Brewering up an Offense at Virginia Tech

Coach Frank Beamer has had trouble generating a consistent offense in Blacksburg for years.  Trying to create an offense around "mobile" or "specimen" quarterbacks hasn't resulted in the success for which we've been hoping.  Not since Bryan Randall in 2004 has Virginia Tech committed to a quarterback who hasn't had some sort of physical exceptionalism.  Enter transfer quarterback Michael Brewer.

Admittedly, when watching a number of Virginia Tech football games over the last few years, I've wondered why they didn't just quick kick the ball back to the other team so that the defense or special teams could make their special magic.  The lack of touch and consistency from Tyrod Taylor and Logan Thomas was unbearable.  The question of whether it was the coaching or the players is tough to discern in front of a television screen.

Tyrod Taylor seemed unwilling to put the ball into a position to require someone else to make a play.  This attitude is probably the result of  having undoubtedly been the best athlete on his high school team,  However, in the years where he started at Virginia Tech and the talent around him, he never grew past that behavior.

Logan Thomas, on the other hand, had flashes of brilliance and utter incompetence making you wonder if he was actually awake on the field.  Logan did improve over time at Virginia Tech, but there were times that he wasn't the best quarterback on the team and shouldn't have been awarded playing time.

Which leads me to what seems to be Coach Beamers fatal flaw.  He has a soft spot in his heart for his mobile quarterbacks.  During the 1999 season Michael Vick was injured.  During his recovery, he convinced Coach to play him for a quarter in a game which was not in doubt.  Had he not given into Michael Vick to play in this game, Vick would have been healthier in the National Championship game which may have put the trophy into the case which sits empty in the VT locker room.  This soft spot removed both Bryan Randall and Sean Glennon from their starting positions and kept VT from using their talents to be more successful.

This soft part of Coach's personality is also a strength of his.  Coach recognizes that in the end football is a sport and developing people is more important than winning football games.  The expulsion and re admittance of Marcus Vick is one great example of this commitment to the people who walk into the Virginia Tech locker room.

With Michael Brewer, the offense seems to have a certain click to it.  Granted, against Ohio State, Michael did throw two interceptions and coughed up the ball on the VT 15.  He seems quick enough to get out of immediate trouble and talented enough to move the offense with his head and arm.  Time will tell his future at Virginia Tech and if Coach Beamer commits to this type of quarterback.