A QB Controversy In Blacksburg?

Logan Thomas is and should be the man until the coaches say he isn’t. HOWEVER, I would still like to see more of Mark Leal in situations where the game is not in doubt… either way.

For example, I think Leal should have had all the 4th quarter reps that occurred after Clemson hung their third touchdown on us. It’s clear that Thomas was not going to win the game by that point. Why not let Leal get some experience and let the coaches have another look at him in a gametime situation?

If the staff all say LT is the man as an article of faith, well, I think that leads to trouble. However, if they can compare the two in the same game more often they might be able to say it convincingly based on the evidence.

I saw the dreaded Sean Glennon comparison, but hell, Glennon at least had some touch on his throw.

I’m not a football coach, and obviously, the staff sees something with Thomas. But to my untrained eyes, I do not see any improvement that could translate into a 10-win season this year. If Sat was any indication of the year to come, I see “L’s” coming v Miami, v UNC, v GT, and possibly, v Wake Forest.

To me, the question is…Is the payoff for Thomas being the QB worth the investment of tossing this season down the drain?

I think the issue is play calling verses a qb controversy. When VT had to pass, the pressure was coming from the offensive left side, so why didn’t the coaches call plays to allow Thomas to roll away from the pressure. A screen to that side may have even slowed the pass rush down. Even earlier in the game, VT took few shots down field to open the running lanes up for Wilson. If the play calling doesn’t become a bit more imaginative, VT could be in for a long season.

Okay, Logan Thomas isn’t as bad as Sean Glennon. He has been fairly good so far this season but he needs to get better in a hurry or those comparisons will keep raining down. Sean Glennon would just sit back in the pocket and take the Glennon Statue Sack instead of throwing the ball away. Logan is definitely a more competent QB than that and I will never compare him to Glennon. I do think that people’s expectations (including mine) are a little high of Logan. You have to remember how all the people at ESPN were comparing Thomas to Cam Newton. Was it an unfair comparison? Yes. Should Hokies fans expect anything less than winning every game? I don’t think that’s not reasonable. However, I will say that LT3 looked like he took a few steps back in this game. Some of his passes were very questionable and Stinespring even said: “Early on I think he didn’t feel comfortable throwing the balls he threw, but then he threw some real nice passes out there.” (Hokiehaven.com article). The guy is still going through some growing pains, which are expected, and I don’t know if Leal would do any better. I don’t think it would hurt to try it out though. I’m not saying a dual QB situation like Glennon-Tyrod, but at least give Leal some reps. We all have to remember that Tyrod wasn’t that great in his first few starts either. Tyrod didn’t turn the corner until his Junior year and while I hope that’s not the case with LT3, it is a possibility. I’m not giving up on LT3 yet because these things take time. I’m not so sure about everyone else though.

You got to pull LT and make him a TE to give him a out if things start to get bad. Right now I bet LT is thinking shit I got to think about the future and save any NFL hopes now by becoming an TE again. The big question is LT willing to work to become a QB? For me I think it will be NFL suicide if he does.

Like I said in an earlier post…I love Frank Beamer. Great Man, does it the right way. But we have learned that he has now become a Cheer-Leader, a Motivator…which is OK by me BUT is he Joe Pa in waiting? Hope not but maybe headed that way…….we need coaching. You can see it on the field that this team is in dire need of leadership from the sidelines…An offensive Mind & innovator! Every team at some point needs to re-invent its self…football is an ever evolving sport…Now is the time. As for the criticism of Logan Thomas. He has the talent, we as fans just have to wait for him to develop. This loss is squarely on the coaches. (Stiney, Cain & Beamer Sr.) If they respond maybe the players will. I don’t think the Cheer-Leader speech will work on this team (Without Tyrod’s Leadership) they need to help LT, it is not like last year when Tyrod helped the coaches look good…it’s there tern to take the blame! Mark Leal would certainly do a good job if put into the game but in the long haul LT has THE major up-side but we may need a legit offensive coordinator to help him. Clemson went out and found one why can’t we?

He just needs more time and experience. how about supporting him instead of calling for his job. I know we have become used to winning 10 games a season as that and the ACC championship are the only things to brag about. If you want to blame someone blame Beamer for not doing something about the offensive coaching staff. We all know Tyrod made Stiney look good last year. The coaches had all spring and summer to help LT work on his mechanics. if they were so headstrong on making him a quarterback they should have done a better job. I’m sure they knew his passes constantly have been high. I put all the blame on Beamer and his inability to bring in an offensive staff that was worth something. I say this as a Beamer supporter, but maybe this is the kind of season we need in order for Beamer to finally do what needs to be done.

Begin and end with Stinespring. I am sick of blaming the players! Good coaches make things happen with good talent. We have great talent and a good OC. We need to replace Stinespring and copy Clemson and hire a dynamic coach. Look at history. Tech equals great defense and terrible offense. Reason? Foster has to reload with freshmen-tech’s defense still reaches the top 15. Last year was an anomaly. Stinespring gets more talent on offense than we have had in 20 years and we end up in the bottom half of the rankings. Beamer needs to stay loyal or fill that empty trophy case. He can’t do both.

Beamer is trying to use the current Alabama strategy of having a great defense, special teams, and just enough offense to not only win games but national championships. Problem is, is we haven’t recruited like bama, we keep the same mediocre position coaches (Curt Newsome) and we keep trying to get lucky with walk on kickers and punters. So, we need imo to go and get one of those snazzy OC’s to put our athletes to good use!

This qb “hole” has been coming for 4 years. Just think what it would be like now if we’d gritted it out with Glennon and left the red shirt on Tyrod that first year. He’d be here now, paired with a mature receiver corps. Imagine the possibilities. But honest.y, think back to what Tyrod was really like that first year. His passing was very uneven — combination of him being new AND the receivers being largely inexperienced. He spooked out of the pocket and down the field at the first hint of things not working out. He made up for his growing pains as a passer and our weak O-line with his feet.

That said, I think you give LT some time to develop, and give the coaching staff time to help him learn stuff that Tyrod did naturally. He’s got the advantage of experienced receivers who will make plays for him. Better he learn the art now than still be struggling next year when Coale and Boiken are gone. The D was reading LT’s eyes the whole game, which is why the passing game went no where; they knew exactly where he was going with the ball. All that commentator talk in the past years about Tyrod looking one way and then tossing another? Apparently it wasn’t just talk, and we saw the difference on Saturday.

I’m an old pre-Beamer Hokie. I know what it is to lose almost all the time; to win games only on the strength of a kicker’s foot (and now we can’t count on that, even). Every Saturday I’m pinching myself, hardly able to believe we’re on TV … again. Settle in, young Hokies. It may be a ratty year. Growth is sometimes not pretty to watch. GIve it time.

Josh Oglesby, Eddie Whitley Cris Hill, Danny Coale, Chris Drager, Barquell Rivers, Blake DeChristopher, Jaymes Brooks, Andrew Lanier, Greg Nosal, Jarrett Boykin
and most likely Jayron Hosley and David Wilson will be gone in 7 games. It not all about developing players, quite a few of our starters are developed and are not interested in losing for the sake of gaining valuable experience. Even though LT3 may be a better QB next year, VT will have a young offensive line, a very young stable of RB’s, little depth at wide receiver and a very young secondary. Even though I am not worried about Bud’s defense next year without this year’s star in Hosley the offence will not be better even though we expect LT3 to be. The O line has a chance to be decent but not a lot of depth the and a lousy recruiting class. We have played 5 games and there has been very little improvement on offence. As a matter of fact the App State game was our most consistent offensive outing. The Miami game is very important on a number of levels.

A win and we have an outside chance at another 10 win season if we win the bowl game, but loss and VT may not see another ACC title game until 2013 or beyond.