2007-08 Hokie Hotline Notes for 9/17/07

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.

• It’s very good that 11 different players caught passes on Saturday. It
  means they are spreading the ball around and everyone is a threat.
• The four receivers haven’t collectively played a good game. They are all
  good, but they are inconsistent as a group. They’ve got to get better on
  their routes and coverage recognition.
• Ike Whitaker has to get used to playing in space. He knows the offense and
  what the receivers should do. He has embraced the move to receiver.
• Tech has a balanced offense. They have passed it 103 times this year and
  run it 103 times, according to Sherman.
• They added the Pistol formation, with a running back lined up directly
  behind Taylor, who is in the shotgun.
• Taylor throws a real tight spiral and sometimes the receivers have trouble
  catching up with it.
• Nothing rattles Taylor. He is extremely poised. He just stays cool under
  pressure and makes plays.
• Right now, Zach Luckett, Brandon Dillard and Ike Whitaker will be the main
  guys at receiver next year. They are red shirting Danny Coale and Patrick
  Terry.
• Tech doesn’t have a disadvantage recruiting great receivers.
• William & Mary has a big-time offense. They are fun to watch. They
  will come in trying to win.
• Josh Morgan broke a finger last week, and had a pin put in it. Then he
  went out and caught six passes on Saturday.

• From now on, there will be no “We are Virginia Tech” cheer. It will go
  back to “Let’s Go Hokies” only.
• There will be a flyover with a C-17 cargo plane on Saturday for the
  William & Mary game. Tech fans have the Corps of Cadets to thank for all
  the flyovers.
• The UNC game will start at noon. The game was picked up by Lincoln
  Financial/Raycom.
• The Marching Virginians are going to Virginia, and possibly Duke. They are
  having bus problems for the Duke game, so that is up in the air.
• Tech likes to play 1-AA teams from the state of Virginia because it keeps
  the money in the state. In the future, they will play Furman and Appalachian
  State from out-of-state.
• Saturday’s officiating crew was the same crew that did the Insight Bowl
  back in 2003.
• Television scripts when each team enters the field, but there was no TV
  for Saturday’s game. Ohio decided to take the field as soon as Enter Sandman
  started.
• There has been no consideration to making the North End zone general
  admission for the students.

• Tech is a good football team right now, but they aren’t as good as they
  are going to be. They have to improve and be more consistent. They have to
  take care of the ball and score in the red zone.
• Ed Wang is back walking in practice. They are hoping they can get him back
  for the Duke game.
• Branden Ore just needs to get some running room and get going. The most
  concerning thing about him is that he’s had two fumbles.
• Kenny Lewis, Jr. did a nice job running the ball. He needs to work a
  little on his pass protection.
• The offense is working hard, and they’ve got all the right pieces in
  place. They just have to keep working and improving.
• Brandon Flowers’ personal foul penalty was very questionable. He will not
  be punished for that penalty.
• Beamer likes counter motion. It takes people out of their pass defense
  responsibilities, and you have to defend the field horizontally.
• Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi played an exceptional game on Saturday. Chris
  Ellis and Carlton Powell were very good up front as well.
• Tech fans need to stay off Sean Glennon. Booing a college athlete is
  wrong, unless he’s just out there not playing hard. But that’s never been
  the case with Glennon.
• Personal fouls are tough for the defense. Some have been called that were
  deserved, and others were not. It’s a fine line. You have to have
  intelligent recklessness.
• Vince Hall was named the Defensive Lineman of the Week for the ACC. He had
  a great game against Ohio.
• Beamer would prefer to play all the non-conference games first, like they
  are doing this year. That way they can work out all the kinks before
  conference play starts.
• Fullbacks are very valuable to Tech’s offense. However, you’d rather have
  the ball in Branden Ore’s hands and use the fullbacks to block.
• Tech has talked with West Virginia about offense. The WVU coaching staff
  came to Blacksburg back in the spring.
• Beamer said he has been fortunate to have great coaches and players around
  him. A lot of things have happened for him to get to 200 wins.
• William & Mary coach Jimmy Laycock is a good friend of Beamer’s. They
  were assistants together at The Citadel. William & Mary can really play
  offense. They always move the ball very well.

Monday was Day 1,024 of Virginia Tech’s continuous possession of the Commonwealth Cup.