Bryan Stinespring Discusses Chris Durkin Practicing at Tight End, Bud Foster on ECU's Offense

Insights from tight ends coach Bryan Stinespring, defensive coordinator Bud Foster and players from Virginia Tech's Tuesday night media session.

Stinespring Discusses Durkin Getting Reps at Tight End

One of the more buzzworthy storylines over the past week was the news that QB Chris Durkin has been taking reps at tight end.

After speaking with tight ends coach Bryan Stinespring, one gets the sense that a permanent move to the position is not out of the question.

"He's a really good athlete and he catches the ball exceptionally well," Stinespring said about the 6'4" 222-pounder. "I like his toughness when he runs the ball; I'm excited about him."

Stinespring remarked the Ohio native was equally ecstatic about getting reps at the position because he's so eager to get on the field any way possible.

What makes the move relatively seamless is that Durkin already knows all the TE formations since he's had to master Tech's offense from a quarterback standpoint.

"I tell him to line up at right slot or whatever it may be and I don't have to teach that to him," Stinespring explained. "I don't have to teach him what the routes are because as a quarterback he knows what everybody has."

While many have questioned whether or not Durkin has the pass-catching ability to master the TE position, Stinespring left little doubt about his hands.

"He catches the ball as well as anybody we have at the spot and we have some really good, talented guys that can catch the ball. He catches the ball as easily as anybody we have."

Additional Tidbits from Stinespring

• One reason why TE Bucky Hodges has yet to light up the stat sheet through the first three weeks of play may be due to the fact that he wasn't fully healthy until last week's game against Purdue.
• According to Stinespring, Hodges had been dealing with a hamstring injury, a deep quad bruise and a shoulder injury over the past few weeks and didn't feel 100 percent until last week.
• In discussing Hodges, Stinespring was very complimentary about his work ethic, adding the two talk frequently about the training habits of NFL players like Detroit Lions WR Calvin Johnson.
• Speaking of the NFL, Stinespring believes TE Ryan Malleck projects well at the next level because of his well-rounded ability to block defensive ends, run multiple routes (seams, corner routes) and play on special teams (covering on punts). He also noted that Malleck's willingness to do whatever a play is called for to help the team is an added bonus for the next level.

Foster breaks down ECU's offense

Despite ECU bringing along a new offensive coordinator and working in a brand-new quarterback, Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster doesn't believe the Pirates' offense has changed compared to 2014.

"The quarterback (Blake Kemp) is completing 70 percent of the passes and they've got dynamic skill guys," Foster stated. "They're not missing a whole lot from where they've been."

Foster had high praise for Kemp, pointing out that he and ECU's quarterback from 2014, Shane Carden, have nearly an identical skill set on tape.

"As far as accuracy, throwing the ball with quick releases and knowing where he's going with the ball, they're very, very similar."

With the Pirates featuring such a pass-heavy offensive attack, Foster has placed an added on the defensive line to disrupt passing lanes.

"Whether it be tipping the ball or altering the quarterback's trajectory, we're working hard on that. If they're doing a lot of quick game and we can get our hands on the ball, that'd be great."

Additional tidbits from Foster

• DT Corey Marshall has a "strained arch" on his foot that is still tender.
• With Marshall getting treatment, Foster said that backup DT Woody Baron worked mostly with the first team this week.
• Regarding Baron, Foster believes his emergence and instant success is because he's "fundamentally sound" and "plays square."
• Foster said he expects ECU to run some option, even though they haven't shown it yet on film with Kemp as their QB.
• One player for ECU that really stood out on film was 6'6", 258-pound tight end Bryce Williams because of the matchup issues he presents.

Player Quotes

DE Ken Ekanem

ON IF HE'S FRUSTRATED BY NOT HAVING ANY SACKS AFTER THREE GAMES:

"Yeah, I've been getting kind of frustrated lately, but I know in time we'll (him and fellow end Dadi Nicolas) each get one. Hopefully, it'll be this game. In every obvious passing down, we'll be putting our head down and try to make our best moves to the quarterback. Unfortunately, sometimes we can't finish the play. Sometimes, (quarterbacks) slide off our tackles. I know it happened a couple times during Ohio State."

ON IF HE'S SATISFIED WITH AT LEAST GENERATING PRESSURE ON QBS:

"Yeah, I mean it's just about getting back into the flow of things. I mean, I was kind of hesitant with my left shoulder using a lot of power moves and stuff. But now, I'm gaining a lot more confidence in it. I'm going to use my power moves as one of my main moves in this upcoming game."

ON IF HE'S NOTICED MORE OPPONENTS CUT BLOCKING THIS SEASON:

"Uh, yeah. Ohio State tightened down their splits, which limited our penetration, and Furman was just cut blocking. That's the most I've ever been cut. I mean, Purdue kind of played us straight up. (Opponents) mix it up each week so we don't know what we're going to get. They never show stuff on film until you see it in the game."

ON WHAT HE'S SEEN FROM ECU'S OFFENSIVE LINE ON FILM:

"I mean, they're a bunch of big guys, definitely their tackles. One is 6'7" and another is 6' 9". I mean, they don't move really well, but they cover a lot of ground just because of their length. They're just big bodies, so we just got to be good and fundamentally sound and hopefully get around them pretty quickly."

DT Luther Maddy

ON IF THERE'S BEEN AN ADDED EMPHASIS ON TRYING TO GET HANDS UP INTO PASSING LANES AGAINST ECU:

"We've done that. Not just for ECU, but we've been doing that all season. Coach (Bud) Foster emphasizes that if you don't get to the quarterback, you should get your hands up. But, we've been doing that all season, not really just for ECU. But it's something we'll probably do more so at ECU just because they throw the ball a little bit quicker."

ON IF PLAYING A TEAM LIKE ECU ALLOWS FOR MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO GENERATE SACKS:

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I was telling Ken (Ekanem) that this might be the game we finally get our first sacks just because they throw the ball so much. We'll be in a lot of situations to rush the passer. They throw the ball pretty quick, so our back end having good coverage could lead us to having sacks and us getting pressure can lead them (secondary) to having picks. It's just playing together and playing hard and I think the sacks will come together."

ON WHAT HE'S SEEN FROM DT WOODY BARON:

"Yeah, Woody's looked really good. Like I said in the past, me and Corey (Marshall) being out in the spring and Woody (Baron) and Nigel (Williams) getting all those reps really helped those guys. They got a lot of experience and are more comfortable in their stances. He's (Baron) not thinking as much and is getting off the ball. I really like the way he plays."