Tech offense fine with Stinespring
By RANDY KING
Exclusive to roanoke.com by 5 p.m. Thursdays
If somebody had told Bryan Stinespring eight weeks ago that Virginia Tech's offense would be ranked 81st in the country after five games, chances are the Hokies' first-year offensive coordinator wouldn't have been so overjoyed to perform a backflip. Well, the bunch off I-81 is No. 81 in total offense. And guess what? Stinespring is grinning from ear to ear. Just don't expect to see any backflips from the guy with the biggest calves in Blacksburg.
"I'll be perfectly honest with you, I don't know where we're ranked as an offense," Stinespring said this afternoon. "All I know is what we've tried to do in the first five games. We've run the ball exceptionally well and I think we're in the top 25 [27th] in scoring offense and we're up there in passing efficiency [46th]. "We really couldn't be happier with where we are offensively. And knowing we've done more in preseason with some new things, four wide and moving people around a lot more, what we've done is develop a personality and we've gained confidence in what we do well. Now we're starting to not, say, expand the offense, but just continue on with what we've already done, but do a lot more of it."
Despite being 5-0 and ranked No. 4 in the nation, Tech is averaging a pedestrian-like 340.4 yards in total offense per game. However, the Hokies are putting up 35.8 points and have turned the ball over only five times, compared to 16 takeaways by their defense. The consistent advantage of playing on a short field -- Tech's average field-position for starting drives has been it's own 40.4, compared to 22.9 for its opponents -- and the fact they have played with a secure second-half lead in every game but Texas A&M has helped limit Tech's offensive yardage output, at least somewhat. "Go back to the Arkansas State game and we scored four times in a grand total of 80 yards," Stinespring noted. "The defense also had a touchdown and we had 35 points. A first-year offensive coordinator loves short fields, believe me. We've done what we needed to do and that's all that counts to me." Stinespring confessed he wasn't elated with Tech's execution last Saturday at Western Michigan.
The Hokies struggled to move the ball in the first half and led only 3-0 before scoring a pair of touchdown within a 20-second span before halftime. "We didn't run the ball well at Western Michigan [season-low 128 yards] and I attribute that more to the fact we weren't very efficient up front," he said. "I don't think we were very efficient across the board running the ball, quite honestly. We didn't do a good job up front and sometimes I don't think we did a very good job on the perimeter, which normally has been outstanding for us." That said, Stinespring said he's not worried about the fact that Tech's running game has been stymied to 257 rushing yards and 2.95 yards per carry the last two weeks against Texas A&M and WMU.
Tech's per-game rushing average has dropped from 283 yards per game through three games to 221.2, which ranks 15th in the nation. "Not at all, not at all," responded Stinespring, when asked if he was concerned about the dropping numbers. "I think Texas A&M was a terrific defense. I don't think we ever went in there with the idea we were going to run it for 250 yards. "A lot of terrific running football teams have gone in there and come out with less than what we did [129 yards]. I look back at Texas last year, and I thought Texas was a pretty damned good football team, and they roll into College Station and run it 35 times for 87 yards. "So we're not throwing the red flag. It's not anywhere close. It's not like we're going back to the drawing board or anything."
Of course, any discussion about Tech's offense has to start at quarterback. Sophomore Bryan Randall, who had never started a college game until taking over for senior Grant Noel three games ago, has performed as well as anyone could have expected, Stinespring noted. "We've given Bryan an opportunity to get his feet wet and grow as a quarterback," Stinespring said. "He's gotten to the point where he's taken full range of the offense and go from there. I think it's been evident in the last couple of weeks we need to be able to do that and, more importantly, he's quite ready to do that.
"Bryan has shown amazing poise. Everybody was always so excited about Michael Vick's arm and his athleticism, but I don't think everybody understood Michael's poise and how he approached games. He was a guy who never got rattled, a great competitor who never lost his poise. And when I look at Bryan, I see a great competitor with athletic ability and talent who shows a remarkable poise for a person of his age." Stinespring conceded he worries a little bit about all the hits his young scramble-happy quarterback is absorbing. "We've talked to him a little bit about there's going to come a point where you start running the ball and it's time to get down or get out of bounds," Stinespring said.
"The hardest hits he took against Western Michigan was when he brought it back in the middle of the field, and that's where people are coming from. "That's just part of the learning process. Then again, he broke 13 tackles. How much do you want to overcoach that part of it?" Stinespring lauded Noel, the returning starter who rehabbed his left knee all summer to play his final college season but now appears firmly relegated to a backup role behind the fast-developing Randall. "There's something to be said about Grant Noel and the way he battled himself into position to ever come back and be the quarterback," Stinespring said.
"I hope nobody ever loses sight of that. Then to make it back and now being the backup quarterback, I think that's a tough position for a guy to be in. But he's been out there, he's practicing and I think he's been another set of eyes for Bryan Randall. "I don't think there any question that some guys in his situation would have just packed it in. But Grant still has the resiliency in him to help Bryan Randall be a better quarterback, and that's saying a whole lot, I think." If Randall should go down with an injury, the Hokies would have to go the bullpen and call on true freshman Marcus Vick, who the Hokies ideally want to redshirt this season.
"Unless a grenade goes off, we want to get through this year without playing Marcus," said Stinespring of Michael's younger brother. "That was our goal from the get-go. "Obviously, Marcus needs to continue to learn the offense. He's put on 18 to 20 pounds already and you can tell it. "But I'll be very honest, there have been times in our scrimmages that you either watch a throw or watch him run the option or pull down and run with it and you kind of do a double-take There are a lot of similiarities [to Michael]. The acorn didn't fall very far from the tree on this one." As the Hokies gear up for the start of Big East play -- they face a stern test next Thursday at Boston College (3-1) -- Stinespring sounds like a guy ready to go deeper into his playbook. He's not about to tip his hand, however. "There are some things we've worked on in the spring and preseason and just haven't done yet," Stinespring said.
"We either haven't found the need or we just haven't wanted to get to it until we felt like we had established our strengths and made sure our quarterback was in position to secure our offense and run with it." When asked to grade his performance as a coordinator through five tests, Stinespring gave himself a B-minus. "I think things have gone real well so far," he said. "A lot of times later I wish I had this call or that call over again. I'm probably harder on myself than anybody else." If anyone is unhappy with the Hokies' offense or second-guessing the coordinator's play-calling, they haven't been heard from yet. "That's OK, too," Stinespring said. "I don't anticipate that. I don't anticipate anything but our offense getting better and better."
By RANDY KING
Exclusive to roanoke.com by 5 p.m. Thursdays
If somebody had told Bryan Stinespring eight weeks ago that Virginia Tech's offense would be ranked 81st in the country after five games, chances are the Hokies' first-year offensive coordinator wouldn't have been so overjoyed to perform a backflip. Well, the bunch off I-81 is No. 81 in total offense. And guess what? Stinespring is grinning from ear to ear. Just don't expect to see any backflips from the guy with the biggest calves in Blacksburg.
"I'll be perfectly honest with you, I don't know where we're ranked as an offense," Stinespring said this afternoon. "All I know is what we've tried to do in the first five games. We've run the ball exceptionally well and I think we're in the top 25 [27th] in scoring offense and we're up there in passing efficiency [46th]. "We really couldn't be happier with where we are offensively. And knowing we've done more in preseason with some new things, four wide and moving people around a lot more, what we've done is develop a personality and we've gained confidence in what we do well. Now we're starting to not, say, expand the offense, but just continue on with what we've already done, but do a lot more of it."
Despite being 5-0 and ranked No. 4 in the nation, Tech is averaging a pedestrian-like 340.4 yards in total offense per game. However, the Hokies are putting up 35.8 points and have turned the ball over only five times, compared to 16 takeaways by their defense. The consistent advantage of playing on a short field -- Tech's average field-position for starting drives has been it's own 40.4, compared to 22.9 for its opponents -- and the fact they have played with a secure second-half lead in every game but Texas A&M has helped limit Tech's offensive yardage output, at least somewhat. "Go back to the Arkansas State game and we scored four times in a grand total of 80 yards," Stinespring noted. "The defense also had a touchdown and we had 35 points. A first-year offensive coordinator loves short fields, believe me. We've done what we needed to do and that's all that counts to me." Stinespring confessed he wasn't elated with Tech's execution last Saturday at Western Michigan.
The Hokies struggled to move the ball in the first half and led only 3-0 before scoring a pair of touchdown within a 20-second span before halftime. "We didn't run the ball well at Western Michigan [season-low 128 yards] and I attribute that more to the fact we weren't very efficient up front," he said. "I don't think we were very efficient across the board running the ball, quite honestly. We didn't do a good job up front and sometimes I don't think we did a very good job on the perimeter, which normally has been outstanding for us." That said, Stinespring said he's not worried about the fact that Tech's running game has been stymied to 257 rushing yards and 2.95 yards per carry the last two weeks against Texas A&M and WMU.
Tech's per-game rushing average has dropped from 283 yards per game through three games to 221.2, which ranks 15th in the nation. "Not at all, not at all," responded Stinespring, when asked if he was concerned about the dropping numbers. "I think Texas A&M was a terrific defense. I don't think we ever went in there with the idea we were going to run it for 250 yards. "A lot of terrific running football teams have gone in there and come out with less than what we did [129 yards]. I look back at Texas last year, and I thought Texas was a pretty damned good football team, and they roll into College Station and run it 35 times for 87 yards. "So we're not throwing the red flag. It's not anywhere close. It's not like we're going back to the drawing board or anything."
Of course, any discussion about Tech's offense has to start at quarterback. Sophomore Bryan Randall, who had never started a college game until taking over for senior Grant Noel three games ago, has performed as well as anyone could have expected, Stinespring noted. "We've given Bryan an opportunity to get his feet wet and grow as a quarterback," Stinespring said. "He's gotten to the point where he's taken full range of the offense and go from there. I think it's been evident in the last couple of weeks we need to be able to do that and, more importantly, he's quite ready to do that.
"Bryan has shown amazing poise. Everybody was always so excited about Michael Vick's arm and his athleticism, but I don't think everybody understood Michael's poise and how he approached games. He was a guy who never got rattled, a great competitor who never lost his poise. And when I look at Bryan, I see a great competitor with athletic ability and talent who shows a remarkable poise for a person of his age." Stinespring conceded he worries a little bit about all the hits his young scramble-happy quarterback is absorbing. "We've talked to him a little bit about there's going to come a point where you start running the ball and it's time to get down or get out of bounds," Stinespring said.
"The hardest hits he took against Western Michigan was when he brought it back in the middle of the field, and that's where people are coming from. "That's just part of the learning process. Then again, he broke 13 tackles. How much do you want to overcoach that part of it?" Stinespring lauded Noel, the returning starter who rehabbed his left knee all summer to play his final college season but now appears firmly relegated to a backup role behind the fast-developing Randall. "There's something to be said about Grant Noel and the way he battled himself into position to ever come back and be the quarterback," Stinespring said.
"I hope nobody ever loses sight of that. Then to make it back and now being the backup quarterback, I think that's a tough position for a guy to be in. But he's been out there, he's practicing and I think he's been another set of eyes for Bryan Randall. "I don't think there any question that some guys in his situation would have just packed it in. But Grant still has the resiliency in him to help Bryan Randall be a better quarterback, and that's saying a whole lot, I think." If Randall should go down with an injury, the Hokies would have to go the bullpen and call on true freshman Marcus Vick, who the Hokies ideally want to redshirt this season.
"Unless a grenade goes off, we want to get through this year without playing Marcus," said Stinespring of Michael's younger brother. "That was our goal from the get-go. "Obviously, Marcus needs to continue to learn the offense. He's put on 18 to 20 pounds already and you can tell it. "But I'll be very honest, there have been times in our scrimmages that you either watch a throw or watch him run the option or pull down and run with it and you kind of do a double-take There are a lot of similiarities [to Michael]. The acorn didn't fall very far from the tree on this one." As the Hokies gear up for the start of Big East play -- they face a stern test next Thursday at Boston College (3-1) -- Stinespring sounds like a guy ready to go deeper into his playbook. He's not about to tip his hand, however. "There are some things we've worked on in the spring and preseason and just haven't done yet," Stinespring said.
"We either haven't found the need or we just haven't wanted to get to it until we felt like we had established our strengths and made sure our quarterback was in position to secure our offense and run with it." When asked to grade his performance as a coordinator through five tests, Stinespring gave himself a B-minus. "I think things have gone real well so far," he said. "A lot of times later I wish I had this call or that call over again. I'm probably harder on myself than anybody else." If anyone is unhappy with the Hokies' offense or second-guessing the coordinator's play-calling, they haven't been heard from yet. "That's OK, too," Stinespring said. "I don't anticipate that. I don't anticipate anything but our offense getting better and better."
