QB Taylor works on making plays with arm
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By CURT McKEEVER / Lincoln Journal Star
There are stories about Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor that require footnotes.
For instance, there’s the one about his 14-3 record as the Hokies’ starter. It seems one of those losses came at Florida State last year, when Taylor was injured on the first offensive play of the game and didn’t return.
That’s a tough one to pin on the former Parade High School All-American from Hampton, Va.
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Understandably, it’s another footnote about Taylor that Tech opponents are more concerned with. It’s the one that has to do with the way the fleet junior plays.
A year ago, Hokies’ quarterbacks coach Mike O’Cain looked at Taylor as an athlete playing quarterback.
“He was making plays. He made some nice plays against Nebraska (in a 35-30 win),” O’Cain said this week. “But most plays were with his feet.”
Understand that Taylor, who will try to lead Tech past the Huskers again Saturday in Blacksburg, Va., goes by the nickname “T-Mobile.” It’s fitting, since he’s about to overtake Michael Vick for third place in career rushing yards by a Tech quarterback.
But as O’Cain is quick to note, “Your feet aren’t going to always get you out of trouble.”
Thus, Taylor has been focusing more on improving as a passer, so he can show more than just glimpses of his full potential, as was the case against the Huskers last season.
In that game, he completed 9 of 15 passes for 171 yards and added 87 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. But Taylor threw for no more than 140 yards against any other opponent, and in his other 10 games, averaged less than 90 yards passing and threw just two touchdowns while being intercepted seven times.
It was those experiences that prompted Taylor to spend more time in the film room after the season, studying defenses to hopefully gain better instincts for when and where to go with the ball.
“Until you understand (what’s happening on the other side of the ball), you really can’t be a good college quarterback,” O’Cain said.
A difference-maker, any way — like Taylor was in high school. As a senior in 2006, he threw for 1,544 yards and rushed for 788 to earn a tag as the nation’s top dual-threat quarterback.
“It’s just a process,” said O’Cain, who made Taylor only the second true freshman quarterback he’s played in 31 years of collegiate coaching. “I think it takes about two years. They know offensive football, but to help the game slow down you need to know the other side.”
For Taylor, the light started to come on toward the end of last season, as, over the final three games, he completed 61 percent of his passes for 120.3 yards per game.
Taylor started 2009 being sacked five times by Alabama in a 34-24 loss, but he came back last week to throw for 161 yards and rush for 58 in a rout of Marshall.
“I do see a big difference in me, as far as the passing game and as far as reading defenses,” said Taylor, who had three freshman wide receivers last season.
“I do believe that I am becoming more of a quarterback. If we call a pass play and it’s open, I think I have the arm strength to find my receivers. If it breaks down, I can always run.”
But that’s no longer automatically his first thought.
“It’s not like you can put 10 guys on the line of scrimmage and just say he’s not capable of beating you any other way,” Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said. “You have to be prepared to handle everything, which makes it difficult.”
Guess that takes care of one footnote.
“He is a genuine quarterback right now,” O’Cain said. “Last year, I wouldn’t say we could win with him throwing the football.”
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.
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