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?