2007-08 Hokie Hotline Notes for 8/20/07

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.


Bud Foster

  • Each practice has been good. Each day the team has accomplished something,
    and that’s really shown up in the scrimmages. VT appears to be ahead of the
    game right now.
  • Mike Gentry did a great job with the team over the summer. Just about
    everybody stayed for the second summer session, and some seniors like Vince
    Hall and Carlton Powell reported back in the best shape of their career.
  • Xavier Adibi has put on weight. Part of it is a case of his lower body has
    caught up with his upper body.
  • Backup linebackers Brett Warren and Purnell Sturdivant really improved in
    the spring, summer, and now in August. Foster has confidence in both of his
    backups.
  • Jason Worilds (formerly Adjepong) and Nekos Brown have had great camps.
    There really isn’t much, if any, dropoff from the first group of ends to the
    second group.
  • Cam Martin has won the whip linebacker position. He is finally healthy. He
    has really played well over the first two scrimmages. He is playing very
    fast and very confident.
  • Kam Chancellor at rover has a chance to be a very special player. He’s
    big, and he’s athletic. Foster also has a lot of confidence in backup rover
    Dorian Porch.
  • Macho Harris also has a chance to be special. He’s bigger and more
    explosive. He’s having a great camp. Tech could have two lock down
    cornerbacks this season.
  • Foster is very impressed with Tyrod Taylor. He had an excellent
    upbringing, and he has excellent poise. And he has a lot of talent. He’s
    shown toughness, and he’s shown great leadership skills while running the
    third team offense.
  • East Carolina’s quarterback is a big pocket passer. He’s a new starter
    with a very live arm. They’ll also be using some new tailbacks and a few new
    offensive linemen.

Jim Weaver

  • College Gameday is returning to Blacksburg for the East Carolina game.
    For the first hour, the show will air from the soccer practice field next to
    Lane Stadium. For the second hour of the show, it will air from inside Lane
    Stadium. That way everyone can attend the show and not miss pregame
    ceremonies.
  • Weaver encouraged fans to be in their seats by 11:40. There will likely be a
    flyover before the game starts.
  • Weaver thinks Tech could fill the stadium with as many as 70,000 people each
    week, but he said pro stadiums are trying to stay in the mid-60s to make sure
    demand is still there.
  • Expanding the North end zone like the South End zone is not cost effective.
    There are already 5,500 seats in the North end zone, and it cost $1.9 million.
    The 11,000 seats in the South end zone cost $37 million. There is no reason to
    spend that much money to add another 5,500 seats in the North end zone.
  • Also, expanding the North end zone would take out a big part of the practice
    field. Weaver is very happy with the way Lane Stadium is right now.
  • This fall, the athletic department will set their graduation rate record.
    Weaver can’t directly say the exact number, but he did say that Tech beat
    their previous record of 74% by 2%.
  • As far as the NCAA Clearinghouse goes, they are really busy this time of
    year. It’s not always their fault. Sometimes the papers aren’t submitted in
    time, and sometimes there are other factors. It’s a tough job this time of
    year.

Frank Beamer

  • The scrimmage on Friday is now open to the public. The players need
    something to be excited about. They get tired of hitting each other all
    month. Practice starts at 4:15 and the scrimmage begins at 4:45.
  • The team has practiced very well in August. The scrimmage Saturday was
    very good. There were good things offensively and defensively. Beamer likes
    the opportunities this team has, now it’s just a matter of playing one game
    at a time.
  • True freshman tight end Chris Drager is very likely to play this year.
    Cris Hill and Davon Morgan could play in the secondary, but it’s not
    finalized yet. Defensive tackle Kwamaine Battle could also play, depending
    on how his shoulders hold up. Jaymes Brooks and Blake DeChristopher will
    continue to get work on the offensive line.
  • Tyrod Taylor is very impressive. He’s very talented, he’s very smart, and
    he’s calm and poised. He’s always in control of the huddle. He’s also a very
    good person. They haven’t made a decision on whether or not to red shirt
    him. But you can just sense that he’s very good.
  • Sean Glennon did well in Saturday’s scrimmage. The offensive line should
    be better. The wide receivers and tailbacks are very good, as well as the
    fullbacks. The offense will be better, and Sean Glennon will perform well
    for Tech.
  • The team has been very focused in every practice. During two-a-days in the
    past, sometimes players will just go through the motions in the second
    practice of the day. Tech is practicing just once per day this year.
  • Tommy Bowden called Beamer asking about the new practice format. Beamer
    told him the only thing that concerned him was losing that toughness edge.
    Bowden responded that he didn’t think that will be a problem for Virginia
    Tech.
  • Beamer would like to play an exhibition game in college football. Players
    get tired of hitting each other in the preseason. They need to go out and
    hit somebody else.
  • Davon Morgan and Cris Hill are exceptional athletes. They could play this
    year. They will be very quality players.
  • Jason Worilds is a guy that has a chance to be very good. He’s fast coming
    off the edge. He had a great scrimmage two Saturdays ago.
  • Greg Boone is a tight end. They haven’t thought about moving him to
    offensive line. He needs to drop a few pounds, but he has great footwork and
    really gives Tech some things at tight end.
  • Nick Marshman is doing okay at tackle. He needs to drop a few pounds
    because it would make him a better football player.
  • Skip Holtz has done a nice job at East Carolina. All of Tech’s attention
    needs to be focused towards them. They have some good defensive players
    coming back from a team that went to a bowl last year.
  • Roland Minor’s status is still up in the air. He has a project that has to
    be finished up, and they’ll know more at that point. His status could decide
    whether or not Cris Hill is red shirted.
  • Recruiting is going great so far. Beamer likes the players they have so
    far, and there are a few more out there that they really want. An early
    signing date could happen, and it would be a good thing since these recruits
    are committing so early.
  • 10 of Tech’s 11 starters on defense are from Virginia. Nine of the 11
    starters on offense are from Virginia. And Brandon Flowers and Josh Morgan
    played prep school football in Virginia. Sergio Render is the only starter
    with no football ties to the state of Virginia before playing at Virginia
    Tech.
  • The Hokies did not practice on Monday because it was the first day of
    school. They will practice Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and then
    scrimmage on Friday.
  • William Alvarez is doing very well. It’s tough enough for a freshman
    lineman, even more so for a guy who comes out late. But he’s going to be
    very good. All of the freshman linemen are going to be very good.
  • Beamer likes the fact that Tech is ranked so high (#9 in both polls). That’s
    what you strive for. It means you’re good. Now they just have to go out and
    play well.
  • The scrimmage on Friday will be game-like. There will be four quarters.
    Beamer wants to see how certain players respond to a game situation.

Monday was Day 996 of Virginia Tech’s continuous possession of the Commonwealth Cup.