The Hokies held their first full scrimmage of August on Tuesday afternoon in Lane Stadium. As usual, the defense dominated. The offense couldn’t get much accomplished against Bud Foster’s defense. However, there were bright spots on the offensive side of the ball, mostly on the offensive line and in the backfield.

First of all, the overall MVP of the scrimmage was probably punter Brent Bowden. He had a terrific day. All of his punts had good height, and he got them off cleanly. He didn’t have a single shank all day. He had a great 2007 season, so it’s not a surprise, but he certainly deserves mention for his performance today.

Tech’s offensive line does look much improved. First of all, this is the most physically impressive looking offensive line in quite some time. The starters have all slimmed down, and even Nick Marshman looks in shape. Sergio Render and Ryan Shuman looked better than they have ever looked.

Their blocking looks better as well. They didn’t dominate, but few do dominate Bud Foster’s defense. However, there were a few running lanes at times, and guys like Kenny Lewis, Darren Evans and Josh Oglesby had their moments. More on the running backs later.

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