Click me for Chris Coleman’s VT Qb preview:
I know I am one of the very few students who ever loved Mathematics.
When you have 36 hours of Calc and Stats banging around between your ears; it just has to find a useful home — somewhere, sometime, somehow.
Those subject line digits showcase just how much better a 2009 full-time 13 game starting and fully ensconced T-mobile was compared to an incoming part-time or alternating 2007-2008 TT with a highly visible, (rightfully) less than thrilled, and highly motivated S.Glennon competing or perhaps even tailgating in T’mobile’s rear-view signal-calling O&M mirror.
Competition is a fine thing gentleman.
Crowding is not.
As a first year t-Junior upperclassman full-time starter in 2009 TT was feeling no pain. For the very first time it was -and still very much is- HIS offensive huddle and nearly his football team — and boy did it show.
- +123% increase in passing yardage (i.e. more than a simple doubling).
- A whopping +550% increase in TD throws!
- And vastly more important to me; TT’s INT% actually dropped by 18%. Go fig’ on that one; though that is a surefire sign of a sage and rapidly maturing Pivot (Qb) folks.
If that is not dazzling enough; consider that we were still one of the cellar-dwellers in pass-blocking last year. 12.3% of all called pass plays resulted in TT being Sacked! Ouch and it is a borderline wonderment how TT remained upright for all 13 games? A cat synonym this kid simply is not; TT may have been down, though he has never been knocked out for a season and he sure has played with more than his fair share of hurts. To take that a step further; believe it or not, that foul 2009 12.3% sacks allowed vital (stat) was actually a mild improvement, what with VT coming off of being 1st-worst in all of D-1 at 14.4% in sacks allowed in 2008. Though still 12.3% was good enough for being 8th worst in all of D-1 last year.
Ergo … imagine what TT could do if he ever had an pedestrian, vanilla, or middle of the road and downright average pass-blocking out in front of him?
Finally consider that TT’s running metrics dropped by a almost half in 2009; a 49% decrease in rushing yardage from 2008. Yes, some of that was born out of back-up Qb necessity or a desire to limit TT’s contact in 2009 via only calling 5 scripted running plays for TT when we broke the 2009 huddle. However, there is more to that than a not so subliminal Qb self-preservation policy or a quasi O&M starting Qb endangered species list. An alternative way to look at it would be to say that TT hung in there in 2009, bought a little extra time here and there and made corresponding extra plays with his arm. Some of that was increased trust born of increased synergy with his ever matriculating pitch-n-catch combos. Some of that was the offspring of a more seasoned and more mature T’mobile himself. Last year T’mobile mastered the routine plays and therefore segued into several immaculate plays; just ask Nebraska how that tastes and then take a look at the numerous late-season needles TT threaded vs. Maryland, State and france.
IF we can somehow just give T’mobile even average Time To Throw© in 2010, look the (blank) out! This kid is really really good, and he quite possibly is actually great … it’s just a matter of time.
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“LET’S GO!”
“HOKIES!”
b’street
B’steet
Good article and so true. TT is a great QB in those ways it is nearly impossible to quantify and is blessed with the atheletic talent also. We can only hope our O’line is able to allow him to demonstrate that ability. Even more dangerous than the crowding from those seeking the Qb position is the crowding we have seen in the past few years in the offensive pocket.
IMO S. Glennon was a good college Qb but arrived at Tech at the wrong time. He spent most of his time on the field running for his life. The only people that beat him up worse than the opposing defense was Tech fans. He could not handle that kind of pressure. But, I remember a Qb down in Miami that went 32 and 2 yet when pressured he would turn over the rock.
Maybe that is why it is called team sport. Time and place does matter.
I know of one Coach -best I’ve ever known in point of fact- who swears up and down that Sean Glennon would have been a very good pocket Qb in a good pocket system with a tight oLine out in front. Like say what Coach Tressell runs up at “the” Ohio State.
Thank most kindly for the generous words jltechfan!
bigeiii