Interview Courtesy of Kyle Tucker @ his blog over at http://hamptonroads.com/blogs/kyle-tucker

Check out Kyle’s blog for interviews with other players and coaches, practice notes, and general Hokie football news.  Its generally a great read and not watered down and manipulated like most news sources.

ON HIS THIRD-AND-GOAL TOUCHDOWN RUN FROM THE 2-YARD LINE JUST BEFORE HALFTIME: “It’s a tight end choice, but it’s also a quarterback draw if everything breaks down. The running lane was straight up the middle. I knew we were on the 1-yard line and if I didn’t see the read quick enough I could get the 1 yard.”

ON THE COACHES TELLING HIM, THOUGH, TO THROW IT AWAY SO THEY COULD KICK THE FIELD GOAL IF THE PASS WASN’T OPEN: “Yeah, that’s what they told me. But I knew (grinning) … we were too close to the goal line for me to throw it away. I know they wanted to set up field goal position, but I felt I could get a touchdown with my feet.”

ON THE PASSING GAME BEING LIMITED STILL: “Just the way the game was going. We did call some plays that were going downfield. Some protections got messed up … miscommunications. I had to check down sometimes.”

ON WHETHER HE KNEW THE TEAM WAS ALL HIS GOING INTO THE GAME: “Yes, I did. I knew that. Coaches told me and I just wanted to go out there and be a leader. I got more reps last week in practice and it was kind of a thing that was kind of all week. I didn’t know how the two-quarterback thing was going to work out, but they ended up playing me.”

ON WHETHER HIS MENTALITY WAS DIFFFERENT KNOWING IT WAS HIS TEAM: “My mentality’s been the same since Day 1, just to go out and be a leader even when we were playing two quarterback. It is more comfortable out there, but at the same time, I’m comfortable with whatever Coach calls.”

ON WHETHER DARREN EVANS HAS EMERGED AS THE NO. 1 OPTION IN THE BACKFIELD: “I don’t know if he’s the No. 1. He’s been playing very good. We have a lot of backs that’s been playing very good. And they can all help us right now.”

ON HOW BIG WERE THOSE TWO PENALTIES ON GEORGIA TECH WERE ON THE LAST SCORING DRIVE: “They were very big. (Helmet to helmet) That kind of hurt, but they were very big on that last drive. I thought the guy from the back … I thought it was a late hit. I thought the flag was. But he did hit me head-to-head.”

ON HOLDING HIS BREATH WHEN A LATE PASS SAILED DEEP TO A RECEIVER WHO WAS BEHIND SAFETY KAM CHANCELLOR: “Yes. I caught it late. I caught it on the Jumbo Tron. I looked up and I was just praying that he overthrew him or the guy was going to drop it.”

ON WHETHER HE’D LIKE TO THROW MORE: “Yes, but … the game dictates how the play-calling goes. Right now, we had to call some run plays and we made it happen.”

of the Yellow Jackets that is.

In a high stakes ACC game early in the season, Tyrod Taylor got the nod over Sean Glennon and took every offensive snap.  The passing game was lackluster (48 yards), but the Hokies got it done on the ground.  Between Kenny Lewis, Tyrod Taylor, and emerging star Darren Evans, the Hokies amassed 199 yards rushing.

All seems to be righting itself in the Hokie Nation.  Although offensive coordinator controversy will continue throughout the season, the statistics from this game showed some fundamental improvements:

• The leading receiver is now a receiver instead of a tailback (Dyrell Roberts, 5 for 104)
• The leading rusher is now a tailback instead of a quarterback (Darren Evans, 42 for 203)
• The leading scorer is no longer a defensive player (okay, technically this happened after the second game)

The orange jerseys had mixed reviews, but other than the retinal damage they caused, they really weren’t that bad.  As long as they aren’t worn for every home game, the Hokie crowd can handle it.

The Hokies now lead the Coastal ACC division with a 1-0 record.  If Virginia Tech, with Tyrod Taylor at the helm, can take down UNC next weekend, they will have a great head start in the Coastal division.

Dear Sean Glennon,

Didn’t you see my last post about your clean slate?  It meant there was no pressure on you to perform well.  It meant you supposed to take control of the leadership position this season and become an example for Tyrod in the coming years.  I was behind you 100%, because I trusted the coaches decision and truly believed you must have been good enough to be the sole starter.  With the pressure from Taylor gone, you were supposed to break out this season to a new level; the level of a r-Senior.

This is not a hate letter, so at this point…I’ll move on.  End Letter.

First, I’d like to confirm the rumors you’ve been hearing.  Yes, Tyrod Taylor is playing this Saturday against Furman.

Second, I’ll comment that I didn’t update the site about Tyrod Taylor getting the redshirt last week for several reasons.
1. If you follow ACC football, it wouldn’t have been new news.  I didn’t have anything to say that hadn’t already been said.
2. We all knew it wouldn’t last.

My post game thoughts bumbled so long that I couldn’t come up with a coherent post until I heard the good news today.  I was debating why the coaches had really given Tyrod the redshirt.  Either:
1.  They knew this season wasn’t going to be salvageable anyway, so why waste the best player’s eligibility on it if they don’t have to.
2.  They truly thought Glennon had improved enough to lead this team to an ACC title.

Until I heard the news today, I assumed that it was the first.  But, with the recent reversal of the redshirt decision I have to think that they truly believed in the second.

I don’t know what the news will really do for the season.  Perhaps we can still contend for the ACC Coastal, but the defense will have to meld together and Tyrod will have to live up to the hype.  He was good last year, and at times, absolutely stunning.

Playing Tyrod Taylor is not the sole solution to the season.  We still won’t have a Texas Tech type offense and certainly not a coherent and functional coordinator.  Luckily Tyrod can likely compensate for some of the terrible play calling.

Unlike last year, I’m not bitter at Sean Glennon.  He’s worked hard the whole off season to try to win the position.  Unfortunately, he was set up to fail.  You can’t put a drop back passer behind a suspect offensive line and a fleet of new recievers and expect him to perform at his best.  He’s just not what the team needs this year.

A drop back passer like Sean Glennon is best when he can evenly distribute the ball to the team’s playmakers.  “What they discovered against East Carolina…they don’t have playmakers” -ESPN Analyst…at least not yet.

Some parting thoughts…Because I hate the white out idea (WE’RE NOT!…PENN STATE!) I was intending to wear black to the Furman game (”you look like you’re going to a funeral” - “well, maybe I am”).  However, now I will be donning the #5 Jersey (even in Hurricane Hana).  I officially declare Saturday to be “#5 Jersey Day!”

P.S. Can we redshirt Stinespring?

I have a tendency to think that I should allow Glennon to start fresh in my mind this season.  Thats a tough demand, however because of all the things I remember going wrong…that somehow I have blamed him for.  We don’t lose many games overall, but except for 2007 I blame Glennon for most of them.  Boston College last year really wasn’t his fault, LSU just out matched and out played us, and Kansas just out prepared and out coached us.  So I can’t blame any losses on Glennon from last year, but his first pass of the season was a pick.  And, if Tyrod wasn’t started instead of him, he still would be at that mediocre pick throwing level.

 Will Sean Glennon step up to new heights as a r-Senior?  He certainly played well the second half of last season.  The coaches claim that neither Tyrod Taylor nor Glennon can separate themselves from each other and firmly claim a starting position.  Doesn’t this beg the question, if Glennon as a r-Senior can’t outplay a t-Sophomore doesn’t that mean he isn’t good enough?  Good thing its the coaches decision and not mine; I don’t know what I would do.

If history is speaking, would it mention Glennon’s melt down versus Georgia in 2006?  Would it mention his terrible performance against Georgia Tech earlier in the season, putting them up by three scores early?  How can I erase these memories of Glennon performing so badly?

I’d like to try, because it seems he’s come around to be a legitimate player.  I recall from the past though, football players telling me how pompous Glennon was.  Multiple inside sources claimed he acted like a total dick.  Well Sean, I’m erasing all of these bad memories; I’m forgetting how you responded to losing the starting job last season; I’m giving you a fresh start in my mind.

In the immortal words of SpitzerTailgate.com - “Sean Glennon….heres to hoping hes not a dbag anymore”

Only 18 more days until kickoff…here are some fancy Tyrod Taylor pics to hold you over.  If you know who to give the credits to, just post a comment and I’ll update it.

 The following interview was taken by Kyle Tucker over at his blog.  He’s been following the preseason practices closely and his blog posts are almost enough to quench the ache and desire for the football season to start.

 QB TYROD TAYLOR
 
ON HOW PRACTICE IS GOING THROUGH THREE DAYS: “It’s going good, progressing like I wanted to be.”
 
ON THE QB BATTLE: “Like I told you from the beginning, I’m in competition with myself, actually. I’m out here to be the best quarterback I can be and the best player at my position. I’m competing hard and so is he. It’ll be up to the coaches.”
 
ON GLENNON’S DEEP BALL TO TIGHT END GREG BOONE WEDNESDAY: “We’re moving Greg Boone around. We know he’s very elusive, and he can make plays. You really get watch film to get a feel for it. (Opponents) are going to be surprised.”
 
ON THE RUNNING BACKS: “They’re looking very fast. We just have to wait and see who’ll go in front of the others.”
 
ON THE FRESHMEN RECEIVERS: “A lot of those guys have stepped up. They’ve shined as a group. They’ve been impressing a lot of people. I don’t think a lot of people thought they could learn that quick, but they’ve been in there working with the veterans.”
 
NAMING THE BEST FRESHMAN: “I can’t call it. I want to praise all those guys. Boykin looks good, just as Dyrell Roberts, Xavier Boyce and Marcus Davis. And Randall Dunn, too.”
 
ON THE LEADER AMONG THE VETERAN WIDEOUTS: “Danny Coale is looking very smooth. Ike is looking more confident, and so is Zach Luckett. We feel comfortable with our receivers. Those guys are showing the coaches they can play and that they want the ball in their hands.”

Surely every preseason article mentioning Hokies that you read will mention the holes that Virginia Tech needs to fill for the 2008 season.  Clearly there are questions at tailback, wide receiver, and a couple spots on defense that need a solid player to step up.  However, since all of the other articles speak of holes, I’m taking the opposite stance.

Questions that don’t need answered:

Quarterback
Everyone thinks there is a question to be answered here.  If you spend you day browsing college football blogs, as I do, you’ll find an array of thoughts claiming we’ll only use Glennon this year and redshirt Tyrod Taylor to save his eligibility for an extra year, or that Tyrod Taylor has been pronounced the starter.  None of these rumors is true as of yet.

Beamer said he would prefer to just use one quarterback, but that he is keeping an open mind heading into fall practice.  Clearly the two QB shuffling system that we used the last several games of the regular season proved functional and even exceptional at times (see Tyrod Taylor, FSU, 2007 - 3rd and 31).  But Beamer is approaching this the right way, so the fans need to sit down and let him choose what is best for the team.

I expect we’ll see both Glennon and Tyrod Taylor getting playing time at the beginning of the season.  Perhaps they’ll do the two play dance like they did last season; perhaps they’ll alternate series; or perhaps the coaches will even wait to see who is on their game on a particular day.  Whatever the decision, I expect we’ll only have one primary quarterback by the end of the season.  You already know my vote, but I’ll be happy as long as the team is functioning—tandem or not.

There is no question at quarterback.  We have two experienced quarterbacks better than most in the ACC; we are the envy of quite a few teams I’d imagine.

Offensive Line
There is always shuffling among positions in the trenches, but this year we have something to smile about.  For the first time in a long time, we might actually have a pretty decent Oline.  With four starters returning from a line that was firing on all cylinders at the end of last season, we should do right well.

Only time will tell if we can get a solid two deep on the line.  It would be nice to have several capable backups to give our guys breathers/replace an injured fellow.

Defensive Line
Last year Dline wasn’t as solid as years past, but with Hall and Adibi filling the gaps there really wasn’t a problem.  I expect the defensive line to improve significantly this year over a line that was still better than average in 2007.  Bud Foster…nuf said.

Shutdown Corner
Macho looked like a beast in the spring game, so I can’t wait to see him in the practices, scrimmages, and games coming up.  He was great in 2007 and the only thing that will change is that he’ll be better.  By passing up the draft, I know he’s coming to play.  This is his year to terrorize the star offensive players in the ACC, make a name for himself, and move himself into the first round on the draft board.

That’s certainly not everything, but its most of the key spots.  There is talent at every position, but there might not be much experience yet.  As with every team, every year we need some guys to step in and fill some holes.  How well and quickly they do will determine whether we go 8-4 or 11-1 (I’m not telling which is the loss I expect).

Oh yeah, and something about Kam Chancellor knocking a guy cold on the field in 2008.

Certainly the Coastal division is not getting the credit for having solid teams like the Atlantic side.  Why?  I don’t know; why did ESPN love Matt Ryan for no particular reason (19 ints and a passer rating of 5th in the ACC).

The Coastal is in a rebuilding year, but so is the Atlantic.  The Coastal is breaking in new coaches, but so is the Atlantic.  The divisions are 2-2 for the ACC title since the expansion (Go Hokies).  So why does the media project this gap?  It really doesn’t make sense and, in fact, doesn’t really exist.

Teamwise

Miami
Miami is busy collecting their 5 star freshmen and deciding which, of the thousands, will get playing time this season.  Look for Miami to be in the running for the Championship game.  They’re still a year or two away from prime, but that doesn’t mean that they’re a year or two away from being ACC Champs.  If they come together, they have a legitimate shot.

Georgia Tech
The media frowns on Georgia Tech with its new fangled option offense.  How will it work against BCS schools?  You idiots, when He who shall not be named implemented the system at Navy they actually played BCS schools….duh.  Did it work out for Navy?  Well, they almost didn’t suck for a little while and then someone bought their coach.  GT needs to hold on to the football this season and they’ll pull down some wins.  Unless they take everyone by surprise, their odds aren’t good.

North Carolina
Not a shot.  Do you hear me?  Not a shot.  I’m not saying they won’t be better, but they’re still not good enough, not deep enough. They may even pull the upset against Virginia Tech since they get us early in the season and have proven they can hang with us.  However, they can’t win enough big games in the ACC to have a chance to go to Tampa.

Prediction

Virginia Tech.  Need I say more?

Odds
(to get there, not to win)

Duke 100:1
UVA 35:1
UNC 20:1
GT 15:1
“U” 10:1
VT 2:1

It’s a nice wish to try to look at the schedule and see all W’s, but a better goal is to defend the ACC title.  Preseason hype and predictions are drooling over Clemson, just like last year and the year before…Besides, who am I to say they’re not good enough to win the conference?  …just an outspoken fan who happens to have a popular outlet for my opinions.  But, mark it down Clemson will not win the 2008 ACC Championship game.  I have my doubts that they’ll actually even make it to Tampa.

Turmoil in the Atlantic

Who do I pick from the Atlantic division then?  Well, I have a tempting thought leaning toward Florida State.  I know, I know, rebuilding, suspensions, and turmoil surround Tallahassee, but I just figure that its motivation. 

According to popular opinion, FSU only has to leave the state of Florida three times all season (and strangely enough, that could include the ACC Championship game and Orange bowl if the chips fall for them).  That’s a pretty wild occurrence for any BCS team.

Look at all the positive arguments for FSU.
Quarterback controversy – left with Xavier Lee to the NFL Draft
Running Back – returns
Leading Receivers – return
Defense – a lot of returning starters

Well, I was going to pick FSU until I read an article the other day detailing all of the holes the team has to fill this year, particularly on the offensive line.  The story is the same at Clemson, unless these O-lines can shape up, these teams can’t win the ACC.

That leaves who? Wake? Georgia Tech? BC?

It’s hard to tell what will happen.  Most preseason reports claim that the Atlantic division is so strong that anyone can win it.  I beg to differ.  I believe the problem is that there aren’t two key teams that plan to fight it out for the chance to go to Tampa.  It’s not that all the teams are so good that you can’t pick one; it’s that none of them are good enough to lock down the mid-packers and rise to the occasion.

I tried to go through and make results predictions, but in the Atlantic its just too messy (you’re getting odds instead).  There will be a big pile of 8-4s and 7-5s sitting atop the standings.  Whichever team can come together and get that extra ACC win will get to visit Tampa.

Odds
(to get there, not to win)

BC – 12:1
Clem – 9:1
Wake – 6:1
FSU – 5:1
Mary – 20:1
NCST – 50:1

2008 ACC Team by Team Football Schedules
2008 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game (Tampa)—Saturday, Dec. 6

Boston College
Aug. 30 at Kent State (Cleveland)
Sept. 6 Georgia Tech
Sept. 20 UCF
Sept. 27 Rhode Island
Oct. 4 at NC State
Oct. 18 Virginia Tech
Oct. 25 at North Carolina
Nov. 1 Clemson
Nov. 8 Notre Dame
Nov. 15 at Florida State
Nov. 22 at Wake Forest
Nov. 29 Maryland

Clemson
Aug. 30 Alabama (Georgia Dome)
Sept. 6 The Citadel
Sept. 13 NC State
Sept. 20 SC State
Sept. 27 Maryland
Oct. 9 at Wake Forest (Thu.)
Oct. 18 Georgia Tech
Nov. 1 at Boston College
Nov. 8 at Florida State
Nov. 15 Duke
Nov. 22 at Virginia
Nov. 29 South Carolina (more…)