Taylor to lose redshirt
Wednesday, September 3, 2008; 12:00 AM
Frank Beamer wasted no time in dropping the bombshell during Tuesday's weekly 1 p.m. press conference.

"(I'll) start out by saying (that) we're going to play both Sean Glennon and Tyrod (Taylor) this weekend," Beamer said. "... I feel like we need what Tyrod brings to the game with this football team."

The decision to pull Taylor's redshirt comes one week removed from Beamer's announcement that he didn't plan to play the sophomore quarterback this season, temporarily extending his collegiate football eligibility for an extra year.

"I said last week, 'if we could make it work', and I like having direction and I like knowing exactly where we are going," Beamer said. "But also having given it a lot of thought and not much sleep here lately, this is what our staff thinks is in the best interest of Virginia Tech football."

Three days prior to this decree Tech had suffered a season-opening loss without Taylor, a game in which Tech accumulated just 243 yards of total offense against East Carolina -- only 139 of which came through the air.

"I think controlling the clock and limiting the number of plays the other team has is very important," Beamer said. "... Our offensive line ... is better as a group than it was a year ago, but we're still a work in progress. When it gets (into) passing situations we still have trouble holding up at times."

Beamer, though, emphasized that this decision was made largely to bolster a struggling rushing attack.

Against ECU, Tech managed just 25 rushing yards in a fourth quarter in which it led for more than 13 minutes.

"I thought some things became even clearer in our game with East Carolina," Beamer said. "... You need to be able to run the football and I think putting another guy in the game who can help you run the football is in our best interest."

"Sean played well except for a couple plays ... Becoming a good running football team is essential and I don't think, with young receivers, you want to be throwing the ball 40 times a game ... Running is what's going to be the foundation of our offense right now."

Junior starting running back Kenny Lewis Jr. said that this is not a demotion of the redshirt senior.

"I guess people from the outside (looking) in would look at it and say Sean's not good enough," Lewis said. "(The fact that Glennon and Taylor) feed off each other is what people don't realize. They play to their peak performance when both of them are in there."

Tech entered the season planning to implement what essentially amounts to a six-running back rotation, and there now figures to be even more competition for carries with the mobile sophomore sharing snaps behind center.

"That means if I don't get my yardage when I'm in there," Lewis said, "Tyrod's going to get them."

Taylor rushed for 429 yards and six touchdowns, while passing for 927 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions in 11 games last season, starting five of them. Glennon tossed for 1,796 yards, 12 touchdowns, and five picks while logging negative-45 yards on the ground in 13 games.

"You got to be a little more conscious of that," said redshirt junior left tackle Ed Wang. "(Tyrod's) a little more of a scrambler while Sean's a little bit more of a pocket passer, but you still have to block. So it doesn't really change all that much."

Beamer has not disclosed which quarterback will start against Furman this Saturday or how the snaps will be divided. He also said that Glennon and Taylor will not be available for interviews between now and the Furman game.

You might be interested in... Related Topics: redshirt, football, tyrod
Posted by: Jae In at Sep 4 With all due respect to the current coaching staff, I believe it is time for a new OC. I've only been watching VT football for four years and even now I can predict our first three plays. I'm sorry, but it is time. Doesn't matter who much potential talent our team has if we have a predictable strategy that everyone knows and can counter. If Glennon is playing, we will try to pass. If Tyrod is playing, we are trying to run the ball. Hmmmmmm I wonder what will happen. We are in a rebuilding year, play Glennon and get the WRs experience. Save Tyrod for the next three years. I repeat, VT Football needs a new Offensive Coordinator ASAP! Flag Abuse
Posted by: Anonymous at Sep 3 Oh godddd. I hope not. I am over him blowing his chances, but that is just totally uncalled for. Flag Abuse
Posted by: nate at Sep 3 I heard that Sean Glennon got boooed out of west end (dinning hall) on monday....any truth to that? Flag Abuse
Posted by: Mike at Sep 3 This team has an attitude problem! ECU beat Tech like Tech used to beat top notch teams with attitude problems in the late 90's. Part of it is the arrogance of their Northern Virginia terd QB. However, the main reason for this teams failures stem from one thing...That stupid trophy case with the "reserved for National Championship" sign on it. This is a curse that will prevent this team from ever winning a championship. There is no doubt that the football gods exist and the only way to appease them is to take an axe to this trophy case! If the adminstration is unwilling to do this, I think it is time that the students take this matter into there own hands and destroy the case. Flag Abuse
Posted by: Anonymous at Sep 2 How come most of the commenters on here can be so right on point and come to basically all the same conclusions, but Frank can't?! It's so frustrating. Flag Abuse
Posted by: Hokie Fan at Sep 2 FIRE BRYAN STINESPRING Flag Abuse
Posted by: Hokie81 at Sep 2 VT needs 3 things to put this season back on track: 1. Go on the offense. New plays and much better coaching are desperately needed. 2. Be prepared to Play to WIN or lose to those who are. Tyrod in - Glennon out. Better coaching - head coach, offense and special teams. 3. Focus on every play and give it 100% for 60 minutes. Flag Abuse
Posted by: Confused at Sep 2 I agree with Charlie, The Offensive play calling has been terrible for a few years now. I can't remember a team that builds an offense around screens, draws and running out of shotgun so much. On top of that you say Glennon is your guy and Tyrod is the future. Now, after one game into the season, all that is out the window and they are saying another thing. Make a stand and stick with it. All this flip flopping around just makes it look like the Coaching staff doesn't have a clue what they are doing and that they are really unprepared. Flag Abuse
Posted by: Anonymous at Sep 2 if only we cared as much about politics as we do VT football... get out and VOTE! :) Flag Abuse
Posted by: HR at Sep 2 Why waste T. Taylor's redshirt year? Just start Cory Holt, instead of Sean Glennon. Flag Abuse
Posted by: still sad... at Sep 2 I know everyone is looking for a QB who puts up 300 yds and 4TDs a game, but it honestly won't matter if Tech goes with Taylor, Glennon, or both. With the questionable play calling we've seen, will it really matter who is behind center? Was anyone else frustrated that we never throw down the field anymore? Also, all I've heard out of training camp is how Royal and Morgan are expected to make immediate impacts in the NFL, yet we were rarely able to utilize these talents (except returns). We always seem to be excusing one aspect of the team (weak o-line, injuries, inexperience at one position or another) or scapegoating the QB when there has been a pattern of poor offensive strategy since I started watching Hokie football (which was the Druckenmiller years, option right, option left, throw the bomb). But the truth is we can expect to retain the moniker of Chokies as long as we have the play calling equivalent of a 7 year old playing NES Tecmo Bowl. Flag Abuse
Posted by: Charlie at Sep 2 Also the coaches NEED to work on better plays. After re-watching the game on Saturday I concluded with many others that Stinespring needs to go or needs to go back to school and gain common sense. Playing a little bit of NCAA football on the xbox wouldn't hurt him either. The play calling is terrible. We have tons of talent but it's left under the rug because of the terrible play calling. So either replace Stinespring all together or demote him so he can learn for a season or two. I think the first one is the better option personally. Flag Abuse
Posted by: Charlie at Sep 2 Well it comes down to what is more important. Winning games this season or preserving tyrod taylor for 3 more years. I supported the red shirt at first and then after seeing our first game I was cringing over it but I concluded that we should still keep the redshirt to build a team for the next 3 years. Now seeing it's removed I'm not sure if that was the best decision. In terms of winning games this season yes it was the right decision but in terms of a future team I'm not sure. Then again it's not certain that Tyrod would play the remaining 3 years anyway. I'm now neutral on it but still excited to see Tyrod out there. Seeing glennon run out there makes me cringe everytime and I can see the defenders coming to him 5 seconds before he gets sacked and knowing a funmble before he fumbles. I hope those days are gone now. Lets go Hokies!! Flag Abuse
Posted by: Anonymous at Sep 2 Listen, its very simple... 1. COACHES - Beamer needs to COACH. don't get me wrong, i love the guy and i am a loyal tech fan but he needs to COACH and be the leader among the tech coaches. Look at pete carroll, on the field after a big play, hyping his team, or getting in their faces. Beamer does none of that, FOSTER DOES. Foster resembles a head coach more than beamer, sorry 'bout it. Also, he let the other coaches talk him into playing glennon. He is the HEADCOACH and HE is the one with the ultimate decision, and we all know he wanted to play Tyrod over Glennon because we've seen beamer choose the all around better QB in the past. Flag Abuse
Posted by: Anonymous at Sep 2 Beamer being loyal to his senior QB...That is a joke. When has seniority ever been in effect with collegiate sports. You don't go by seniority, you go by talent, all around talent. Beamer needs to realize this fast otherwise he is going to get himself in a lot of trouble in the future if he sticks by this seniority stuff. I'm not bashing beamer at all, he just needs to COACH. Lastly on coaches, stinespring need to go. Way too predictable...we run the same 3 plays each drive. If we throw one more wide receiver screen stiney im going to be pissed. Stinespring needs to take risks...no guts, no glory stinespring, which is why we don't have a Championship. We need to go for the big plays and different plays. Please let FOSTER run the offense and the defense. Get our team PREPARED for Bowl games, instead of letting them go out every night before the big game, if we even make it to one this year. Flag Abuse
Posted by: Anonymous at Sep 2 2. QUARTERBACKS - Glennon is a good quarterback, but not a great one. We saw last year, that he couldn't get the job done even with the amazing receiving corp we had last year. If he couldn't get it done last year with those guys, how would he get it done this year when he doesn't even know the guy he's throwing to? Another easy thing Beamer missed. Glennon is a pocket quarterback, which is fine if he is going to play in the NFL because pocket QBs in the NFL are good, but without a solid run game/runnerback this year then why would we play a pocket qb? We need a guy who can run the ball like vick (ehhhum Tyrod), which will in turn open up our receivers and give them more time to get open. Tyrod is all around the best player we have on our team. WHO DOESN"T PLAY THEIR BEST PLAYER? Flag Abuse
Posted by: Anonymous at Sep 2 Come on Beamer. Also, it'd be the best time to play tyrod and forget about glennon since we are in a rebuilding year like everyone says. How do you rebuild by playing a 5th year senior quarterback, huh beamer? Time to play Tyrod and only Tyrod so he can build a relationship and get to know his YOUNG receivers for upcoming years. It doesn't get any easier. Let Tyrod and the younger guys learn to play with eachother this year, so we will be dominant the next two years. Flag Abuse
Posted by: Anonymous at Sep 2 3. DEFENSE - Solid because of BUD FOSTER. if we are rebuilding like everyone says play tyrod. we have to face it, we are a very young team that has a lot to learn. Having a 5th year senior quarterback won't help us rebuild. We are going to be a shakey team as it is. So, it is either be a shakey young team with indecisive, turnover friendly, old glennon or be a shaky team with a young, playmaking, the franchise, the future tyrod. Every one is blaming glennon for our loss, but shouldn't. I bet he is a good QB in the NFL because he is a good pocket passer. But we don't need a pocket passer right now, we need a scrambler. Don't blame glennon. Blame our Coaches for lack of preparation and poor decision making prior to and during the game Flag Abuse
Posted by: football fan at Sep 2 Dan - look at the stats. Last year, Glennon had a better passers rating (137.7) and TD-INT ratio (12:5) than Matthew Stafford (128.9, 19:10), Matt Ryan (127.0, 31:19) and Matt Flynn (125.8, 21:11). Don't get me wrong, I think Tyrod great and is going to make this team one of the best in the nation in the next 2 years. But, last year with the most experienced receiving corp in the ACC, he completed only 53% of his passes and threw only 5 touchdowns, 3 interceptions in 5 starts (two of which were against W&M and Ohio). As far as you saying Glennon should "look better than that": what do you expect him to do? Throw the ball, run down the field and catch it too? The QB alone can't make the offense work. I'm sorry but excitement doesn't show up on the scoreboard. Like Marvin said, it's time Tech played 4 quarters of football for a change. Flag Abuse
Posted by: Anonymous at Sep 2 Play Tyrod and only Tyrod. We shouldn't do the 2 QB system. It's time for Glennon to be on the sidelines. Flag Abuse
Posted by: Leonard at Sep 2 This is crazy. I hear the media all of the time referring to the VT "duel qb system" from last year as successful. Yeah, we won against FSU - down, BC - defense bailed us out, UVA - don't even need to go there. But against respectable nonconference foe, Kansas, the duel qb thing was crushed. we do not have the offensive complexity to support a duel qb system. Stinespring does not have the skills to throw the many different looks out there to confuse the defense- which is a primary reason to run the duel system. It's like having a Masarati, but nobody to drive it. Beamer either needs to give the team to Taylor, and build the playcalling around him exclusively, or chalk it up and let Glennon hand it off the rest of the year, keep Taylor healthy, and let Macho showcase for the NFL. Flag Abuse
Posted by: Marvin Kenan at Sep 2 As a loyal Hokie fan, win or lose but I prefer winning, two things remain glaring obvious over the years. Our offense is unimaginative, but the experienced atheletes Tech had in the past made things happen. Play calling is predictable. Second, when we get a lead, we play not to lose instead of playing to win. We sit on the lead instead of continuing to press to play. I'm not talking about running up the score here, I'm talking about playing 4 consecutive quarters. We are a rebuilding team this year, and we will get better. But it is time for a new offensive coordinator and some imagination in the offense. And we have to play to win until the final whistle. Flag Abuse
Posted by: Dan at Sep 2 football fan - you're incorrect. glennon had the most senior receiving corps in the ACC last year and produced similar results. he is a talented athlete and a good representitive of our school, but i think the pattern here is pretty clear. yes, the play-calling is asanine and stiney should have been "relieved" after the kansas game and yes our receivers are young, but a fifth year senior qb should look better than that. its unfortunate for sean that an athlete like tyrod came in behind him, but you dont leave that kind of athleticism and ability on the sideline. i understand frank wants to be loyal to his seniors (and his senior staff) but Tech needs a shake-up and tyrod provides the excitement that was 100% absent from the ECU game. Tech's offensive strategy needs to be more aggressive, not just "let's just try this and hope the defense can bail us out." I respect Sean and how hard he has worked for our team, but either you bring home the W or you dont. Flag Abuse
Posted by: football fan at Sep 2 It doesn't matter if Peyton Manning is the quarterback if the freshman receivers aren't getting open the passing offense will not be very successful. The fault lies in the offensive play calling and all changing quarterbacks will do now is ruin any sort of consistency that this young team has built. Shame on Beamer for flip-flopping after one bad performance against a talented ECU team. Flag Abuse
Posted by: Hokie07 at Sep 2 Agreed. Start Tyrod, play Tyrod the WHOLE time. Yes, we have heard it before Glennon is not (that) bad... it's our OC and O line. Well guess what? Our OC is STILLLL here and our O line still hasn't improved. Glennon is also a fifth year senior and looked like it was his first year starting. It's ridiculous. Flag Abuse
Posted by: T at Sep 2 At times Glennon's judgement is horrible, but you can't blame the whole thing on him. The o-line and defense let us down as well. Flag Abuse
Posted by: Daniel Welch at Sep 2 If I was Tyrod Taylor, I would transfer to remove myself from such a terribly ran organization. Our OC is not talented enough to mix up the plays for a two quarterback system. If Glennon is in there, its a throw, if Tyrod is in there, its a run. Teams will prepare like Kansas, and crush us. Playing Glennon serves zero purpose unless Tyrod is redshirted to preserve eligibility. If Tyrod is going to play, he should play all the time, to grow the relationship with his receivers. There is no point in playing a glennon type qb if for the next two years, we will have a Tyrod type. Beamer - way to make a stupid decision Bud - Don't sweat it... you can't bail out your OC and HC every time. Flag Abuse
Posted by: Thank you at Sep 2 There is a God. Thank youuuuuuu. This is the best for the team. Sorry, Glennon is just not that good and for a 5th year senior he is horrendous. I am breathing a sigh of relief and look forward to seeing Tyrod on the field in Lane on sat!!! Flag Abuse
Posted by: O at Sep 2 Win or lose, thank god we finally changed course. "In Tyrod I trust." Flag Abuse
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