2004 Statistics

Quarterback
What can we say about Marcus Vick? He wasn't even on campus 2004 (arrested/suspended from class), but now he has reenrolled and is set to be the man needed to lead these warriors. Look back two years, and Marcus did show flashes of brilliance but was not consistent when sharing the job. With the position firmly his, Marcus should develop the consistency via character. Marcus' decision making skills are obviously the centerpiece of both football and personal judgments made about him. The very thought of Vick's mobility (4.48-sec 40, 36" vertical leap) and strong arm with legitimate deep-threat wide receivers has the "Hokie Nation" giddy with anticipation. When he plays not to lose, Vick's natural skills will flourish and Tech will win. But his five INTs in 57 career passes have many wondering what VT will do if he is pushed to hard too fast, and he returns to old form. In case of this (Vick has four catches) or injury, sophomore pocket-passer Sean Glennon will change the pace. Sean looked extremely sharp in mop up duties against scrubs, and will see time as the heir-apparent. Ike Whitaker comes in as Rivals.com's No.3 prospect, so his name could surface, too. The talent is here, but fulfilling potential is something Vick can never really attain given his hiatus.

Running Back
Cedric Humes and Mike Imoh are among the best running back tandems in the country. Humes is the stronger, power runner while Imoh is the elusive quick one. This pair started slowly due to Hume's broken leg and Imoh's suspension, but they found their groove. Imoh even broke Kevin Jones' single-game rushing record (243 yards vs. UNC 11/6/04). Still, a very good Auburn defense showed they could be stopped, but these two can - and will - improve. With VT's multiple options in the passing game and several deep-threat wide receivers, defenses will not be able to crowd the box to stop the run. There are a few big, quick newbies just waiting for a chance, so this unit looks strong. Opening holes will be gym-rat Jesse Allen at fullback. Despite a big dropped pass in the Sugar Bowl, coaches are sold on him. Look for Jon Kinzer to move to tight end. Between Vick, Humes, and Imoh, expect the 2005 Hokies to return to a dominating rushing attack.

Receiver
The unpredicted emergence of VT's sophomore wide receivers won departed-QB Randall his ACC Player of the Year status. This group caught 86 passes for 1472 yards. The rest of the team caught 93 passes for 963 yards. And every one is able to stretch the field vertically. Eddie Royal is marginally the best of the bunch. But junior David Clowney was already a favorite target for Marcus Vick in 2003, and proves his worth (especially in short yardage) as the largest established target (6'1"). Expect emerging guys Justin Harper (6'4") and Todd Nolen (6'3") to see action underneath, too. With Beamer in control, the Hokies will never resemble a fun-and-gun offense, but look for offensive coordinator Brian Stinespring to utilize this depth of talent well.

Tight End
In 2004, Nationalchamps.net did not even preview the Hokie tight end group. Why bother for a Hokie offense, right? Well, unlike the Hokie tight ends, we dropped the ball. VT tight ends caught opponents by surprise, too, and of their 42 catches, 25 went for first downs. Jeff King, who made 25 of those catches (4 TDs), had made only seven prior career catches. It was 1990 the last time a tight end had 4 TD passes and 1987 the last time more than 40 catches were recorded by this group. King returns, along with converted FB Jon Kinzer and Duane Brown. This group handles well being used in subtle ways that secure offensive successes, so expect the unexpected again, but bank on ball movement when these guys are healthy, period.

Offensive Line
The Hokies return three starters, but coaches want to move Will Montgomery from center back to guard. It will take spring practices to know if they can. This offensive line was not spectacular, and had an abysmal game in their only ACC loss to NC State. Achieving only 187 rushing yards per game and 4.2 yds per attempt are numbers far below Hokie standards. So is allowing 36 sacks. Nevertheless, they were effective in scoring situations. The multiple-threat offense should allow the rushing game to get back to typical Hokie 200+ yd per game levels as the quick-footed line adjust to a more freewheeling QB. Beamer demands much from his beef-eaters, so watch this core dimension to keep tabs on how the other offensive facets do.

OFFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
Wow. These are great players for Brian Stinespring's schemes. Good, young, speedy receivers, experienced running backs, a tight end with sticky fingers, an experienced offensive line and a quarterback named Vick. The playbook is wide-open and only a sophomore slump should slow this squad. We'll probably see more option plays with Vick then with Randall, but anything goes with this many playmakers available. If you don't know about how Beamer likes to take creative chances on this side of things, just watch what he tries this campaign once this machine starts to really fire. Last year's 65th-rated (total) offense is no signal as to what we are about to see.

Defensive Line
The defensive front seven really turned it around. A return to the swarming, gang-tackling defense (21st-ranked in run stopping, allowed only 77 first downs via runs) was a welcome sight. No player epitomizes the return to the blue-collar ethic than NC.net first-team all-American DE Darryl Tapp, who captured the coveted "lunch pail" in the spring of '04 and never relinquished it. His 16.5 TFLs (8.5 sacks) and 23 QB-hurries say it all. He will lead this unit, who will return depth and talent with Nolan Burchette, Jonathan Lewis (11TFLs), and Chris Ellis. These guys are all pass-rushing fools (62 QB-hurries amongst the four) and are rarely fooled in play-action. But if there's a weak point in this unit, it would be with finding established depth and the starter's size. Fourth quarter efforts could reflect this through fatigue and (then) confusion.

Linebacker
The linebackers are arguable the strongest link. Much of that is due to soph Vince Hall and senior James Anderson, who both just had terrific years. An injury to sophomore Xavier Adibi in the USC opener limited his time on the field, but when he returned, he was outstanding. His key (instinct) sack against UNC won the game for the Hokies. Individual awards might elude these players (the Hokie system doesn't result in LBs with 100 tackles), but the trio of Adibi, Hall, and Anderson is amongst the best linebacking units in the country. Watch for true-frosh Deveon Simmons to compliment Rouse and Warren (2 INTs for 86yds and a TD) as they each provide quality depth.

Defensive Back
Hokie fans let out a huge sigh of relief when NC.net first-team all-American cornerback Jimmy Williams decided to forego the NFL. The Hokies desperately need their only returning starter as well as their INT leader (also 14 pass breakups). Opposite CB Roland Minor can cover like Beamer ball demands (one-on-one) with his size and speed. Questions remain at the safety positions, as no players with real experience return here. Justin Hamilton is being moved from tailback to safety to provide senior leadership. Newly-arriving Victor Harris and Kent Hicks look well-sized, fast, and prime, but this (at best) work-in-progress will be reported on as soon as we know.

DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
The defensive front seven will be absolutely critical to success (especially early). An inexperienced defensive backfield learns the ropes, so how far 2004's No.4-rated pass defense slips will be critical for measuring how far the entire Hokie squad will eventually go. Fortunately, they have the talent (up front) to accomplish this. Nevertheless, the Achilles heel of Bud Foster's defenses over the years has been gambling on/allowing the deep ball while playing aggressively up front. Last year's defense tallied 18 INTs, tops in the ACC and fifth-best in the country. Accordingly, Beamer will perform trial-by-fire baptismals for the DBs, meaning the Hokie's season will pivot on the front seven getting its job done quickly when opponents pass. The line will come through, and the defense will again win games in Blacksburg.