Virginia Tech wraps up spring, looks ahead to Boise State
by Kevan Lee on Apr 27, 2010 7:57 AM PDT
in Boise State football
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PrintThe Virginia Tech Hokies wrapped up spring practice last weekend with their annual Maroon and White Game. Next stop: Boise State on Labor Day.
After the jump, see some highlights of Virginia Tech's spring game, and find out where Boise State has the upper hand on the Hokies. What can Bronco fans learn from Virginia Tech's spring? Let's discuss.
Virginia Tech's spring game recap
As most schools do for the spring game, Virginia Tech split up its players and dispersed its starters between the two sides, which was good for competitive balance but bad for trying to get a feel for how well any one unit will play together this fall.
The immediate result was defense > offense, so much so that the first words out of VT blog Key Play were these:
Aside from a few bright spots, the offense was pretty stale and boring. There was very little flow and only a couple of sustained drives.
As such, the offensive highlight ended up being a six-yard gain on a pass to the flats.
ACC football ... it's faaaantastic!
Typically it comes as no surprise when a defense is ahead of an offense during spring ball, but keep in mind that the Hokies are replacing seven starters on defense. Worried much, Frank Beamer?
"I thought it was a good spring game," Tech head coach Frank Beamer said. "I thought the effort was good and the hitting was good."
"Effort and hitting"? What is this, a Nevada spring game report?
Beamer and VT bloggers pointed out players like DE Steven Friday, FS Antone Exum, and RB Tony Gregory as some of the stars of the spring game. And similar to Boise State, the Hokies had a backup QB battle on their hands - one that took a decided turn in favor of Logan Thomas thanks to plays like this:
Catching up with ... QB Tyrod Taylor
By all accounts, Taylor had a superb spring, so get ready to hear way too much about him from VT fans over the next four months. Taylor went 4-for-8 for 76 yards in the spring game, nearly had a pass picked, showed good mobility, and held a clipboard like a champ (coaches sat Taylor for the second half). In other words, he was Colin Kaepernick.
Catching up with ... VT offensive line
As mentioned before, the Hokies' biggest offensive hurdle will be replacing the left side of its offensive line. I wonder how that's coming along ...
The offensive line wasn't a complete train wreck, but it definitely hampered the Maroon and White offenses from getting into any kind of rhythm.
It wasn’t the best performance by the offensive line
For the most part, the defensive lines handled the offensive lines. It's not as bad as it sounds though.
Some of the troubles were attributed to the starting offensive line being split between the Maroon and White teams. Some was attributed to injuries. Still others were attributed to DE Steven Friday. Speaking of whom ...
Catching up with ... the guy who's replacing DE Jason Worilds
As part of the Hokies' great defensive exodus of 2009, VT lost playmakers at some notable positions, particularly DE. Enter Steven Friday.
Friday beat backup OT Andrew Lanier on the play, which is only kind of ironic when you consider what Gobbler Country wrote about Lanier prior to the start of the spring game:
Lanier is a capable left tackle who will probably be out to prove that his battle with Becton for the starting job isn't over yet.
I believe it is over now.
What to take away from Virginia Tech's spring
As many Bronco fans assumed, VT's defense is going to be just fine. Reports out of Blacksburg said that redshirt freshman FS Antone Exum was everywhere in the spring game (4 tackles, 3 PBUs), and Steven Friday's stat line (4 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 safety) was super impressive. VT is well on its way to finding players to fill in the holes left by its seven departed defenders.
The continuing QB maturity of Tyrod Taylor is another big storyline of the spring. He seems entrenched as the leader of the offense, and he figures to get a lot more attention this offseason as the Hokie offense is just as much about his passing/running as it is about the RB duo of Darren Evans and Ryan Williams.
Speaking of the Hokies' two dynamic running backs, neither did a whole lot in the spring game. Williams was held out of the game (and many practices) due to a bruised knee, and Evans was held in check as he continues working back to full speed on a reconstructed knee. The Hokies figure both to be 100 percent come the start of the season, but considering each player's injury history, you have to wonder.
The VT offensive line might bear the most scrutiny. Excuses aside, it sounds like the line did not play extremely well in the spring game, and given what the Boise State defensive line is capable of doing, that will be a big problem for VT on Labor Day.
Your turn
What do you take from VT's spring game results? Think Boise State's defensive line has a decided advantage on the Hokie O-line? Nervous about Tyrod Taylor? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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McClellan, 'Swyk, Crawford, and Marshall....
Things are looking good for these DE if VT decides to throw the ball…
Our offense better score to make sure they become one dimensional in order for them to forget the run game and play catch up…
Get READY FOR SOME WHAT???!?!?!? SACKSSsssssssssssssssssssssssssss…
If not Winston Venable will Superman Your Ass…….
Have A Nice Day (Even though the weather is completely miserable like the Vandals Defense)
Be Perfect Waterbug!!
The Starting O-Line was split between the two teams.
We are missing 3 key O-Line players due to injury right now and it showed in the spring game. All 3 are expected to be back either over the summer or for fall practice. Our starting O-Line will be much better than this cut and paste group at the spring game.
Ryan Williams has been held since 4/17 with a bruised knee and was ready to go at the spring game but coaches said he didn’t have anything to prove and are really looking for our 3rd string RB to solidify his spot so that they can make a decision on red shirting David Wilson. I think that 3rd guy will be Tony Gregory as he has had a great spring.
Other than the line being split up, i think our real issue with depth as far as offense goes is at TE. We have one solid started and after that it just drops off.
Thanks for the info
Are the three O-line players who were out with injuries expected to be starters?
"Lunch has been canceled today due to lack of hustle." - Tony Perkis
Via and Painter are the two we are missing the most, both backups.
Via is good enough to challenge our starting LT for playing time, and he is our backup center (started 3 games last season and performed very well). Painter is our backup RG. LG backup Barfield is also injured.
Right now Virginia Tech only has four healthy scholarship players at the three interior offensive line positions. One of them, left guard David Wang, has never taken a snap during his college career.
Needless to say we can’t afford any more injures to our Offensive Line, but when fall comes around i expect our starting unit to be good and our backups to be healthy.
I'm not reading too much into this
It’s spring ball, there are bound to be these kinds of issues. We saw it a little bit with the Broncos too.
by hummerofdoom on Apr 27, 2010 10:45 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I'm not concerned about their defense....
Could it really be better than TCU last year? I don’t think so. I think the difference between the game could come down to our D-Line vs. their O-Line. If they can give Tyrod time to throw and holes to run through, it may be a long game!
Someday I hope to look in a mirror and see something special... something like a coach pete protoge'.
Exactly
I’m not concerned about their defense….
Could it really be better than TCU last year?
It’s pretty hard to imagine a harder defense than TCU over the past few years.
"Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish."
1) Our D has been better than TCU's for the last decade. 2) Boise scored one TD vs them
if i remember correctly, you guys scored only one TD vs Oregon too, and you were AT HOME.
We’re just as good or better than TCU’s defense. If you really believe there isn’t a harder defense than TCU’s than you’re clueless. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Clemson, UNC, Ohio State, Iowa…
Not worried
I think our D-Line has an advantage but then again, I think that with just about every team we play. The Hokie O-Line is a bit inexperienced and the Bronco D-Line has gelled together over the past few seasons. In most cases, the most experienced and consistent group will have the advantage.
I’m not real nervous about Tyrod Taylor. The Bronco D is good at stopping a player like Taylor. Just ask Kaepernick. If our defense can contain the Hokies running attack we’ll be just fine.
No matter what, I do believe VT will reload and they’ll be a handful.
"Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish."
by JRig on Apr 27, 2010 12:45 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
VT Deffence
I was looking at VT D stats and found a good one. VT D was ranked #12 in the country last year, however they played against 1 offence that was ranked in the top 40. BSU was ranked #14 and played 8 offences in the top 40. Things are looking good for a fun filled Labor day.
GO BSU!
I think it's safe to say:
Our defense will play contain against VT and not aggressive. But then again, we have Coach K calling the shots this time — and we’ve seen him be aggressive already in the Spring game. Could be a very different story than the Oregon and TCU games last year.
"Everyone counted us out. I don't know why they keep doing that." -- Kyle Wilson
Good point Loque
I’m interested/excited how Coach K will attack Virginia Tech.
"Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish."
Spring Games
I don’t really know what they tell us. I mean, I went to ours, and it hasn’t made me think Kellen Moore will have an off year. I think that in the end this game will be a lot like last year’s Oregon game, where our defense will show off it’s prowress, and control most of the game, and it will really come down to whose offense can find some sort of rythm in that important first showdown of the year. If we don’t give up any kind of signifigant advantage during the first half (bad snaps, Titus fumbles, and left hash kicks, I’m talking to you) I think we have the potential to dominate, but it should be fun to face an East Coast team again. I really can’t wait, other than my vacation to the coast this summer it’s what I’m looking forward to the most.
VT fan here: Serious question...
How is your run defense? TCU and Oregon barely ran the ball vs you guys, so I can’t judge from those games.
I noticed Idaho’s RB, Nevada’s RB, New Mexico State’s RB, and Fresno State’s RB ran over 100 yards on your defense. Ryan Matthews had a field day of 200+ rushing yards.
We’re ALL about establishing the run, and will run 65%-70% of the time. There’s a stat out that states: Frank Beamer has never lost a game when he out rushes an opponent.
How’s your rush defense?
not to make excuses
Sometimes RBs broke free for some yards on BSU. Other times they didn’t. TCU and Oregon didn’t run the ball because the Broncos effectively neutralized their run game. Part of that was the defense rising to the challenge presented by those teams. Hopefully you won’t be surprised to see more of the same.
by hummerofdoom on Apr 28, 2010 12:03 PM PDT up reply actions
I wouldn’t be suprised to see the Hokies running some GT-like triple option play mixed in with the play action and wild turkey, the spring game doesn’t show anything, we will be pretty nasty on offense and defense we aren’t one dimesional anymore when a team takes away one thing, we saw that in a lot of games last year, i’m still bettin that it’ll be a rough games for BSU expecially after Stephen Friday lays a few hits on Moore, i get the sense he’s not used to being sacked and if he gets hit hard a couple of times i think it’ll seriously throw his game off, i hope your O-line is as good as advertised, 2 years ago we went up against a senior laden Cincinatti team that i’d put right around BSU’s area and we gashed thier highly ranked defense, so who knows
Re: Moore
Kellen Moore was sacked 5 times last year.
Either way, he doesn’t get sacked often.. and not because the defense doesn’t penetrate every now and then. It’s because he’s a football nerd. He knows to throw the ball away rather than take a spread option QB hit/sack. I can see Va Tech sacking Moore once. And that will be probably because he let them.
"Everyone counted us out. I don't know why they keep doing that." -- Kyle Wilson
I mentioned this somewhere else...
But I think it will be interesting to see if the Boise defense go “aggressive” against Va Tech. If we play it conservative, I can see Va Tech running plenty and getting 2-4 yards a try and an occasional 5+ yarder. However, if newly promoted Coach K runs an agressive Boise D against a Trippple option (like Gobbler suggests), Boise could get burned if they don’t keep contain. In the end, I think your confidence exhumes too much “SEC like” fandom and you should probably work on being more humble and respectable to your opponents. Luckily, most of us at OBNUG realize that you don’t represent the whole of Va Tech fandom, nor their coaches and players.
"Everyone counted us out. I don't know why they keep doing that." -- Kyle Wilson
a few stats
Saving the strength of schedule arguments for another time…
BSU allowed an average of 127 rushing yds/game on the ground in ’09. By contrast, VT rushed for 206 yds/game on the ground. Also TCU averaged 256, while Oregon averaged 236. Nevada led the nation with 362 per game with an offense designed to pile on the rushing yards, but they managed only 2/3 of that against the Broncos.
I wouldn’t use last year’s stats to predict that BSU will shut down VT’s run game, but seeing as nearly every Bronco starter is back this season, I would assume they will perform even better as a unit.
To address the other RBs you mentioned: Ryan Matthews’ field day consisted of 3 60+-yard TD runs which may have been assisted by poor Bronco tackling (but no excuses; Matthews was so good he tore up everyone’s defense). And Idaho and NMSU had 100-yard rushers, but suffered blowout losses anyway.
by hummerofdoom on Apr 28, 2010 5:31 PM PDT up reply actions
that goes back to my original point (see above)
The spring game doesn’t seem too indicative of the way a team will perform during the upcoming season. I know Beamer’s been at VT a long time…that doesn’t happen unless the coach knows how to iron out his team’s issues from spring to fall camp. I expect a terrific challenge from the Hokies.
Also, it’s not like Moore doesn’t take hits, he’s just good at getting rid of the ball before he does.
reply munson'd
That was in response to Gobbler of course.
by hummerofdoom on Apr 28, 2010 1:37 PM PDT up reply actions
The D will be fine
Just because Moore doesn’t get sacked very often it doesn’t mean he doesn’t get hit. There were a few games last year when he got punished, even if he wasn’t sacked. But somehow, Moore manages to get up after every hit and play the next down.
*Knock on wood.
Like Hummer pointed out above, the BSU Run D has stepped up to the occasion against teams like Oregon and TCU. Nevada gained some yards on the Broncos but if I remember correctly, they were like 100 yards below their season average. Then there was the Fresno game when Ryan Matthews went buck wild.
I’m not worried about it. The defense will be ready and I’m sure they’ll rise to the occasion.
"Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish."
The only stat the matters is the final score!
Right?
Catch me on the BroncoNation Podcast!
by OBNUG Intern on Apr 28, 2010 3:16 PM PDT up reply actions
I said SAY!
So ah, I’d just like to say this site is chalk full of pleasant people. It’s fabulous! Anyway, I am content that poach cete will have the boys focused for the first game. And I wanna see extra effort on the field from Billy Winn since he’s going to get an ‘A’ in english lit.
Hokies will be Ready Sept 6th
I have been at VTs Spring games the past 3 years, including this year and I can tell you that this was the same as the others, they use them for the younger players, usually not much fireworks. I can assure you that Tyrod Taylor has always played his best in big games. We will run the ball, there’s no secret there. Ryan Williams will get at least 100 maybe 150 in this game.
TT will run to extend the chains and throw vertical for some big gainers to Danny Coale and Jarret Boykin. Darrell Roberts will break some big kick returns, possibly a TD (returned on 97 yards against Alabama last year) Defense is young and untested but Bud usually has the new crews ready year after year.
I was at FEd Ex in 2004 when we played USC and that game set the capacity seating record at FED ex, 92000+. The place will rock!
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