2007-08 Hokie Hotline Notes for 9/10/07

The Hokie Hotline (football and basketball season)

When: Every Monday from 7:00-9:00 during football season, 7:00-8:00 during basketball season.

Where: Click here for a list of radio stations, and to find the link for listening to the show on the Internet (look to the right on the hokiesports.com page that loads when you click the link). You can see the show in person at Awful Arthur’s in Blacksburg, and you can also watch the archive on hokietv.com.

• Tech played hard on Saturday, but they had a lot of breakdowns.
  Structurally they were sound, but technique was bad at times.
• Once things start going south, it’s hard to recover. Ask some teams that
  the Hokies have blown out in the past.
• Tech still has the ability to be very good. They just have to do some soul
  searching and put it all together.
• LSU obviously hit on all cylinders. Mistakes magnify when you play teams
  like LSU.
• Tyrod Taylor can add another element for Tech on offense. He can throw it
  and run it. He is also extremely poised.
• Flowers’ personal foul on the first possession was uncalled for. It was
  going to be second and long, and he gave them a first down. LSU doesn’t need
  any help.
• Kam Chancellor and Cam Martin are good players. They are just a little bit
  tentative right now.
• The last thing Tech needs to do is press and panic. They just need to keep
  working.
• Foster told the players he isn’t going to point fingers at them because it
  all comes back to him. However, they probably aren’t going to like him too
  much after this week of practice.
• Ohio won the MAC and played in a bowl game last year. They are a
  well-coached team with an excellent tailback. They aren’t complicated, but
  they get it done.
• Macho Harris has a banged up hamstring, and Kory Robertson hurt himself
  while lifting on Monday. Other than that, the Hokie defense is healthy.
• Tech’s players are embarrassed by their performance. They will get better.

• The next two games are kicking off at 1:30, half an hour later than most
  non-TV games. Tech is doing this to give the fans a little more time to
  travel to the game.
• Next Monday we should find out the kickoff time of the UNC game. Noon is a
  good possibility.
• LSU has the fastest overall team speed of any team Weaver has seen. He was
  very impressed with their offensive diversity.
• The band is no longer allowed to play the “Stick it in” chant when the
  Virginia Tech offense is in the red zone. Weaver said something like that has
  no place in any stadium.
• The last true freshman who enrolled in the summer to start a game at
  quarterback for Tech was Steve Casey in 1978. Todd Greenwood started as a
  true freshman in 1982, but he had gone through spring practice.
• Weaver thought Tyrod Taylor handled himself very well on Saturday.

• Tech’s quarterback is going to have to move, whether they want him to or
  not. Glennon is accurate from the pocket, but not as accurate on the run.
• Taylor is very poised. He’s tough to rattle. He’s going to make some
  mistakes, but he’s also going to make some things happen. He led Tech to
  their only touchdown against LSU, and had a deep touchdown pass to Brandon
  Dillard that was dropped.
• This move isn’t so much about Sean Glennon as it is about where Tech’s
  offense is as a whole.
• This offensive line will get better, but it’s just a fact that Tech has to
  run the ball better.
• Tech has gotten behind on offense. They are catching back up, but it’s
  going to take a little while.
• Playing a team like LSU lets the Hokies know where they are. It will help
  them down the line, in conference play.
• Playcalling gets tougher when you aren’t having much success. It’s much
  easier to call second and six than second and ten.
• Beamer feels very strong about Tyrod Taylor’s ability to throw the ball,
  not just his running ability.
• Beamer talked to Michael Vick last week. Beamer is convinced that Vick has
  realized he messed up, and that he’ll work hard to make himself better.
• Beamer hasn’t considered making changes to the offensive staff. Tech has
  just gotten behind on the offensive line, which makes the whole offense look
  bad. The Hokies have had some of their highest scoring offenses ever under
  Bryan Stinespring.
• In man-to-man coverage, the quarterback needs to go ahead and throw deep
  when the receiver is even with the cornerback. Tech’s receivers have shown
  the ability to go up and get the ball.
• Brent Bowden has been punting the ball very well in games. So far he has
  been a great replacement for Nic Schmitt. Tech’s coverage teams were also
  very good against LSU.
• Beamer said he doesn’t like two quarterback systems. They’ve been down
  that road before.
• If Virginia Tech beats Ohio on Saturday, it will be Frank Beamer’s 200th
  career win.
• The staff realizes that the offense needs to be better. They think
  starting Tyrod Taylor is going to give the offense a spark.
• Branden Ore needs better holes to hit. Putting Tyrod Taylor on the field
  with him will only help him.
• Tyrod Taylor has a very good personality. The players like him, and
  people are naturally drawn to him. He is a very easy going guy, which
  helps the situation.
• Tech’s offense has put up some good numbers
  throughout the years. Last year wasn’t very good, and
  they are working hard to fix it.
• Frank Solich has done a great job at Ohio. They beat Illinois last year,
  and they also went to a bowl. They beat Ricky Bustle at
  Louisiana-Lafayette last weekend.

Monday was Day 1,017 of Virginia Tech’s continuous possession of the Commonwealth Cup.