TechSuperfans!
TECHSUPERFANS (TM) - THE NEWSLETTER
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Well the Hokies came away with a big win in Chapel Hill. Hokie Nation turned out for the game in force and now the team comes back to Lane for a big game against Duke. Before we go in-depth this week, we at TSF would just like to take a minute and acknowledge backup RB George Bell. He isn't dressing out against the Blue Devils and due to the lack of full recovery on the knee injury he suffered as a junior in high school, he is very likely hanging up his cleats. Here is a player that joined the Hokies as a big name recruit back in 2004 and has done everything this coaching staff has asked of him. To a man, the staff says that Bell represents what a Hokie should be. He works hard and always gives his all, and now for the betterment of the rest of his life and his physical health, he has to give up the game he loves. His final carry may have been a fumble, but we'd prefer to remember him for the tough yards and touchdowns he scored despite his injuries over the past several seasons. George Bell will go on to other things outside of football, but we say that Hokie football is better for him having been a part of it. Best wishes young man.
Three Key Plays
1) With the Hokies down 3-0 in the first quarter, Xavier Adibi picks off a Joe Dailey pass and returns it to the 3 yard line. This play set-up the short field for the offense where they got the touchdown and took the steam out of the crowd and the Tar Heels.
2) Josh Morgan busts through the line and blocks a UNC punt setting up yet another short TD run by Branden Ore. This put the Hokies up 14-3 and added an exclamation point to the already clear statements about the return of BeamerBall this season.
3) Brendan Hill returns a Cam Sexton interception 69 yards for the nail-in-the-coffin TD, making the score 28-3. Much of the credit on this play goes to Vince Hall for applying heavy pressure to Sexton and forcing him to throw off his back foot underthrowing his receiver. If Hall doesn't force the bad throw it could have gone for 7 points the other way. Teams are trying to hide from Hall this year and his stats don't show it yet, but this guy is just a phenomenal linebacker.
Game Review - vs. UNC
by Brian "Where's the Ice?"
VT-35 UNC-10
Sean Glennon took the field for the second time as the Hokies'starting quarterback. For most of the first half he and the VirginiaTech offense produced only seven points with a 1-yard run touchdown by running back Branden Ore. The half seemed like it would progress much like the first half of last year's contest between these two teams. However, the Hokies pulled seven more points away when Branden Ore ran for another 4-yard touchdown. The Hokies went into halftime with a 14-3 lead.
Early in the second half, Ore notched another 3-yard run into the endzone giving the Hokies a 21-3 lead. The defense also chipped in to get the job done on the scoreboard when linebacker Brendan Hill converted an interception into a 69-yard touchdown. Lastly the Hokie offense finished things off in Jeff King style with a 41-yard pass to tight end Greg Boone coming from backup quarterback Ike Whitaker.
In addition to Hill's interception touchdown, the Hokie defense came up with a total of three other interceptions over the course of the entire game which included a 40-yard runback by Xavier Adibi. Virginia Tech's special teams also got the job done with Josh Morgan's blocked punt in true Beamerball fashion.
Overall the Carolina offense didn't perform too poorly considering their ability to move the ball in the air. Quarterbacks Joe Dailey andCam Sexton threw for a combined 179 yards. On several drives they moved the ball deep into Hokie terriroty through the air. Virginia Tech's defense stood strong creating turnovers when they needed them, but Miami and Clemson aren't going to make those kinds of mistakes. They finish their drives. Had Dailey and Sexton not made the mental errors they did under the pressure of the oncoming Hokie defensive linemen, Hokie fans could have seen a very different game unfold. Considering the opponent, I expected Hokie defensive coordinator Bud Foster's squad to contain the UNC offense more so than they did, especially their passing game. On a positive note, this game did bring Virginia Tech fans back to the days when the defense produced as much offense as the actual offense themselves. That's also true Beamerball.
The irony of Carolina's success in the air goes hand-in-hand with Virginia Tech's reliance on their ground game. I don't know if Glennon hasn't grown comfortable with this passing game, but he madel ittle use of Virginia Tech's best offensive weapon, their wide receivers. This led to a measly total of 107 yards of passing againsta UNC defense whose most potent weapon on defense was the ability to stop the run. For Glennon to lead the Hokie offense past the likes of the Hurricanes, Tigers, and Eagles, they cannot run an offense so one-dimensional. Three touchdowns by Branden Ore marks for a great accomplishment, Glennon needs to develop his gametime ability to go to his receivers.
IT’S NOT BASKETBALL
By Anand “EhhTee” Trivedi
BLACKSBURG, VA – The Blue Devils of Duke University (0-2, 0-1) make the two and half hour road trip (two hours if you drive like me) from Durham, NC to “The ‘Burg” on Saturday. The game looks to be another early afternoon – I wish I were napping – sleepers. And yet, in all seriousness, this is a very important game for the Hokies.
The Hokies opened the 2006 season a strong 2-0 but many questions remain. The young offense has struggled early but also shows signs of steady improvement. The 14th ranked team should be able to roll fairly easily over the undersized, slower, and less athletic Blue Devils team who has been struggling even more than the Hokies.
Last season the Hokies rolled over the Devils 45-0. On defense the Hokies allowed Duke a mere 35 yards, the fewest yards allowed ever. The game is scheduled to kickoff at noon on Worsham Field in Lane Stadium.
OFFENSE
The offense has struggled to get started in both of the first two games. There have been several false starts, fumbled snaps, and missed assignments. However, keep in mind only three of this year’s offensive starters had started in previous seasons.
Quarterback Sean Glennon #7, So.) is starting to grow comfortable at the helm. He’s beginning to look to third receivers. He’s also learning the ins and outs of the pocket. The schemes he’s been given have been fairly simple thus far. There have been a lot of quick slot passes, screens, and simple 5 or 3 step drops. Unlike some of the recent quarterbacks who had great speed and agility, Glennon will have to rely on his intelligence and awareness in the pocket to make big plays. Thankfully, these are two of his strong suits. In this – one might call it – final prep-game, Glennon will probably be given a chance to try out some of the more complicated plays in the offensive coach Bryan Stinespring’s playbook.
Glennon has to also hit tight end Greg Boone (#8 Fr.) with relative success. Maturing this option is important to give room to the rest of the stellar receiving core to open up for the big play.
Glennon will have to work on his exchanges with both the center Danny McGrath (#69, Sr.) and his two running backs Brandon Ore (#28, So.) and Elan Lewis (#38 So.). There have been numerous fumbles in these exchanges and if this doesn’t tighten up soon, it could cost the Hokies dearly.
Duke’s defense will be the best of the defenses Tech has seen thus far. The Devils allowed only 57 yards on the ground against Wake Forest and 105 yards against Richmond in their two losing efforts. However, Duke has yet to face a running force with the caliber of Tech’s.
DEFENSE
Much can’t be said negatively regarding the performance of the defense to date. The backs are covering well and the unit, as a whole, has performed well. Watch for Brandon Flowers (#18, So. CB) to cover Duke’s Jomar Wright (#81, Jr. WR) and Victor Harris (#1, So. CB) to cover Raphael Chestnut (#86, So WR). These two corners should have little trouble with these two starters despite a slight height disadvantage. Wright and Chestnut racked up big yards against Wake Forest, but failed to score the big points.
A spot where the Hokies may need to tighten up is the coverage at the free safety spot. D.J. Parker (#25, Jr. FS) seemed to struggle early with his coverage. Conversely, Aaron Rouse (#36, Sr. SS) seems to be starting on the right foot with an interception in the end-zone in the second quarter against the Tarheels. These are two veteran players, and Parker should bounce back and cover well against Dukes receiving corps.
Blue Devils quarterback Thaddeus Lewis (#9) is a freshman. He started for the Blue Devils against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and played the majority of the game against the Richmond Spiders. Lewis got the start when, Blue Devils head coach Ted Roof's favorite to start, Zack Asack was dismissed from the team due to an honor code violation in one of his classes.
The Blue Devils offensive line is undersized and not fast. The largest of the Duke starting offensive line are two freshmen at guard and tackle. These two are the only two to break the 300 lb mark at 300 and 305 lbs. To compare, the smallest of the Hokie starting offensive line is RT Jr. Duane Brown at 286, but the next smallest is McGrath at 300. The largest, Nick Marshman (#67, So. LT) weighs in at a whopping 354.
The swarming Hokie defensive line will have little trouble with the run blocking and should make Lewis’s time in the pocket shorter than William Hung’s singing career.
BEAMERBALL
Already this season, the Hokies have blocked three kicks in two games. Duke’s loss to Wake Forest came on the heels of a blocked field goal that would have given them the win. The Duke place-kicking will have it’s hands full as Beamer is sure to unleash the Hokies for the blocked kick. This has been key to the Hokies success at scoring as it has either given the Hokies points or valuable field position.
TWELFTH MAN
The Hokies on the field weren’t the only ones needing to work out those off-season kinks. The crowd, or the proverbial “twelfth man,” did not show up to play at this season's first home game. The crowd spent most of the game seated and only came alive once the shutout against Division 1-AA opponent Northeastern was threatened. It might have been an early game – the Duke game is at noon, which is even earlier – but it’s important for the crowd to show up. Last year, despite a disappointing loss, I saw the awe in the recruits' eyes and the mouthing of phrases like “Holy smith” and “You’ve got to be shipping me,” (Lip reading is a hobby of mine.) as they walked down Spring Road during “The Walk.”
Friday, September 15, 2006
Thursday, September 07, 2006
VOLUME 007 - ISSUE 04
TechSuperfans!
TECHSUPERFANS (TM) - THE NEWSLETTER
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Three Key Plays
1) Following a great Brandon Flowers interception, Sean Glennon uncorks a well thrown 54 yard bomb to Josh Morgan for the game clinching touchdown to make it 14-0. This pass firmed up Glennon's confidence and he played extremely well the entire rest of the game minus one mental mistake.
2) Brandon Pace makes his first field goal attempt of the season in the fourth quarter. This was key just to get Brandon's mind right. Kickers are a strange lot and making his first kick helps him carry over the confidence he was building at the end of last season and confirms the great offseason he had.
3) At the very end of the game, Kory Robertson busts through the line and blocks a Northeastern field goal to preserve the shut-out. Combined with the blocked punt earlier in the game, this validates the hard work on special teams during pre-season practice this year. It also preserved a shut-out to give Bud Foster's defense 12 years in a row with at least one shutout.
Northeastern Game Review
This game went nearly exactly as we at TSF hoped and expected. We called for 30 points at the half, the Hokies had 28. We called for the defense to allow 3 points or less and they got the shutout. All-in-all, it was a textbook defeat of a I-AA opponent. As always, certain things jumped out at me so let's get into it.
The first team offense was very vanilla. No doubt to keep concealed the majority of the playbook from the eyes of Danny Pearman who left this off-season to coach at UNC which is Tech's next opponent. But I must give Bryan Stinespring credit for finally calling some quick receiver and halfback screens. I had nearly given up hope that the Hokies would ever try and develop the pass to the halfback. It was one of my most gigantic arguments against Stinespring being competent. This doesn't bring him all the way back but thank God he finally concluded that maybe 50,000 Hokies could be right and that throwing the ball to the halfback now and again isn't a terrible idea.
The offensive line is as bad as advertised. The loss of probably their best player didn't help. Brandon Frye dislocated his elbow and now there's talk of him being rushed back for the UNC game. I think that's a VERY bad idea. Stupid in fact. The Hokies need Brandon Frye this season. Rushing him back for this game risks his entire year and all the hard work he's put in. He stepped up when Jimmy Martin couldn't play in the Gator Bowl last year, it's Nick Marshman's turn to show that he can do the same thing. PLEASE COACHING STAFF, realize that for the betterment of the entire season, let Frye heal up some more. That being said, when the offensive line needed to move mighty Northeastern off the ball in a few short yardage situations, they couldn't get it done. And Sergio Render made the expected freshman mistakes. Lots of improvement is needed now that ACC play is starting.
Sean Glennon played better than even I thought he would and I expected him to play well. Mastery of the offense, one mental mistake and 220 yards with a few TD's is a tremendous boost for his self-confidence. That will be sorely tested in a hostile environment on Saturday but he seems to be up to the challenge. If the offensive line gives him any time at all, I think he'll play well. Ike Whitaker is a massive talent. He is by no means ready in terms of mastery of the offense or managing the game, but when he learns those things Glennon would have to be playing at a Leinart-like level to keep ahead of Whitaker. Either way, in the long run, the team benefits. Watch as much of Whitaker as you can in his back-up role this season as he is just an exciting player.
Brandon Ore was magnificent and got the few carries I wanted him to get to preserve his health. If he stays healthy, he's the team MVP at the end of this season.
Kam Chancellor is 100% the real deal. Here is a true freshman playing in the first game of the season at a position he just started practicing at this summer. He had two big hits, a fumble recovery and an interception and he would have blocked the punt if Cary Wade hadn't gotten to it first. I know the stat sheet doesn't show the pick, but he made it. I saw the footage on Google video and it's indisputable. For some reason, they ruled it an INT on the field and OVERTURNED it in the replay booth. It's like the Aaron Rouse fumble return against NC State in the first game of last season, which was another instance where the video footage confirmed the correct call on the field of a fumble and somehow the booth overturned the field call. I don't know for certain, but I believe that there has not been a SINGLE CALL that has ever been made in Coach Beamer's favor from the replay booth. That karma has got to swing the other way at some point.
The middle of the field was very soft on defense. The Hokies speed was tremendous on the outside and Adibi and the secondary were flying all over the place like banshees. The defensive tackle play of Barry Booker and Carlton Powell was VERY weak. They couldn't occupy any offensive linemen much less get any penetration into the backfield and that allowed the linemen to get out and block Vince Hall and Aaron Rouse which provided a lot of runs up the middle for Northeastern. The tight end across the middle was another effective play against the Hokie defense. On the good side, the backup tackles - Taco Thompson and Kory Robertson - played much better than the first string and Robertson has even earned some more playing time beginning as soon as this weekend according to the coaching staff. The defense is very fast but they need that line to anchor them this season so someone needs to step up starting this weekend.
Finally. the emphasis on the special teams was obviously for real. Eddie Royal had a big return, the Hokies blocked two kicks and Pace made his field goal. The only weak spot was a bad kick by the backup kicker, Develli, but he won't be attempting many more field goals this season.
Well that's it. It's time for Hokie Nation to pack up and turn Chapel Hill, North Carolina into Blacksburg East.
GO HOKIES!!
UNC Preview
The Tarheels haven't made a name for themselves in the arena of football as contenders for a conference title, neither prior to nor after the ACC's expansion. They have, however, pulled off an upset or two any given season if not at least given a powerhouse team a run for their money. Last year, the 'Heels kept the Hokies on their heels until halftime, after which Virginia Tech finally broke the game open into a solid victory. But UNC will be looking to create another one of their spoiler upsets.
For starters, UNC has hired offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti from Fresno State. Remember how they crafted a near defeat of USC last year while the Trojans enjoyed the #1 BCS ranking? Running back Ronnie McGill will most likely serve as the 'Heels focal point on offense, but quarterback Joe Dailey will look to sophomore widereceiver Brooks Foster as well. UNC's offense has an even mix of experience and inexperience with starters including four seniors,three juniors, three sophomores, and one freshman. Foster and McGill were amongst UNC's overachievers during the loss to Rutgers. Foster caught for 120 yards of receiving. UNC will rely on him for most of their passing game. McGill rushed for ninety-four yards over fourteen carries.
On defense, UNC has six of their seven front line returning. The UNC defense will most likely try to take advantage of the inexperience of the Virginia Tech offensive line and also that of Sean Glennon. While Glennon performed well in his debut as the starting quarterback, he didn't have to perform under pressure very much. And one of the few times he did, the play ended with an interception. The UNC defense will most likely make their rush on Glennon the focal point of their strategy. While their line may have some success in containing the running game of Branden Ore (if they manage to improve their missed tackles from the Rutgers loss last week), they will have most of their problems covering in the secondary. Virginia Tech's wide receivers simply have too much ability in Josh Morgan, David Clowney, Eddie Royal, and Josh Hyman.
What this really comes down to is how well Virginia Tech's O-line will perform. Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi will almost certainly do their part to lead the Hokie defense in containing the Tarheel offense. Expect to see Virgina Tech's offensive line look a little disheveled towards the early part of the game given that this will be their first ACC contest of the season and then finding their footing before the end of the first half.
TECHSUPERFANS (TM) - THE NEWSLETTER
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Three Key Plays
1) Following a great Brandon Flowers interception, Sean Glennon uncorks a well thrown 54 yard bomb to Josh Morgan for the game clinching touchdown to make it 14-0. This pass firmed up Glennon's confidence and he played extremely well the entire rest of the game minus one mental mistake.
2) Brandon Pace makes his first field goal attempt of the season in the fourth quarter. This was key just to get Brandon's mind right. Kickers are a strange lot and making his first kick helps him carry over the confidence he was building at the end of last season and confirms the great offseason he had.
3) At the very end of the game, Kory Robertson busts through the line and blocks a Northeastern field goal to preserve the shut-out. Combined with the blocked punt earlier in the game, this validates the hard work on special teams during pre-season practice this year. It also preserved a shut-out to give Bud Foster's defense 12 years in a row with at least one shutout.
Northeastern Game Review
This game went nearly exactly as we at TSF hoped and expected. We called for 30 points at the half, the Hokies had 28. We called for the defense to allow 3 points or less and they got the shutout. All-in-all, it was a textbook defeat of a I-AA opponent. As always, certain things jumped out at me so let's get into it.
The first team offense was very vanilla. No doubt to keep concealed the majority of the playbook from the eyes of Danny Pearman who left this off-season to coach at UNC which is Tech's next opponent. But I must give Bryan Stinespring credit for finally calling some quick receiver and halfback screens. I had nearly given up hope that the Hokies would ever try and develop the pass to the halfback. It was one of my most gigantic arguments against Stinespring being competent. This doesn't bring him all the way back but thank God he finally concluded that maybe 50,000 Hokies could be right and that throwing the ball to the halfback now and again isn't a terrible idea.
The offensive line is as bad as advertised. The loss of probably their best player didn't help. Brandon Frye dislocated his elbow and now there's talk of him being rushed back for the UNC game. I think that's a VERY bad idea. Stupid in fact. The Hokies need Brandon Frye this season. Rushing him back for this game risks his entire year and all the hard work he's put in. He stepped up when Jimmy Martin couldn't play in the Gator Bowl last year, it's Nick Marshman's turn to show that he can do the same thing. PLEASE COACHING STAFF, realize that for the betterment of the entire season, let Frye heal up some more. That being said, when the offensive line needed to move mighty Northeastern off the ball in a few short yardage situations, they couldn't get it done. And Sergio Render made the expected freshman mistakes. Lots of improvement is needed now that ACC play is starting.
Sean Glennon played better than even I thought he would and I expected him to play well. Mastery of the offense, one mental mistake and 220 yards with a few TD's is a tremendous boost for his self-confidence. That will be sorely tested in a hostile environment on Saturday but he seems to be up to the challenge. If the offensive line gives him any time at all, I think he'll play well. Ike Whitaker is a massive talent. He is by no means ready in terms of mastery of the offense or managing the game, but when he learns those things Glennon would have to be playing at a Leinart-like level to keep ahead of Whitaker. Either way, in the long run, the team benefits. Watch as much of Whitaker as you can in his back-up role this season as he is just an exciting player.
Brandon Ore was magnificent and got the few carries I wanted him to get to preserve his health. If he stays healthy, he's the team MVP at the end of this season.
Kam Chancellor is 100% the real deal. Here is a true freshman playing in the first game of the season at a position he just started practicing at this summer. He had two big hits, a fumble recovery and an interception and he would have blocked the punt if Cary Wade hadn't gotten to it first. I know the stat sheet doesn't show the pick, but he made it. I saw the footage on Google video and it's indisputable. For some reason, they ruled it an INT on the field and OVERTURNED it in the replay booth. It's like the Aaron Rouse fumble return against NC State in the first game of last season, which was another instance where the video footage confirmed the correct call on the field of a fumble and somehow the booth overturned the field call. I don't know for certain, but I believe that there has not been a SINGLE CALL that has ever been made in Coach Beamer's favor from the replay booth. That karma has got to swing the other way at some point.
The middle of the field was very soft on defense. The Hokies speed was tremendous on the outside and Adibi and the secondary were flying all over the place like banshees. The defensive tackle play of Barry Booker and Carlton Powell was VERY weak. They couldn't occupy any offensive linemen much less get any penetration into the backfield and that allowed the linemen to get out and block Vince Hall and Aaron Rouse which provided a lot of runs up the middle for Northeastern. The tight end across the middle was another effective play against the Hokie defense. On the good side, the backup tackles - Taco Thompson and Kory Robertson - played much better than the first string and Robertson has even earned some more playing time beginning as soon as this weekend according to the coaching staff. The defense is very fast but they need that line to anchor them this season so someone needs to step up starting this weekend.
Finally. the emphasis on the special teams was obviously for real. Eddie Royal had a big return, the Hokies blocked two kicks and Pace made his field goal. The only weak spot was a bad kick by the backup kicker, Develli, but he won't be attempting many more field goals this season.
Well that's it. It's time for Hokie Nation to pack up and turn Chapel Hill, North Carolina into Blacksburg East.
GO HOKIES!!
UNC Preview
The Tarheels haven't made a name for themselves in the arena of football as contenders for a conference title, neither prior to nor after the ACC's expansion. They have, however, pulled off an upset or two any given season if not at least given a powerhouse team a run for their money. Last year, the 'Heels kept the Hokies on their heels until halftime, after which Virginia Tech finally broke the game open into a solid victory. But UNC will be looking to create another one of their spoiler upsets.
For starters, UNC has hired offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti from Fresno State. Remember how they crafted a near defeat of USC last year while the Trojans enjoyed the #1 BCS ranking? Running back Ronnie McGill will most likely serve as the 'Heels focal point on offense, but quarterback Joe Dailey will look to sophomore widereceiver Brooks Foster as well. UNC's offense has an even mix of experience and inexperience with starters including four seniors,three juniors, three sophomores, and one freshman. Foster and McGill were amongst UNC's overachievers during the loss to Rutgers. Foster caught for 120 yards of receiving. UNC will rely on him for most of their passing game. McGill rushed for ninety-four yards over fourteen carries.
On defense, UNC has six of their seven front line returning. The UNC defense will most likely try to take advantage of the inexperience of the Virginia Tech offensive line and also that of Sean Glennon. While Glennon performed well in his debut as the starting quarterback, he didn't have to perform under pressure very much. And one of the few times he did, the play ended with an interception. The UNC defense will most likely make their rush on Glennon the focal point of their strategy. While their line may have some success in containing the running game of Branden Ore (if they manage to improve their missed tackles from the Rutgers loss last week), they will have most of their problems covering in the secondary. Virginia Tech's wide receivers simply have too much ability in Josh Morgan, David Clowney, Eddie Royal, and Josh Hyman.
What this really comes down to is how well Virginia Tech's O-line will perform. Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi will almost certainly do their part to lead the Hokie defense in containing the Tarheel offense. Expect to see Virgina Tech's offensive line look a little disheveled towards the early part of the game given that this will be their first ACC contest of the season and then finding their footing before the end of the first half.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
VOLUME 007 - ISSUE 03
TechSuperfans!
TECHSUPERFANS (TM) - THE NEWSLETTER
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Welcome to the 2006 Football Season!!
We at TSF are very excited about the new season and we will be listening to, watching on TV or attending every game this season. We hope you guys are even half as fired up as we are about this year because it's full of new faces and big games. Should be fun. As always, we are protesting the use of early season polls and you will see the TSF Poll along with the BCS rankings in October where they belong. Let's begin by wrapping up Summer Practice.
Summer Wrap-Up
The summer can be wrapped up in two words - defense and youth. Let's face it - the defense has the potential to be ferocious this season. If they play as a team they can accomplish something special just like last year's squad. But there is a problem: the defense is doing a little too much talking right now. No fewer than three supposed leaders on the Hokies defense (Vince Hall, Xavier Adibi and Chris Ellis) have said the defense is going to be better than last year. There's a reason that the real leader on this defense, Aaron Rouse, hasn't said that. He remembers 2003 when he was a freshman and an insanely talent-laden defense gave up
299 points. For reference, last year's defense gave up 168. And Rouse wants to lead by example and tell everyone how much work is involved. It's about this defense staying hungry and playing football together. And they better not let this game against Northeastern mean anything considering this is the worst opponent they will play all season.
Now let's talk about youth. The youth that stepped up this spring should have Hokies' everywhere cheering for years to come. In all of my years following Tech football, I have NEVER seen the level of talent from this many freshmen and redshirt freshmen. No fewer than 21 players who have never played a down of Division I-A football are dressing for the game against Northeastern. Sergio Render is starting at right guard as a true freshman. There are 9 freshmen and redshirt freshmen on the two-deep, when last year there were only 2 (Roland Minor and Macho Harris). Yes a few of these guys have been thrust into the spotlight due to injuries ahead of them, but by all accounts from coaches and players along with the footage I've seen, most of these youngsters appear ready to play. Of course the brutal reality of top-level ACC college football is that we'll find out within several weeks just how ready to play they are. But I have seen the future and it is here - and with all the incredible talent that has already committed to the next Hokies recruiting class in 2007, it is bright indeed my friends.
Game Preview - Northeastern
I am a straight man, with a wife and a baby girl. But I could just KISS Jim Weaver (athletic director) for getting this game with Northeastern scheduled for the season opener. The Hokies need this game like Captain Jack needed The Black Pearl. Like Superman needed Lois Lane. Like Ricky needed Bobby.......well you get my point. Tech needed this game. As addressed earlier in this issue, the 2006 football team has more youth than any in recent memory. They are up against a completely outmatched Division I-AA football team, one that isn't even good for Division I-AA. I expect the Tech defense to run roughshod over these Huskies from Northeastern. I expect giving up at most 3 points. I expect the offense to put up 30 points by halftime. But that isn't what this game is about for Tech. They need to take care of business in the first half and get this youthful second string a whole lot of snaps. If the second string isn't playing by the middle of the third quarter, you won't have to wonder what I'm thinking because as long as you are in the southeastern United States, you will HEAR ME. Here is a golden opportunity to give the vastly inexperienced players on both sides of the ball a chance to develop a rhythm. To get the real feel for a football game. A feel not just limited to a meaningless series at the end of the game, but one developed by playing for several sequences. The coaches need film on whether these players are able to pick up on a detail during one series and exploit it on the next. The need to have material to coach these kids up. By God, the coaches better have the sense to take advantage of the opportuntity that Jim Weaver has given them.
No matter what team the Hokies are playing, I will never look past the team to the next week. This is one-game-at-a-time discipline and it starts now. But at the same time, the first string needs to blow Northeastern out of the water. Sean Glennon needs to get a rhythm and some confidence and so does the offensive line. But it's also important that while they build up some confidence, they keep a sense of perspective as to who they are playing. They should utilize this game for what it is - the chance to go out and hit someone else other than each other during practice and then get onto the sidelines without injuries so that the group of young players who NEED this playing time can get it. This is the best-case scenario for how this game should play out and it will be fun for Hokie fans everywhere to see their beloved team take the field to launch the 2006 campaign.
Starting Line-up for Northeastern Game
Offense
Split End - Josh Morgan
LT - Brandon Frye
LG - Ryan Shuman
C - Danny McGrath
RG - Sergio Render (true freshman!)
RT - Duane Brown
TE - Greg Boone
RB - Branden Ore
FB - Jesse Allen
Flanker - Royal
QB Glennon
Defense
Stud End - Chris Ellis
Off End - Noland Burchette
Tackle - Barry Booker
Nose - Carlton Powell
Whip - LB- Brendan Hill
Mike LB - Vince Hall -
Backer LB - Xavier Adibi
Field Corner - Macho Harris
Free Safety - D.J. Parker
Rover - Aaron Rouse
Boundary Corner - Brandon Flowers
Special Teams
FG - Brandon Pace
KickOffs - Jared Develli
Punter - Nic Schmitt
Season Preview
Don't go looking here for your typical season preview crap. You can read about the Hokies' inexperience at offensive line and QB, Coach Beamer's decision to fine players who get personal fouls this season and Branden Ore's improvement in maturity everywhere else on the internet. Here you are going to get the in-depth straight skinny on the key points that are going to allow the Hokies to take "The Next Step", which is also the theme for this season. It's all about Virginia Tech taking another step towards the goal of a national championship. By the way until it happens you will never see TSF use the word "undefea...." in our newsletter as it
relates to the Hokies. We don't believe in jinxes or anything silly like that, but that's just bad juju. Very bad juju.
This season has the same feel early on as the 2003 Hokies. The team has talent all over the field, a solid starter at QB, an amazing physical talent at 2nd string QB, a vocal senior leader of an otherwise incredibly young defense and a Hokie Nation expecting great things. Thank God for the 2003 Hokies because the can serve as an example of what the coaching staff and players must avoid and because of them, hopefully the 2006 team can reach its full potential. Let's look at each game and what the key points to that game are right now.
Northeastern - Can the first string execute tightly enough so that the young players on second string who so badly need live game snaps can get them starting early in the second half? Sean Glennon needs to be very crisp in this game. Branden Ore needs 15 carries or less to preserve his health. The team needs to be dominant of an incredibly outmatched opponent.
At UNC - Here is where the hot fire starts. A road game in the ACC is an acid test of a team. Can the Hokies perform in a hostile environment in a game that the nation expects them to win with ease? The answer to that ever since Virginia Tech has joined the ACC has been yes. They are undefeated in ACC road game. The CRITICAL issue that will be exposed in this game is whether or not Brian Stinespring can gameplan with this offense. There is no doubt that this is the first of 11 games where the Hokies will be facing an inordinate amount of blitzes. I recall the 2004 NC State game in Lane Stadium where Bryan Randall was sacked 10 times and there was no adjustment by Stinespring. It boils down to if he can learn from that and make teams pay when they blitz. And can Glennon execute the gameplan? Can he face the blitz and deliver the quick hit ball accurately? If the answers are yes a) my faith in Stinespring will be renewed and b) the team could have a strong season. if they answers to these questions are no then the Hokies
might not even win this game, much less contend for the Coastal division title. I am skeptical but prayerful, hopeful and every other adjective you can use to describe someone who fears they know what the outcome of something is going to be but want to SO BADLY BE WRONG.
Duke - If the Hokies are lucky enough to be 2-0 at this point, can they avoid the letdown and keep the momentum going? This game will be like the Northeastern game. First string needs to be sharp and the young players need very valuable snaps. I'd like to see Ike Whitaker in this game against an ACC defense. You won't be able to tell anything if Whitaker plays against Northeastern because Northeastern is so darn bad. But while Duke is very bad on offense they have a near-ACC caliber defense and could serve as a nice test for Whitaker's mental progression. By the way, Whitaker's physical tools are ridiculous. He is a talent, plain and simple. If he gets the mental part of this game down where he knows when to take a sack and where to go with the ball, the sky is the limit with him. 2007 spring practice should be nothing short of an AMAZING battle. QB will be the Hokies strong suit in '07.
Cincinnati - A classic "look-ahead" game. With Georgia Tech coming to Lane Stadium the following week it would be so easy to overlook the Bearcats. I think this game will illustrate just how successful the coaching staff has been in instilling a sense of goals and discipline in this team. If they look sharp in this game, it just bodes so well for the rest of the season. Oh and for those of you who forgot, Cincinnati smoked the Hokies in the second game of the 1995 season (the year Tech won the Sugar Bowl), so anyone who doesn't think they can beat Tech this year is criminally optimistic.
Georgia Tech - Just as it was in 2004, this game against the Yellow Jackets will probably prove to be the critical game of the season. Georgia Tech's defense is just fantastic this year and if you thought that the Hokies had seen blitzes up to this game, think again. I'll bet anyone that there will be less than 10 plays the entire game where Jon Tenuda doesn't send 6 or more defenders into the backfield on a blitz. And looking at the Hokies O-line and QB I would do the same thing. On defense, the Hokies need to have their injured secondary back at full strength by the time this game rolls around. Calvin Johnson is bar-none the best receiver in college football and VT needs all the help they can get back there. The outcome of this game determines a great deal in
the ACC this year and the winner will likely win the Coastal division. A huge game. The fact that it's in Lane (and if GT beats Notre Dame this weekend, ABC will make it a night game) is a big deal.
At Boston College - This game as always will be nothing short of a test of Virginia Tech's manhood. There are few surprises or wrinkles on either side of the ball at Boston Colege. The Eagles are tough and physical and they are coached extremely well to play together as a team. I think this plays to a strength of the Hokies which is why they've had success recently against the EAgles, but we'll find out if this year's edition of the team has the "want-to" to go into Chestnut Hill and win this game. Don't be surprised if Virginia Tech trails in this game and boy would we learn a lot about the team if they do.
Southern Miss- a dangerous game in that Southern Miss has played all the big boys and isn't going to be intimidated. They played Alabama very tough last year. Again, a game that will be easy to look ahead to Clemson from. By now there had better be some serious contributions from the young players on the squad because the tough stretch starts this week against Southern Miss and the starters need to be healthy.
Clemson - could be the biggest game in the ACC this year if Clemson and Tech live up to their potential. Both teams are so damn fast on both sides of the ball it should be a lot of fun to watch. This game will be the introduction of Hokie football to my new daughter and I can't think of a better time than a night game at Lane Stadium. It's awful hard to go into Blacksburg and win on
Thursday night but this year's Tigers are a team that could do it. This is going to be a good football game.
At Miami - I think Miami has the physical talent to beat anyone in the country. I think the disarray in the coaching staff and the pressure on that entire team will keep them from having the mental concentration to win the ACC this year. This will be a struggle in mental toughness. It's the same formula as 2004 when VT won the ACC at Miami. If the Hokies offense can just play mistake-free football, the defense will get some stops and key turnovers and they can win the game. Of course with all the youth on the team this year that is a helluva lot easier to type here than it is to go to Miami and do.
Kent State - A good week to recover from Miami, win or lose. THere will be some hurt players after the hard-hitting past two weeks and again the first string needs to be sharp if they want to get off the field early. The final score of this game will be closer than people think just because of how drained the Hokies are going to be. Again, thank goodness it's in the friendly confines of
Lane Stadium.
At Wake Forest - VT had better get it's stuff together if they want to go in to Wake Forest and win. This team pushed the Hokies down to the very last play in 2004. They are bringing back 17 starters from last year's team. I am seriously concerned about this game and I expect the Hokies to be sluggish early on. Wake will be the opposite of Miami. They won't make the mental mistakes and will probably force a few from the younger Hokies. At this point in the season, we will find out exactly why I'm so intense about the 2nd string and young players getting so many valuable snaps in earlier games. It will be about outplaying a physically undermanned but mentally tough squad on their home turf. It's going to take a lot of good performances to do it.
Virginia - The Cavaliers suck. Yes I always hate them and always say they suck, but this year their team is just bad. They've lost a lot of coaching and players and their starting QB is a male model. Need I say more? Unfortunately, yes. You see this is a rivalry game and it is a cliche. but cliches are cliches because they are so often true - you can throw out the records in a rivalry game. The Wahoos are going to give it everything they have in this game, likely because they will need a win to be bowl eligible, and if they're not it means this is their last game of the season so they will just try and ruin VT's season. I don't care about the analysis of this game, it's going to be about putting away the playbook and going out there and surviving a desparate team that
hates the Hokies.
We won't be predicting any ACC championship or BCS championship games. We'll preview those if they come to pass.
Here is the slate and it all begins Saturday at 1:30 PM. It's time to take The Next Step.
GO HOKIES!!!!!
TECHSUPERFANS (TM) - THE NEWSLETTER
*TSF*-*VT*-*TSF*-*VT*-*TSF*-*HN*-*TSF*-*VT*-*TSF*-*VT*-*TSF*
Welcome to the 2006 Football Season!!
We at TSF are very excited about the new season and we will be listening to, watching on TV or attending every game this season. We hope you guys are even half as fired up as we are about this year because it's full of new faces and big games. Should be fun. As always, we are protesting the use of early season polls and you will see the TSF Poll along with the BCS rankings in October where they belong. Let's begin by wrapping up Summer Practice.
Summer Wrap-Up
The summer can be wrapped up in two words - defense and youth. Let's face it - the defense has the potential to be ferocious this season. If they play as a team they can accomplish something special just like last year's squad. But there is a problem: the defense is doing a little too much talking right now. No fewer than three supposed leaders on the Hokies defense (Vince Hall, Xavier Adibi and Chris Ellis) have said the defense is going to be better than last year. There's a reason that the real leader on this defense, Aaron Rouse, hasn't said that. He remembers 2003 when he was a freshman and an insanely talent-laden defense gave up
299 points. For reference, last year's defense gave up 168. And Rouse wants to lead by example and tell everyone how much work is involved. It's about this defense staying hungry and playing football together. And they better not let this game against Northeastern mean anything considering this is the worst opponent they will play all season.
Now let's talk about youth. The youth that stepped up this spring should have Hokies' everywhere cheering for years to come. In all of my years following Tech football, I have NEVER seen the level of talent from this many freshmen and redshirt freshmen. No fewer than 21 players who have never played a down of Division I-A football are dressing for the game against Northeastern. Sergio Render is starting at right guard as a true freshman. There are 9 freshmen and redshirt freshmen on the two-deep, when last year there were only 2 (Roland Minor and Macho Harris). Yes a few of these guys have been thrust into the spotlight due to injuries ahead of them, but by all accounts from coaches and players along with the footage I've seen, most of these youngsters appear ready to play. Of course the brutal reality of top-level ACC college football is that we'll find out within several weeks just how ready to play they are. But I have seen the future and it is here - and with all the incredible talent that has already committed to the next Hokies recruiting class in 2007, it is bright indeed my friends.
Game Preview - Northeastern
I am a straight man, with a wife and a baby girl. But I could just KISS Jim Weaver (athletic director) for getting this game with Northeastern scheduled for the season opener. The Hokies need this game like Captain Jack needed The Black Pearl. Like Superman needed Lois Lane. Like Ricky needed Bobby.......well you get my point. Tech needed this game. As addressed earlier in this issue, the 2006 football team has more youth than any in recent memory. They are up against a completely outmatched Division I-AA football team, one that isn't even good for Division I-AA. I expect the Tech defense to run roughshod over these Huskies from Northeastern. I expect giving up at most 3 points. I expect the offense to put up 30 points by halftime. But that isn't what this game is about for Tech. They need to take care of business in the first half and get this youthful second string a whole lot of snaps. If the second string isn't playing by the middle of the third quarter, you won't have to wonder what I'm thinking because as long as you are in the southeastern United States, you will HEAR ME. Here is a golden opportunity to give the vastly inexperienced players on both sides of the ball a chance to develop a rhythm. To get the real feel for a football game. A feel not just limited to a meaningless series at the end of the game, but one developed by playing for several sequences. The coaches need film on whether these players are able to pick up on a detail during one series and exploit it on the next. The need to have material to coach these kids up. By God, the coaches better have the sense to take advantage of the opportuntity that Jim Weaver has given them.
No matter what team the Hokies are playing, I will never look past the team to the next week. This is one-game-at-a-time discipline and it starts now. But at the same time, the first string needs to blow Northeastern out of the water. Sean Glennon needs to get a rhythm and some confidence and so does the offensive line. But it's also important that while they build up some confidence, they keep a sense of perspective as to who they are playing. They should utilize this game for what it is - the chance to go out and hit someone else other than each other during practice and then get onto the sidelines without injuries so that the group of young players who NEED this playing time can get it. This is the best-case scenario for how this game should play out and it will be fun for Hokie fans everywhere to see their beloved team take the field to launch the 2006 campaign.
Starting Line-up for Northeastern Game
Offense
Split End - Josh Morgan
LT - Brandon Frye
LG - Ryan Shuman
C - Danny McGrath
RG - Sergio Render (true freshman!)
RT - Duane Brown
TE - Greg Boone
RB - Branden Ore
FB - Jesse Allen
Flanker - Royal
QB Glennon
Defense
Stud End - Chris Ellis
Off End - Noland Burchette
Tackle - Barry Booker
Nose - Carlton Powell
Whip - LB- Brendan Hill
Mike LB - Vince Hall -
Backer LB - Xavier Adibi
Field Corner - Macho Harris
Free Safety - D.J. Parker
Rover - Aaron Rouse
Boundary Corner - Brandon Flowers
Special Teams
FG - Brandon Pace
KickOffs - Jared Develli
Punter - Nic Schmitt
Season Preview
Don't go looking here for your typical season preview crap. You can read about the Hokies' inexperience at offensive line and QB, Coach Beamer's decision to fine players who get personal fouls this season and Branden Ore's improvement in maturity everywhere else on the internet. Here you are going to get the in-depth straight skinny on the key points that are going to allow the Hokies to take "The Next Step", which is also the theme for this season. It's all about Virginia Tech taking another step towards the goal of a national championship. By the way until it happens you will never see TSF use the word "undefea...." in our newsletter as it
relates to the Hokies. We don't believe in jinxes or anything silly like that, but that's just bad juju. Very bad juju.
This season has the same feel early on as the 2003 Hokies. The team has talent all over the field, a solid starter at QB, an amazing physical talent at 2nd string QB, a vocal senior leader of an otherwise incredibly young defense and a Hokie Nation expecting great things. Thank God for the 2003 Hokies because the can serve as an example of what the coaching staff and players must avoid and because of them, hopefully the 2006 team can reach its full potential. Let's look at each game and what the key points to that game are right now.
Northeastern - Can the first string execute tightly enough so that the young players on second string who so badly need live game snaps can get them starting early in the second half? Sean Glennon needs to be very crisp in this game. Branden Ore needs 15 carries or less to preserve his health. The team needs to be dominant of an incredibly outmatched opponent.
At UNC - Here is where the hot fire starts. A road game in the ACC is an acid test of a team. Can the Hokies perform in a hostile environment in a game that the nation expects them to win with ease? The answer to that ever since Virginia Tech has joined the ACC has been yes. They are undefeated in ACC road game. The CRITICAL issue that will be exposed in this game is whether or not Brian Stinespring can gameplan with this offense. There is no doubt that this is the first of 11 games where the Hokies will be facing an inordinate amount of blitzes. I recall the 2004 NC State game in Lane Stadium where Bryan Randall was sacked 10 times and there was no adjustment by Stinespring. It boils down to if he can learn from that and make teams pay when they blitz. And can Glennon execute the gameplan? Can he face the blitz and deliver the quick hit ball accurately? If the answers are yes a) my faith in Stinespring will be renewed and b) the team could have a strong season. if they answers to these questions are no then the Hokies
might not even win this game, much less contend for the Coastal division title. I am skeptical but prayerful, hopeful and every other adjective you can use to describe someone who fears they know what the outcome of something is going to be but want to SO BADLY BE WRONG.
Duke - If the Hokies are lucky enough to be 2-0 at this point, can they avoid the letdown and keep the momentum going? This game will be like the Northeastern game. First string needs to be sharp and the young players need very valuable snaps. I'd like to see Ike Whitaker in this game against an ACC defense. You won't be able to tell anything if Whitaker plays against Northeastern because Northeastern is so darn bad. But while Duke is very bad on offense they have a near-ACC caliber defense and could serve as a nice test for Whitaker's mental progression. By the way, Whitaker's physical tools are ridiculous. He is a talent, plain and simple. If he gets the mental part of this game down where he knows when to take a sack and where to go with the ball, the sky is the limit with him. 2007 spring practice should be nothing short of an AMAZING battle. QB will be the Hokies strong suit in '07.
Cincinnati - A classic "look-ahead" game. With Georgia Tech coming to Lane Stadium the following week it would be so easy to overlook the Bearcats. I think this game will illustrate just how successful the coaching staff has been in instilling a sense of goals and discipline in this team. If they look sharp in this game, it just bodes so well for the rest of the season. Oh and for those of you who forgot, Cincinnati smoked the Hokies in the second game of the 1995 season (the year Tech won the Sugar Bowl), so anyone who doesn't think they can beat Tech this year is criminally optimistic.
Georgia Tech - Just as it was in 2004, this game against the Yellow Jackets will probably prove to be the critical game of the season. Georgia Tech's defense is just fantastic this year and if you thought that the Hokies had seen blitzes up to this game, think again. I'll bet anyone that there will be less than 10 plays the entire game where Jon Tenuda doesn't send 6 or more defenders into the backfield on a blitz. And looking at the Hokies O-line and QB I would do the same thing. On defense, the Hokies need to have their injured secondary back at full strength by the time this game rolls around. Calvin Johnson is bar-none the best receiver in college football and VT needs all the help they can get back there. The outcome of this game determines a great deal in
the ACC this year and the winner will likely win the Coastal division. A huge game. The fact that it's in Lane (and if GT beats Notre Dame this weekend, ABC will make it a night game) is a big deal.
At Boston College - This game as always will be nothing short of a test of Virginia Tech's manhood. There are few surprises or wrinkles on either side of the ball at Boston Colege. The Eagles are tough and physical and they are coached extremely well to play together as a team. I think this plays to a strength of the Hokies which is why they've had success recently against the EAgles, but we'll find out if this year's edition of the team has the "want-to" to go into Chestnut Hill and win this game. Don't be surprised if Virginia Tech trails in this game and boy would we learn a lot about the team if they do.
Southern Miss- a dangerous game in that Southern Miss has played all the big boys and isn't going to be intimidated. They played Alabama very tough last year. Again, a game that will be easy to look ahead to Clemson from. By now there had better be some serious contributions from the young players on the squad because the tough stretch starts this week against Southern Miss and the starters need to be healthy.
Clemson - could be the biggest game in the ACC this year if Clemson and Tech live up to their potential. Both teams are so damn fast on both sides of the ball it should be a lot of fun to watch. This game will be the introduction of Hokie football to my new daughter and I can't think of a better time than a night game at Lane Stadium. It's awful hard to go into Blacksburg and win on
Thursday night but this year's Tigers are a team that could do it. This is going to be a good football game.
At Miami - I think Miami has the physical talent to beat anyone in the country. I think the disarray in the coaching staff and the pressure on that entire team will keep them from having the mental concentration to win the ACC this year. This will be a struggle in mental toughness. It's the same formula as 2004 when VT won the ACC at Miami. If the Hokies offense can just play mistake-free football, the defense will get some stops and key turnovers and they can win the game. Of course with all the youth on the team this year that is a helluva lot easier to type here than it is to go to Miami and do.
Kent State - A good week to recover from Miami, win or lose. THere will be some hurt players after the hard-hitting past two weeks and again the first string needs to be sharp if they want to get off the field early. The final score of this game will be closer than people think just because of how drained the Hokies are going to be. Again, thank goodness it's in the friendly confines of
Lane Stadium.
At Wake Forest - VT had better get it's stuff together if they want to go in to Wake Forest and win. This team pushed the Hokies down to the very last play in 2004. They are bringing back 17 starters from last year's team. I am seriously concerned about this game and I expect the Hokies to be sluggish early on. Wake will be the opposite of Miami. They won't make the mental mistakes and will probably force a few from the younger Hokies. At this point in the season, we will find out exactly why I'm so intense about the 2nd string and young players getting so many valuable snaps in earlier games. It will be about outplaying a physically undermanned but mentally tough squad on their home turf. It's going to take a lot of good performances to do it.
Virginia - The Cavaliers suck. Yes I always hate them and always say they suck, but this year their team is just bad. They've lost a lot of coaching and players and their starting QB is a male model. Need I say more? Unfortunately, yes. You see this is a rivalry game and it is a cliche. but cliches are cliches because they are so often true - you can throw out the records in a rivalry game. The Wahoos are going to give it everything they have in this game, likely because they will need a win to be bowl eligible, and if they're not it means this is their last game of the season so they will just try and ruin VT's season. I don't care about the analysis of this game, it's going to be about putting away the playbook and going out there and surviving a desparate team that
hates the Hokies.
We won't be predicting any ACC championship or BCS championship games. We'll preview those if they come to pass.
Here is the slate and it all begins Saturday at 1:30 PM. It's time to take The Next Step.
GO HOKIES!!!!!
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