'Beamer Ball' a Bit Deflated

BLACKSBURG, Va., Oct. 5 -- As Virginia Tech rose to prominence in the college football landscape, the Hokies' trademark was their marauding special teams. Blocking kicks became the calling card, as the Hokies famously blocked more kicks than any other division I-A team during the 1990s. The Hokies revere special teams so much, they call the punt-block team "Pride and Joy."

"Beamer Ball," Virginia Tech freshman Davon Morgan said. "That's what it is."

So what in the name of Frank Beamer is going on this season? Opponents have punted 42 times and attempted five field goals through five games. The Hokies have blocked none of them, going 0 for 47 in their specialty. The last time Virginia Tech went this deep into a season without blocking a kick was 1989, when the Hokies blocked a punt in the eighth game of the season.

As No. 15 Virginia Tech prepares to face No. 22 Clemson on Saturday, the Hokies feel they are getting closer, missing two blocked punts by a few feet last Saturday against North Carolina. And they still feel as if their punt-block unit is succeeding, even as other teams become more familiar with the Hokies' techniques.

Against North Carolina, Chris Ellis was held trying to block a punt, giving the Hokies a 10-yard bonus. Also, as teams protect more to guard against blocks, it enables the Hokies to set up their punt return. Eddie Royal is averaging 15.4 yards per return, 17th best in the country.

"There's advantages there, just having the threat of doing that," Beamer said. "And hopefully the more the threat we have of doing that, the more returns will come around, too."

But Virginia Tech's reputation at times serves as a double-edged sword. Opponents prepare for the Hokies' long, lanky players more than others. Members of Virginia Tech's punt-block team watch film of opposing punt teams all week, and on Saturday they often will show a wholly different look, designed specifically to handle the Hokies' rush.

"It's just a matter of us going hard, regardless," said wide receiver Justin Harper, a rusher on the punt block team. "We know they're going to game plan for us. We make them game plan for offense, defense and special teams. They got to game plan for our special teams. Everyone knows that in the country."

Clemson practices special teams every day, so it didn't put in any more time this week. But "there'll be a heightened sense of urgency because of their success," Clemson Coach Tommy Bowden said.

"There haven't been many teams that haven't been well prepared for us coming in here," Beamer said. "A lot of times you see little changes -- the punter getting it out of there quicker, a lot of things."

Despite the increased challenge, Virginia Tech just missed blocking two punts. On one, Corey Gordon, a backup linebacker, broke free off the line and charged toward his "landmark" -- the spot on the field where the punter steps toward as he readies to punt. Aiming for the landmark, not where the punter starts, helps ensure that players don't run into the punter and earn a flag.

But as Gordon bolted toward the landmark, he tilted his body slightly. "If I would have laid out, I would have hit it," he said. But Gordon pulled off, wary of drawing a penalty. Virginia Tech already had advantageous field position, and he didn't want to jeopardize it. The scheme, though, had been successful.

"The things we're doing are working," backup running back Dustin Pickle said. "What we're trying to do, getting through people and getting by people, it's working. We just got to get our hands on it. We're that close."

The next task is closing that one-foot gap, the small space between another blocked kick and a punt booming downfield. The key may not be anything cooked up by Beamer.

"Sometimes," Pickle said, "it's just line up and beat 'em."