Associated PressBLACKSBURG, Va. ó The quarterback situation has gotten most of the attention so far this season at Virginia Tech, especially since Frank Beamer only waited a week before scrapping plans to let Sean Glennon have the position and to redshirt Tyrod Taylor.
Taylor, Beamer said this week, will add a running dimension to the quarterback spot that the Hokies were clearly lacking in a season-opening 27-22 loss to East Carolina.
The new plan is to have Glennon and Taylor share the job, as they did last season, but the onus to improve beginning with today’s game against Furman doesn’t even start there.
“It’s ultimately on us,” offensive guard Nick Marshman said. “It’s an offensive line thing that we need to make sure we’re moving the guys off the line of scrimmage and getting the holes open for the running backs.”
Marshman is one of four starters back on the line, which struggled last year and again against the Pirates, when the Hokies managed only 104 rushing yards. During the game, they also lost their fifth starter, tackle Blake DeChristopher, to a leg injury. He’s expected to be out two to four weeks.
Even though the linemen stayed at school and worked together over the summer, Marshman said, “there’s still stuff we need to work on.”
The line’s play is always key for an offense, but perhaps even more so for the Hokies.