TSLMail #392 - July 31, 2009

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TSLMail #392- July 31, 2009

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Tech Sports News

All-VT Offense, ACC Era
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com

Earlier this summer, we brought you the All-VT defense of the ACC era. Today we'll bring you the All-VT offense. Despite Tech's struggles as a unit on the offensive side of the ball, they have had quite a few outstanding players.

All-VT Offense, ACC Era
Pos.	Player	Year
QB	Bryan Randall	2004
RB	Branden Ore	2006
WR	Eddie Royal	2007
WR	Josh Morgan	2007
WR	Justin Harper	2007
TE	Jeff King	2005
OT	Duane Brown	2007
OT	Jimmy Martin	2005
OG	Will Montgomery	2005
OG	Jason Murphy	2005
C	Ryan Shuman	2008

We'll start at the quarterback position, where Bryan Randall was the ACC Player of the Year in 2004. Randall led the Hokies to the ACC Championship while passing for 2,264 yards, with 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran for 511 yards and three more touchdowns. Randall finished as Virginia Tech's all-time leader in passing yards, total yards and touchdown passes.

Branden Ore was healthy and in shape for most of the 2006 season, and he proved to be an outstanding back. Despite missing the final two games of the regular season with an ankle injury, he rushed for 1,137 yards and 16 touchdowns. Ore also caught 18 passes for 214 yards. He had back-to-back 200 yard rushing games against Southern Miss and Clemson during the month of October.

The Hokies had outstanding wide receivers in 2007. Eddie Royal was one of the top rookies in the NFL last season, while Josh Morgan is a probable starter for the 49ers in 2009. Even Justin Harper is making big plays for the Ravens so far in preseason camp. They all flashed their talent in 2007.

Big Three in 2007
Player	Rec.	Yards	TD
Josh Morgan	46	552	5
Justin Harper	41	635	5
Eddie Royal	33	496	4
Total	120	1683	14

That's big time production in the Tech offense, particularly when Josh Hyman, Sam Wheeler, Branden Ore and Greg Boone are available as targets as well.

Jeff King is Tech's most outstanding tight end of the ACC era. He was second team All-ACC in 2004 and 2005. He caught 26 passes for 292 yards and six touchdowns in 2005. A good blocker and a good receiver, King is now the starting tight end for the Carolina Panthers.

Notice that three of Tech's linemen were selected for their performance in 2005. Even Duane Brown, who had his best year in 2007, was a starter in 2005. The 2005 line was very good, and they showed their ability towards the end of the season. Both Branden Ore and Cedric Humes rushed for 100 yards in the final two games of the season against Virginia and North Carolina. Tech had a very potent rushing attack that season.

Tech Rushing in 2005
Player	Carries	Yards	YPC	TD
Cedric Humes	162	752	4.6	11
Branden Ore	109	647	5.9	6
Mike Imoh	106	419	4	4
Total	377	1818	4.8	21

377 carries is a lot to split between three running backs, but the Hokies managed to do that. Marcus Vick also had 147 carries that year (including sacks), and Tech also threw the ball 289 times. They ran a total of 900 plays that year, compared to just 789 for their opponents. Frank Beamer likes for his teams to control the football and run the clock, and the 2005 team was very good in that regard.

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TechSideline.com Updates From the Past Week

Farmer Boasts Nine Major 1A Offers July 31, 2009 South Columbus (Tabor City, N.C.) jumbo athlete Ethan Farmer was a force on offense and defense last season as a junior, accumulating 15 catches for 275 yards and three touchdowns at tight end and 55 tackles as a defensive lineman. The 6-4, 262-pound rising senior has potential at a number of positions on the next level, including tight end, interior offensive lineman, defensive end and defensive tackle, though most college coaches project him initially as a tight end or defensive tackle. more
In-State Recruiting Analysis, Part 2 July 31, 2009 In 2000, Al Groh became the head coach at UVA with an expressed goal of dominating the state in recruiting. The Cavaliers achieved some initial success with an aggressive recruiting strategy, and Frank Beamer was forced to respond by making changes in the Hokies' recruiting approach. After eight full recruiting seasons, Virginia Tech clearly has taken the lead in the heated in-state battle with the Wahoos, and Al Groh is now on the proverbial "hot seat" as the coach at UVA. more
2009 Virginia Tech Football Preview: Linebackers July 30, 2009 For the second year in a row, there is a lot of player turnover at the inside linebacker positions. Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall departed following the 2007 season, while Purnell Sturdivant and Brett Warren were seniors in 2008. The whip linebacker spot is in capable hands, but the inside spots will fall to a couple of inexperienced sophomores who are backed up by players with even less experience. more
Big-Time WR Target Considers Options July 30, 2009 Before September, Bishop McNamara (Forestville, MD) wide receiver Brandon Coleman still hopes to narrow his list of double-digit scholarship offers to single digits, but as of now the 6-6, 200-pound prospect has yet to do so. The talented athlete continues to consider all 13 Division 1A offers he received. more
NC Star Plans to Visit VT on Friday July 29, 2009 Ardrey Kell (Charlotte, N.C.) defensive end/linebacker Prince Shembo told TechSideline.com this evening that he "probably" will visit Virginia Tech on Friday. Barring a change of heart, this will be the final visit before the 6-2, 235-pound rising senior makes a college commitment. more
Four Hokies Make Preseason All-ACC Team July 29, 2009 The 2009 Preseason All-ACC team was released on Wednesday afternoon, and Virginia Tech led the way with four selections. The Hokies had two offensive and two defensive players selected. more
2009 ACC Football Preview: Clemson July 29, 2009 Clemson was supposed to win the ACC last year, but they had a bad offensive line that was decimated by injuries, and it cost them some games. They finished 7-6 with a loss to Nebraska in the Gator Bowl. Tommy Bowden only lasted seven games, and interim coach Dabo Swinney was hired to run the program full time at the end of the season. more
2009 Virginia Tech Football Preview: Defensive Backs July 28, 2009 Certain schools are associated with certain positions because they are known for sending outstanding players at that position into the NFL. Auburn and Miami are both known as "Running Back U", while Penn State is "Linebacker U". That begs the question: when is Virginia Tech going to finally become known as "DB U"? more
In-State Recruiting Analysis, Part 1 July 28, 2009 A critical goal of every major college football coach is to dominate the recruiting of the immediate geographic area. Frank Beamer has always stated that the Hokies need to control the Commonwealth of Virginia in recruiting to become a consistent national title contender, and Al Groh, when hired, emphasized that a recruiting fence needed to be constructed around the state for UVA to become a national power. more
Star Athlete Considering VT for an Official July 28, 2009 6-2, 195-pound Josh Furman, an exceptional athlete who posted an electronically-timed 4.36-second 40-yard dash at a Scout.com combine earlier this year, has earned 13 official Division 1 offers but is looking to narrow his list of schools by August 15th, the first day of Old Mill High School's (Millersville) preseason practice. more
2009 ACC Football Preview: Boston College July 27, 2009 Boston College has lost to Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship Game in each of the last two seasons. Heading into 2009, they are experiencing heavy turnover at critical positions, including head coach. Jeff Jagodzinski departed in the offseason to be the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Former defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani is now BC's third head coach since 2005. more
Hokies Picked to Win the ACC July 27, 2009 The 2009 ACC Preseason Poll has been released, and Virginia Tech is predicted to win their division and claim the ACC Championship, according to media votes. The media members also announced their 2009 Preseason Player of the Year. more
Preseason Football Coverage Begins Today July 27, 2009 TechSideline.com will kick off its 2009 preseason football coverage beginning this afternoon. Football practice begins on August 6, and we are just 40 days and a few hours away from the Alabama game on September 5. For the remainder of July and the entire month of August, we will be bringing you previews of each ACC team, a position-by-position breakdown of Virginia Tech, and much more. more
Q&A with Chase Williams July 27, 2009 Loudoun County (Leesburg, VA) linebacker/tight end Chase Williams became Virginia Tech's 17th commitment of the 2010 class last week, when he pledged to head coach Frank Beamer over a handful of offers that included Miami and West Virginia. The 6-3, 240-pound prospect racked up 163 tackles last season as a junior and is looking for greater success as a senior, as he enters the 2009 season in great shape following a big-time off-season training program. more
Khamrone Kolb Knows Three Official Visits July 27, 2009 Lake Braddock (Burke, VA) offensive lineman Khamrone Kolb isn't ruling out making a college commitment before the start of his senior high school year, but for now the 6-6, 300-pound prospect is leaning towards taking official visits this fall. Kolb, who is considered one of the top offensive line prospects in the state, knows three official visit destinations so far. more