Better blocking needed to spark running game
With a backfield jet-propelled by former ACC Rookies of the Year Ryan Williams and Darren Evans, Virginia Tech had two good reasons to expect its offense would be fueled by a strong ground game in 2010.
Augmenting that belief was a trio of returning starters on an offensive line that helped the Hokies rank No. 14 in the nation in rushing in 2009.
But in two disastrous defeats, Virginia Tech’s perceived strength has been its biggest weakness. In a 33-30 loss to Boise State, the Hokies averaged just 2.9 yards per rush. In Saturday’s shocking 21-16 defeat to FCS James Madison, Tech rushed for 238 yards and never punted. But it also failed to score touchdowns on four of five drives inside the JMU red zone. Tech has scored 37 points in 10 trips inside the 20-yard line, ranking No. 95 out of 120 teams in the FBS.
A year after rushing for an ACC freshman record 1,655 yards and averaging 5.6 yards per carry, sophomore Williams has run for 131 yards and just 3.3 per rush. Two years removed from rushing for 1,265 yards, sophomore Evans, who missed last year with a knee injury, has carried the ball 10 times for 39 yards.
Finding daylight has been difficult. Leading rusher, quarterback Tyrod Taylor (159 yards, 5.5 per carry average), has gained most of his yards via improvised scrambles.
On a radio show on Monday, fans bombarded head coach Frank Beamer and offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring with questions about the conditioning, intensity, depth, zone blocking schemes and talent of the offensive line.
“We got a few new starters,” Beamer said on Tech Talk Live. “It’s not that they’re not working hard. We just gotta block better.”
Center Beau Warren (Centreville), right guard Jaymes Brooks and right tackle Blake DeChristopher are the returning starters. The first-year starters are juniors Greg Nosal (6-6, 293) and Andrew Lanier (6-5, 275). Both are converted tight ends, and have less physical presence than their predecessors Ed Wang (6-5, 310) and Sergio Render (6-3, 315), both all-ACC second-team picks in 2009.
With a wealth of talent at the skill positions, Tech came into the season with many options — perhaps too many, according to Stinespring.
“Are we being a jack of all trades and a master of none?” he asked. “With the advent of teams giving us a lot of different looks, unexpected looks, I think we have to hone in on what we’re doing well, what we can do well.”
