As expected, Frank Beamer announced that r-sophomore Sean Glennon will start
the Hokies’ season opener against Northeastern on September 2. After reviewing
the tape of Saturday’s scrimmage, and factoring in Glennon’s progress since
camp opened, the coaching staff made the decision on Sunday. In Frank Beamer’s tenure as VT coach, the performance of first-year starting quarterbacks has gradually improved, and Glennon’s mandate will be to continue that trend.
The decision did not come as a surprise to most people. Glennon was listed as
the #1 quarterback at the conclusion of spring practice, and when practice
opened again on August 4, he quickly began to separate himself from the
competition.
Now the biggest question at quarterback is who will serve as Glennon’s
primary backup. Beamer told the media on Sunday that r-sophomore Cory Holt and
r-freshman Ike Whitaker are both listed at #2 on the depth chart, and they will
get the same amount of reps with the #2 offense over the next week.
If Glennon holds on to the starting job, he is setting himself up to possibly
be a three-year starter. Of Frank Beamer’s nine starting quarterbacks at
Virginia Tech, three have started for three seasons or more. Since Maurice
DeShazo in 1992-1994, only one of the last six starting quarterbacks, Bryan
Randall (2002-2004), has started at least three seasons.
| Starting Quarterbacks Under Frank Beamer |
|
Name |
Years as Starter |
Eric Chapman |
1986-87* |
Will Furrer |
1988-91 |
Maurice DeShazo |
1992-94 |
Jim Druckenmiller |
1995-96 |
Al Clark |
1997-98 |
Michael Vick |
1999-00 |
Grant Noel |
2001 |
Bryan Randall |
2002-04 |
Marcus Vick |
2005 |
Sean Glennon |
2006-? |
* Erik Chapman started one year under Bill Dooley and one year under Frank Beamer. |
|
Will Furrer, Maurice DeShazo and Bryan Randall have been the only quarterbacks
under Beamer to start for three or more seasons. Glennon has a chance to join
this group if he can continue to hold off Cory Holt and Ike Whitaker (and
perhaps Tyrod Taylor, but it’s a bit early to start that discussion).
More importantly, how did each of those players do in their first season as a
starter? Let’s take a look.
| VT’s First Year Starting QBs |
||||||
| Name | Year | Games | Comp-Att (Pct) |
Yards | TDs | INTs |
Will Furrer |
1988 | 11 | 128-279 (45.8%) | 1,384 | 6 | 16 |
Maurice DeShazo |
1992 | 11 | 101-215 (47.0%) | 1,504 | 12 | 11 |
Jim Druckenmiller |
1995 | 11 | 151-294 (51.4%) | 2,103 | 14 | 11 |
Al Clark |
1997 | 10 | 110-192 (57.3%) | 1,476 | 10 | 3 |
Michael Vick |
1999 | 10 | 90-152 (59.2%) | 1,840 | 12 | 5 |
Grant Noel |
2001 | 11 | 146-254 (57.5%) | 1,826 | 16 | 11 |
Bryan Randall |
2002 | 14 | 158-248 (63.7%) | 2,134 | 12 | 11 |
Marcus Vick |
2005 | 13 | 177-289 (61.2%) | 2,393 | 17 | 10 |
Average |
— | 11.4 | 132.6-240.4 (55.1%) | 1,832.5 | 12.4 | 9.8 |
There are some interesting stats in that group of players. Will Furrer was an
interception machine as a freshman, and those numbers continued, as he only had
one season that saw him throw more touchdown passes than interceptions (1990, 19
TDs, 11 INTs).
You might not think it, but Grant Noel put up a better
touchdown-to-interception ratio in his first year as a starter than Maurice
DeShazo and Jim Druckenmiller. Noel also owned the Virginia Tech record for most
touchdown passes by a first year starter (16), until Marcus Vick broke the
record in 2005. However, Vick played 13 games in 2005, while Noel played just 11
in 2001 (bowl games did not count towards final stats back then).
Many people considered Bryan Randall’s weakness to be his accuracy, but he
was the most accurate first year passer that Beamer has had. Randall’s 58.8%
completion percentage for his career is the best mark in Virginia Tech history.
These numbers are just some of the things that Sean Glennon will be judged by
during the 2006 season.
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