Collegiate Times

As spring practice officially kicked off Wednesday, there was a certain amount of rust from not having played as a team since January, but with it came excitement.

"It was kind of what you expect the first day," said head coach Frank Beamer. "I thought our execution needs to get better … but you know, that's why you have the first day — to get the kinks out and get ready for the second one."

Entering the spring, the Hokies' defense looks primed for another strong 2007 season after returning eight starters from a defense that ranked first nationally in both total and scoring defense last season.

However, after finishing ninth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in total offense last season, the Hokies have some question marks on the offensive side of the ball, including at the quarterback position.

Quarterbacks Sean Glennon, Ike Whitaker, and Cory Holt all rotated snaps on offense, with each getting his fair share of overthrows and wide receiver drops. None of the signal callers got completely in sync, but Beamer believes it's just a case of the preseason jitters and not a lack of motivation or skill.

"If anything, it was overeager, wanting to get back out here and get going," Beamer said. "Sometimes you just gotta get into a rhythm."

Glennon, the incumbent starting quarterback, shared Coach Beamer's sentiment and said he's been ready to start practice for a long time.

"I've been waiting for day one of spring since about January 1st so I'm ready to go," Glennon said. "I've been preparing myself … I've dedicated myself. I want to prove everyone wrong this year."

While the quarterback battle will draw the most attention, improving the offensive line will be equally important. Of the 12 teams in the ACC, only Virginia and Duke surrendered more sacks than the Hokies 29.

"We want a significant improvement in our line and tight ends," said offensive coordinator Brian Stinespring. "(Wednesday) we were further along in terms of just being able to get lined up and get our hats on the right people, and it took us a while last year to get to that point … I've said before I think we have a chance to get better."

The Hokies will rely on senior tackle Duane Brown, a likely candidate for all-conference honors this season, to anchor the relatively young line that returns only two starters.

"I'm just trying to be an example out there," Brown said. "I'm a real hard practice guy … that's just something I'm trying to instill in the younger guys."

Brown came to Tech as a tight end, but made the move to the line two seasons ago as a right tackle. This season, the coaching staff has asked Brown to move to the left side.

Although he will be playing on a new side, Brown feels confident that the Hokies' offensive line will be an improved unit from last season.

"I think (Wednesday) we really took a big step forward," Brown said. "A lot of people made some mental mistakes and had some technique errors, but we all worked our butts off and that's nothing that you can coach. It's effort."

It wasn't just the players working on their skills during the offseason either. Stinespring spent time with staff from the Tennessee Titans breaking down film and discussing philosophies.

While Hokie fans might not see Vince Young-like performances in the pocket, Stinespring said the collaboration is integral to improvement.

"It's important just to be able to go out and see what other people are doing," Stinespring said. "You're not going and trying to bring a lot of things back, because pretty soon you become a jack of all trades and a master of none. You're just trying to find a couple little things whether it's schematically, whether it's the way you practice, whether it's the way you try to attack a different look."

Stinespring said that the emphasis of the offense will be putting the ball in the hands of playmakers and letting them take over after that.

With dynamic, proven players such as tailback Branden Ore and receivers Eddie Royal and Josh Morgan, along with emerging game-breakers like wideout Justin Harper and tight end Sam Wheeler, there's plenty of reason for the Hokies to be excited entering this spring.