ACC COASTAL PREVIEW
VT- OFFENSE
In 2008, the Hokie offense sputtered against Pirates, Hilltoppers, Hurricanes, and Paladins alike.
It was the 11th best offense in an offense-deprived ACC and without a doubt the weakest Hokie offense in the last 15 years. I’m pretty sure it was also the worst offense ever to have won a BCS bowl game.
Before I go on, I’ll give the Hokie fans a second to retort with the usual BS. Yes, you won games. Yes, you backed into the ACC title game. Yes, you defeated a subpar Cincinnati team in a who-cares kind of Orange Bowl game. But with that nasty Bud Foster defense, you could have celebrated a much more meaningful bowl win—like a BCS bowl that didn’t have the Putt-Putt logo as its mascot.
So let’s get back to the task at hand. How terrible was the 2008 offense?
- The offense averaged less yards per game (303.4 ypg) than Duke.
- Only ONE wide receiver (Jarrett Boykin) managed to catch a TD.
- Starting QB Tyrod Taylor had a 1:3 TD to INT ratio and a passer rating behind every other starting QB in the conference—including UVa’s Marc “Vertical” Verica.
- Sean Glennon was on the team.
- Fans got excited when a 285 pound tight end came into the game to take direct snaps.
- The offensive line couldn’t pancake anyone and probably couldn’t block Aunt Jemimah either.
I’d watch a hot dog eating contest between Charlie Weis and Ralph Friedgen before I watched the 2008 VT offense again.
Don’t go tossing turkey legs just yet, though. There is reason to think that offensive mastermind Bryan “Dynamo Stynamo” Stynespring will commandeer a much more explosive offense in 2009.
QB: Tyrod Taylor ((1036 yards, 2 TD 7 INT, 103 passer rating; 700 rushing yds, 5 TD)
Virginia Tech’s most dangerous plays in 2008 were the QB draw and the failed-passing play turned QB draw. As effective as Tyrod was on the ground, I have to think that Stynespring will be much more reluctant to run Tyrod this year. Why? Virginia Tech’s offense is one sprained ankle away from hopping aboard the Ju-Ju train for the remainder of the season. That being said, Taylor absolutely must improve as a passer for the Hokies to improve offensively. With more experienced receivers, he should easily quadruple his 2 TD of last season, probably finishing up with 10-15 TDs through the air in the 2009 campaign. Check out the 73 yard run vs. UVa (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO6FiQcFFec&feature=related)
RB Darren Evans (1265 yards 11 TD; 119 yards receiving)
Evans had one of the best high school careers in history, and he followed it up with an exceptional freshman season. He wasn’t as explosive as a Kevin Jones or as dangerous as a Lee Suggs, but he ran hard and didn’t lose much yardage. When Evans struggled, the Hokies had a lot of trouble winning. In four VT losses, he averaged only 46 yards on 15 carries (3 ypc) while in VT wins, he averaged 106 yards and 4.8 ypc.
RB Ryan Williams (4 star recruit; 12 touches for 151 yards 2 TD in Spring Game)
Ryan Williams might be the most highly anticipated recruit at Virginia Tech since Kevin Jones. After redshirting this past season, Williams looked amazing in the spring and should see a lot of touches on offense in the fall. His presence will give the RB Coach Billy Hite the 2 RB system that he loves (Suggs/Jones, Stith/Kendrick, Imoh/Humes). Check out his high-school highlight reel and you’ll see his Reggie Bush type elusiveness. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLdaG2rWmCM&feature=related)
WR- Danny Coale, Jarrett Boykin, Dyrell Roberts, Brandon Dillard
Young receivers Danny Coale (408 yards, 0 TD), Jarrett Boykin (441 yards 2 TD), and Dyrell Roberts (227 yards, TD) should definitely improve as sophomores while redshirt-freshman Xavier Boyce should also contribute nicely. All these guys need to do is earn just a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T, and they’ll find out what it means to be part of a very dangerous offensive unit.
TE- Greg Boone, Andre Smith, Sam Wheeler
At tight end, the Hokies return enormous tight end Greg Boone (278 yards, 2 TD) and Andre Smith (129 yards, TD). There’s not a lot of speed there, but it should be a solid position for VA-Tech.
Watch out for top 30 recruit Logan Thomas—a 5 star recruit in the class of 2009—to step in and play early for Dynamo Stynamo’s offensive unit.
Offensive Line- Blake DeChristopher, Jaymes Brooks, Beau Warren, Greg Nosal, Ed Wang, Sergio Render
The offensive line actually played pretty well in the Orange Bowl—racking up 398 yards and 20 points against a pretty solid Cincinnati defense. Ed Wang should continue to improve and so should potential first round pick Sergio Render.
Make no mistake about it. This offense will be a run-first offense—and it will not be one of the best 25 offenses nationally. Either way, it will be better than last year’s punt-first offense, so Hokie fans should be excited for a turn-around in 2009.
QUESTIONS
What happens if Tyrod Taylor goes down with another ankle injury? (Can you say Clayton Homes Mobile Bowl?) Can the offensive line survive an injury? Who kicks field goals when Stynespring ruins a drive with the Wild Turkey? And when is Stynespring going to bust out the TE pass with Greg Boone?
DEFENSIVE PREVIEW:
In 2008, Virginia Tech finished 7th in the nation in total defense (278 yards per game). For many programs, that would be a peak performance. For Hokie defensive coordinator Bud Foster, it’s nothing special.
Virginia Tech’s defense has been almost impenetrable since Foster made some minor system tweaks in 2004. It’s easy to assume that Virginia Tech will finish top 10 in the nation in defense—again—in 2009. However, we don’t know much about new starting CB Rashad Carmichael and there’s not a lot of depth on the defensive line.
Other than a major injury—those are the only things that could hold this defense back from being top 15 in 2009.
Defensive Line
DE- Jason Worilds (18.5 TFL, 8 sacks)- Worilds might just be the best DE in the entire ACC. He played through a nagging shoulder injury and still dominated in 2008. He will face more double teams this year with the departure of dominant DE Orion Martin. Look for Worilds to perform better and better as the season wears on and the Hokies develop a 2nd threat at defensive end.
DE- Nekos Brown (22 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 sacks) or John Graves (26 tackles 4 TFL)- Brown started two out of 14 games in 2008; Graves started all 14 at Defensive Tackle.
DT- Demetrius Taylor (12 tackles, 1.5 TFL)-Taylor, a former high school linebacker, is small at just 6’0 254 lbs. He doesn’t have a lot of experience, and his size could cause problems for the Hokies’ interior run defense. He achieved Super Iron Hokie honors for his impressive weightlifting results.
DT- Kordarrow Thompson (27 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 3 sacks)- Kordarrow “Taco” Thompson has been working really hard this summer according to teammate John Graves. He’s a monster at 6’2 305 lbs and his power should cause problems for opponents’ running games.
Linebackers
LB- Cody Grimm/Cam Martin- Grimm looks like a safety, but he produces like any other great VT linebacker. He terrorized opponents in 2008 with 14.5 TFL and 7 sacks. He will split time with injury-prone Cam Martin (51 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 2 sacks).
LB- Barquell Rivers- Rivers (5’11 229) has a similar build to former Hokie Mikal Baaqee. He finished with just 10 tackles in limited action in 2008. I imagine he’ll be yet another solid Hokie linebacker.
LB- Jake Johnson- Johnson is a redshirt freshman. As a senior in high school, he was ranked as the #52 linebacker in the nation. Johnson has already become a Super Iron Hokie, so physically he’s well prepared for game action. As for the mental side of things, we’ll have to see.
Solid in the Secondary
CB- Stephen Virgil- Out goes one all-star corner, in comes another. The coveted boundary corner spot on the Hokies defense appears solid again after the departure of All-American Macho Harris. Virgil replaces him after picking off 6 passes in 2008.
CB- Rashad Carmichael- Carmichael notched 12 tackles in 14 games last year, only one of which he started. Look for opponents to really attack Carmichael this season because they will certainly avoid Virgil.
FS- Kam Chancellor- Recruited as a QB, Chancellor has blossomed into one of the best safeties in the nation. He’s fast, he’s athletic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6PC-drS9IA&feature=related), and oh yeah…he’s 6’3 225 lbs and he benches 380 lbs.
SS- Dorian Porch- Porch had 48 tackles, 4 TFL and an INT in 2008. He’s no Chancellor, but he’s certainly a serviceable safety. |
