Recruiting Forum: Official Virginia Tech Pre-Game/Game Thread

[Darth_Shiveman]

Morning after notes. Why not:

1. VT punter "in" kicked his coverage a couple of times. Vols STs jump on it.

2. Sure Tuttle, KMac, O'B played well, let's not forget KV play.

3. Hurd's yards were nasty. It was suggested he had 99 and he had been in so many scrums I thought he had like 54. So like 45 yards were with 3 d-line men hanging all over him.

4. Dang, Josh Dobbs is a good open field runner.

5. Byrd is going to bust loose soon.

6. Shout outs to J. Jennings and A. Kamara.

7. Come on o-line, let Wolf and Croom play!

Bonus note: TKjr and Micah Abernathy, uh huh. I mean really the entire defense. The notes start getting a bit unwieldy with all the shout-outs there.

Afterthought: Ohio will be no pushover. Vols have an interesting OOC schedule this year. Will serve them well.

I was really impressed with his near-TD catch in the back of the endzone. I'm hoping we can find a way to take advantage of his athleticism. If Smith continues to struggle like he did at times against VT, Byrd needs to see a big increase in his role.

 

[WebbCobb]

Agreed. Loses contain pretty much every play

Yes. Lewis looks a lot like Jacques Smith right now

 

[UTProf]

Not many are going to match Hurd's power game.

I don't know of ANY college RB who can. That said, I feel like something is wrong with Hurd these past two games. I know some of it has been the OL but he just hasn't drug defenders or powered through the way we're used to seeing. I'm wondering if he has a minor injury we don't know about.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

I don't know of ANY college RB who can. That said, I feel like something is wrong with Hurd these past two games. I know some of it has been the OL but he just hasn't drug defenders or powered through the way we're used to seeing. I'm wondering if he has a minor injury we don't know about.

What in the heck were you watching? He was carrying half the freakin VT defense on his back on some of those runs. He does seem to be getting shoestringed and cut a lot more. Which I attribute to defensive players being smart enough not take him on up high.

 

[UTProf]

What in the heck were you watching? He was carrying half the freakin VT defense on his back on some of those runs. He does seem to be getting shoestringed and cut a lot more. Which I attribute to defensive players being smart enough not take him on up high.

I'm mainly talking about App St and him getting stopped shorter than usual when he's met near the line (not dragging defenders past that point he's fine there) and again I know some of that is the OL but I've seen him power through initial defenders at the line and behind it a bit better than he has lately. When he gets free he actually looks faster to me than in years prior.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

I'm mainly talking about App St and him getting stopped shorter than usual when he's met near the line (not dragging defenders past that point he's fine there) and again I know some of that is the OL but I've seen him power through initial defenders at the line and behind it a bit better than he has lately. When he gets free he actually looks faster to me than in years prior.

Ok..I gotcha. I agree he looked a little..disengaged..in the appy game for awhile. But then so did the whole team did till late in the game.

 

[UTProf]

Ok..I gotcha. I agree he looked a little..disengaged..in the appy game for awhile. But then so did the whole team did till late in the game.

S'all good. I should've been specific about it. I realized when you responded it was kind of dumb for me not to be exact about what I meant because Hurd's been great in a lot of facets.

As far as App St. and even to a small degree with VT, I think the OL is killing us. It's hard for the offense to play with fire with the way the OL has played. I think the VT game gave the offense some confidence and that it will pay dividends. I know it's been said a lot but Jack Jones needs to start or at least be on the field more. Beyond CT's injury, he just adds a spark to the OL that no one else does. He energizes them.

Also, Sheriron Jones is my All-time favorite Vol among Vols who've never played a down and working his way up the favorite list regardless of playing time/no playing time. He was definitely my MVP for this game but what many may not realize is that it's not the first time he's worked magic on the offense. I remember him doing the same thing against UGA last year.

BTW, what's his injury status? He needs to be rewarded with some snaps if he's clear for play. That guy has some Inky Johnson is him.

 

[NMVol]

I don't know of ANY college RB who can. That said, I feel like something is wrong with Hurd these past two games. I know some of it has been the OL but he just hasn't drug defenders or powered through the way we're used to seeing. I'm wondering if he has a minor injury we don't know about.

Truth is moving the scrum is a plus for the O-Line. Fan dynamics are interesting. Jones has admitted that o-line play has contributed to disrupting the passing game. Said there were several calls to TEs, for instance, that could not be thrown because of disruption.

The running game has not suffered as much. The Vols had a good showing on the ground against a dynamic VT defense. I think Dobbs had 106 and Hurd 99. The pass blocking did seem to improve with the personnel changes especially with the nice throw to Malone.

Hurd is a trooper. He may be a bit dispirited that the power I has not been rolled out this year. Remember the grumblings about his displeasure with the zone-read late in the season last year. The thing about it is that those calls can set up Dobbs nicely for the run where the power I wouldn't necessarily do the same thing. I look to see more multiple sets with the O once SEC play has begun.

 

[The Breakerboy]

We don't have to set up Dobbs on the zone read. Either get gashed by Hurd or Dobbs. Pick your poison. Run the damn I and stop saving it. Not like teams haven't seen it. All this saving plays is for inferior teams. Good teams go out and just execute plays. No time for games at all.

 

[NMVol]

We don't have to set up Dobbs on the zone read. Either get gashed by Hurd or Dobbs. Pick your poison. Run the damn I and stop saving it. Not like teams haven't seen it. All this saving plays is for inferior teams. Good teams go out and just execute plays. No time for games at all.

I am not sure I get what you are saying. The zone read is an option. It's not going to work unless one sells the alternative.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

We don't have to set up Dobbs on the zone read. Either get gashed by Hurd or Dobbs. Pick your poison. Run the damn I and stop saving it. Not like teams haven't seen it. All this saving plays is for inferior teams. Good teams go out and just execute plays. No time for games at all.

I agree..like I said earlier, it would force the defense to play a more straight up defense. Which would open it up the zone read, when you throw it them. That would be a nightmare to try to prepare for both. They really would have to pick their poison.

 

[The Breakerboy]

I am not sure I get what you are saying. The zone read is an option. It's not going to work unless one sells the alternative.

What is there to sell? Both are known to be dangerous. Hell if they want to honor Dobbs let Hurd/Kamara/Kelly drag them all game. If they start crashing then Dobbs kills them. Don't need a set up at all. Just line up and roll we are that good in the backfield running the ball.