Never ever do I get to tell you who I talk to, and/or hear from.
Where I was, what I got to …attend.
Confidentiality has its issues, its merits, its necessities and its niceties to be observed; just like that.
However, this one time there is no need for any of that… I talked at length with Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler about a myriad of topics. Some past-tense (2014), some present-tense (this years’ spring practice) and even some future-tense (2015 season); and beyond.
Then I spoke for about 10 minutes with Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock -a true southern-gentlemen in every sense of the word if there ever was one- we spoke on more generic topics, football staffing issues and the possibility of his O&M legacy being that of a change-agent.
Scot spoke openly, directly, and even mixed in a couple of smiles along with some pensive thoughtfulness…
… so without further adieu, here is what I can share on-the-record,
…the rest you will have to read between the lines a bit in upcoming articles,
as I am a man of my word.
Scot Loeffler:
#12 Michael Brewer: NOT the gunslinger everyone portrays him to be; says Brewer enjoyed downright solid pigskin integrity throughout a stellar 4-time Texas State Champion high school career. Has only thrown 2 picks this spring vs. one of the most elite INT “Zero-pressure” (island man coverage with no or limited Fs help) oriented defenses this side of T.C.U., if not the highest pressure INT oriented defense in the land! (Motley has thrown 3 this spring BTW). Says #12’s biggest improvement is playbook misQ’s or the lack thereof this spring. Even went so far as to call this spring’s Qb1 version of my boy Michael Brewer, and I quote: “…a Pro’ Qb.” WOW! Said that he (M.Brewer) only really had 30 odd days worth of work and playbook on-field practice reps before he was thrown into the O&M fire last season. Overall, seemed much more taken with my boy Michel Brewer, says he’s a very very good Qb when he is spot-on. Clutch, fearless, coachable, just flat out loves playing the game. Kinda the Sam Rogers of Qb’s if you will.
Utopian Offense: 40 runs and 23-30 passes, or a 60-40 run-pass split per game.
(did say he feels like you win nearly every time you get 40+ carries in a game, a nice box score barometer right there folks)
West Coast Offense: said he feels like he knows it as well as any Qb coach (or offensive coordinator) in the country thanks to his star-studded resume` or coaching pedigree. I’d have to agree; Scot has come up under 2 to 4 future coaching Hall of Famer’s.
1 outta 2: said he expects that they prolly get one outta two back when it comes to the 2015 services of Mars Williams and Shai McKenzie this upcoming season. Says it is too close to call which one it will be at this point in their respective re-hab stage’s. (READERs note: this does seem to at least tacitly hint that Shai will return to the football team, does it not?) Did mention that Shai “…won’t be put in harms way” as 2015 play-calling goes, FWIW. Said that Shai’s knee is (now) testing stronger that it was when Virginia Tech got him; in terms of his coming off of the first A.c.l. blow-out his senior year in high school ball up in Pennsylvania. (Shai did blow the same knee, twice).
Said J.C. Coleman is the consummate pro’, when he could have easily been a lockeroom leukemia if he were a lesser man. Spoke in good terms re: J.C.C. the Tb, and in glowing terms re: J.C.C. the human-being. Said J.C.C. exemplifies everything it means to be a Hokie, and is about as unselfish of a player as can be as the entire football squad goes. Says J.C.C. is Tb1, and that he has been every bit as good this spring was the was in the final handful of games last year!
Eric Gallo: a tough tough kid who just loves playing football, and plays it with a precocious pigskin I.Q. Does not foresee much if any drop-off in Center quality of play once Gallo gets his feet wet.
Offensive Goals:
- improved pre-snap literacy (reading the D)
- cut out dead-ball pre-snap penalties
- finish drives (with full TD’s, not just FG’s or punts)
Trey Edumnds: very few even come back from that version of a leg-snap. (see: my pay-side posts for the det’s or details; as it was a jagged snap, like making a spear!) IF/when fully healthy, he said Trey is a very good ‘back.
Stephen Peoples: “Glad he is on our team.” Will deploy him in more of a “rolling-Fb” mode. Think Marcus Parker or more of a Fb who carries the mail; and gets the rock. Ideal guy for the old-school Franco Harris at Penn.State Fb-Draw call. Said he is a pure hitter and nothing but a pure hitter. Dang. If Peoples is hitting like this in 2015; where is this guy come 2018?!?
GODSPEED @Mr. Bill Roth!!!
Thanks for all you did.
Te gone Ot Yosuah Nijman: epic and prototypical Ot wingspan -think: Klitschko ‘esque- and he will (eventually) fill out and be a 330 lb. pure cornbread stud who can r, u, n! Run! This guy has all the makings and all the metrics of a next-level Ot men. A 4.88 forty and a State Championship in the shot-put would seem to ratify this take.
Scrimmages have been a real showcase treat this year. Scot says this spring game in particular will be about 2 formations of cost-cutter vanilla X’s and O’s. Says he is actually cheering for a the timekeeper as game clock operation goes. A.S.A.P. Been a pretty healthy springball in broad-brush terms thus far –thank coach God. Let’s keep that rolling as well -coach God wiling.
Says the biggest change in his coaching career has been the collegiate football wide “margin of error”. Says that teams you used to beat by 40 now have a shot at you on your off-day; with talent more and more dispersed. (interesting comment, was it not?)
Durkin did hurt his off or non-throwing shoulder. Hopes he is back full by August. This is the peril of the 2nd-team offensive-line right now however. Qb lifespan(s) will diminish with any back-up insertions not named Chung, Pfaff or maybe Osterloh. As of right now? I’d say this oLine is at best 6.5 deep, maybe closer to 7 with some real live development and matriculation by the time November comes to town
Later on Scot did say: and I quote: “…he’s (Dwayne Lawson) got a chance.” To play right away when asked about his Qb depth by another media member. Scot went on to tell the story that it was none other than defensive coordinator Bud Foster who found Lawson when scouting for defensive players in Florida. And that Bud went so far as to say that Lawson was a kid (presumably Miami bound at the time) that: “…we/VT don’t wanna play this guy. Not at all.” He said Lawson just nailed a 6’11” high-jump and placed 2nd in the 400m in T&F competition down in the Sunshine State. Talk about a triple-threat Qb: Run, Pass, Jump! (all with a bad hammie (hamstring), during said Track & Field competition, mind you!)
Went so far as to call coach Stacy a “great offensive line coach”. Not just a good one, not a very good one, a flat out “great” one!
His personal definition of Talent: “…God gives you a chance.”
Don’t think I’ve ever heard a better one than that.
+a bunch @Scot!
Scot says his offense is finally “almost” fully installed for the first time in three seasons!
Says he has simplified his run-game | although he left his West Coast passing elements alone or about the same as their inherit level of complication goes. Says this was the -until now- unspoken or hidden part of the run-game betterment at the end of last year. Says he has left that simplified version of the run-game in place for now. i.e. if it ain’t broke … don’t break it.
Said the biggest problem at Virginia Tech has been up-n-down at practice(s). Said these kids needed to learn how to practice hard each and every day. Said some Tuesday’s they practiced like a team that could beat Oh.State, and the very next Wednesday they practiced like a team that could not beat Wake Forest. A very telling statement, is it not? (READERs note: Scot sleeps in his office! Scot lives on caffeine and snuff! Scot has been known to put in 20 hour days! Scot is the ultimate grinder gents, a human buzz-saw of hard-work, determination or self-industrialization. i.e. this guy is not not not the coach you wanna take a day off on, as no coach I’ve ever heard of can beat this guys when it comes to punching the company time-clock)
Said as excited as he is about 2015, he is even more excited about 2016, when he thinks they have chance to be very good.
Scot said that Frank is the best coach and the best person he has ever worked for, hands down.
Coach Loeffler said the new indoor football facility is a major recruiting perk just begging to happen. Thinks it can and will aid and abet getting some bigger names to campus. Said it adds at least 2.5 weeks worth of greater football development due to its off-season (mandatory) voluntary work-out insulation from all forms of elements or weather. Said in Blacksburg they loose at least 2-3 weeks per year to rain-outs or super windy days as players only skeleton 7 on 7 work goes.
Said once he got to campus, his initial Offensive huddle assessment was that this clean-up job would take at least 3 years. At least. Dang.
Says there is “….a big gap“ between the 1’s (starters) and the 2’s (back-ups) on both sides of the ball right now. With the emphasis on the word: “big”. Looks to me like the largest gap since the late 1980’s Scot Hill fueled Hokie football clubs in point of fact. Does like the top-24 or the 1’s on each side quite a bit. Coach God and health permitting of course.
Says his offensive front-5 (read: his oLine) has suffered the biggest improvement on the whole entire football team this spring; by far!
Wyatt Teller is not a man among boys, he’s a bear among boys!
Says Te’s and Rb’s alike, will have to cover for the lack of Wide Receiving depth. Likes his jumbo 2-Te look quite a bit; likes the sledgehammer depth he enjoys with Rogers and now People pushing him at Fb.
Mentioned, that Frank “told NO one” about how much throat trouble and throat pain he was having last year! NO one folks! Said Frank is therefore the toughest lead-by-example head football coach he has ever met!
***
Whit Babcock:
Whit said regarding the reports on richrod to Virginia Tech:
“Not accurate.”
Then he added: “…there are some things I can not say.”
So I’ll leave that one to the reader to decipher. Though I did have one person tell me: “What did you expect him (Whit) to say?” “Yes, we are bringing richrod in next.”
Said he already has a head football coach (a.k.a. Frank); and that it is his (Whit’s) job to support the current coach. Said he really did not think any man could live up to Frank’s epic reputation before he met and began working with Frank. Said Frank is even more impressive as a man than he is as a coach; and that he’s a hall of fame coach! Said he had no idea just how much Frank loves golf, either.
Said ESPN gets its best 12 noon ratings outta Virginia Tech. Says he gets to choose 1 or maybe 2 kick-off times per season (rest=network options). And that he will choose 3:30pm every single time.
Says he (now) plans to keep Cassell Coliseum, although he wants to renovate Cassell. Wants to add some version of luxury seating, expanded concourses, modernized food service, retail Hokie merchandise or souvenir shops; the works. Loves its campus location and enjoys older, louder, hotter gyms.
Says he is working on ways to get more unused tix distributed; although NC2A regulations are binding indeed in this regard. Solicits and freely welcomes your best suggestion(s) in this matter as well!
Loading ...(Special thanks at Mr. John Spracher, Todd Spracher, Chef Rick, and Family Court Justice and Hokie Club Presidnet Lisa K. Clark for their most cordial accommodations at this years event!)
Beef tenderloin=A+, free Beer=A+++
“LETS GO!”
“Hokies!”
bourbonstreet**
Street,
I’ve not often been your “fan”, but this was a very, very good report, and almost in English! ;->)
Agreed. Great work!
Well thank you, both!
Actually?
My Burnt Orange multi multi year old VT note-taking pen; finally gave up the ghost.
So I’ve got about 3-4 more scratchings/etchings of things that I can not quite make out.
One has my signature stars around it; so one was pretty well important.
I’ll look at it again tomorrow and see if I can improve this; at least a bit.
b.street
Excellent!
Insightful!
Best insight I’ve seen, read, or heard from CSL… who is usually blunt, short sharing nothing but coach speak.
Practice intensity comments makes sense with jack sister results.
Mochas Gracias
Let’s Go…Hokies!!!
Beat OSU!!!
“Practice intensity comments makes sense with jack sister results.”
I had to urban dictionary that.
Though yah; they sure did make sense; didn’t they?
b.street
Great to see our O is about to match the D. Disturbing that there is so much difference between 1s and 2s. Any comments from Scot on how they expect to rectify the situation, on both sides? Is this a recruiting issue or a development issue? Do they foresee any of the summer arrivals jumping into the 2 deep, which appears possible? If so, whom?
I think it is a recruiting issue.
Or what I’d call a turnover pipeline issue.
Coach Stacy needs 3 more seasons to get his boys 100% in camp.
Summer help?
Lawson.
I suppose Palntin on the oLnie has to get a necessity based look.
Any other rookie help appears to be in camp already.
(barring a pleasant surprise | and you typically get at last 1 of those)
b.street
If we are running more West Coast O, which back fits that style most effectively? Seems as though People’s would be suited best for a quick dive I formation. What % of plays will we run out of each do you predict? Given our interior strength and a stated desire to run the ball I’m surprised that we run so much shotgun, does Scot prefer shotgun or Power I or is there some gamesmanship going on?
In generic broad-brush terms, a Tb who can catch, and one who is agile and nimble to hit rushing seams at an angle.
Roger Craig comes to mind in historic terms.
For us?
I don’t think we have one.
At least not in the top-4 with Shai and Mar’s included.
Although they did say the Deshawn McClease had the best hands they’d seen on film since V.Hebron.
He would seem the best fit. And methinks the now departed Mangus kid would have been a good fit.
Of what’s left?
Healthy Shai or J.c.c. in whichever order. Though neither one is a utopian WCO fit.
I don’t think Scot prefers either one. He’s kinda a misdirection, countering H-back, Te, Pistol kinda guy with his “rolling Fb” from what I saw a few years ago in temple and FLA Gator film-study. He is a West Coast Offense guy in terms of his come-upp’ins. Though he’s more WCO unconventional at the core.
I expect a lotta 2-Te looks.
More 2 back sets with a true Fb as well.
b.street
Couple observations of reading what’s being said . First is Ford and Phillips must be really good and I mean possible next level good because they talk like no one else is close. The other talent is comparable to what we have been used to over the years. Newsome, Knowles ect and have been in the program for a while and are pretty good athletes so that say’s the other 2 are pretty advanced and when you watch film they sure seem to get open. I like JC but to me he is just consistent and a great team player but reading between the lines I think TM is the guy . He is a receiving threat and a game breaker and with WR depth question he can get out and become another receiver and be moved around like Bucky to create problems. TM is a good TB to boot and can switch into a wild turkey formation that he really excels at . Thanks for the article always enjoy your take on things
He did mention that they (Ford Phillips) have an N.f.l. chance.
And the rest are just not there.
TM needs playbook work; FWIW.
(though they are pretty high on him erstwhile as well)
b.street
Great article B Street. Thanks for putting it together.
Thanks Sir!
This one was obviously a pleasure.
b.street