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ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL MEDIA CONFERENCEDecember 4, 2011Frank BeamerTHE MODERATOR: I'd like to introduce the head coach of Virginia Tech, Coach Frank Beamer. Coach, an opening statement. COACH BEAMER: Our football team is extremely excited to be coming back to the Allstate Sugar Bowl. We know what a great Bowl it is, what great people they have there. We've been there about three times, played the National Championship there in 1999. Beat Texas there in'95. So we've had some experience there, and we know what a great place it is or great Bowl it is. And as excited as we are, I'm sure so are our fans. And certainly they're one of the reasons we're coming there, because we do have great fan support, and they're serious about Virginia Tech football. And so I know there are going to be a lot of those people down in New Orleans. And to play such a storied program as Michigan, Brady Hoke has done a tremendous job there this year. And it's just, I think, a game that certainly our fans, our players, we look forward to, and have an opportunity to play such a fantastic program. We're happy to be coming to the Sugar Bowl. THE MODERATOR: Questions? Q. I'm sure you've seen a number of people have said that you guys shouldn't be selected for this Bowl because of the weak schedule. What do you say to that when you hear that? COACH BEAMER: Well, I'm proud of our football team and what we've been able to do. And I think the people we've been able to beat, they didn't seem weak to me. And we were just proud of what we've been able to accomplish and looking forward to coming to the Sugar Bowl. Q. Frank, as you left Charlotte last night, did you have any inkling that an at‑large bid was possible? And if not, then when did you first get word about this? COACH BEAMER: I was filling out my coach's poll on the way home. And we got talking about it a little bit and thought it was a possibility. And then I talked with Jim Weaver this morning and found out that it was a possibility. And so it's been an exciting day here at Virginia Tech. Q. Coach, you were talking about the exciting day about it. Your fans have been known to travel well, but the last few years in the Orange Bowl situation, they didn't do quite as well. Do you believe, was it maybe a change of scenery, your support level will pick up in that area? COACH BEAMER: Yeah, I don't think there was any question about it. And I think the fact if you're playing a program such as Michigan, something that's, a program that's so well respected and looked at in such a favorable way, I think that's it. And then coming to New Orleans, and they've had experiences there before. And it's just a great city for a Bowl game. And, yeah, I don't think there's any question: Our fans will be excited and appreciate the opportunity. Q. Could you also talk about the relationship between the Sugar Bowl and Virginia Tech, particularly the donation they made after the shooting a few years ago? COACH BEAMER: Yeah, you know, it was, like I said in the opening, the people there in the Sugar Bowl, we've had quite a bit of experiences with them and they're just first class. They do things right. It's just always been a great experience when we've been able to come to that Bowl and spend a week in the city there and just first‑class in every way. Q. Michigan is not a school you cross paths with very much being in the Big Ten. What do you know about that program? Do you know Brady Hoke at all? Have you ever crossed paths with him in the coaching circles? COACH BEAMER: No, I don't know him. I know what he's done this year and followed him through the years, I know his name for the tremendous job he's done in coaching. And I don't know a lot about Michigan until recently and didn't really think us and Michigan would be meeting in a Bowl game. And so we're going to pay attention to them now and get to work on them and try to represent the ACC in the best way possible. Q. I know you guys and the fans are excited about getting this opportunity. Of course, there's criticism that teams that maybe were higher ranked in the BCS and some of the rankings, Boise and Kansas State, that you guys were picked over them, both you and Michigan. What response to that, teams that at least in the rankings had a better season getting passed over? COACH BEAMER: Well, I think Virginia Tech over the years has built a name for itself. And we have a chance to win 12 games this year and it's never been done at Virginia Tech. And in reality we lost to one team this year. We lost to them twice, but we've been on national TV several times here in recent weeks. And we'd won seven straight until last night, and we got the Player of the Year in the Atlantic Coast Conference. We've been to three BCS Bowls over the last four years. I think there's a lot of reasons. We've got on our team this year the top two receivers ever in Virginia Tech's history. We've got an All‑American in Jayron Hosley. And I think there's a lot of reasons why Virginia Tech would be an attractive team to a BCS Bowl. I think the number of years we've won ten straight games, I think that's another thing. And the only team to do that. So I think again over the years I think the Virginia Tech name has gotten to be a very good name. Q. Frank, I know you don't know much about Michigan, but I'm guessing you know at least a little bit about Denard Robinson. The fact you guys have historically had dual threat mobile quarterbacks dating back to Vick, does that help you a little bit? COACH BEAMER: Well, I think you better have good players on the other side that are fast, looks like to me. The highlights I've seen, that guy can go. And I think us having that type of guy, probably, I think, gives us some experience. But it all gets back to the players and being able to tackle them, the guy, when you get him there. Q. Since the expansion, the talk or the question has always been when is the ACC going to get an at‑large BCS team. You obviously are the first. Do you take a little bit of pride in that that the conference finally landed in the at‑large bid and you're that team? COACH BEAMER: Yeah, I do. And again we want to represent the ACC in the best way possible. We're proud where we are and proud to be a member of the ACC. But, yeah, to get that second team, I think it speaks well for our conference. And we're proud to be the team to do it. Q. You kind of touched on it. Just your impressions, I don't know how much you've seen of Denard Robinson, but obviously the guy can, very exciting running the ball and has shown some improvement passing this year as well. COACH BEAMER: Yeah, again, what I've seen has been on the highlight reels. He's got plenty of them. So I've seen quite a bit of him on TV, to be quite honest with you. You understand pretty quickly what a unique athlete he is, what a talented athlete he is. Q. I know you said you kind of were going through it last night and thought it was a possibility and Jim Weaver brought it up this morning. But when it actually came down, were you surprised that you guys are in a BCS Bowl after‑‑ it seems like as of last night no one was really thinking this was a real possibility. Were you genuinely surprised by how this all came about? COACH BEAMER: Again, we thought it was possible. And we had a tough loss last night against a team that played really well. And we just never got the flow of the game going in the right way. But, again, I think if you look what our university brings and what the Virginia Tech football program brings and not only this year but I think over the last several years, the name that has built up, I think there's a lot of reasons why you'd like to have Virginia Tech in your Bowl game. Q. You mentioned how you had heard Brady Hoke's name in the coaching circles just for the job he's done. Can you speak to the job he's done turning Michigan around this first year and getting them 10‑2 in the Sugar Bowl to play you guys? COACH BEAMER: There's no question about it. A team that came in there, and he got them all going in the same direction and going in the same direction at a fast pace. And the wins that he had and the way that they played and the discipline they played with, certainly he's‑‑ where he came from, he won, and won quickly there at Michigan. So I think Michigan's got a great future in front of it. THE MODERATOR: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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