All’s well with the Hokies, or is it?

By Nate Crossman  |   Monday, August 21, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Virginia Tech Hokies
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Perhaps all is well in Virginia Tech Hokie Nation.

The Virginia Tech Hokies are ranked No. 17 in the Associated Press preseason poll, thanks to a defensive unit that should be one of the best in country. They even settled on a quarterback last week when head coach Frank Beamer tabbed Sean Glennon the starter over Cory Holt and Ike Whitaker.

The Hokies' house appears in order as they prepare for their Sept. 2 season-opener against Div. I-AA Northeastern. But I'm here to say that they have more questions than answers.

Let's begin where Virginia Tech thinks it has found an answer: the quarterback position. To anyone who keeps a close eye on the goings-on in Blacksburg, it was a foregone conclusion that Beamer was going to name Glennon the starter. He's the most polished of the three contenders, and performed well in the preseason. But is there a Hokie fan out there who isn't the slightest bit concerned about Glennon's ability to hold onto his first-team status. Glennon didn't exactly instill confidence last Saturday with his 6-of-10, 39-yard performance in the team's second scrimmage. Especially with Holt completing 5-of-12 for 80 yards, and Whitaker a highly efficient 10-of-12 for 63. Although it's too early to tell, Holt or Whitaker might be a better fit for this offense than Glennon.

Which brings us to the Hokies' next concern: running back. Since sitting out the spring semester to heal his injured shoulder, Branden Ore hasn't quite rounded into the form that saw him rush for 647 yards last season, including 146 against Marshall. And his backups - George Bell and Elan Lewis - haven't looked much better. If Ore can't hack it, the Hokies don't have a lot of options that are appetizing. There's walk-on Dustin Pickle, or there's moving defensive back Macho Harris to running back. Harris rushed for 2,346 yards his senior year in high school.

Other than that, the Hokies appear to have their offensive line rotation down, but still need to find more depth. And they need to find a tight end. Freshman Andre Smith has looked the best, but the coaching staff is still hoping that Ed Wang comes along. Virginia Tech's best tight end right now might be offensive tackle Duane Brown.

One advantage the Hokies have is time. Their first real test isn't until Oct. 12 against the Boston College Eagles on the road. Prior that the Eagles, the Hokies have five winnable games, where they'll have to find the answers to their questions.

Get more Hokies info at Realfootball365.com
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