Tech Thoughts: Spring Practice part III

#SpringPractice2016AlmostHalfWayDone!

There are some signs of what this coach-Fu O might look like.
There are some whispers of what it already is.

And normally I do not do this, though let’s take a (nearly) single sided look at just one side of the O&M ball. And get downright offensive.

The defense we at least semi well know:

• we know 3 multi yarn starters are gone up front.  (plus the associated metric ton of experience); we know we need a play maker at Stud-De and help at Dt.
• We know Linebacking has question marks; plural; even the returning ones.
• We know we need at least one more Cb and Safety in the secondary.
• we also know Bud is 1st best or 1a best in the business.
• … although we now know Bud will be out there for longer with the quicker hitting Coach-Fu O, as well…

So let us begin with that pigskin possession based end in mind…

What is this O?
What do we individually (or collectively), now know?

If Qb(?) Dwayne Lawson were  George Bernard Shaw play? He’d surely be …Pygmalion, as he has just as surely been “…carved outta wood.”  Though I will say this, his mechanics look a little tighter and now he only really needs to get the play-book settled down. As he sure looks loaded with the most solicitous intoxicating pet sports word of all-time. Or, one could dare to say that he looks like he has a lotta: “potential” on the move. As this guy can do things that only a MV2 + LT3 hybrid could do. I’m not so sure Lawson starts this year –and yet than again; I’m not so sure j.Evans starts next year, either.

Notice the Pocket does move a whole lot more for the coach-Fu Set’s than it did for Loeffler’s O, via design. And the Corny Qb protection program whistle is not so fast, or so the vibes say.

The best time to plant a tree is 25 years ago. And he best time to have hired Vance Vice was 2011. As oLine coach Vice is our is our very own blocking paraclete; (Latin) meaning advocate or helper, and boy have we needed blocking help upfront for years. However, it is entertaining to see him even stop to coach the dLine when they were not giving his oLine boys’ a good enough look. Can’t say I’ve ever seen that one before!?! And love the old-school prolly not politically correct back of the helmet Deacon Jones ‘esque (now illegal in play) head-slap. Dang! This coach is real talk | and nothing less.

Couple of oLline at least modest surprises… as the other Smity kid (Tyrell) is doing work at back-up Center and Billy Ray Mitchell has come from nearly nowhere to caddy for W.Teller, (for the moment), at left-G. Colt Pettit and his rebuilt left-shoulder and mancave face are doing work at right-G in relief of Conte. (Billy Ray and Colt, that’s 2 dadgum hell-by-damn football names, too; ain’t it?)

Interesting pump-fake teachings from coach Corny so far. I’m a big fan here, just ask any basketball court on the inside how much damage or emancipation that this truly entry-level or simply elementary move can cause. (like the option pitch-fakes, too!)

#4 (see: pic), j.Evans ain’t no small looking Qb. Don’t know if I’d quite go so far as to say hefty, though there is a little Tajh Boyd padding build in here. Do like the kid’ n play House Party hairstyle however, and that may not be done growing out.

Someone pointed out that t.McMillian looked a bit stronger/stouter last time, where its his forearm flexors in particular that have really blown up. That can only aid and abet any ball security. Ditto the inflationary economy otherwise known as his pipes (biceps + triceps).

As said last time, love to ask coach Corny while he’s so big on so many so-called: “chop-steps” on his Qb drops and in particular his Qb set-ups in the pocket or on the roll? Clearly he wants a Qb that can change direction on the proverbial dime. Though is this to buy time for a second-look downfield or is it to increase the availability of a relief valve run? Or maybe both… I wonder…

There is something positively Shyrone Stith about Shai McKenzie this spring. Something retooled and of course, repaired. God Bless times two on that. However, the similarities of a quality inside rusher with just enough speed and moves are obvious indeed. As these are both two top heavy Rb’s, or shoulder heavy -to be more specific- looking guys. My one wonderment is … is that pretty much what Shai has left on a twice rebuilt right-knee? Is he now a comeback year banging good although no longer a game-breaking great 1,032 yard Gale Sayers? We shall see…

Interesting to see coach Ben Hilgart @football practice itself so very often. As great as Doc’ Gentry was -and do recall, to his credit; he quite literally did write the book on all of this- as great as Doc’ Gentry was… someone does not recall seeing him at football practice itself. Not ever. Love to have Chris or Will ask this one up as to why? He is there with his timing stopwatch in tow, so you know he is clocking and therefore monitoring S&C things in situ or hands on.

#46, 6’1” 2o7 lb. Jr. Joey Syle is a lotta things… a likely four year starter at Place-Kicker, a K with basically 3 outta 4 accuracy thus far, and a K with range out to about 50 yards, or maybe even 55 on a helpfully windy day. He is also a Kicker on pace for about 15 career tackles, and he is the only Kicker at Virginia Tech in a good long while to be a special-teams one man gun show! As dangnation, this kid has some pipes to be a specialist. You joke him on K fondue style jokes at your own risk. Yes, Joey is a lotta things and he prolly was a Lb/Fb in another life.

Interesting to see Lombardi’s much vaunted so-called Nutcracker Drill being run in 5-fold east-west parallel. Finish off the business in chute no.one go to chute no.two –immediately! Finish off the business in chute no.two go to chute no.three, and so forth. Clearly the intensity or urgency of pure work is dialed up; as I do not recall seeing this Drill as anything more than a single shot before at any level of play.

My almost boy Parker Osterloh appears to be holding his own at the right-Ot spot, if not holding onto the same (pardon the bad oLine pun). As I know of only one person who has been high on this kid since he got here; as he is quite the worker-bee. A pleaser, a wiling kid who is built like one of the peaks over on the Blue Ridge. Parker does need to learn how to play a bit lower; some would say; though I’d rather see his footwork play quicker, as how low can a 6’9” sky-scraper go? And if this even or right-side fit holds, I do like Parker and Conte to make for a pretty brackish right-side. It may not be the most overtly talented side; it won’t be the least willing to fight side; either.

Who knows if this is just canon fodder for the 4th estate or message-board masses? Tough one of the new PR specialists, is………allegedly……….Tim, Settle! WOW! Just, wow! (and, no, I’m not joking… see: pic) Unless this is an April Fool’s dupe?

Star Wr, Isiah Ford now in a contrast.

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I’m kinda curious to see what percentage of work our true Fb’s get this campaign under the Coach-Fu and coach Corny offensive quick hitting Spread shotgun sets. I type this as someone is seeing a bit more Te or H-back looks as opposed to traditional in-line (abutting either Ot, on the Line of Scrimmage) Te formations. Now, and that being said, I do feel pretty solid that Sam Rogers and Stephen Peoples could hack some credible enough H-back work. Though will they; or will the Fb creep into more of the coach-Fu playbook? This remains to be seen; however, it would be undesirable if this Set sat Sam (and Steven) down more often than a traditional 11 positional offensive set would. We shall see… (though right now Durkin and Bucky are getting a lotta reps; and a fair amount of Lead or Wham kick-out blocks as well; or in other words who do you want kicking the De/OLb door in for you? Though the whispers do say Durkin has physically impressed; here)

Early word is that someone forgot to tell b.Motley that he is 3rd-string or the de facto relegated final year Qb3. In point of fact, someone is not so sure if he would not be the back-up Qb2 if we played Liberty; tomorrow.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, though #57 Wyatt Teller? He’s strong | as in very! And I’m pretty sure you, me and his: …37o lb.  push jerk, a team-high 6oo lb. pound back squat, a team-high 385 lbs. power clean and a 43o bench press will all agree. As I’m not even sure if my legs (quads+hammies) can win his arms-race?!? And that’s just obscene bonkers men! There is some G pulling and kick-out work here in the Corny O. Be that A or B-Gap. Though someone is very curious to see how quickly, thumpers such as Teller and Conte take to this.  (whispers: say five-seven has a little right-ankle ding | and Conte has a left-wrist/hand dent as well)

Also curious to see that this Staff is not quite as element adverse. You may have to play in the rain; just ask @E.c.u. last season –if you do not believe me.  So you might as well practice in it; and with such nubile or newly installed Offense? You could be forgiven for moving any/all work indoors. You really could.

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Also observe the nearly equal, and maybe just a tad narrower splitting. This will compress the Line-of-Scrimmage (L.o.S.) horizontally and therefore reduce the time to turn the East-West corner(s). Likewise observe how the G-c-G internal blocking trifecta has lowered their crouch and how our Ot’s are now playing higher. On that particular play above, it sure looks like Wyatt is pulling, as he’s rocked back in his stance pre-snap. Might wanna eliminate that tell. Although this has all the elements of a lotta quick hitting internal stuff, or trapping and kick-out from the same; with a lotta downhill collapsing or inward folding from the edge(s). I actually kinda like how this fits our Top-7 or 8 oLine guys, just wish we could find/synthesize one more G and one more C. And suddenly we will be deeper than we have been in at least a handful of years. Maybe not individually off the charts world-beating great; though stocked with pretty dang solids all the way up to very goods; with serviceable back-ups to caddy for them. Been a long long long time since I’ve typed that out. Although I am curious to see how coach Vice and this crew do in pass-protect, which took a step backwards last year; pardon the pun. (or run blocking looks to be ahead of pass-protect, and by maybe more than a little bit, at this stage)

And do memory-gland this one… this is a quicker hitting offense; not necessarily a more complex offense, compared to the “great” Scot Set(s).

…anyone else picking up on the emerging at least subjective fact that… there is just something about these new coaches that just FITS Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va. and the New River Valley on the whole? Like their telos or destination had always been the 24o6o. I don’t know about you; though I never ever thought I’d be this comfortable with the New Staff post-Frank this soon. The top of the line Isotoner glove does not even fit this well. Not even the O&M one, well maybe the O&M one –or to put it another way, …just how bad of a fit would these new coaches would be at brie and Zima guzzling uva? As these guys have been Hokies for a while; they just didn’t know it; yet.

Virginia Tech=more urgency, offensively!!!

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

bourbonstreet**