Well, for the second straight day, our Virginia Tech coverage is being bumped by something else. Tonight it’s the Hillcats season opener. I’m sure most of you are sitting on the edge of your seats to see how the Pittsburgh Pirates Single-A affiliate does in its lidlifter. That’s right, I used the word lidlifter.

No problem though. I was going to wait to post the story, but I’m fine with scooping our print version with my story. I wrote it yesterday, and there’s no use sitting on something for two days. So here it is. Enjoy ...

SPOTLIGHT ON VIRGINIA TECH’S QUARTERBACKS

By NATHAN WARTERS

(434) 385-5540

The spotlight is on Virginia Tech’s quarterbacks this spring practice. It’s time for starter Tyrod Taylor to establish himself as the clear-cut leader of the offense, and time for somebody to emerge as his backup.

The Hokies have been encouraged with the progress they’ve seen in both areas.

Taylor’s confidence continues to grow, and he has a quicker release now that he has cleaned up a mechanical problem that received a lot of unwanted attention last fall. And redshirt freshmen Ju-Ju Clayton and Marcus Davis have both shown promise as they compete for the Hokies’ coveted backup spot.

Here’s a quick breakdown of some of the recent developments.

TAYLOR DITCHED THE “HITCH”
Many expected this spring to be the time when Tech’s coaches worked with Taylor to remedy the mechanical flaw, or “hitch” as coach Frank Beamer called it last season, that cost him precious seconds in his release.

Well, a funny thing happened between the Hokies’ Orange Bowl victory over Cincinnati and the start of winter conditioning: Taylor fixed the problem himself.

Taylor went home to Hampton during winter break, watched old video of himself and some instructional tapes he used in high school, and alleviated the minor flaw, which he insists didn’t affect his accuracy (he completed 57.2 percent of his passes for 1,036 yards, two TDs and seven INTs in 2008).

“It might have (affected) timing or something or the defense breaking on (my throws) quicker,” Taylor said. “I was always open to change (my throwing motion). I just didn’t want to change it in the middle of the season.”

He said it took him about a week and a half, working with his dad Rodney and throwing to one of his former Hampton High School receivers, to get his remade release down.

The “hitch” involved Taylor bringing the ball down before he threw it, which created a looping motion with his arm and slowed down his delivery. Now he keeps his elbow parallel with his shoulder right before he throws to create a better release point for the football.

He says he hasn’t strayed from his new mechanics so far this spring. The proof will come when defenses are bringing the heat in game situations.

DON’T COUNT DAVIS OUT
Yes, Clayton has a leg up on Davis in the backup sweepstakes, but Davis isn’t down for the count.

Remember, he has been playing quarterback for all of five practices.

Clayton had the luxury of playing all of last season as Tech’s scout team quarterback, where he mimicked opposing team’s signal-callers against the Hokies’ suffocating defense.

“Going against them every day, I learned a lot,” Clayton said.

Davis, on the other hand, spent all of last season on the injured list. He spent his first couple of practices last year at wide receiver before suffering a season-ending collarbone injury in the preseason.

Now he’s a bit behind in the battle for the No. 2 quarterback spot, but quarterbacks coach Mike O’Cain said he has been encouraged by what he’s seen from him.

“Marcus knows basically what to do on everything, but exactly how to do it and the finer points of it is where he’s got a lot of work to do,” O’Cain said.

Clayton’s experience has helped him hone the fine details of quarterbacking, from proper footwork to executing a textbook handoff.

Davis had problems from the start with the finer points. He had difficulty with cadences during the first spring practice, but Clayton, ever the consummate teammate, huddled with him after practice to help him get it down.

They’re both working hard to earn a critical spot on this year’s team.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do, but I’m encouraged by both of them,” O’Cain said.

ANYTHING BUT BACKUP QB
Brookville’s Logan Thomas has versatility that could get him on the field immediately this fall, but at this point, the Hokies are hoping it’s not as a backup quarterback.

Everything else – wide receiver, tight end, H-back, even a change-of-pace quarterback in the mold of tight end Greg Boone, circa 2008 – is fair game.

The Hokies want to have a backup quarterback in place some time this spring so he can get the necessary snaps to prepare for the coming season, which kicks off against Alabama on Sept. 5 at the Georgia Dome.

Thomas won’t report to practice until this summer.

“If we’ve got to wait on Logan Thomas to come in to get our No. 2 quarterback, then we’re in a world of hurt,” O’Cain said. “So we’ve got to get that straightened out this spring.”

Thomas quarterbacked the Bees to the Group AA, Division 3 state championship game this past season, but he was recruited to Tech as an athlete that could play just about anywhere on the field.

It would be a bit much to ask a freshman to juggle his first college classes with learning a three-inch thick playbook and being ready to play meaningful snaps in such a short time.

Remember, this is a team that has needed its backup quarterback to start crucial games in each of the past two seasons.