Hokie Hotline Notes for 10/6/08

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.


Bryan Stinespring

  • The offense has improved. Obviously it didn’t show up on Saturday like it
    did against Nebraska.
  • The offense did pretty well in the first half, and at halftime they talked
    about playing with more energy. In the first drive of the second half they
    did that. The Hokies went right down the field and scored. After that, they
    didn’t play well down the stretch.
  • Tech had trouble in the red zone on Saturday. The first was because of two
    penalties, and the second was because of a turnover. The Hokies can’t get
    behind the chains.
  • Stinespring wishes the receivers were further along, but that’s not
    realistic right now. They are still freshmen. It’s a process for young
    players. Every game they are seeing something different.
  • Tech is going to bring a couple of receivers up from the scout team and
    try to get them involved during the bye week. Patrick Terry will be one of
    those guys. He dressed for the first time against Western Kentucky. Prince
    Parker will be another that gets more reps.
  • After watching the game, Tech played very hard. They just didn’t play
    well. They probably weren’t mentally alert.
  • On one of the sacks, a Western Kentucky player grabbled Ryan Shuman’s face
    mask and held him, preventing him from getting to his gap. There was a
    mental era from one of the tight ends that caused a sack. One of the
    tailbacks reacted too late to a blitz on another sack. Sean Glennon probably
    held the ball a bit too long on another. It’s not always the offensive line
    not being able to execute.
  • The team has a great amount of respect for Kenny Lewis. It broke a lot of
    people’s hearts to see him go down. When Tech scored their final touchdown,
    there was not really anybody celebrating on the sideline because of what
    happened to Lewis. Stinespring asked one of his players why he didn’t
    celebrate after the touchdown, and the player said he didn’t feel like it
    was the thing to do at the time.
  • On the fourth and inches, if the staff had it to do over again, they’d go
    for it.
  • If Stinespring could improve on one thing in the bye week, it would be the
    ability to make more big plays. Tech needs more long plays, either out of
    the running game or passing game. One of their goals each week is to have
    five plays or more of 20+ yards. Tech’s best this year has been two plays of
    over 20 yards in a game. (Editor’s Note: According to the
    play breakdown of the Nebraska box score
    , VT had five plays of 20+
    yards.)
  • Some of Stinespring’s play calls in the second half were geared to try and
    get the ball down the field. They are going to have to do that before the
    year is out. The only way to do that is to work on it.
  • Greg Boone did a great job on his touchdown catch. He got matched up in
    man-to-man coverage and did a good job of beating it.
  • Tech’s most productive play this year is probably a single back, two tight
    end formation, zone block run. It’s probably averaging over five yards per
    carry.
  • Boston College has an outstanding nose guard in Ron Brace. He could play
    for anyone in the ACC.
  • BC has great run stoppers. You really can’t move those defensive tackles.
    You have to mix up when you run the ball and where you run the ball. The
    also have excellent linebackers, including Mark Herzlich.

Seth Greenberg

  • Jeff
    Allen has done a great job improving his body in the offseason. The Big
    Doughnut isn’t really a good name for him anymore. He’s about 255 now. He’s
    quicker. He really bought into Coach Jackson and the strength and
    conditioning program.
  • Tech will have "Late Night with the Hokies" on Friday, October
    17. It will be at 9pm, following the volleyball game. (Editor’s Note: Read
    here
    for more details.)
  • They are trying to build on the enthusiasm they created at the end of last
    season. The student body has been great, and it’s been a way to reward them.
    It’s also a reward for the players.
  • The players will do a skit, and one student will get to have a shooting
    competition with either A.D. Vassallo or Malcolm Delaney.
  • It’s very important to reach out to the community. The event is open to
    anyone and everyone. There will be a dunk contest and a scrimmage.
  • This is still a young basketball team. Out of 12 scholarship players,
    eight are freshmen or sophomores.
  • Tech needs to find a stopper. Deron Washington could guard anyone from a
    point guard to a power forward.
  • Malcolm Delaney is the leader of the team. He emerged as the leader
    because he is not afraid. That comes from his quarterback background in high
    school. He can take control of a huddle.

Jim Weaver

  • The Western Kentucky athletic director called Weaver on Monday and was
    very complimentary of Tech’s fans and program.
  • So far this year, Tech has taken the band to Charlotte for ECU, as well as
    to UNC. The band won’t be taking any long trips. It would mean chartering a
    second plane.
  • There are new LED lights in Cassell Coliseum. It should enhance the fan
    experience this year.
  • The BC game is at night, the Miami game is at night, and the FSU game
    could be at night as well. Weaver wishes some of these night games were in
    Blacksburg.
  • The volleyball team is doing a great job this year. They are in first
    place in the ACC.

Frank Beamer

  • The players really played hard against Western Kentucky. They just weren’t
    as sharp as they needed to be. Tech came out right after halftime and
    scored, then got into kind of a lull after that.
  • Tech should have gone for it on fourth and inches. The new clock rules got
    them a little bit. They weren’t sure right away whether it was fourth and a
    yard or fourth and inches.
  • Beamer would have taken 5-1 and 2-0 at the beginning of the season. They
    knew they’d have to do some coaching coming into the year. This might be one
    of the few teams in the country that has two freshmen tailbacks and three
    freshmen receivers. Throw in a sophomore quarterback, and Tech is very young
    at the skill positions.
  • Beamer feels good about Josh Oglesby. Sometimes he doesn’t play as well as
    he practices, but getting more times should help that. He’s really got
    ability. They have confidence in Dustin Pickle as well.
  • Beamer thinks Jahre Cheeseman is going to be a great fullback. They’d like
    to keep him there.
  • They’d like to give Patrick Terry a chance to return kicks. They’ll work
    on that on Tuesday. He’s a fast guy. Ervin Garner is another very fast
    player who could factor in. Beamer is interested in taking a look at Pickle
    there as well. He’s a North-South guy, which is what you need on kickoff
    returns.
  • Tech hasn’t covered well on kickoffs the last couple weeks. They also
    haven’t kicked the ball well on kickoffs. They need to get that fixed.
  • Tech’s receivers need to work on getting more separation. They are getting
    beat up a little bit right now. Everybody has to get better. They are
    working very hard at it.
  • Tech got back from Nebraska at 5:30am on Sunday. It takes a few days to
    get back onto the same sleep schedule.
  • Orion Martin is working with Lester Karlin on the uniforms right now. They
    decided to wear orange against Western Kentucky.
  • Beamer would like to get Jahre Cheeseman the ball a bit at fullback. They’d
    like to throw it to him in the flats. He’s quick, and you can really use
    quickness at fullback. He could be a Jarrett Ferguson type.
  • They are really going to work on the kickoff return vs. the kickoff
    coverage. Neither has been as good as they need to be.
  • Tech has to get better across the board, especially on special teams.
    These games are going to be close down the stretch, and special teams can
    make the difference.

Monday was Day 1,409 of Virginia Tech’s continuous possession of the
Commonwealth Cup.