Friday, April 2, 2010

Spring Football is Here!

I know most of you Hokie lovers are excited about this. Spring practice is in full swing, and the coaches have been giving updates to the media. I was boning up (snicker) on Kyle Tucker's blog, and have compiled some things to know about the upcoming season...
  1. We've never been more loaded at running back and fullback than we are right now. Ryan Williams and Darren Evans are being listed as #1 and #1A in practice, and should see relatively equal time on the field once the season starts. Kenny Lewis, Jr returned from a devastating Achilles injury and it looks like he will be around mostly to mentor the other running backs. Tony Gregory is in the mix (he of the 4.3 40-yard dash time). David Wilson is almost certainly going to be redshirted so that he can save a year of eligibility. Kenny Younger has a lot of experience at fullback and will be our top option, in the traditional sense of the word "fullback." That leaves Josh Oglesby... what will become of him? Stiney and the Billy Hite have decided to create a position for him called the "B-Back" where Josh will do some blocking, sure, but he will also be moved around the field in different two-back formations where he can catch the ball out of the backfield or run the ball with Williams or Evans blocking. I really like the idea... it's versatile and keeps the defense guessing. It just needs to be executed really well. I mean, we have a smorgasbord of options here, and they're all delicious and low-fat. Bon Apetit Hokie fans.
  2. TYROD. He's back and supposedly has been throwing with receivers during the whole offseason to improve his accuracy. This could be a huge season for TT, as he definitely gained confidence as the season progressed in '09. Stinespring admitted that they were too afraid of the back-up quarterback situation to call many designed running plays for Tyrod last season... they didn't want him getting hurt. Honestly, I am hoping they do the same thing this season. I really don't see Tyrod as being a gifted runner when he needs to hit a certain hole and power through. His best asset is scrambling when the offense breaks down and the defense is spread throughout the field... this is where he is absolutely devastating.
  3. The offense as a whole is exciting. We didn't lose much... the two least replaceable players are Ed Wang and Sergio Render from the offensive line, but I think we have some good options to use in their place. The wide receivers are all back and should be dominating their counterparts. We are a little thin at tight end, but starting TE Andre Smith is an excellent player, and it's being thrown around that possible-QB-in-waiting Logan Thomas could see time at tight end as well. He's such a ridiculous athlete that the coaches just want to find a way to get him on the field. Just thinking about our offense makes me want to throw up all over the place, but in a good way.
  4. The defense on the other hand has a lot of questions to answer. Bud Foster lost a lot of talent and a lot of playmakers, and we will need to see if backups can grow up and take on those roles. Make no mistake, there's a ludicrous amount of talent on the defensive side of the ball... it is just raw and untapped. Steven Friday and Chris Drager should do well from their defensive end spots. John Graves, if fully healthy, is a defensive force. Personally, I like Antoine Hopkins at the other defensive tackle spot... he really impressed me last season and seemed to be a disruptive presence, but he will need to get more consistent. I would also like to see if Alonzo Tweedy can win the whip role from Gouveia-Winslow. Tweedy was a tackling fiend on special teams, and I am hoping he can bring that over to the more disciplined formations.
  5. I am a little nervous about place kicking and punting... we lost some valuable players there and we're going to have to go with 2 unknowns. They will be thrown right into the fire against Boise State, and we can't afford for them to take a long time to establish themselves.
  6. Barquell Rivers is out injured until the fall... he absolutely needs to come back healthy as one of our few returning starters on defense. Bruce Taylor is a talented backup, but I would rather have the experience with so many other new faces.
  7. Jaron Hosley is jumping right into the field cornerback spot, and I think he is going to be our next great cornerback. Rock Carmichael is a nice player and a dependable guy, and I love having him back to lock down the boundary corner, but Hosley has the athletic prowess to pop people's eyes out of their sockets.
  8. Boise State returns something like 23 of 24 starters (if you count their kicker and punter). That's just stupid. They are going to put up a fight at FedEx Field... you can absolutely rely on that. The best way for VT to win is to control the ball on offense and take away from the amount of time the defense has to spend on the field. We have exactly the right personnel to finish the job, but will they? VT has been known for let-downs in the first game of the season... they can't afford to do that this year. They will have the crowd and the talent, which needs to overcome the experience of Boise State.
  9. What is Boise State's mascot? The mustang? The stallion? Why can't any university's mascot be "the horses?" Why does that sound so bad? A horse is both strong and tough... why do you need to get all euphemistic about the mascot name? Go Hokies! Beat those horses (into the ground).

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