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.
Mike O’Cain
- Tyrod Taylor is playing like a true freshman. There is good and bad. You live
with it, because you knew it was going to be like this. His groin injury is fine, and
he should be 100% for Clemson. - Looking back, they probably asked him to do a little more than he was capable
of at this stage. They can scale that back. - Sometimes he isn’t comfortable in the pocket. Sometimes he watches the pass
rush too much. Sometimes he holds the ball in the pocket too long. - It would have been the best thing for everybody if Taylor could have redshirted, but Tech needed him.
- Sean Glennon did a great job in coming into the game with no warm up throws
and completing a 10 yard pass to Josh Morgan. That set up Dunlevy’s 52 yard
field goal. - Tech slowed down the backside defensive end with that reverse on the first
play. That was the goal of the play. - Offensive troubles are coming from a combination of things. They aren’t
hitting on all cylinders. Some players are pressing. Everybody is part of the
struggles so far. - Stinespring and Kevin Sherman relay information from the press box to O’Cain
during the game. For example, if the defense is blitzing a lot on first down,
that information will get passed to O’Cain, who will pass it to Tyrod Taylor.
O’Cain is basically on the sideline to make sure the quarterback’s head
stays in the game. - Taylor doesn’t have the discipline yet to drop back, keep his eye focused
on the safety or linebacker, and throw the football. - They still have the pistol formation in the playbook. They didn’t use it
the last two games, but they will use it again. - Nick Marshman has played pretty well at tackle, considering he’s not a
tackle. He’s an inside player. Ed Wang returning would give them more
versatility, but people need to remember that Wang has never played tackle in a
college game. - You don’t beat Clemson by being finesse. You have to line up and hit them
in the mouth.
Jim Weaver
- Fall ACC meetings are taking place at Maryland on Tuesday and Wednesday. They
will likely talk about basketball scheduling. They have been discussing moving
to an 18 game conference schedule. They will likely stay at 16 for now. - A “buy” game for basketball, which are home games against schools such as
Elon, cost anywhere from $60,000 to $100,000. - Weaver would not have thought USF would have been able to break into the Top
10 this quickly. This is just their 11th season with a football team.
Florida is the perfect state to start a football program. - Weaver thinks LSU should be #1. He doesn’t know if they are the best team
he’s ever seen, but they are the fastest team he’s ever seen. - It was easy to get Pierson Prioleau back for the game. The Redskins had an
off week, and Prioleau lives over near the River Course.
Frank Beamer
- Tech was really close to making a lot of big plays offensively and on special
teams against UNC. They’re going to have to make those plays if they hope to
beat Clemson. It will be a very difficult atmosphere. - Beamer is no more involved with the offensive staff than any other year. He
watches tape with them, but he has great confidence in the staff. - Brandon Holland played well against UNC. They have been discussing
alternating him a bit with Sergio Render. - Beamer was somewhat in favor of playing some of the true freshmen linemen,
but remembers back to Dave Kadela and Matt Lehr, who played as freshmen but didn’t
get a lot of plays. In hindsight, those guys should have redshirted and been at
VT through 2001. - Cam Martin was named ACC Defensive Back of the Week. He had 10 tackles and 3
sacks against UNC. He played a great game, and so did his brother Orion. Xavier
Adibi also had an exceptional game. - Tyrod looks to the sideline a lot to get the play from the coaches. Beamer
thinks that sometimes it disrupts the flow of the game for the offense, so they
hope to get more efficient at it. - Tyrod Taylor practiced on Monday. He’s a bit sore, but he practiced just
fine. Branden Ore practiced, and he’s getting treatment. Hopefully he’ll be
full tilt on Saturday. - Ed Wang came out in blue (limited). He felt good about his ankle, and he
wants to get more work on Tuesday. - Clemson has beaten 6 of the last 7 ranked teams they’ve faced at home.
There is a lot pressure on both teams in this game. - UNC took a step forward against Tech. They are going to be a good team. When
T.J. Yates doesn’t throw interceptions, they have a chance to win any game. - To stop Clemson’s running game, you have to be very gap conscious. That’s
how the Hokies had success against them last year. The Tigers have a better
passing game this year than they did last season. - The late hit on Cam Martin was a bad call. It was a clean hit, and it was not
late. It was just great pressure by Martin. The calls on Chris Ellis and Greg
Boone were legit calls. - Tech knows what they are getting into on Saturday. Clemson isn’t going to
surprise anybody. The Hokies just have to play well. - Tech’s kicking game is going very, very well right now. The defense appears
to be back to form. It was around this time last year that the offense began to
run the ball better, and they are hopeful that happens again this year.
Monday was Day 1,038 of Virginia Tech’s continuous possession of the Commonwealth Cup.
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