Beamer says QB choice set for today

Before Sean Glennon's sophomore year, he auditioned to become Virginia Tech's starting quarterback. Tech's coaches refrained from regularly telling the quarterbacks where they stood, and this ate at Glennon as he competed for the job against Ike Whitaker and Cory Holt.

"I was always wondering, 'Where do I stand?'" Glennon said. "And I was always trying to outdo them."

This preseason, Glennon is auditioning again, this time as a fifth-year senior alongside sophomore Tyrod Taylor. And while "the coaches have told us zip," Glennon said, he has vowed to not let that silence bother him. He focused on competing against himself and reminding himself that if plays well enough, everything will turn out fine.

Tech's coaches plan to make a quarterback decision this morning, exactly a week away from the season opener against East Carolina in Charlotte, N.C.

As to whether they'll keep that decision secret from the public until game time or simply reveal it beforehand, coach Frank Beamer said yesterday that he's "not much to play games."

In yesterday's third and final preseason scrimmage at Lane Stadium, Glennon completed 11 of 19 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown. Taylor completed 11 of 17 for 76 yards and an interception.

Though the coaches haven't offered their quarterbacks much feedback, they have discussed Glennon and Taylor among themselves.

"I think we've got in the back of our minds kind of what we want to do and what we feel like we need to do," quarterbacks coach Mike O'Cain said. "Now, it's just making that final decision and saying: This is what we're going to do."

Glennon said: "To be honest, and I'm not even lying when I say this, I haven't lost too much sleep about it. This time, I've just been in competition with myself. Whether Tyrod has an outstanding day or a below-average day, I'm no less happy because of that."

Glennon says he's done enough to earn the job, though he knows he has no say in the coaches' choice. "The decision rests with them, but I feel like, one way or another, I should be on the field," he said.

Evans pulls self out of rut

Redshirt freshman Darren Evans, one of five tailbacks competing for carries, was the leading rusher yesterday: six carries, 59 yards and a touchdown.

That's the kind of production Tech's coaches expected from Evans. During his senior year at Warren Central High in Indianapolis, he rushed for 2,806 yards and 61 touchdowns.

But he struggled earlier this preseason, much to the displeasure of running backs coach Billy Hite, who told Evans that he didn't look as sharp as he was in spring practice. Hite said Evans looked like a strong candidate to start coming out of spring.

"After Coach Hite talked to me about it, and I watched film, I knew that wasn't myself," said Evans, who thinks that coming into the preseason he "might have been a little complacent, kind of happy where I was on the depth chart and not really thinking about the competition I had in front of me and behind me."

This and that . . .

Starting kicker Dustin Keys was one of three fifth-year senior walk-ons who received scholarships yesterday.

Linebacker Jonas Houseright and fullback Devin Perez were the others.

Keys will use the scholarship money to pay back the student loan he took out before this semester. He missed both of his field goals yesterday, from 36 and 50 yards. . . . Cornerback Victor Harris (Highland Springs High School) sprained his left foot yesterday, and though he said it felt stiff, he expects to be fine for the opener. He said he wouldn't have played wide receiver yesterday, though he will during the season. The coaches seem intent on keeping his set of offensive plays under wraps. . . . Tight end Greg Boone was a do-everything threat again yesterday, rushing for a 30-yard touchdown and catching four passes for 28 yards. . . . The radio show Tech Talk Tuesday, celebrating its 10-year anniversary, resumes Tuesday from 5:05 to 7 p.m. on WRNL (910). -- Darryl Slater