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The scoreboard lies. Sure, 44-3 looks great, and I am not about to poo poo a win, even against a I-AA team. However, if you saw the game – watch the game here – you are probably a little concerned about the offense, which appeared to take a step back from the previous game against Ohio University.

The first two offensive drives stalled inside the Tribe’s red zone and Tech had to settle for field goals. The first drive saw the Hokies at the 12 yard line. The first play was a rush that resulted in a 3-yard loss. The next two plays were incomplete passes. With all due respect to William & Mary’s defensive line (which was giving up nearly 20-50 pounds to Tech’s o-line), there is no excuse for not being able to run the ball against a small, I-AA team.

Tech’s running game showed signs of life with a few big runs, but for the most part, the offensive line was unable to open many holes for the tailbacks. On the very next Tech possession, the Hokies got down to the Tribe 9 yard line. First and goal from the nine and Tech managed only four yards. Branden Ore ran up the middle for three yards on first down and then ran for a yard over the left guard on second down. On third down, Tech offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring called a pass play, but quarterback Tyrod Taylor had to hurry the play because of poor blocking up front.

This wasn’t East Carolina (1-3), and this wasn’t Ohio (2-2). This was William & Mary, a I-AA team that our offense should have run over. Instead, it struggled to find its rhythm. Taylor managed just 72 yards passing. He put up 287 against Ohio. Taylor also led the team in rushing with 52 yards … 52 yards … and he picked up 45 of those on one play. Our top two tailbacks managed a combined 68 yards on 20 carries.

Here are some more numbers that will make you think: the leading receiver in this game – take a guess, go ahead! Was it Eddie Royal? Nope! He didn’t even have a catch. In fact, I’m not sure they ever threw to him. Was it Josh Morgan? Nope. He has zero catches. Justin Harper? Wrong, again. No catches for him either. How about Josh Hyman? Nope, but he did have catch … for eight yards. Four outstanding wide receivers and between them, they had only one catch for eight yards. Those same four receivers combined for 13 catches for 196 yards against Ohio.

The leading receiver for the game was Andre Smith who had two receptions for 39 yards. Of course, those came in the second half. The first half leading receiver was tight end Sam Wheeler who had two catches for 15 yards.

The numbers don’t lie. Tech fans would be justified in showing concern about the team’s offense, even with a more dynamic quarterback like Taylor in the game. Sure, he gives you more options, but he is only as good as the plays he’s given to run. And based on what I saw in the William & Mary game, I don’t think Taylor is getting much to work with.

Now, my old man taught me that if you are going to complain about something, you better bring a solution to fix the problem. So, here is my solution: in lieu of hiring a more dynamic offensive coordinator, which isn’t likely to happen as long as Beamer is still the coach, I think Tech needs to shift to a spread offense. You have the speedy wideouts. You have the big, but fast tight ends. And you have Tyrod Taylor, who can do amazing things with an open field. Tech has the speed to wear other teams down. Turn that speed loose and quit trying to play old school, smash mouth, run it up the gut football. The o-line isn’t opening up the holes and the defense you have played so far have manhandled Tech’s running game. Imagine what Miami, Boston College, Clemson, Virginia and Florida State are going to do unless the blocking game improves.

I believe these kids will improve. Rather, I hope they do. I hope that at some point, the lightbulb will come on and things will start clicking. And when things start clicking, confidence grows. And when confidence grows, it becomes contagious. That is what this team needs right now; some confidence to get everyone back on track.

Oh, I almost forgot. The first-team defense was stifling. It played like you would have expected against a I-AA opponent. The second and third teamers gave up big plays and a field goal, but they held the entire second half and didn’t give up any more points. As I mentioned in my earlier blog, “What to Expect Against William & Mary,” Tech got some quality playing time for some of the younger guys and the first-teamers picked up another touchdown while the special teams did the same.

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One we get past all of the obligatory I-AA upset warnings, let’s get take a look at what we can truly expect at tomorrow’s game. With no disrespect intended toward William and Mary, and assuming this game plays out as expected (a Hokie romp), what can the Hokies do in this game to get better heading into their first ACC game the following week?

Obviously you want Tyrod Taylor in the game long enough to develop a rhythm with the offense, especially the receivers, all of whom must be salivating at the possibilities now evident with a more mobile and exciting quarterback under center. At the same time, you don’t want to keep him in too long and run the risk of him getting hurt.

I fully expect the Hokie offense to come firing on all cylinders and just pound the Tribe defense (which is pretty bad statistically) into an early submission. Tyrod will probably run wild at times, picking up 20 yard gains. I think when it’s over, T-Mobile will have more than 100 yards rushing, not to mention the big numbers he’ll put up in the passing game. If he threw for 287 against Ohio, imagine what he can do against a I-AA team that went 3-8 last year. Scary.

Don’t forget Tech’s defense, which smothered the Bobcast last weekend. They might pitch a shutout in this game. And I certainly expect they will probably put up some points off turnovers.

This game should allow the coaches to get some young players some quality playing time. And I would even argue that Frank Beamer should keep Sean Glennon on the sideline. Not as punishment, but because he is graduating in December and probably won’t be back next season, so why not let Cory Holt, who will likely be back, get some quality snaps so we have another “mobile” quarterback in case … well, I’m not even going to say it. Suffice it to say that Holt is more like Tyrod in terms of the ability to escape pressure than Glennon, who, by the way, didn’t beat Holt out by much last season. Plus, from all accounts, Holt has never put himself before the team.

It makes sense to me that if the offensive line gets comfortable with how Tyrod is playing and moving around and the o-line is adjusting to his style of play, why not go with the backup QB who has a similar style, that way the o-line doesn’t have to make as many adjustments.

We’ll probably see more of Jahre Cheeseman as the backup tailback behind Ore and Kenny Lewis, Jr. Ore, who is nursing some sore ribs, probably won’t see much time in this game. What’s the point? Give him enough carries to keep him active, but don’t risk further injury right before you enter the ACC schedule. And Lewis, Jr., has been tearing it up lately! He ran wild over Ohio and showed some explosiveness and speed that I don’t think many expected to see.

This will be a good opportunity for Tyrod to mature a little more and develop some timing with the offense, but the quality of the opponent won’t do much to prepare him for the likes of Miami, Florida State, Clemson and Boston College. Then again, T-Mobile didn’t look too flustered by the LSU defense and if he doesn’t get flustered by a defense with eight legitimate NFL draft picks, then I don’t imagine there are many teams that will intimidate him.

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James Madison University wants to play the University of Virginia in football. Virginia Tech wants to play JMU. JMU does not want to play Tech. UVA does not want to play JMU. Confused? Good, I am not alone.

In a Sept. 19 article in the Daily News Record, JMU athletic director Jeff Bourne said he wants to add the Cavaliers to the Dukes’ schedule, but has declined two games against the Hokies.

In the article, Bourne is quoted as saying, “We just don’t know that playing a team that’s ranked in the Top 10 is the best thing for James Madison.”

But playing the Wahoos? Well, that’s different … apparently.

So, the Dukes, who have already played a *I-A team this season (a 37-14 loss to UNC), are itching to take on the Cavaliers, but according to UVA AD Craig Littlepage, the Hoos have no interest in playing the Dukes. Specifically, head coach Al Groh doesn’t want to play ANY I-AA opponents, but Littlepage didn’t give specific reasons for Groh’s nondesire to play teams like JMU.

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer believes it is important for the Hokies to occasionally schedule an in-state I-AA team because he feels it “is good for football in the state,” according to the Daily News Record article.

Everyone that follows college football has an opinion on I-As playing I-AAs. This year’s shocker in Ann Arbor wasn’t the first big upset by a I-AA team. Last season, Colorado lost at home to Montana State, 19-10. Like Michigan, it was Colorado’s first ever I-AA opponent. These big wins followed by several more close calls has led many proponents of the the interdivisional matchups to say, “see, we’re not just in it for the money!”

Meanwhile, the opponents of having I-AA teams on the schedule, like Al Groh, have more fuel for their argument, which I imagine sounds something like this, “Why take the risk? How did it work out for Michigan and Colorado? If you blow them out, people discredit the win because we were supposed to win. If you win by a touchdown, you get crucified for barely beating an inferior team. And if you lose, your job suddenly becomes a little less secure … isn’t that right Coach Carr?”

The Dukes want to play the big teams (but not too big) for the experience, exposure and, oh yah, the $300-$500 they’ll get for entering the lion’s den. It’s a win-win for the little guys and if they can actually beat a school like UVA, then it is that much sweeter.

But there are some teams like Appy State that will take on all comers. The bigger they are, the harder they’ll fall.

Virginia Tech wants to play a small in-state schools because according to Beamer, it is good football in the Commonwealth.

So many different sides to the different arguments, but no matter how you look at it, from a fan’s perspective, it is always great to witness an upset like the Mighty Mountaineers over the legendary Wolverines.

*For the record: I am aware the NCAA has changes the names of the I-A and I-AA. However, I feel these new acronyms are pointless and confusing; so just as I continued to call Prince, Prince – I am still referring to the divisions as I-A and I-AA.

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I have been a Techsideline.com fan and member for years. Their content has improved over the years and had developed a reputation as the premier independent Web site covering the Virginia Tech Hokies athletics programs. At one point, TSL allowed average fans to submit a “Voice of the Fan” article; however, that column was elminated a few years ago leaving the message boards as the only form of participation for visitor.

Several other Tech fan sites exist, including my site vthokiefans.com, but none of them have allowed much in the way of fan interaction or participation … until now.

Enter vt.fanfoc.us. This relatively new site, currently in beta, offers complete content management to the community of registered Hokie fans. Registration is free, by the way. Users can submit news articles, videos, create new forums, create new wikis, give thumbs up or down to all of the above, and much more.

Users are rated by the community. For example, if you have a Hokie fan who is being obnoxious, the rest of the community can give him negative “Cred” which will signal other users that the community as a whole doesn’t find this particular member to be … well, credible. Right now, my Cred is at 1 because I am a new member. But, I have submitted news articles to the news section, posted comments about those articles and others, wrote a couple of blog posts on my profile, and edited a Wiki. As an active member of the vt.fanfoc.us community, I hope to build my Cred in the eyes of my peers.

This is a truly revolutionary fan Web site! There are no moderators or admins telling you what you can and cannot post, but the community will come down harshly on those who step over the line. Again, this site is completely free and has a lot to offer for the rabid and casual Tech fan alike. Take a look and you will see what I am talking about.

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I finally got a chance to sit down and carefully watch the Virginia Tech vs. Ohio game last night. I was on vacation at the beach on Saturday and only got to watch the game on my laptop (ESPN 360), so there were some finer details and nuances of the game that I was sure I had missed. And wouldn’t you know it, after watching the game on a bigger screen I discovered that Tyrod Taylor was even more impressive that he was on my laptop.

His stats were pretty impressive for any quarterback. But they were especially impressive for a true freshman making his first collegiate start against a bowl team picked to win its conference. Taylor completed 18 of 31 passes for 287 yards, rushed for 40 yards (not couting the 32 yards lost when he was sacked) and ran for a touchdown. Take into account the three dropped passes and he would have been 21 of 31 for about 340 yards passing. Uh … wow!

While the stats are enough to make even the most stoic and reserved Hokie fan giggle like a little girl; what was more impressive is how comfortable and veteran-like Taylor appeared. It looked like he has been the starting QB for a couple of years. He never got flustered in the pocket when the pressure was on (watch the highlights here). Countless times he just floated gracefully away from danger, buying a precious extra second or two to make a John Elway like pass with nothing more than a flick of his wrist. I don’t think he ever cocked his arm back to throw a pass – just his wrist.

Taylor reminds me of three quarterbacks all rolled into one. He was John Elway-like zip on his passes; a quick release like Dan Marino and the poise and elusivity of a Steve Young. And he’s only 18! He even looked comfortable against LSU. This kid is the real deal and it is going to be an absolute pleasure to watch him play for at least the next three years. Set your DVRs folks, because kids like Tyrod only come around so often.

Glennon Fallout
There was a was an article in the Roanoke Times today – “Beamer: Booing Glennon Not Cool” – about Frank Beamer’s disappointment with Tech fans for booing the benched Sean Glennon. I understand where Frank is coming from and assuming someone from the media asked him about what he thought on the booing, he had no choice but to say he was disappointed. What else was he going to say?

The fans weren’t booing Glennon because of his disappointing performances during the last several games; rather, they were booing because of his attitude following his benching. Glennon said in a Washington Post article,”I hope the coaches realize I need to be on the field this year. If they don’t, I think a lot of programs would be willing to take me.” That was the straw that broke the fans back and caused them to boo. Sour grapes.

The tailgatefever.com Web site came up with a great script for Glennon to read from in future interviews. You can read the entire “interview” scenario on their site, but here is a brief excerpt that will give you an idea of what Glennon should have said following his benching.

From tailgatefever.com:

Interviewer: There are rumors that you are considering transferring to a school with a crappy program so you would be the best quarterback on the team. Is this true?

Glennon: I am a member of the Va. Tech football team, and I will do whatever I can to help my team win. Do I want to be the starter? You bet. But that is Coach Beamer’s decision. I don’t like his decision, and I am going to try to win my job back by getting better, but in the meantime I am going to do everything I can to help Tyrod get ready to lead this team to victory. If that means it is my job to signal in plays then so be it. The most important thing to me is for this team to win, and I am going to do my best to make sure that happens. Hopefully, that means things will work out for me. I still have two seasons left and a lot of things can change.

Had Glennon actually said something along these lines, the fans would have embraced him and applauded him when he entered the Ohio game in the final minutes. Instead, he aired his dirty laundry to the public and came across as a sore loser in the collective mind of the Hokie nation. This is why the fans booed him; not because of poor play, but because of poor sportsmanship. According to the fans I have spoken with, they feel that Glennon put himself first before the team. Anytime a player puts himself before the team, especially the Hokies, the fans will not respond kindly. I have a feeling Beamer knows all of this, but what else was he going to say?

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Okay, I have to admit this is the only blog post I have read from Tailgatefever.com, but it has to be one of the funniest. It is long, but man, is it worth reading! Check it out at http://www.tailgatefever.com/Handler.cfm?action=index.

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I read a Washington Post article (‘Shocked’ Glennon Heads to the Bench) about Sean Glennon being benched in favor of true freshman Tyrod Taylor and I was “shocked” at just how disillusioned Glennon really is.

In the article, Glennon is quoted as saying, “I feel like, not to say I’d make it, but that I have a shot at the next level.” I can only assume Glennon is referring to the NFL as the next level. If my assumtion is correct, I think someone needs to be up front with Sean and explain to him that he was never slated to be a starter at Virginia Tech. If everything had gone according to plan, he would have been a 2nd stringer at best during his entire career.

Glennon, a redshirt junior, is in his fourth year at Virginia Tech. He played in a couple of games in 2004, redshirted in 2005, started the entire 2006 season and played six quarters in 2007. Marcus Vick, had he not gotten into trouble, would have started the 2003 through 2005 seasons, and possibly the 2006 season (depending on his NFL draft potential) after redshirting in 2002. That left Ike Whitaker as the transition quarterback for the 2006 season (assuming Marcus left early), with Glennon and Cory Holt backing him up until Tyrod arrived for the 2007 season.

Unfortunately, Ike developed a crippling addiction to alcohol and despite head coach Frank Beamer’s repeated insistance that we would see more of Ike as the 2006 season wore on, we never saw Whitaker get into a game late in the season. After the regular season was over, Ike went public with his addiction and entered rehab voluntarily. He missed the bowl game and just before the 2007 season, he was moved permanently to split end.

I like Glennon and I firmly believe that he gave everything he had to the Tech football program. I also think it is admirable that he believes he can make it at the next level and if there is a team out there that is willing to give him a shot as a free agent, more power to him and best of luck.

But facts are facts and stats are stats. He couldn’t move the ball against East Carolina and his timing and progressions just haven’t improved enough to keep him as the starting quarterback of a major college football team. Not to mention the fact that he isn’t mobile, which is very important for a team with a poorly-performing offensive line.

One thing I have always said about Frank Beamer is that he is loyal to a fault. I think he gave Glennon more than a fair shake. In the eyes of most Hokie fans, I would venture a guess that they feel this change is long overdue. If Frank thinks it is time to pull you, then that should be enough to let you know that you were given every opportunity.

E-mail me at gary@vthokiefans.com.

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