Liberty QB
Posted: August 24th, 2006, 7:59 am
Chris' article this morning:
http://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Sate ... th=!sports
Two QBs listed as starters
By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
August 23, 2006
It turns out that Liberty quarterbacks Brock Smith and Zach Terrell will both be listed as starters for the season opener against St. Paul’s next Thursday.
Smith will start the game at quarterback and Terrell will begin the game at A-back as Liberty coach Danny Rocco will list 12 offensive players as starters.
At first blush, the move seems to be designed to massage egos. In reality, Rocco has something much different in mind.
By listing 12 starters, it gives the offense flexibility to start with either a fullback and two tailbacks and one wide receiver or two running backs and two wide receivers.
“We’ll be really hard to prepare for,” Rocco said.
Rocco gave the team Wednesday off to coincide with the start of classes on campus. It also provided the coaching staff with a natural segue from the “training camp” section of preseason practice to “game preparation” mode beginning today.
In training camp, Smith proved to be the most adept quarterback, but Terrell’s talents were simply too tantalizing for him to be on the bench.
Thus the “A-back” was born.
“The A-back would be the third running back in a three-back formation or the adjusted running back in a two-back formation,” Rocco said. “He can be aligned in a number of different positions. In a three-back set. he could be on the outside. In a two-back set, he could be a split back.
“Bottom line is that we’re trying to get our best players on the field in the right spots and give them the ball.”
Rocco also was able to solidify his offensive line depth chart Wednesday. Virginia transfer Eddie Pinigis will likely start at right tackle and Stephen Sene will start on the left side. Co-captain Jarrett Winfrey, who began camp at right tackle, has moved to right guard. Britt Stone will start at left guard and Mike Godsil gets the nod at center.
Josh Weaver will back up both tackle positions and Zach Davis will be a reserve at center. Bryan Mosier will back up both guards.
Healthy hitter
Once Ryan Greiser suffered his first shoulder stinger last year, his season was reduced to fits and starts.
He’d feel healthy and ready to go one minute, but any hit would reaggravate the injury. It was an exercise in frustration.
“I had one season in high school kind of like that, but not one as aggravating as last year was,” Greiser said. “Every time I tried to come back, weird freak things kept on happening. I had to try to push through.”
Greiser’s injury limited his touches in the offensive backfield. When running back Rashad Jennings transferred into the program in January, Rocco and Greiser agreed that Greiser would help the Flames more in the secondary.
Greiser, now one of LU’s starting safeties, made an early impression in the Flames’ spring game, breaking up passes and hitting with passion. That’s not surprising. While at Pennridge High School in Sellerville, Pa., Greiser was an AP All-State first-team selection as a defensive back.
“He’s been a playmaker back there for us,” Rocco said. “There’s three things you’ve got to do out there on the back end as a safety. You have to never get beat deep, you have to be able to tackle well and you have to be able to get the defense lined up.
“He’s got the intelligence and the ability to do all three.”
Extra points
Liberty practiced Tuesday at Amherst High School to get a feel for the FieldTurf surface they will play on at Williams Stadium this season. … The turf project is expected to be completed this weekend. Once the field elements (logos, hash marks, end zone lettering) are sewn into the field, the turf team has to make 13 passes over the field to put down sand and bits of rubber. Once complete, there will be two inches of infill and half an inch of standing grass. … The locker room, showers and training room at the Williams Football Operations Center will be operational for the opener. The team is hoping to practice at the stadium Monday.
http://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Sate ... th=!sports
Two QBs listed as starters
By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
August 23, 2006
It turns out that Liberty quarterbacks Brock Smith and Zach Terrell will both be listed as starters for the season opener against St. Paul’s next Thursday.
Smith will start the game at quarterback and Terrell will begin the game at A-back as Liberty coach Danny Rocco will list 12 offensive players as starters.
At first blush, the move seems to be designed to massage egos. In reality, Rocco has something much different in mind.
By listing 12 starters, it gives the offense flexibility to start with either a fullback and two tailbacks and one wide receiver or two running backs and two wide receivers.
“We’ll be really hard to prepare for,” Rocco said.
Rocco gave the team Wednesday off to coincide with the start of classes on campus. It also provided the coaching staff with a natural segue from the “training camp” section of preseason practice to “game preparation” mode beginning today.
In training camp, Smith proved to be the most adept quarterback, but Terrell’s talents were simply too tantalizing for him to be on the bench.
Thus the “A-back” was born.
“The A-back would be the third running back in a three-back formation or the adjusted running back in a two-back formation,” Rocco said. “He can be aligned in a number of different positions. In a three-back set. he could be on the outside. In a two-back set, he could be a split back.
“Bottom line is that we’re trying to get our best players on the field in the right spots and give them the ball.”
Rocco also was able to solidify his offensive line depth chart Wednesday. Virginia transfer Eddie Pinigis will likely start at right tackle and Stephen Sene will start on the left side. Co-captain Jarrett Winfrey, who began camp at right tackle, has moved to right guard. Britt Stone will start at left guard and Mike Godsil gets the nod at center.
Josh Weaver will back up both tackle positions and Zach Davis will be a reserve at center. Bryan Mosier will back up both guards.
Healthy hitter
Once Ryan Greiser suffered his first shoulder stinger last year, his season was reduced to fits and starts.
He’d feel healthy and ready to go one minute, but any hit would reaggravate the injury. It was an exercise in frustration.
“I had one season in high school kind of like that, but not one as aggravating as last year was,” Greiser said. “Every time I tried to come back, weird freak things kept on happening. I had to try to push through.”
Greiser’s injury limited his touches in the offensive backfield. When running back Rashad Jennings transferred into the program in January, Rocco and Greiser agreed that Greiser would help the Flames more in the secondary.
Greiser, now one of LU’s starting safeties, made an early impression in the Flames’ spring game, breaking up passes and hitting with passion. That’s not surprising. While at Pennridge High School in Sellerville, Pa., Greiser was an AP All-State first-team selection as a defensive back.
“He’s been a playmaker back there for us,” Rocco said. “There’s three things you’ve got to do out there on the back end as a safety. You have to never get beat deep, you have to be able to tackle well and you have to be able to get the defense lined up.
“He’s got the intelligence and the ability to do all three.”
Extra points
Liberty practiced Tuesday at Amherst High School to get a feel for the FieldTurf surface they will play on at Williams Stadium this season. … The turf project is expected to be completed this weekend. Once the field elements (logos, hash marks, end zone lettering) are sewn into the field, the turf team has to make 13 passes over the field to put down sand and bits of rubber. Once complete, there will be two inches of infill and half an inch of standing grass. … The locker room, showers and training room at the Williams Football Operations Center will be operational for the opener. The team is hoping to practice at the stadium Monday.