Bleacher Report - Articles by James Hawkins

Tyrod Taylor and Co. Still Not Able to Flourish with Weak Play-Calling

James Hawkins — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 07:56:31 -0400

Many Virginia Tech fans have gone through this scenario before: A hotly anticipated game against a difficult opponent on neutral ground, a realistic opportunity to win, and the chance to button the lips of naysayers across the nation—all spoiled by poor play-calling and an unwillingness to adjust to the in-game, on field dynamics.

It has been shrugged off in the past as a few missed plays here and there, inexperience, or something to that effect, but it becomes consistently clear that the players have less and less to do with it. Not even the offensive line.

It’s the coaches.

Frank Beamer is a great coach with an uncanny ability to take two- and three-star players and turn out a top-25 team every year. He is a great coach when it comes to being consistent and being loyal to his coaching staff. But he is loyal to a fault.

Offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring has proved, time and time again, that his shallow play-calling and stubbornness toward game time adjustments make the offense not only easily readable, but painfully limited when it comes to production, and Beamer has done nothing to soothe the team’s constant offensive problems.

This game with Alabama is a perfect example. For three quarters Tech’s defense pinned Greg McElroy and the green Tide offense to the wall, forcing punt after punt, a few drives highlighted by recovered turnovers. But as they were goaded into play with constant Hokie three-and-outs or costly fumbles, the defense began to wear out entirely, surrendering nearly 500 yards of offense.

The fatigue turned into miscues and the backfield began to make some costly errors. At one point, Crimson Tide running back Mark Ingram broke tackle after tackle, essentially shrugging off linebackers and safeties, providing his team with a series of long first-downs.

So for three quarters, Bud Foster’s defense kept Virginia Tech in the game -- giving them good field position, stopping the Alabama onslaught by forcing field goals, pressuring McElroy. But a team is only as good as it’s weakest link.
A paltry 155 yards is all Virginia Tech has to show for itself. Granted, Alabama may have the finest defense in the country this year, but with all of the speed and size on the Hokie offense, they should be able to make a case for themselves as a legitimate threat.

The poor play-calling was a thread throughout the whole game. Instead of starting with a brutal and aggressive short-passing game, Coach Stinespring told quarterback Tyrod Taylor to hand the ball off and let budding star Ryan Williams tear through the defense. Unfortunately, that doesn’t usually occur until a passing game has been established, when the defense isn’t able to guess what is coming.

And that was the lynchpin that so easily snapped on Saturday night: the reading of Virginia Tech plays. The offensive line was flooded through in the second half, allowing sack after sack, forcing Tyrod Taylor to throw the ball away.

A good defense can read an offense that is capable of only a dozen or so plays, and once the Tide linebackers were onto it, the offensive line could only do so much to stop them. Against a talented handful of linebackers, Sergio Render and the rest of the line were simply out-manned.

As far as the offensive weapons, Tyrod Taylor played the game mistake-free, but his completion rating was below fifty percent. His accuracy is better than it has been in the past, especially taking into account that some of his missed passes were in fact drops by receivers. Likely he will record much better statistics in the weeks to come.

Commodity running back-turned-wide receiver Dyrell Roberts saw all of his actions as a return man, and though he was incredible, wasn’t able to use his blinding speed and telescopic field vision in any setting otherwise.

One person that Tech fans can laud is Ryan Williams. He rushed 70 yards on a dozen carries, caught a few passes, and made a highlight-reel touchdown dive late in the game.

He brings to the table what Virginia Tech has been missing since the Eddie Royal, Brandon Ore, Josh Morgan days—a player with the ability to stretch the play. Hopefully next year the return of injured Darren Evans will provide the Hokies with a strong one-two punch backfield.

Virginia Tech’s tight ends have always made strong statements in-game, except for this one. Greg Boone and his incredible athleticism were never showcased, the fan favorite Wild Turkey formation was mysteriously missing, and he was not sent out to catch a Tyrod Taylor dump-pass and barrel twenty yards down field.

With all these weapons there is no reason that Virginia Tech shouldn’t have an amazing offense. They are being constantly impeded by one-dimensional play-calling.

And Frank Beamer won’t change a thing. He hides behind the stock string-of-10-win-seasons answer when he is questioned about it, or he blames the players for offensive miscues. But a team should not have to play an absolutely perfect game to win.

To be one of three teams with five or more consecutive ten-win seasons is a good thing, but both USC and University of Texas have won a multitude of bowl games against quality opponents and are a threat to teams in the top 10. Tech has proved that against teams ranked outside the top twelve, the games are winnable, but with a record like 1-21 against top five teams, 0-4 against the SEC, and only one BCS win, there can be no excuses.

I know it has already been said, but Bryan Stinespring has got to go. As long as he is the offensive coordinator, the Virginia Tech Hokies will remain a team on the fringes of greatness, rather than the embodiment of it.

Tyrod Taylor and Bryan Stinespring of Virginia Tech To Prove Their Worth in '09

James Hawkins — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:31:34 -0400

With the surprising success of the 2008 season still fresh, Frank Beamer and company look to 2009 with high hopes.

A slot in the BCS National Championship Game is on everybody’s minds, and, with that, the ability to solidify themselves as a truly elite team rather than simply a perennial top-15 program rests in their ability to perform on a national stage.

Incumbent quarterback Tyrod Taylor will lead a talented crew of skill-position weapons behind one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country. He put up unimpressive numbers through the air last year, barely breaking 1,000 yards, which caused concern among fans.

However, he showed during spring practice that his sophomore slump was no more his fault than the greenness of the youth that surrounded him—next year, he will be ready.

On the other side of the ball, senior free safety Kam Chancellor will call signals for Bud Foster's extremely proficient defense. Chancellor will be settled into his position, and, if the end of last season was any indication, he will become one of the most valuable defensive backs in the country.

Small questions linger on the defensive line, but Foster’s dynamic defensive abilities will be able to quell any skepticism.

With all of these tools, it seems that the 2009 Orange Bowl champions would have a paved road to the 2010 National Championship Game in Pasadena.

But, many factors hamper the certainty of Tech’s ability to succeed this upcoming year—recent shoddy offensive presentations matched with a track record of inconsistency in key games, lead many to believe that a National Championship is still years away.

The squad, particularly under Taylor, have proved that they can win big games, but, year after year, unnecessary losses have plagued the team’s reputation—Kansas in the Orange Bowl two years ago, East Carolina, Boston College, and Miami in 2008.

Until the team can clean up their record with a one or two-loss season, finding their name next to Oklahoma or Southern California will prove difficult.

Much of this responsibility falls in the hands of offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring. Stinespring, who has called plays for the Hokies since 2001, has had trouble producing the offensive numbers that are expected of a top team, choosing instead to execute a style of play called “Ball Control Offense.”

This offense prefers running the ball and sitting on it: bleeding out the clock and not giving the other team a chance to make long drives down the field.

Unfortunately, though, plays are often called too conservatively and opportunities are missed. The offensive scheme has been too weak against competitive teams, particularly those with very strong defenses.

For the Hokies to consistently win, they have to produce impressive offensive numbers in every game, and, in the ACC, a league known for high-powered defenses, they have not been able to do so.

Prioritizing the run is good, especially with star running back Darren Evans, but dismissing the passing game has led to a lot of punting the ball away and poor red zone performance.

It turns out to be too easy for opposing defenses to read, or even guess, the plays being called.

In theory, this can be an effective system, forcing the opposing team’s defense to stay on the field without rest and keeping their offense out of rhythm.

But, Stinespring will have to improve as a decision-maker before fans will climb aboard his bandwagon.

This year, he has the outfit to run an efficient, effective offense. Taylor, who has needed so often to rely on his feet, will be able to exercise his throwing talents by finding any number of talented receivers or tight ends and continue to develop into a top dual-threat quarterback.

Running backs Evans and Ryan Williams have almost nothing to prove—a brilliant inaugural year for Evans last year and an unreal level of raw ability for Williams.

Because of this, Stinespring should be able to put the Tech offense well inside the top 100 in the country and lead them to success.

If not, the uncertainties about his competency as a coordinator will be largely confirmed, and there will be an enormous backlash from the many fans that want a national title.

For the Hokies, expectations run extremely high, and they are well built to do it. With a strong defensive front and experience at skill positions, the Virginia Tech Hokies have all the parts to make a convincing title run, but only if they are used to their full potential.

This year will be Stinespring’s and Taylor’s proving ground.

Virginia Tech Football: Offensive Line, Tyrod Taylor Threats in 2009

James Hawkins — Mon, 11 May 2009 03:39:27 -0400

The Virginia Tech offense has spent the last three years trying desperately to rank in the top 100 in offense nationally. Even with high level talent on the roster, it has been unable to do so thanks in part to poor performance up front.

But this year, depth and talent on the offensive line will allow quarterback Tyrod Taylor, and the rest of the backfield, to play to their full potential.

Pass protection, particularly from the weak (left) side, has hindered Taylor’s ability to develop as a pocket passer over the past two years. As everyone knows, he is as effective as anybody in the country when it comes to running the ball, but if the Hokies want to contend for a BCS National Championship game, he must be able to make plays with his arm.

His effectiveness as a consistent offensive weapon—a top ten talent—depends more upon his development as a complete quarterback: one who can see the field rolling out to the right or back in the pocket, find an open receiver, and when all else fails, break down the field.

Those three to five seconds of protection, absent for these past few years, will determine if Tyrod is a jack rabbit or a thoroughbred.

The development of the players at skill positions are totally contingent on Taylor having those few precious seconds to throw the ball rather than immediately run to evade the onslaught of safeties and linebackers as they flow through the patchy offensive linesmen.

Taylor proved his freshman year (2007) that he has an accurate arm and can hit moving targets, but much of that can be attributed to the fact that his receiver core consisted of arguably the most experienced and dangerous group of playmakers in Tech history.

In 2008, however, that core was gone and replaced by a new, greener group of athletes.

Due to the low frequency of passes reaching their targets in game time scenarios in 2008, the young wide receivers have not been able to develop into elusive and effective weapons as quickly as expected.

This isn’t to say that they aren’t capable of becoming playmakers, because flanker Danny Coale and split end Jarrett Boykin showed off, particularly in the latter half of the season, that they can burn cornerbacks to find open space.

Even converted running back Dyrell Roberts has become a rising star in the wide receiver line up.

But rarely have they been able to find the end zone, and they haven’t developed the capability of stretching the play out—that is, the ability to add yards on after the catch to further progress the offensive marches down the field.

And therein lies the problem with having an inconsistent offensive line.

The crux of an offense is the ability to move the ball in the air and the ground. With no long plays forcing the safeties to play in a deep coverage, the threat of the run has been diminished significantly.

The success of the running game in 2008 was carried by standout running back Darren Evans’ hard nosed playmaking and Tyrod Taylor’s unbelievable ability to scramble, rather than great blocking from the line.

Only sporadically was the offensive line able to control the opposing defense. A large portion of Taylor’s 739 rushing yards were attained by his taking advantage of broken plays.

Many of those broken plays, however, led to Taylor (and backup-quarterback Sean Glennon) being sacked. In fact, the Hokies allowed more sacks than almost anyone else in the country: about three per game.

Now, this statistic is slightly skewed because Taylor is often taken down during a designed quarterback draw play, so the fact that the Virginia Tech was ranked 111th out of 119 isn’t quite as bad as it sounds, but the fact is still that Taylor is vulnerable to contact.

And, as we’ve seen in the past, contact leads to injury—and Taylor’s health should be the paramount concern if Virginia Tech wants to contend for a National Championship.

From here, the obvious question is: “How will returning three starters on a terrible offensive line help this year?”

The answer is two-fold: experience and depth.

The offensive line lost two seniors in center Ryan Shuman and guard Nick Marshman. New starters Beau Warren and Jaymes Brooks seem fit to take over, and it appears that this will be an upgrade rather than simply a replacement.

Brooks has already proved himself capable, as he played for an ineligible Marshman in the Orange Bowl against Cincinnati, and Beau Warren has made significant strides during spring training. The returning line consists of veterans Blake DeChristopher, Ed Wang, and star guard Sergio Render.

More importantly, though, is the depth in the positions at this point. Offensive Line Coach Curt Newsome believes that he will have at least eight players ready to start in the game against Alabama on September 5th.

Depth at these positions allows for players on the line to rest and reboot during games, as well as push hard to keep their starter status. Over the past few years, it has been rare to see the starters take a break, so the hope is that rotating the starters will keep the level of play at its peak.

With this new formula, Taylor and company should be able to perform on a level not seen in many years at Tech. The talent is there, especially with the addition of Ryan Williams, and as Taylor continues to develop as a passer and as a leader, the Hokies’ overall offensive output should increase dramatically.

If he is able to become the weapon that everyone has been waiting for, Virginia Tech will be a force to be reckoned with in 2009.

That One Will Fly Away: Five Classic Seattle Mariners Moments as Called by Dave Niehaus

James Hawkins — Mon, 04 May 2009 04:06:59 -0400

The Seattle Mariners have never won a World Series. They've never won an American League Championship, though they’ve been there a few times. But through the many ups and downs of the Mariners' tenure, the voice of Mariners' announcer Dave Niehaus has remained constant: droning and emphatic, ready to hit the roof at any sign of a line drive to deep right field. He has the classic sort of voice that would sound as at home on a tinny 1920s-era radio as it does now on brand new 5.1 surround sound. He has become the voice of the Seattle Mariners, as well as one of the seminal sports media figures in history. Niehaus called the inaugural pitch of the Mariners franchise in 1977, after being hired by singing/acting legend Danny Kaye, and has since called over 4,900 Mariners games. He has narrated the home runs of Kenny Griffey, Jr. and Edgar Martinez, the countless hundred-mile-an-hour fastballs of Randy Johnson, and the eruption of volcanic temper tantrums put on by Coach Lou Pinella as he berated umpires on what felt like a daily basis. And through all of this, he has never announced a single World Series game. But he hardly needs to. His play-by-plays have certainly caught the eye (or ear, rather) of Cooperstown, as he has received the Ford C. Frick Award for Broadcasting Excellence in Baseball twice, and in 2000 he was inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame. His catchphrases like "My, Oh My!" and "Swung on, and Belted..." are now commonly used in the Seattle baseball vernacular, and will likely remain that way long after Niehaus has retired. So here is a slideshow dedicated to a few of the moments in Niehaus’ career that have been truly great, the moments that put Niehaus’ name alongside the greats of Sports Broadcasting.

Begin Slideshow

Virginia Tech Football: Key Position Battles To Watch In 2009

James Hawkins — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 06:09:00 -0400

Though the Virginia Tech Hokies will return the bulk of their starters from last season, questions still remain concerning the depth at the skill positions, as well as the replacements at key positions on the defense.

The battles for each position will be hard-fought, and may have a great part in determining whether or not the Hokies can perform to their full potential in 2009.

Offense

Second-String Quarterback

Joseph “Ju-Ju” Clayton: Redshirt freshman Joseph “Ju-Ju” Clayton is the primary candidate to serve as back-up quarterback to Tyrod Taylor.

A two-star recruit out of Richmond, the 6-foot, 205-lbs redshirt freshman spent last year serving as the scout-team quarterback, and though he has no experience running the Hokies’ playbook, the fact that he has recently played in the quarterback position gives him a leg up on the other players vying for the backup position.

During his senior season at Hermitage, Clayton recorded an impressive 2,117 passing yards, 22 touchdown passes, and only nine interceptions.

Clayton now stands as the likely candidate for the No. 2 quarterback position simply based on experience. He has spent his redshirt season sitting in on meetings and learning from Taylor, who has since been mentoring him on the Hokie offense.

Clayton should be more adept than his competitors because of his ability to read a collegiate defense, as he learned to do so while running plays on the Hokies’ scout-team.

Marcus Davis: Redshirt freshman Marcus Davis is the other standout quarterback in the mix to hold the title as Taylor’s standby.

At 6’4 and 220-lbs, Davis is the perfect size for many positions on the Hokies’ roster. Last year, while training at wide receiver, Davis severely injured his shoulder, had surgery, and was forced to sit on the bench and recuperate.

Though his lack of recent experience at the quarterback position will affect his status behind Taylor and Clayton, Davis had a productive senior season as quarterback at Ocean Lakes and should be able to hold his own as the competition for backup quarterback heats up.

Second-String Running Backs

(Note: Depending on the offensive structure in 2009, we may see a running back tandem. In that case, we may see these players alongside Darren Evans rather than serving as his backup.)

Josh Oglesby: Redshirt sophomore Josh Oglesby will headline the race for backup running back this spring due to his game time experience.

The 5-11, 205-lbs native of North Carolina served as backup to Darren Evans following the season-ending injury to Kenny Lewis, Jr. early in the season last year.

Though never as productive as his peers, Oglesby has shown flashes of great playmaking ability, especially late last season when he was able to race up the field for medium-yard gains.

Oglesby maintains a very respectable 4.4 second 40-yard dash, though he has underachieved when it comes to his ability to break tackles and cut past the first line of defenders.

He will have to ramp up his elusiveness if he wants to compete against the young talent that has been recruited over the last two years.

Ryan Williams: Possibly the most highly anticipated player entering next season is the high school standout Ryan Williams.

This four-star recruit has been hailed as the best East Coast running back of his recruiting class, and has the numbers and tape to prove it.

Boasting a 4.5 second 40-yard dash time and an ankle-breaking juke, Williams will be the trendy pick as next year’s understudy to Evans.

Williams will have an extra advantage in the case of the running back tandem as his mercurial fluidity will nicely compliment Evans’ tackle-breaking, smash-mouth style of play.

Williams' only hurdle will be his ability to become a better football player in a more holistic sense. Last year, he struggled with picking up blocking assignments—a key factor when blocking for a dual-threat quarterback—but as long as the competition is high, learning them should be one of his top priorities.

Defense

Inside Linebacker

Jake Johnson: At just over six feet and 230lbs, sophomore linebacker Jake Johnson should be able to fill the shoes worn by Purnell Sturdivant last year.

Though he entered the Virginia Tech football program as a sought-after recruit, Johnson’s meteoric rise to the top of the depth chart is due, in part, to the failures of his peers rather than his hearty playing ability.

His biggest competition, Quillie Odom, was mysteriously cut from games about halfway through last season. But, that being said, Johnson has wowed defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach Bud Foster enough to solidify himself (at least for now) as the top pick to fill the backer position this Spring.

Luckily for Johnson, his coach (Foster) is a magician when it comes to making the most out of what he is given.

With a good Foster-defense size and a low 4.5 second 40-yard dash, Johnson should be able to maintain his position at top of the pile.

Conclusion/My Picks

The robust talent that has blossomed from Tech’s past few recruiting classes will surely make a difference this season, especially in the hotly competitive positions in need of filling.

I forecast that regardless of who lands what position, all of these players will be called upon next year to step up and make a name for themselves.

QB: Taylor/Clayton | Davis: Flanker

RB: Tandem Evans/Williams | Third: Oglesby

ILB: Johnson

Virginia Tech-Alabama: Rebuilt Hokies Eager for Matchup in Atlanta

James Hawkins — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:03:19 -0500

Two teams, each a probable preseason top-10 sqaud, look to prove themselves as worthy national title contenders in arguably the most highly anticipated game to be played on opening weekend.

They are the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Alabama Crimson Tide, and they collide on Sep. 5 in Atlanta, Ga.

The Hokies, who just completed their fifth consecutive 10-win season, will be coming off an emotional and convincing victory against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the FedEx Orange Bowl. Frank Beamer and crew—fresh from their first BCS bowl win—will be returning the vast majority of their young starters on both sides of the ball.

The Tide had a sensational undefeated regular season, though they will be looking to ease the hangover induced by a tough postseason as they lost the SEC Championship to a powerful Florida team and fell to Utah in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. They will retain most of their starters, as well, though quarterback John Parker Wilson, senior running back Glen Coffee, two star offensive linemen, and their star safety are among those needing to be replaced.

These teams may actually be evenly matched and Virginia Tech will surely enter the game as the decided underdog...

But the Sugar Bowl taught us two things:

The first was that an underdog—seeking national recognition or even a national title—can turn that status into a motivational tool to help them win.

The second was that star Tide offensive linemen, Andre Smith and Antoine Caldwell, were holding the offense together. The Utah defense tore through the line, often unhindered, and sacked Wilson a season-high eight times. They also held the typically prolific Tide offense to less than a single yard per rushing attempt.

Utah had the 11th-ranked defense in the country. The Hokies’ defense was ranked seventh. They return seven starters. And they still have Bud Foster.

Foster’s defense has been ranked in the top 10 each of the last six years, with only last year’s squad being outside of the top five. His consistently stout line and ball-hawking backfield have been devastating to new quarterbacks.

Though probable Tide starter Greg McElroy isn’t exactly a rookie (he has a high completion rating for his games played), this is a big game to win on a neutral field for an inexperienced quarterback. I suspect that turnovers will be low but deciding.

But it’s never the Hokie defense that is in question.

For one of the few times in his collegiate career, junior Tyrod Taylor will be the more experienced quarterback on the field. Taylor sports a phenomenal 13-2 record as a starter, with a significant portion of that record coming as a true freshman. He will now train as the starter instead of the understudy—something that hasn’t happened yet in his tenure.

With a farewell to former starter Sean Glennon, Taylor will now have the ability to show the nation that 10-4 is the worst anyone will see from them under his lead, and that in full command, the notoriously tepid offense will, at the very least, be capable of putting up respectable numbers.

(Digression: offensive coordiantor Bryan Stinespring is a whole other article. But let it be said that I doubt his play calling will keep the Hokies from winning this game. Taylor makes things happen when they need to happen in big games.)

I’ve reviewed a fair amount of tape from the 2007-'08 and 2008-'09 seasons and have gathered what I believe to be the most deciding factor in Taylor’s growth as a quarterback.

In 2007-'08, he really did have a robust arm. It is obvious to those who watched him play his freshman year that he was passing to effectively the best receiver core in the country (Royal, Harper, Morgan, and Hyman), and that they were giant contributors to his success.

While this is the case, he had wonderful ball placement and could "thread the needle" or throw a bomb down field when needed. As long as his receivers continue to improve at the rate we saw last year, his arm will not be cause for concern.

The quarterback-receiver connection that was missing early last year will become non-existent as the talented group becomes familiar with the plays and the flow of the game.

A productive arm will open up what Tyrod (and Evans) showcased in his sophomore season: the run game. The kind of agility and durability that Taylor gained over the course of a year is staggering. With more practice and conditioning, I suspect that a previously oft-hurt Taylor won’t be taken down as soon as many people fear.

This, to me, is the answer to the Hokies’ offensive woes.

It would be unfair to make it sound like Alabama doesn’t stand a chance, because they most certainly do. I believe that the predictions will be split down the middle—I would not even be surprised if the Tide are favored—and that it will end up being decided by a fumble or a pick.

Both teams have excellent coaching and defense. The vast majority of the Tide defense is coming back, and as we saw last year, they wield a mighty force.

Will it be enough to make up for a patchy offense?

Will the Hokies be able to put up offensive numbers against such a stingy group that led the SEC last year in total defense?

I don’t know.

But I do know that on Sep. 5, 2009, the state of Georgia will quake.