Many Virginia Tech fans are not too fond of Sean Glennon.
Virginia coach Al Groh, on the other hand, has nothing but good things to say about the senior quarterback. As the Cavaliers prepare to take on the Hokies Saturday at Lane Stadium, they will also prepare for two quarterbacks: the dual-threat junior Tyrod Taylor – who will start, Frank Beamer announced on his radio show Monday – and the pocket-passing Glennon.
There has been much controversy surrounding the quarterback situation in Blacksburg all season. The stickiness began in training camp when Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer announced his intention to redshirt Taylor, thereby giving Glennon the opportunity to take all the snaps in his final season, to the objection of many Hokie fans. When Glennon threw for just 139 yards with two interceptions in the team’s first game as it was upset 27-22 by East Carolina, however, Beamer had second thoughts. Against Furman, he went back to using Glennon in tandem with Taylor. Taylor completed just four passes but rushed for a team-leading 132 yards, while Glennon was 3-8 passing for 42 yards.
Though Glennon – the MVP of last season’s ACC Championship game, a 30-16 win against Boston College – threw just four passes over the next five games, he worked his way back into the lineup after Taylor was injured on the first play against Florida State Oct. 25. Glennon himself suffered an ankle injury in the same contest – freshman Cory Holt finished the game at quarterback – but he returned to start the next game against Maryland with Taylor still ailing. He completed 14 of 20 passes for 127 yards in a 23-13 win.
Glennon again took the first snap against Miami, though Taylor returned to the lineup and took the majority of the snaps in that game and the following Saturday against Duke. Glennon, however, has clearly earned back Beamer’s trust after the rough start to the season.
Whether he has earned the respect of the fans, however, is another issue, which had Groh scratching his head.
“I would certainly say that he was the MVP of the [Virginia-Virginia Tech] game last year,” Groh said of Glennon, who completed 13 of 19 passes for 260 yards with 1 touchdown and no interceptions against Virginia at Scott Stadium last year. “I’m sure [that game and the ACC Championship game] are two games that are very important to fans that he was the MVP of, so from our perspective it’s pretty easy to give him his props.”
Though Beamer has made every attempt to keep his quarterbacks as distant from the media as possible, there have been snippets of discontent from Glennon, particularly of late.
“When they told me before the game they were going with Tyrod, it was definitely a blow,” Glennon told reporters following Saturday’s game against Duke. “Shoot, I’m only here for a couple more games. I got my opportunity tonight and all I can do is hope I will be out there again next week.”
Groh marveled at Glennon’s ability to take quality snaps in the unusual position for a quarterback of coming off the bench.
“I guess it’s kind of like, not every pitcher works well out of the bullpen – some of them have gotta know when they arrive at the stadium that they’re gonna be on the mound that day,” Groh said. “Some quarterbacks are that way, but he’s handled his circumstances extremely well, and come in and really done a good job on quick notice in a number of games.”
The one-two punch that the Hokies bring with Taylor and Glennon is obviously nothing new to Virginia. The pair worked in tandem last year, though it was Taylor who appeared off the bench with Glennon in the starter’s role.
Like Virginia, however, the offense has struggled of late, putting up just 14 points in each of its last two games, including last Saturday against Duke.
“We respect their offense even though people might say that they've been struggling over the past few weeks,” Virginia senior defensive end Alex Field said. “They're still a very good team, and we're going to have to be on our game to compete with them.
Though Groh does not hesitate to laud Glennon, there will be plenty of preparation for the scrambling Taylor. Groh noted that his team will spend as much time preparing for the dual-threat Taylor “as if he was going to be the only quarterback.”
Virginia senior safety Byron Glaspy also indicated that from his perspective, he would rather see Glennon under center.
“I would always say that I like playing against quarterbacks who have to stay in the pocket more,” he said. “When a quarterback stays in the pocket, you pretty much know he has a certain amount of seconds to throw it, and that’s how long you have to throw your coverage.”
On the other hand, Glaspy noted that Glennon certainly posed problems to Virginia in last year’s game.
“Once the ball was snapped, he was able to get a good read on what defense we were in, and knowing the weak spots of that defense, whether it was a one-safety high coverage or a two-safety high coverage,” Glaspy said. “Just all those things that come with experience, he was able to use that to his advantage last year.”
So, while both Virginia Tech fans and Virginia players may both breathe a bit easier when Glennon is in the game, the Cavaliers have no intention of relaxing when it is Glennon taking the snaps.
“He’s pretty responsible for the fact that there’s an ACC Championship trophy down there in one of those trophy cases,” Groh said.
Read More
Omaha and Ohana — it’s all about family for Virginia baseball
By Xander Tilock | 2 hours agoWith a multitude of meaningful connections, Virginia is aiming to rebound from Friday's loss and return home with a National Championship.
Cavaliers collapse, lose 3-2 in walkoff to North Carolina
By Xander Tilock | YesterdayVirginia will head to the loser's bracket Sunday after a disappointing loss to North Carolina.
Gertrude out for season after scooter accident
By Michael Liebermann | YesterdayThe hype around his second season will have to wait.
