BLACKSBURG -- At all levels of football, from the Pee Wees to the pros, it's a common refrain coming from fans in the stands when an offense is struggling to move the ball.

"C'mon, block somebody!"

It's a holler that Curt Newsome and his Virginia Tech offensive line heard often last season.

"If we're moving the ball, it's because we've done good things. If we're not moving the ball it's because we're not blocking. I think that's the way football is," he said.

Tech's second-year O-line coach also knows if the Hokies want to get to where they want to go this season, it's paramount that his big boys up front get the job done much more efficiently than they did a year ago.

With a defense that in preseason has looked even nastier than the last two units that led the nation in yards allowed, the onus is clearly on an offense that ranked 99th in the country last season.

From all accounts, second-year starting quarterback Sean Glennon has improved his game by leaps and bounds. Throw in All-ACC tailback Branden Ore and a quartet of senior wide receivers who all can make plays, and there appears to be no shortage of possible playmakers.

"We have an experienced quarterback, a great tailback and a talented group of wide receivers. How much of a step forward we take depends heavily on the line," Hokies offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring surmised.

Senior left tackle Duane Brown, the big-dog linchpin of the O-line, said he and his group realize what's riding on their shoulders.

"We know we have talent at the skill positions for this offense to be great," Brown said. "If this line does its job, I don't think there's any limit on what we can do.

"When everyone talked about the weak point on this team last year, it was the offensive line. And me, being the leader and the senior of the group, I really take that to heart and I'm pushing everybody to make a statement this season."

Brown, a 6-foot-5, 308-pound All-ACC performer last season, has moved from right to left tackle this season, a switch designed to alleviate the coaches' concerns for Glennon's back-side safety.

Junior Ryan Shuman, a starter at left guard last season, has been moved back to his natural position at center. Sergio Render, who started every game last season as a freshman, gives the Hokies a solid right guard.

Newsome's group was dealt a blow only four days into preseason drills when Ed Wang, the projected starter at right tackle, went down with a broken left leg. While it's conceivable that the 6-5, 312-pound Wang could return to the fold late in the season, that's one deposit that Newsome isn't banking on.

Wang's spot has been filled by Nick Marshman, a 6-5, 357-pound junior who had originally been projected as the possible starter at left guard.

Speaking of left guard, that spot, as of Saturday, remained a toss-up between 6-4, 326-pound sophomore Brandon Holland of Roanoke and 6-4, 295-pound junior Matt Welsh. Both enter the season having played less than 20 snaps in their college careers.

"That could be a situation where you alternate series, get some kind of rotation going on with those two," Newsome said. "I think they'll both be better players if they're fresh. Mentally and physically it's a strain on you, so if we can keep those two fresh, I think it's to our advantage."

Behind those six players are a bunch of youngsters -- all with no experience. The group includes redshirt freshmen Aaron Brown (left tackle) and center Beau Warren (center), and third-year sophomores Richard Graham (guard/tackle) and Hivera Green (guard). A trio of promising freshmen -- Blake DeChristopher (tackle), Khalil Latif (guard) and Jaymes Brooks (guard) -- also could figure in the mix down the road this fall.

"We're going to wait and see on some of those young guys," Newsome said. "We're talking about the possibility of some guys traveling and still redshirting. Latif, right now, is going to redshirt. Brooks and DeChristopher have been in the mix, and if they get better, there's a chance they'll play.

"Or if we have any injuries. In a perfect world, they don't have to play."

Newsome said he has no doubts that this group, even without Wang, is much better equipped to handle the load than last season's bunch.

"I think we've gotten better," Newsome said. "I feel like we have more experience upfront, we're a more physical group upfront. Now, you've got one guy [left guard] in there who hasn't played. A year ago, we had four guys who hadn't played much at all."

Come Saturday's season opener against East Carolina in Lane Stadium, the bottom-line business for all of Newsome's troops can be summed in two succinct words:

Block somebody.

Reach Randy King at 981-3126 or at randy.king@roanoke.com