2002 Statistics

written by TJ Murphy

The big questions about Virginia Tech's offense next year are 'Is Marcus (Vick) as good as Michael?', 'Will Marcus get the start over Bryan Randall?' and 'How many yards will Kevin Jones get now that he's the feature back?'

But the more important question should be 'How good is the offensive line?' While there is no shortage of talent in the offensive 'skill' positions next year, the Hokies must have a dominating power-rushing attack to begin success. Never known for great pass blocking, Hokie offensive linemen have typically been able to put defensive players on their butts during rushing plays. In 2002, this was not the case for some of their most important games - smart defenses crowded the box and forced the Hokies to throw. The result was lowly rushing attacks against teams like Texas A&M, LSU, and Pittsburgh. Not only that, but they couldn't push the ball in the end zone with 2nd-and-goal in the close WVU loss. The line gave up 37 sacks in 2002, despite having a mobile quarterback. Could it be that Bryan Stinespring, who was promoted to OC in addition to his OL coaching duties, was too busy working out game plans to spend time with his men in the trenches? Promoting an OL coach to OC reflects Beamer's conservative offensive mindset, but Stinespring did seem to open up the playbook once defenses learned how to stop their initial simplistic schemes.

The good news about the offensive line is that the young guys now have some experience. The Hokies best lineman, Jake Grove, returns at center. The Hokies have size and experience flanking Grove. As a true freshman, Jimmy Martin replaced an ineffective Jon Dunn at RT midway through 2002 and never lost the spot. Martin is a little undersized at 6-5, 269. For the Hokies to be successful, they will need to step up, particularly in pass protection department. If one-dimensional, this offense is easily stopped.

The question remains, whom will they be protecting? In his first year as starter, Bryan Randall proved a more than able quarterback, with a strong arm and clever elusiveness. He made mistakes typical of a young quarterback - often running from the pocket too soon, and throwing costly interceptions (WVU game). However, he also was instrumental in wins against LSU and Texas A&M, and he exploded for over 500 yards passing and 5 TDs in a loss to Syracuse. If he were the only returning quarterback, the Hokies would be thrilled with him as a returning starter…but then there's Marcus Vick.

Perhaps there is too much pressure on Marcus to perform like his older brother. But Tech coaches have said, "The acorn doesn't fall too far from the tree". How does Frank Beamer not start Vick, who chose Virginia Tech specifically knowing Kevin Rogers was selected as QB coach? It's hard to imagine Marcus is going to wait around two years for his shot at starting. Beamer likes the job to go to the incumbent, but spring practice is going to generate a lot of attention (and it won't be to see who's going to be starting at tight end.) The smart money may be on Vick to win the job, but we will keep you updated as soon as this one plays out.

At tailback, there are no question marks. Kevin Jones is now the man. Phenomenally fast and strong, this will be Jones' breakout year. He still has some important things to learn, including holding on to the football, and perhaps more importantly, that sometimes three tough yards are more valuable than trying a 50-yard bolt around the corner. His best three linemen are in the middle and he needs to run behind them more often rather than to the outside. And if the OL learns how to pass block reasonably well, look for Jones to catch a lot of balls instead of staying home. Junior TE Keith Willis is part of this equation, too - he needs to develop into a quality blocker to expand his range as a receiver. Taking that extra LB away regularly, by route running or with helmet-to-helmet application, will get Jones free in more ways than one.

At wide receiver, Ernest Wilford had a fantastic year (by Hokie standards) with 8 TDs and a 18 yards-per-catch average (4 TDs, 279 yards vs. Syracuse). He's a possession receiver (6'4") with marginal speed. He won't go unnoticed by 2003 defenses, so it will be up to Richard Johnson, or redshirt freshman Fred Lee to provide another threat. Lee has the speed to stretch a defense, but he's going to have to step up to see playing time. If he does, the Hokies could actually pose a major threat through the air. This element of their game will be critical to teams that stuffed the run last year by stacking the box with extra men. SPRING UPDATE: Look for exceptional CB DeAngelo Hall to make some noise at WR this fall. His spring performance while running routes received extremely positive reviews. It would not be surprising to see this talented junior make waves as a legitimate Heisman contender while playing both ways.

QB Marcus Vick

written by TJ Murphy

The 2002 defense had a Jeckyll-and-Hyde personality. After giving up only 325 yards rushing in the first eight games, they gave up over 1370 yards in the next six games. The center of the defense was torched. Much of this can be attributed to key injuries, however Tech's DTs were undersized and the LBs inexperienced. For 2003, these problems should be corrected, though allowing 3.4 yards-per-carry and ranking 29th in run defense isn't shabby. The front-seven returns fully powered with reason to bit-chomp.

Look to senior inside linebacker Vegas Robinson to (re)-assume the leadership role. He was leading the team in tackles before injury made him miss three games (not coincidentally, the beginning of the losing streak.) Junior Mikal Baaquee, Tech's leading tackler, will join Robinson in shoring up inside backer position, but he is small and not a hard hitter, so he will need the interior DL to do their job for him to be effective.

Junior Brandon Manning, who was third in tackles, will bring experience to whip-LB. JUCO transfer Jimmy E. Williams, a 6-3, 338 DT will provide the bulk in the middle. At DE, the Hokies are loaded on the two-deep depth chart with three-year starters. Nathaniel Adibi and Cols Colas had terrific years with nine sacks each, and, with Williams garnering double-teams, should continue to harass QBs. Jim Davis and likely Jason Lallis, who was too small at DT, will get plenty of snaps in passing situations.

The only key losses (3) are in the secondary. Pile's hard-hitting leadership will be sorely missed, while Whitaker's mental lapses and occasionally costly penalties less so. Still, the Hokies look to be in great shape. Junior DeAngelo Hall leads this group at corner. A candidate for the Jim Thorpe award last year, he had four interceptions and returned them for a total of 124 yards. Eric Green, who started as a true freshman in 2001, took a medical redshirt last fall. He will challenge to return to his starting position. Garnell Wilds and Vincent Fuller saw plenty of action - Wilds led the Hokies with five INTs while Fuller stole four. At the Rover position, look for fiery JUCO transfer James Griffin to battle for playing time with Michael Crawford, who is recovering from treatment of lymphoma. Griffin is a playmaker/ headhunter and could add the Corey Moore type leadership that will personalize this defense. These ball-hawkers, along with an acutely sharp run-stopping crew, should improve on 2002's ranking of 32nd in total defense.

DE Nathaniel Adibi