoming a potent offense much sooner than expected.

Keeping Hodges for one more season would go a long way toward making that happen. 

Strong Finish in Recruiting

Any time there's a coaching change, it can hurt a team's recruiting efforts, at least initially. It's generally tough for a new coach to put together a strong class in such short order. 

But, according to Andy Bitter of the Roanoke Times, Fuente has hit the ground running on the recruiting trail. Because of the current dead period in recruiting, he wanted to spend as much time as he could on the road before recruiting resumes in January. 

It's paid dividends too.

Wide receiver Phillip Patterson, a formers Hokies commit who backed off his pledge after Beamer's retirement announcement, quickly recommitted to Virginia Tech once he spoke with Fuente, per Evan Watkins of 247Sports. 

The good news didn't stop there. 

Junior college quarterback Jerod Evans signed with the Hokies and will enroll in January. He was one of the top JUCO players available and will immediately factor into the quarterback competition in spring practice.

Another JUCO, offensive tackle Demetri Moore, also chose the Hokies. The 6'6", 285-pounder picked Tech over schools such as Auburn, Georgia and Ole Miss.

While a lot of work remains to be done, Fuente has gotten off to a strong start with his first recruiting class. The Hokies have lost only two previous commits since Beamer's announcement. 

Virginia Tech has its work cut out for it, as the Hokies rank No. 37 in 247Sports' team rankings. Official visits will pick back up in January, and the Hokies hope that leads to a few more surprise commitments just before national signing day in February.