Woody: Sugar Bowl loss leaves Hokies with lots to think about

NEW ORLEANS – Today, Thursday and for weeks and months to come, Frank Beamer and the Virginia Tech Hokies will think about what might have been.

They will think about their missed opportunities in the Sugar Bowl. They will think about the fake punt that blew up in their faces, about the penalties that hampered their drives and kept University of Michigan drives alive.

They will think about Justin Myer, the third-string place-kicker who excelled in regulation, making four field goals. And they will not place a single bit of blame on him for his missed field goal in overtime.

Virginia Tech had ample opportunities to win the Sugar Bowl. Myers' miss in overtime was not the reason they lost 23-20.

Instead, the Hokies made mistakes on offense, defense and special teams to fall short of an extremely beatable Michigan team.

"I'm about half sick right now," Beamer said. "I'm as proud as can be of the players, proud of how we battled back, proud of where we are as a football team. It wasn't lack of effort, and it wasn't lack of preparation.

"There were just some kind of fluke plays. Right there before the half, there were some fluke plays."

It was something of a fluke in the first quarter when David Wilson, the Hokies' star running back, took a handoff at the Michigan 4 yard line, started right, saw no running room and reversed his field.

But he had to give ground and instead of breaking away, was tackled for a 22-yard loss.

Second-and-goal from the 26 is difficult to overcome.

And the fluke play Beamer mentioned before halftime was about as fluky and bizarre as any you'll see.

Michigan tried a fake field goal, and holder Drew Dileo threw a pass into the midst of a number of Virginia Tech defenders. Cornerback Kyle Fuller attempted to bat the ball down. Instead, Michigan long-snapper Jareth Glanda caught it.

Michigan kicked a field goal seconds later. Instead of trailing 7-6 at halftime, Virginia Tech was down 10-6.

Beamer, though, knew it was more than fluke plays that cost the Hokies.

"We let them have the ball too many times in great field position," he said. "And there were too many mistakes. We get down there (on the last possession in regulation) and we jump, and now it's third-and-six. And the roughing the penalty kicker (in the second quarter). There was some stuff that wasn't in our best interest."

No player considered the best interests of the team more than Danny Coale. During his career, he excelled at wide receiver. He was asked to punt for the first time this season, and acquitted himself well. On occasion, he even returned punts or at least provided sure hands when a fair catch was needed.

Tuesday night, Coale was part of two crucial plays, both of which went against the Hokies.

On fourth-and-one at the Michigan 48, Coale lined up in punt formation. He took the snap and started running to the right as to attempt a rugby-style punt.

Instead, he kept on running in an attempt to pick up the yard needed for the first down. That is difficult to do when you start 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage.

Coale was stopped eight yards short of a first down.

Beamer said that was an option play, and Coale had the choice to run, pass or punt.

"That wasn't coach Beamer's fault," Coale said. "That was my fault. I had the choice, and when I saw them in my face, I should have punted."

OK, Coale had to make a split-second decision, and his decision didn't work in the Hokies' favor.

However, no college player, even a redshirt-senior as poised and composed as Coale, should be put in such a position.

Beamer should have ordered a punt. The Hokies' defense had done an excellent job containing the Michigan offense all evening. With seven minutes left in the game, the Hokies should have played the percentages.

A decent punt by Coale probably would have forced the Wolverines to start at least from their 20. Instead, they had the ball on the Virginia Tech 45. They needed to go just 23 yards to put place-kicker Brendan Gibbons in position to make a 39-yard field goal and take a 20-17 lead.

Coale also was involved in a pivotal play in overtime. On third-and-five at the 20, quarterback Logan Thomas launched a pass toward the front corner of the end zone.

Coale made an all-out dive, managed to grab the ball with his right hand and bring it into his body a split-second before crashing to the ground at or on the sideline.

Coale certainly seemed to possess the ball. The question was whether his left elbow landed inbounds or out of bounds.

The initial ruling was Coale had scored a touchdown.

The play was overturned on review. Apparently, the officials believed the replay showed Coale's left elbow landed out of bounds or that he didn't have complete control of the ball.

The Virginia Tech staff, players and fans probably will watch the replay countless times and depending on the angle, be convinced Coale scored a touchdown.

Instead, Myer was left to attempt a 37-yard field goal. This time, he missed.

"With the other ones, I got through it so the ball went straight," Myer said. "On the last one, I just pushed it so the ball went right."

Myer's kicking duties this season had been limited to kickoffs and two unsuccessful field-goal attempts from beyond 50 yards.

But he was pressed into duty due to odd circumstances.

Before the Hokies left town, first-string kicker Cody Journell was suspended from the team when he was charged with felony breaking-and-entering.

Soon after arriving here, the new first-string kicker, Tyler Weiss, was sent home when he missed curfew.

That put Myer on the spot.

"I didn't expect to be put in this situation," Myer said. "It was fun to be a part of this game. I just wish it had come out a different way."

Myer did his part to keep the Hokies in the game and get them into overtime. His was an exceptional performance in pressure circumstances, and his teammates and coaches realized it.

"I told him he did a heck of a job," Beamer said.

Moments later, Michigan place-kicker Brendan Gibbs gave the Wolverines the victory with a 37-yard field goal.

Now, the Hokies begin the off-season once again knowing they did not get the job done in a Bowl Championship Series bowl game. Beamer's disappointment clearly was evident.

"We didn't win," he said. "We need to get wins."

Major college football is set up so only one post-season game matters for the current year – the BCS championship game.

The immediate impact of the other BCS games is financial. Virginia Tech and the ACC will earn millions for the Sugar Bowl appearance.

But this game carries a long-term impact as well. Had the Hokies won, they would have entered the 2012 season as a BCS bowl game champion, the victor over tradition-laden Michigan, certainly a top-10 preseason ranking and maybe even a top five spot.

After all, Thomas returns, as do nine starters on defense, and that doesn't count players who were starting but were lost to injuries during the season.

Running back David Wilson is eligible to come back as is cornerback Jayron Hosley but both seem to be leaning toward entering the National Football League draft.

The Hokies have to find a running back and replace several experienced offensive linemen. But they have the foundation for a formidable team.

A Sugar Bowl victory would have solidified that foundation in the preseason rankings.

Another unfortunate aspect of college football is that the higher a team begins in the preseason rankings, the better chance it has of competing for the national championship. Start outside of the top 10, and a lot of factors have to break in a team's favor to get to the No. 1 or No. 2 spot.

Instead, the Hokies end this season and start the 2012 season as a team still lacking the big victory in a big game.

"We were so close," Beamer said. "There were so many plays so close that didn't quite go our way.

"If you could go back, I'd take a couple of decisions back, knowing how things worked out. But they are what they are. We wanted to get a win for the ACC and wanted to get a win for Virginia Tech. We haven't done as well as we wanted to in these BCS games."

Instead of celebrating and entering the off-season with pleasant thoughts for the 2012 season, the Hokies once again will wonder about opportunities missed and what the future holds.

And that is a situation they and Beamer are weary of facing.

Twitter: @World_of_Woody

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