Saturday evening, errrrrrrrrr, ahhhhhhh, I mean Saturday morning at 11am, Virginia Tech
hosted a truncated football public scrimmage no.2 that lasted about half as long as your typical Virginia public football scrimmage has historically.
This was due in part to what can only be called a bloody awful August in Training Room terms as Frank and Staff have not spared the rod nor spoiled the child during the ninth month of this particular campaign. The whispers also suggest that new Offensive Coordinator Scot Loeffler is reluctant to show(case) much of his offense in public display terms where Crimson flavored eyes may have been in attendance.
Be that as it may, there were a few noetic things to gleam from public scrimmage no.2 in Blacksburg on Saturday; some things were more parts Yin, some things more part Yang and several things more and less in-between.
Today’s word (or term) is…
Magic number: (noun)
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A constant numerical or text value used to identify a file format or protocol;
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twenty or 19+1 or 21 less one
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the number of points that VT will need to win most football games this fall;
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such could also be the most points that VT can possibly score vs. the Top-4 teams that VT plays…
Offensive Line 1o1:
Right now? By my count, Coach Grimey has no more than six guys who are ready to play at what I’d have to describe as a C+ level not named Andrew Miller and the right ankle of David Wang. Andrew looks much more even to me than he did last spring; where he might as well have been nicknamed hop-a-long as his mobility sure has improved/returned in the last three plus months. Only question here to me is … where does ‘Drew Miller slot in N.F.L. terms? Is he really a next-level Guard? Or does he have to move back to his home position of Center on Sunday’s? Because I’m sure he’s at least an all-Conference interior offensive lineman in terms of Atlantic Coast talent. I’m also sure I like my almost boy David Wang at Center. At least I like him there a whole helluva a lot more than I do at Guard where his lack of reach or wingspan in boxing terms really negates his ability to get into a defender before a defender can get into him. Playing right on the nose of the football as the circle with an “X” countersunk inside of it in play-diagram terms, or at the Center position itself … this helps mask some of that by delivering this Wang closer to his intended point of impact. Playing Center allows the physically overloaded Wang a bit of a pigskin circuit breaker if you will as well, as Centers are typically smaller that G’s who are likewise smaller than Ot’s. Let’s just hope the training room does not have to change any more fuses in poor Wang’s feets. As this kid is way more athletic than most of you realize. A 410-pound bench press, a 440-pound front squat a first best 380-pound clean, a 370-pound push jerk, a 35-inch vertical jump and 4.29 timing in the NFL shuttle all say so. If Wang can just stay healthy, he is better than you realize – or better than his ankle historically suggests.
Jonathan McLaughlin is more advanced in run-blocking right now than he is in pass-protect. Though such is 72 golf or par for the course with a rookie manning the blindside Ot spot at this point in time. The good news is that Jonathan has four year starter written all over him, the bad news is that we are all outta good news after that. As there will be some growing pains here. Although I am pleased to report that Jonathan at least plays a pretty heady version of assignment football; as you typically do not see him outta position or simply blocking the incorrect man. Jonathan looks a little bigger in terms of right-mass as well, as reports have him now hovering in the vicinity of ~315 lbs. That’s no small left-Ot, be he a rookie or not.
The Farris-wheel has me a little worried however as he has clearly eaten his way outta the Center position as his body is what I can only generously describe as being: “round.” Now that being said, that much frontage around Caleb’s midsection is helping keep him planted like a tree right at the point of attack. Gone are the closing 2012 days when Caleb might as well have been deployed on roller stakes he was so often seen going backwards. How that translates laterally or in pass protect vs. a blitzing Linebacker terms remains to be seen. Though I see precious little here that connotes to me that Caleb is playing at his listed weight of 3o9 lbs. Because Caleb sure looks north of that weigh-in mark to me | even if that might just help us get a better push upfront vs. the Ng of Alabama; who reportedly has a bad knee. Over at right-Ot, the Laurence Gibson kid (or Gibby) has does very little wrong, every bit as much as he is also notorious for being very unexceptional. Gibby –much like Jonathan- is better vs. the run right now than he is vs. the pass. This is actually pretty good for a guy who has only played two seasons of organized football prior to Virginia Tech. Right now Gibby is a lotta thing(s). He is strong like bull as a Super Iron Hokie, every bit as much as he is a bit undercooked –if not flat out raw- at times when it comes to football. That being said, I sure like the build on this guy, even if he still looks more parts Guard and less parts Ot to me, he sure looks all football all the time. Or like a bowl of lumpy mashed potatoes out on the edge. Only caveat I see here is that I’d like to see Gibby play a little lower in run-support and if anything, force a pass rushing De wider if at all possible in order to force the same to cover the greatest possible distance in order to get to Logan.
Now, do be clear, I like the starting-5 (and Benedict for a total of six) upfront a whole helluva a lot more than I do the rest of the 2013 oLine. As the rest of the 2013 oLine looks borderline diminutive via direct physical comparison; or at least a season or two away from physically filing out in B.c.s. D-1 terms. As of right now, we basically have three walk-on’s and an ex-Dt manning four of our top-5 back-up offensive-line depth chart spots. Or in other words, these 2013 starters are gonna have to go the 2013 distance, or at least hold on 6 more weeks until Shuman gets back and until Conte gets healthy and then improves. That means this 2013 has a margin of error of about none, or one with an n out in front if you are feeling generous at home. As this 2013 oLine will surely be much much fresher to begin 2013 than they will come late November. As oLine depth is so thin here as to be damn near invisible. Presuming no further training-room attrition, I do actually like this starting oLine to improve to a C+ plateau rather quickly and then slow yet surly inch its way out to lowercase B— status before it is all said and done. And yet I feel I must warn you, there were more than a couple of third stringers out there on Saturday who were not much better than a F+. As the back-up edge oLine has me ready to call F.E.M.A. They are a disaster in pass-protect; all the more-so the further down the depth chart that you dare go.
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Speaking of Logan Thomas...
LT3, for all of his bio-mechanical improvements -which are not getting their run- went Playboy magazine on Saturday. Or full-frontal, with regard to A-gap pressure when his decision making still tends to go to pot. Such is exactly the same Qb1 we saw up @ Marshall when this mental aversion to pressure right up the middle showed itself out in full effect two+ years ago. As Logan made 3-4 really ugly decisions; not so much throws –decisions- on Saturday down in the New River Valley.
Observe, that as you can plainly see in practice and during even warm-ups, that LT3’s fundamentals are much much improved over the close of business 2012 when his passing mechanics got wild and woolly. His footwork, wind-up, release-point, and follow through really are all a good deal better. Gone is that ugly Te looking quack-attack or ducking throw 20% of the time. That’s reduced down to 5% now; if that. However, that is when he is left alone and likewise when he is under no pressure whatsoever.
Notice as well, that LT3 and his left knee were encased in a new closed patella knee-sleeve on Saturday. This changed only in the last few days in fact. Something is up there; though he moved fine according to my Eye on Saturday morning; and in point of fact, the one time he headed up-field, his acceleration -which has been lacking in the past- was quicker than ever before.
Such all conspires to tell me that you finish what you start as LT3 goes in twenty-thirteen paradigm terms. Or to put it into equation form: start=finish per game with LT3 this year. And yes, go ahead and expect that to vary on a game-to-game basis. A Good start = a good finish and vicea-versa. So here is hoping that play-calling creates a few confidence building inner-terms inside the helmet of one LT3 and that we don’t face too many studly Dt’s or Ng’s or MLb’s who can mentally lacerate the same right up the A-gap gut.
Loading ...Attitude 1o1:
“F-bomb!”
“F-bomb!”
“BullS!”
“F-bomb!”
-VT Wr coach Arron Moorehead-
(Lane Stadium chorus of applause)
- NICE fight between De, #87 Dewayne Alford (left) and Te, #87 Kalvin Cline (right)! I’ve not seen a real live (bleep) you up North Dallas Forty moment like that erupt on campus; since; well since I don’t know when??? LOVE seeing some rock-throwers out there for a change And that was a very good fight for fully clad football players wearing all that protection. CompuBox punch-stat line and I enjoyed this a great deal.
- I was most impressed by #59 long-snapper Eddie D’Antuono. How that kid got up after that punt-coverage Kamikaze hit I do not know? Though I do know that that says a lot about him. i.e. it says he’s damn tough
- Saw several underclassmen hitters out there. (again; same as Spring) We’ve got some explosion coming up on defense folks; just ask 2016 regarding the Boom Boom Pow in 7-8 of these underclassmen ballers.
- My sources nailed it again! This has been our most rugged or most accountable Training Camp in a long long time. Put out or get out, toe the line or do the time. As Frank and Staff have plum gotten after it this month folks! And I for one find that to be a XXL sized F5 key or rather refreshing indeed.
“LET’s GO!“
“Hokies!“
bourbonstreet**
(more all week long — check back for updates)