Beamer taking redshirt off Taylor; TOB keeping redshirt on our Glennon (updated 3:04 pm)

'08 Football General39

Frank Beamer’s decision to redshirt Tyrod Taylor instead of going with the two quarterback system that was successful last season didn’t last long. At his press conference today, Beamer announced that both Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor will get snaps going forward.

Following Saturday’s upset loss to East Carolina, Beamer announced at his Tuesday news conference that Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor will both see time at quarterback from here on out.

Beamer would not say who would start Saturday’s home opener against Furman or how he will use either quarterback.

It is rare to see a coach pull a redshirt so quickly after making an announcment just recently that seemed to make a lot of sense for Taylor and VPI’s program. However with the loss to ECU this weekend, Beamer probably figured he had to have Taylor this year to give his team the best chance to win another ACC title.

With NC State starter Russell Wilson out for at least this week and maybe as long as 4-6 weeks depending on how he recovers, one has to wonder if Tom O’Brien is considering a similar move. Both Daniel Evans and Harrison Beck continued to struggle leading our offense against South Carolina. Unfortunately for O’Brien, neither quarterback appears capable of leading NC State to a bowl game this year that the program so desperately needs.

Update at 3:04 pm (more good coverage from Ken Tysiac)

“After the evaluation and [Wilson’s] release after that evening back here, it doesn’t look like it’s a career-ending injury for Russell, so we have no intention of un-redshirting Mike Glennon,” O’Brien said Wednesday on the weekly ACC coaches’ teleconference.

O’Brien said he hasn’t thought about whether Wilson will return to the starting position when he is cleared to play. Senior Daniel Evans has taken Wilson’s place and will start Saturday against William & Mary.

“I’m just worried about getting him back and healthy,” O’Brien said.

More good tidbits in that link from Tysiac regarding this week’s game time and Curtis Crouch.

'08 Football General

39 Responses to Beamer taking redshirt off Taylor; TOB keeping redshirt on our Glennon (updated 3:04 pm)

  1. Noah 09/02/2008 at 1:25 PM #

    I have no doubts that if O’Brien thought Glennon was capable of playing, he’d play him.

    But we’ve got more holes than just QB.

  2. old13 09/02/2008 at 1:32 PM #

    ^ Agreed. And I’d prefer to save Glennon until some other areas on offense (e.g., OL) are shored up.

  3. SidtheKid 09/02/2008 at 1:47 PM #

    Agree all around, Beamer knows what he has in TT. I know its new to us, but VT plays the best it has and isnt worried about player egos, so far it has worked out very well for VT and Beamer.

  4. Daily Update 09/02/2008 at 1:48 PM #

    Noah: I tend to agree. Obviously Evans wouldn’t have been announced so quickly as the starter this week if Glennon was going to play.

    Hard to believe we might spend a few weeks arguing Beck vs. Evans again. I thought/hoped we would never have those discussions again.

  5. Ed89 09/02/2008 at 1:51 PM #

    Even he he decides to pull the redshirt off Glennon, I think he’ll do it in the middle of a game. If we are down by 10 to Bill and Mary at halftime, I could see it. I’m sure he’s spoken with Glennon to see if he would want to. I know he needs to put on some weight, but putting him in with low expectations, may be the best thing.

  6. vtpackfan 09/02/2008 at 2:13 PM #

    You are asking for it TOB if you put this player out there with this OL. Coach said it himself “he looks left when he should be looking right, ect.”. Thats is a recipe for disaster, no matter how poised and confident you are. If you can’t adjust to the reads you will be a second too slow in a decision, slower on delivery and you can see where this is going.

    Let’s suspend last year and last week in the predicted outcome and see if Evans can out perform anything he is done to date (which we bring him up to “managing the team” status) until RW can be run out there again.

    The Beck situation is just plain weird. He wore a rib cage protector last season and still didn’t look so round, and he has the craziest six year school picture pose in every team photo. I’m not sure what TOB and Bible can do with what he brings to the table.

  7. Dr. BadgerPack 09/02/2008 at 2:19 PM #

    I’m more interested in how the OL looks in the next few games (better OL actually could fix plenty of things…)

    South Carolina could very well have the best defense we see all season long.

  8. choppack1 09/02/2008 at 2:26 PM #

    DBP – So am I.

    I didn’t think it was horrid vs. USC – especially compared to what I saw watching college football all weekend.

    I think TOB is probably torn on Glennon. As far as the “don’t put him out there in front of this line” argument – I can see why you’d make it, but who knows if it will be much better next year. If Wilson is out when BC comes around to the schedule, maybe you take the redshirt off.

  9. b 09/02/2008 at 2:30 PM #

    After last weekend, only USF would be considered a close second DrB.

  10. Ismael 09/02/2008 at 3:02 PM #

    i’m torn too, not that it matters…if you were glennon what would you wanna do? The kid’s not a sissy. He’s a 6’6 QB who’s last game he was throwing TD’s in the State Championship game. I know he weighs like a 120lbs or something ridiculous like that, but…i don’t know…torn. That might be what happens to him if he plays though.

  11. BJD95 09/02/2008 at 3:03 PM #

    NC State has above average RBs, and an average front seven. Every other position is below average or worse, and the depth is abyssmal.

    In no way, shape, or form is this a bowl team. Having a QB that can create offense from broken plays (i.e., Wilson) was the only shot we had to be decent this year, especially after the injuries hit.

  12. haze 09/02/2008 at 5:16 PM #

    ^ Exactly.

    Besides, Glennon is a true freshman. It’s not likely that he’s ready (Noah’s point) and, as such, it’s not likely that we’d be a much better team with him than without him. Plus, Russell Wilson isn’t out with an ACL. He’s likely to come back reasonably soon. If you burn Glennon’s shirt, it’s hardly a given that he’d beat out Wilson 2 weeks from now as he expressly did not beat out Wilson 2 weeks ago.

    I wouldn’t even consider pulling the shirt.

  13. Par Shooter 09/02/2008 at 6:35 PM #

    Va Tech is also looking at the Taylor thing as their best chance to win another ACC championship. We’d be looking at Glennon as an upgrade that may get us to 3-9 or 4-8. Totally different dynamic.

    It’s now been reported that we have been working quite a bit on the read-option as a play for RW. I had heard that Bible spent some time at Mizzou learning the in’s and outs during the offseason. Until RW is ready to come back I would have absolutely no problem with an open tryout among WR and RB to see who can best play QB in a read-option attack. Those runs in the usc-east-carolina game were all really read option but DE wasn’t even pretending to keep it. Hell, let Owen Spencer or someone play QB and just run a spread attack. If the center can get the QB the ball it should at least result in less defensive points that having DE or HB throwing it around like a bunch of morons.

  14. SMD 09/02/2008 at 7:00 PM #

    ^That’s a great point Par. VT has the surrounding cast that would make it worth blowing a red shirt – at the very least, the point is debateable.

    On the one hand, you want to think that coaches are 100% about fielding the best team to win the next game. But on the other hand, especially in football – they would be foolish to not look at the bigger picture personnel wise. There was great truth in Amato’s quote during the O4 debacle blaming it on Jamie Barnette for not being born a year later. 🙂

    I am truly just hoping to enjoy some nice tailgating this season and hope that we see some young stars emerge for next year.

  15. redfred2 09/02/2008 at 7:24 PM #

    Lets say RW comes back, starts playing football in a manner that is actually comparable to a Jamie Barnett, or at least in a way that is showing the productivity that would allow Bible to formulate some type offense around his strengths, THEN, you have a quality prospect who plays a totally different style in Glennon, waiting in the wings for his opportunity to play, and the entire offense has to be revamped to fit his game.

    Am I wrong, considering the redshirt, but don’t Wilson’s and Glennon’s collegiate careers overlap for three out of their four years of eligibility?

    I guess what I’m asking is, when is the right time, do you change everything to suit the different QB styles, or do you try to mould every QB, eventhough they have very different assets, to fit your system?

  16. redfred2 09/02/2008 at 7:40 PM #

    If RW becomes something more than just a serviceable QB, the leader on the field, and the offense is set up to exploit his athletic abilities, then when will there be a “right time” to insert Glennon?

    I’m not arguing anyone else’s posts, but this is a head scratcher from my point of view.

  17. howlie 09/02/2008 at 7:44 PM #

    “…neither quarterback appears capable of leading NC State to a bowl game this year that the program so desperately needs.”

    It’s much worse than that. We’ll likely find out how much worse this weekend.

  18. VaWolf82 09/02/2008 at 7:46 PM #

    Hard to believe we might spend a few weeks arguing Beck vs. Evans again.

    I would think that by now nearly everyone would have admitted that there is no winning side to that debate. With what I saw from the offensive line, both will be needed to finish the season.

  19. DuPack 09/02/2008 at 8:09 PM #

    I have never been recruited by a D1 football program so I have never been to different schools to see what they have and compare. When I lived in PA I followed the building of the Murphy center and the first phase of renovations on C-F at GoPack. Beck has had all the advantages. A top-notch weight facility, athletic trainers, dieticians and he does not look like he has done anything with all these advantages. He has a better arm and that alone should put him ahead of DE, and yet he still isn’t. That speaks volumes about what kind of an athlete he is and it isn’t D1. Apparently we have several others like him still in the program. TOB is not going to kick them off the team, so attrition is the only option. So, it is probably like several have said: this year is a wash, year 2 of the TOB rebuilding of the program.

  20. redfred2 09/02/2008 at 8:22 PM #

    Question: For some time now, hasn’t there been above normal talent at the running back positions, haven’t we had a QB that was almost always off target, or had a weak arm, or looked totally unsure, or one who made poor decisions more times than not?

    Answer: Offensive Line

  21. choppack1 09/02/2008 at 9:34 PM #

    A couple of thoughts here:

    1) If Russell Wilson can come back for the BC game – then you don’t burn Glennon’s redshirt.

    2) If RW cannot come back, I think you’ve got to consider other options asdie from Evans or Beck. Burning Glennon’s redshirt is one of those options – if the coaching staff thinks it’s worth it. That they made this a 3 horse race that included me tells me that at least they gave it some thought earlier.

    3) I’ve watched a lot of football over the years – and I watched a lot of football last weekend. The QB play I saw Thursday after Wilson was hurt, like the QB play I saw in every game but the ECU, UVa and Miami game is not just related to the OL.

    After watching the USC game – I’m convinced that our D can keep us in a lot of games. I’m also convinced that we can run the ball against a lot of teams. I know this, even w/our OLine play Thursday evening, I think we win (heck, I think we score w/ Wilson in the game on that drive). The game was lost for good on the INT that started the 2nd half.

    I don’t think our biggest problem right now is OL, I think it’s the QB w/ Wilson hurt.

  22. redfred2 09/02/2008 at 10:14 PM #

    chop, I don’t know, we can’t run block consistently enough to overpower anyone or control the line of scrimmage. I think when we may APPEAR to somewhat have that ability is only when we are already behind, or when the opposing defenses haven’t felt sincerely threaten by a single thing that NC State’s offense has tried all night long. The opposing D is just coasting at that point, and they don’t mind bending or giving away a little real estate to our RB’s, especially when what they’re giving away is mainly on our side of the field for the entire night anyway. USC could clamp down on our running game whenever they really needed, just as they did.

    Also, he may not be anyone’s favorite passing QB, but Daniel Evans has always had the ability to hand the ball off…to any number of able RB’s…who can all run the football…that is, if there was ever anywhere to run the football to.

  23. 93Pack 09/02/2008 at 10:26 PM #

    O’Brien should redshirt everybody that is still eligible and start preparing them for next year.

  24. Ismael 09/03/2008 at 1:44 AM #

    redfred – have to disagree about the running game. Andre had about 60-70 yds in the first half when the game was super close. He also didn’t have any 40yd runs to pad the stats so those were all tough yards he gained.

    Even after 34-0, the only thing i am honestly concerned with out of everything is pass-protection/QB throwing, and the field goal kicker. that’s it.

  25. vtpackfan 09/03/2008 at 6:52 AM #

    Red^

    To answer the question above about two systems on offense to fit a QB’s ability, TOB answered sort of like the following (paraphrase):

    The blocking is the same, it is really just the QB that makes it different.

    We really should be set up well next year for success at QB depth chart. These two Va boys will both be ready to play a Bible/TOB offense, which ever is in there.

    I’m prepared for Glennon to play/stand watch this year. The kid wants in, there is no doubt he is a fierce competitor, something that he brother showed is a familiy trait @ ACC Championship last season.

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