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Bryan Stinespring
- Stinespring said the offense isn’t where they need to be yet, but they
have the potential to get there. They are adding another scrimmage on
Wednesday to help progress, and to take a harder look at some players. - Part of the offense’s problems in practice is the Tech defense. They are
one of the top defenses in the country, and they are very tough up front.
Tech’s inexperience on offense makes that a tough matchup. - Stinespring said Branden Ore is really emerging this August. Sergio Render
has been plugged into the starting lineup. He’s still making mistakes, but
they feel very good about him. Nick Marshman is better at tackle than at
guard. - Greg Boone would start at tight end if the Hokies played a game tomorrow.
He’s a big guy who is very agile, and he can catch the ball. He can push
players around at the line of scrimmage. Sam Wheeler has been doing a good
job, but a toe injury set him back. - Cory Holt and Ike Whitaker are still competing for the #2 quarterback
spot. The scrimmage on Wednesday will be huge for those guys. - Stinespring said they have been exploring ways to get the ball to the
people who can make a difference, such as the wide receivers. They’ll also
use more fullback sets this season. - True freshman Zach Luckett is very talented. They’ll know after
Wednesday whether or not they will redshirt him. They would like to play him
so he can get some valuable experience.
Jim Weaver
- Weaver mentioned that the athletic department will take greater security
measures this season. - The student gates at the north end of the stadium are being reconfigured,
and there will be a brand new gate in the middle of the back of the East
Stands. - A security outfit has been hired to handle gate inspections rather than
have the Lane Stadium ushers do that. There will be undercover police
officers patrolling the stadium as well. - Weaver spent more time talking about poor fan behavior, which he said
occurs primarily because some fans “consume too much alcohol”. He also
said it doesn’t happen as much with the students as some would like to
believe, but rather regular fans. 
Northeastern is the first opponent because the Hokies needed an opponent
and Northeastern agreed. It will be on ESPN360. Hokie Playback will also
carry the game on Sunday on WDBJ7 and Comcast.- Weaver was asked about teams that have turned down offers to play the
Hokies. Since he arrived in Blacksburg, three teams have called him wanting
to play Tech. All other games have been scheduled because the Hokies
initiated contact. “They just don’t want to get beat, I’ll flat out
tell you like it is,” Weaver said. Nebraska and two D-1AA schools were the
three that contacted Weaver. - Weaver said he believes in scheduling for success. But when your program
matures, you play at a different level. Tech was supposed to play Auburn (in
2010 and 2011) and Illionois (2012 and 2013), but they changed their minds.
Wisconsin backed out of the deal with Tech in 2008 and 2009.
Frank Beamer
- Beamer described the team as a “work in progress”. The defensive front
is really good and the defense plays fast. The kickers are very good, and
special teams has been a main focus of the preseason. - Beamer wishes the NCAA would pass the five year eligibility rule. Tech has
about five freshmen who are ready to play special teams, but not necessarily
take snaps on offense or defense. Specifically, Beamer mentioned Zach
Luckett, Jason Adjepong, John Graves, Kam Chancellor and Nekos Brown. - The scrimmage on Wednesday is being held to give several backups a chance
to step up, and to further evaluate some true freshmen. - Ike Whitaker and Cory Holt are still competing for the #2 quarterback
position. Whitaker really made some plays on Saturday, but the last two
plays weren’t very good, especially the interception for a touchdown. The
Hokies need consistency. - Xavier Adibi has played very well, and Chris Ellis was great in the
scrimmage. Brandon Pace has been crushing his field goals, and has gotten
really good on kickoffs. The first team secondary is very impressive. - Beamer said the team is better at linebacker than they thought they would
be at one point over the summer. Some backups have made some good progress. - The ACC will not have a down year. There will be very good teams in the
conference this year. They need to start winning the big games, like BCS
bowls and premier out-of-conference matchups. - True freshman tight end Andre Smith has been having some good practices.
He is athletic and he can make plays. He could factor into the rotation at
tight end. He could use some more strength, but he might be able to play. - Since Darryl Tapp is now in the NFL, Aaron Rouse is now carrying the lunch
pail, and doing a very good job with it. He’s developed into a leader. - Beamer said the Hokies are doing really well in recruiting. They
definitely got on a roll over the summer. Their summer camp really helped
things. - Defensive tackle Cordarrow Thompson will play this year. He’s really
good at the point of attack. He needs to get a little more consistent, but
he can be a very good player. He’s a load inside. - William Wall is capable of making plays as well. He had a great summer of
preparation. He needs to maintain his focus. He made some big plays in the
spring game. Orion Martin is really important to the team. He has been
playing very well at defensive end, and he will also play on most of the
special teams. - Beamer noted that he is trying to get bigger and taller guys on his punt
blocking team. They are going to keep working on it and try to find the
right combination.
Monday was Day 632 of Virginia Tech’s continuous possession of the Commonwealth Cup
and day 688 of Virginia Tech’s continuous possession of the Black Diamond
Trophy. (Starting next week, we will no longer calculate the Black Diamond
Trophy figure.)
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