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January 3, 2008
MIAMI, FLORIDA
THE MODERATOR: Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer has joined us. We'll open up with a comment from Coach Beamer about the difference in the two halves of the FedEx Orange Bowl.
COACH BEAMER: I think the overall thing I say is give Kansas credit. Both halves I thought they played well. We had them on the run. I wanted to go for that first down. It was just when they measured it, it was a long one. And, you know my thoughts at that point, let's make sure we get it tied up. We had the momentum. I thought the momentum was turning. We'd get that thing tied up and we kind of got free and they blocked the kick, so.
You know, it's just one of those games for us. Things just didn't go the way they should. I thought our kids played hard, we just didn't execute plays as well as we needed to. And when you're playing a good football team, you turn the ball over, it's going to get you. When you play a good football team and don't execute the way we know we can. It's going to get you.
But give Kansas credit. They're a very, very good football team. They're very efficient in what they do. They're good. They're tough. They play hard. Give them credit in this one.
THE MODERATOR: We'll open the floor to questions for the players.
Q. Sean, seemed to me that the difference in this game was 17 turnover points. Is that what happened here? A couple of interceptions and they turned it into the points.
SEAN GLENNON: Yeah, you can't expect to win a BCS game if you don't win the turnover battle. We gave away a few. Threw one interception and threw one for a touchdown. Threw another that led to a touchdown. So we put our defense in a bind because we were giving them field position.
I take a lot of responsibility for that, because as an offense we've got to put more points on the board and we didn't do that today.
Q. I'm sure you're not going to want to think about it in these terms, but does sitting up there now feel like sitting last year at the Chick-fil-A Bowl as far as turnovers and things like that?
SEAN GLENNON: I think I played better this year than I did last year in that bowl game. Unfortunately in both games we came up short, and probably in both games the offense didn't perform like it needed to. With myself being the leader of the offense, I take responsibility for that. But I wouldn't compare it to last year.
Q. I know leading into the game there was so much talk about Kansas' offense and your defense. Can you talk a little about the way that Kansas played on defense tonight and some of the things they did to shut you guys down.
COACH BEAMER: Well, you know, I think when we were able to run the football right before the half, and you know, that's what we wanted to do a little bit more in the second half. The game just didn't fit right. It just was one of those games that at the time you have it going, something happens.
They were bringing some pressure, but we were okay with that. We just needed to make some catches, make some throws. I think we'd like to have run the ball a little bit more in the second half. Of course, they went back up by 10 and we needed to score quickly after that. The blocked field goal, I think, was big. And it's just one of those games that just didn't fit.
They made some good plays, and we made a few. Missed a lot. Just missed a lot. Turn a guy loose on the punt, and we knew if they bring their headhunter, we need to take a guy out there. If we wait too long to do that, they convert on fourth down.
Just some not very good stuff. Just some not very good execution by Virginia Tech. Blocked field goal. Just not very good execution.
Q. When you got to 17-14 there in the second half, and you had all of the momentum, did it seem like you came back after B.C., you came back after the spring, did it seem like it was going to be a pretty fitting way to end the year there for a while there?
COACH BEAMER: Say that again.
Q. The comeback, if it happened, how fitting would that have been?
COACH BEAMER: Oh, I thought it was going to do it. After we got the punt return, we had it. I wanted to go for that first down. Then when they measured, I was all set to go, when they measured, it was a long, long one. But I'll say again, I thought we had the momentum, let's get it tied up and let's take it from there. Daggone, if we didn't get it blocked.
Q. Frank, this program has won a bunch of big games, but for some reason you have struggled in the BCS bowl games. Did you notice your kids respond to these games any differently or was it a four-game coincidence?
COACH BEAMER: We beat Texas in the Sugar Bowl. But you're right, the last three you're playing good football teams. But I thought it was great to play. Sometimes you just go out there and I thought our kids played hard. I thought that we were trying. We were ready. We had a good week of practice and all those things.
I think you have to give Kansas credit, they executed very well, and we just didn't come up with some plays that we normally do. You don't usually see us get a field goal blocked. Then give them the first down on the fourth down where they throw it out there to a headhunter. Just didn't execute the way we needed to.
Q. Any thoughts on how after the terrible events of this past spring and the fans kind of came together and your team kind of came together, and a lot of support for your team?
COACH BEAMER: We did. We had a couple of setbacks here in the year. We came and finished up the season great. We won by -- over there in that dressing room there are some hurt guys.
Again, I think our kids gave good effort. The intentions were there, we just didn't get it done. But we did come back after a couple of setbacks, we were able to win the ACC. We wanted to represent the ACC better here tonight. I apologize for that.
But I think there's a togetherness at Virginia Tech more so than ever. Our fans, I looked around and there is a bunch of them down here. They were cheering like heck. They were trying like heck. And I really feel like the Hokie Nation is closer together and more caring about each other than they've ever been.
We've had some good moments this year. I'm sorry we couldn't finish it off. ACC Championship or Orange Bowl champion, that was our intentions and we just didn't get it done.
Q. You kind of alluded to a headhunter play where nobody covered him, and talk to me about special teams because he kind of got trumped on that, and that's your bread and butter.
COACH BEAMER: You're talking about the fourth-down play and they threw it to their headhunter?
Q. Yeah. And nobody was covering it.
COACH BEAMER: We brought the guy off the headhunter. We brought the guy in. They said, if you don't bring the guy in, you've got to go out and cover. Our guy just waited too late to go out there. We had a guy to cover him, but he was inside. We were trying to get their headhunters in. You know, they made a good play. Snapped it to their person protector and threw it out there. It shouldn't have been a play though. It was a good play for them, but if I had gone on out, I think they would have punted the ball and everything would have been right.
Q. You talked earlier in the week about that '95 win in the Sugar Bowl, and you said you thought your guys wanted it a little more because you had something to prove. Do you feel that was the deal for Kansas tonight, they were trying to prove themselves?
COACH BEAMER: No. I give Kansas a lot of credit. They played well, and they were tough. I don't think they wanted it more than we did, I'll be honest with you. We just, we didn't play the way you'd want to play. But sometimes you just get in those games and there are things. You can't get it going the way you think you should.
We certainly had an opportunity there in the second half after we scored to end the first half. We came back out, got a punt return. We got it going. Then we don't come through on a field goal.
Those are the things down the stretch we were doing. We got behind a couple times, came right back and scored. Had we been able to kick that field goal and got it back even, I think we're back in business.
I don't want to take anything away from Kansas. They played really well. Really good football team, well coached, tough. But I don't think we played our best football. I don't think it's because we weren't trying. You know, I thought we were giving effort, we just didn't get it done. One of those games.
THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you very much.
End of FastScripts
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