Tuesday, November 11, 2008

A shot of Wild Turkey

The Dolphins have the Wildcat.

The Arkansas Razorbacks had the Wild Hog.

Allen Bailey probably had Wild Boar for dinner last night.

And now Virginia Tech has the Wild Turkey.

No, not the stuff that has given all of us a bad hangover at least once, the stuff I swore off after a few shots of it caused me to go on a Leprachaun hunt as a college freshman. We are talking about the Hokies wacky new offense. It involves 290-pound tight end Greg Boone lining up at quarterback and letting him take off. It debuted last week, and resulted in seven carries for 27 yards against Maryland. Boone also caught a TD.

And unlike my experience with Wild Turkey, the Hokies are actually going to try it again. Look to see it Thursday night against the Hurricanes. Yes, the secret is out. But what it does is make UM have to at least prepare for it. And if you've spoken to any UM coach, you know there is barely enough time during the week to prep for basic offenses.

The Hurricanes don't seem worried because they feel they know what to expect. They figure Boone will run each time he enters the game. But you really never know. You can bet the Hokies are scheming of ways to make this formation keep the Hurricanes on their toes.

Boone is more than capable of throwing the football. In high school, he was rated a top 20 quarterback. He threw for more than 1,200 yards and accounted for 35 touchdowns as a senior. He arrived at Virginia Tech with every intention of playing quarterback, but was switched to tight end as the pounds added up. The possibilities are endless with a player like that under center. It means the Hurricanes will likely to prepare for three quarterbacks
Remember Virginia Tech also uses Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon.

The good news is UM defensive coordinator Bill Young has shown before he can handle Virginia Tech. Last year he led a Kansas defense that slowed the Hokies in the Orange Bowl.

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