#SpringPracticeIsDone!

Virginia Tech just closed up shop for Spring Practice 2016, the very first Spring Practice of what we all hope is a pretty dang long Coach-Fu reign. Some guys moved up, and some guys show precious little depth chart movement or individual  matriculation at all. As such is always the inherit nature of the Spring Practice and likewise the upcoming August Camp beast.

Personally, I have a different take on all of this…

Imagine that? As I’ve seen a few competing reports which paint varying pictures of what the 2016 Spring Practice offense did or did not truly do. Some are a more promising or effusive signature burnt orange, and some are a more tentative or a withholding terracotta shade. To me? The most compelling Spring Game truth lied on the other side of the ball.

(READERs note: the TSL message boards are hopping and adjurest you to check out the off-field update(s) on Mister Alexander and Mister Gaines… and some ticketing or seat licensing business. Or, not what we wanted to read. That, and I’ve got several backlogged takes on individual ballers and some final overall broad-brush big-picture where things stand Spring Practice thoughts. Though all of that is me -yet again- putting the cart in front of the horse; and if nothing else we’ve got some bonus real live objective results driven material to work with for the next several weeks on TSL…
PEACE out TSL Sitzkrieg!!! at least for a bit…)

To Qb or not to Qb? That is the question … as I can’t say I’m feeling real encouraged, here. As #2 has a lotta off-field things tugging at him. He is old for his class rank (21), which in theory hurts him fiscally in terms of any potentially profitable earning-curve  Professional trajectory as any “potential” Sunday career duration could go. Then we see the number of whispers swirling that there was some variety of a lapse in judgement that necessitated some form of Top-down correction this Spring Practice (the whispers say: alarm clock). And do observe, no one seems to be saying that he is developing quickly; or even on-time. As the Qb2 to Qb3 gap appears to be opening up quicker than expected. Albeit bassackwards than expected per pre-season expectations of B.Motley being the clipboard holding, play signalling, break glass in case of third-string Cory Holt @F.s.u. emergency Qb. Now, and to be fair, not one of those issues is a disqualifying offense, in and of itself. Whoever, that really is a lot when you add it all up –perhaps even too much in point of fact. As I’m now officially left wondering how much longer #2 can stand to merely be our Qb3? Why? Because he (Lawson) just seems to be in a too accepting: in a funk, in a rut, down on himself, just outta sync performance wise.

And when I wrote that on the TSL pay-message board a few days back, the thinking man otherwise known as Anakulio, dropped this thought-bomb right on my head…

…in so many words, Anakuilo -very shrewdly- asked me who Lawson reminded me of? As one could dare to type that Lawson is not that dissimilar from a once disenfranchised Qb now turned red hot big whistle commodity or our very own coach-Fu. Back at the start of his playing days at (then) truly mighty hyper big named Oklahoma.

I don’t know about you, though to me? To me that’s a pretty dang adroit pull, reset, and historical proxy from Anakuilo! Let us all hope that coach-Fu IS indeed reading these very, words…

***

Rather telling to see incumbent Jonathan McLaughlin sporting the orange Captain’s Practice jersey for the open student scrimmage. I’d have to call that a pretty reliable sign that the blind-side or left-side Ot is now officially in his incumbent hands. Which is, curious, as coach Stacy always said Jon’ was a right-side only player in terms of footwork. Go fig’ on that? As some guys are odd (left-side) and some guys are pure even (or right-side) players. ….happens…

‘Tua, for being as maligned as he is? Has a really good Polynesian nose for the ball. And I’d sure like to see Andrew’s A-game -whatever caliber that may be- on two good wheels, now that he’s got some experience. His first year he was waaaaaaaaaaay off the learning and experience-curves alike; and his second season he drags two bad knees around as best he can. And yet he still finds his way to make the big play. I don’t know if Tua slobber-knockers any G-c-G right in the mouth just yet? I do know I’m now finally curious to see what he can be; if he can just get, and then basically stay healthy. As he finally has the objective experience, now if he can finally find some health…

Been meaning to give a shootout to the diminutive  in Tale of the Tape metrics, although long on heart, one #86, rising r-soph. and likely Slot-Wr, C.J. Carroll of Our Lady of Good Cousel High School fame.

As this is one dauntless young buck, with what we would likewise be calling a nose for the ball, if this 5’7” 165 lb. Wideout played over on the defensive side of the field. As is, C.J.’s a vastly more cut-up than expected, a mighty-mite, or something of our very own mid 1980’s Washington Redskin smurf Wr brought back to collegiate life. As C.J. has shocking electricity as his listed height and weight goes. I’d say squatting (370 lbs.) or 224% more than you outright weigh, counts. I’d say the surprising Super Middleweight looking cuts he sports, count. I’d say his willingness, pluckiness and downright bravery to go over the Afrin or heavily congested middle, counts. And I am hoping he has the survival instincts downloaded and mentally installed on-board to know that it is actually okay to play small and present a narrow targeting profile to any hard-charging 2016 defenders. Who no doubt will plum get after the smallish although salty #86. Recall last year that someone wrote about Carroll possibly having the best mitts or hands on the team as our back-up P.A.T. or F.G.A. holder. And this is a good hands 2016 football team, for the first time, in a while overall. Still, someone is seeing nothing to discourage carving a slot notch in C.J.’s belt. As this kid has natural, homeopathic, organic fan-favorite written all over him; albeit it in 9 point font.

One of the things that someone finds quite likeable about likely starting Qb1 -Jerod Evans- is his play-fake game. Some coach, somewhere, in the Jerod Evans timeline, really taught this kid some MI6 salesmanship in his fake-game. A little bit Druckenmiller ‘esque, a little bit like Roger Staubach who was the best I ever saw at hiding the ball on his hind hip (outta the hard charging defensive lineman(s) sight). Or in other words, Evans is not getting his run for being a downright clever trade-craft Qb. He may not have Lawson’s pure metrics, though neither did T-mobile, or even LT3. However, there are a lotta little things, a lotta subtle things to Evans game and sometimes it is the little things that mean a lot on the biggest stage. As I’m starting to like what this Evans kid is all about. Because he’s a good; maybe even a very good athlete who uses his mind to perform (seemingly) more athletically than his body rightfully should.

With all the hints about Sam and now Peoples getting looks at Tb, and Settle fielding punts, and possibly even summoning his inner William -the refrigerator- Perry self on offense… how about an short-yardage or goal line Elephant Wishbone set?

It would looking something like this…

Ot-Ot-G-c-G-Ot-Ot
Qb

Settle
Peoples-Sam

You want some of that?!?
Hell no! Me neither. I like, …breathing.
And we do appear a bit deeper at Ot than we do at Te or even at Guard. We know Sam and Peoples are never contact shy. Both have just enough juice to do more than simple Iso’, Plunge, Lead and Wham plays……………and who wants some of the 6’3” 344 lb. human wrecking ball otherwise known as Tim Settle at Fb? As you can actually do a lotta things off this Set. Play-action, Freeze Option, even a naked counter-bootleg to the back side. You can even line-up in a 1960’s Fb behind the G so-called Boxman set. A backfield Wedge to either side, even in a triple-I. And if any of you wanna come up and tackle Tim Settle high? Be my guest. Best of luck attempting to scupper this Set. As I’ll be the one LOL that you did try. And I’ll prolly the one attempting to help you up off the field, to boot.

O&M Surgeon General’s Warning: if you are a P.A.T.T. or feel you may be preggers with a P.A.T.T., the following R.A.T.T. analysis may be dangerous to your health…

Let us all agree to something right now… let us agree to give the Fu’fense until the first OPEN week in October, and then possibly give it until November and the second BYE week prior to Duke.

---

This quick hitting O may have less reads. It may indeed be less Loeffler literary. However it is QUICK hitting. With the emphasis on the word: quick. Some 1-step or pivot-turn-throw type work, lottsa 3-step drops a few 5-step drops or a quick deciding roll of pocket to either side. With a limited cadence or frugal syntax as well. There are even some 1 or 2 word plays. (the throwback in me dearly loves that by thew way). And that incumbent mental alacrity or quickness of play code means placing an extreme onus upon creating timing par excellence. Or not. As not is code for a glaring lack of synchronicity. So pencil in the term: “September patience” and reap thy Richie Rich November reward. Then break out the old engineering fundamentals C.A.D. software and pencil in slow, then steady, then rhythmic improvement. As that’s a pretty functional word for this coach-Fu offensive Set methinks. It needs to find its rhythm. It needs to feel its flow, it needs to find its rhyme.

***

There is more physicality in this Secondary, now. And I’m really thinking this has something to do with the WWII ‘esque Spitfire style of coach Scott. Who I really really do like. Kinda our very own nutty B.Switzer over on defense. And mark my words here… this Hokie Secondary is better than currently advertised; and Coach g.Scott=raw human easily excitable voltage. Because you do not like playing for a coach Scott? You do not have a, pulse.

Joey Syle has the makings of weaponizing Place-Kicker; IF, he can only strike with 30-45 yard range consistency. He’s been a career connect 75% strong armed and pretty strong legged guy for a reason. Consistency, or (in)consistency thereof. He does not want for pure range, as he prolly now fields a 60’ish yard leg with just a kiss of favorable wind-aided help. As you do not get to handle Kickoffs just because you leg-suck. You get to Kickoff because you deep leg-range. Although he really needs to hike that FG make percentage up to the 80th percentile this year and then north of say 85% by the time he is a senior. And maybe, just maybe, we need to let Joey focus on FG-Kicking duties and let someone else, Kickoff?

Very interesting to see some of our guys in a contrast, going full, LIVE last Tuesday night down in the New River Valley. Different Staff’s clearly come with different thresholds for participatory clearance. Can’t say someone recalls seeing this one from the former Staff.

Virginia Tech=a solid spring, and thank coach God, NO major injuries!

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

bourbonstreet**