Collegiate Times

Those experiencing withdrawal symptoms are in luck.

On Saturday, live football is back in Blacksburg, courtesy of the Virginia Tech Maroon-White intra-squad football scrimmage. The annually scheduled spring game will once again signal Tech fan's return to Lane Stadium for their first glimpse of next year's team in action.

Concluding three weeks of practices, it also serves as a test of the upcoming players' ability to perform with the masses cheering from the coveted seats surrounding Worsham Field.

"It's interesting to see who steps up," redshirt senior quarterback Sean Glennon said. "Sometimes it's easy to play really well when no one's watching than when 30,000 to 40,000 people are watching you. All of a sudden you see if you're ready for primetime ... It shows that you can play in front of a crowd."

The gaze of the Hokie faithful isn't the only telling nuance of this civil clash, as performance in the heat of action will shed additional light on the discovery process.

"I think we've got a lot of questions answered, but I think what the spring game does is it puts you into a game-like situation, and I like it," said Tech head coach Frank Beamer. "I think the kids sometimes respond differently, but it'll be played as a game and sometimes you find out some kids are just gamers."

Sensitivity to the public eye forms a crucial component in dishing out playing time, and this may provide a case study of how players will react under the spotlight.

Given that, offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring assured that Saturday's performances certainly isn't an end-all be-all.

"I don't know that it's an overriding factor," Stinespring said, "Though certainly you want to perform well and you want to evaluate it as you have any other practice or scrimmage.

"We look forward to the spring game to see more about where we are in general as an offense, and then put everything into the equation."

Saturday's developments could prove colossally important for the variables in this formula, as numerous players stand much to gain - or lose playing time.

"There are several players and a couple guys here at the end that kind of put themselves into possibly getting some playing time," Beamer said. "And I'm eager to see if some guys are going to make the travel squad or if they're not going to make the travel squad."

Among the dark horses who are jockeying for a place on the edge of the pack, according to Beamer, are redshirt junior guard Hivera Green, freshman free safety Alonzo Tweedy, redshirt freshman cornerback Austin Morris, redshirt freshman wide receiver Ervin Garner, and freshman defensive tackle Courtney Prince.

Beamer said they could all use the spring game to grab a bigger slice of the playbook than initially expected. The coach also cited the quarterback, rover, wide receiver and tailback positions as the main ones he hopes to see shake out to some extent.

The special teams wizard will also focus his scope of analysis on his favorite unit.

"Naturally we're looking at our field goal kickers ...to get out there in a game-like situation and their kick really means something," Beamer said. "We try to put a lot of pressure on them here in the last half of spring practice. For the kick to mean something - that's important."

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