MATT GENTRY The Roanoke Times

Bryan Stinespring is entering his 16th season as a full-time assistant coach at Virginia Tech. This season will be his eighth as offensive coordinator.

MATT GENTRY The Roanoke Times

Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor could benefit from better offensive line play this season. The Hokies' line allowed 42 sacks in 2008.

BLACKSBURG -- A couple weeks ago, Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer and his right-hand man, John Ballein, were heading out for their daily early afternoon walk.

A few steps outside Merryman Center, Ballein stopped and pointed toward at a huge vehicle in the front row of the parking lot.

"I told Coach Beamer, 'Look at that car ... do you know what kind of car that is?' " Ballein recalled. "And he says, 'yeah, that's a Hummer.'

"And I said, 'that's a military type of car.' And Coach Beamer goes, 'yeah, that sure is.'

"I said that's one of our dealers' cars [provided for the coaching staff], and he says, 'really, who's driving that?'

"And I told him, 'well, I thought we needed to give it to Coach Stinespring. He needs as much protection as possible.'

"It was funny!"

Good thing, Bryan Stinespring possesses a strong sense of humor. Certainly, the Hokies' much-maligned offensive coordinator has been the butt of more than one joke the past three seasons.

"So John told you that story," said Stinespring, breaking into laughter. "Yeah, I can hear Coach Beamer saying now: 'If there's anybody on the staff that needs an armored vehicle, it's Stinespring!' "

Despite the fact that Tech has won 31 games and a pair of ACC titles the past three years, some of the more vocal disciples of Hokie Nation have voiced displeasure about an offense that has ranked 99th, 100th and 103rd in the nation in total offense.

How good could Tech be with an offense that ranked in the top half of the country's 120 major college programs? It's a question many Tech fans have asked at least once, likely twice.

Beamer doesn't want to hear it, though. He remains fully behind Stinespring, who is entering his 16th season as a full-time assistant coach at Tech, the past seven as offensive coordinator.

"Everybody wants to talk about rankings and all this, that and the other," Beamer said. "Well, I'm not into that. To me, it's about winning football games.

"I think you look at your football team and you do what they needed to do to win. I think offensively that we've done that. It's kind of some unselfish coaches involved there, too. But, sometimes, you've got to do what your talent says you do and play to your strength.

"I'm pleased that we're one of three teams [Texas and Southern Cal] that have won 10 games each of the past five years. You think about that.

"And, offensively, I've said sometimes that we've gotten behind at a couple of positions. But I really think we're getting caught up now and I feel better about it. I think we're in a better position to consistently run the football and consistently throw the football."

In Stinespring's defense, his offense has been hamstrung by porous offensive line play since 2005. The Hokies allowed an ACC-high 42 sacks last season; it's 97 sacks allowed the past two seasons lead the nation.

Beamer and Stinespring both contend that major bugaboo will be solved this year with a deeper group of much lighter and more athletic linemen. For the first time in years, the Hokies have hopes of playing as many as eight or nine linemen routinely in games.

"I think we help ourselves as a football team if we can substitute in there for those guys," Beamer said. "Because what happens is they get in there, and they keep plowing around in there, and you get down to the fourth quarter and you need to have some freshness about you. And we haven't been as good. We've had a couple of games when we weren't as good the second half as we were in the first half, and I think a little bit of that goes to how many plays you're playing."

Left guard Sergio Render, a four-year starter, said he and the rest of the linemen are determined to quiet their critics this fall.

"I'm tired of people talking bad about us," Render said. "We're going to be a lot better this year. We're going to work together and get the job done, you wait and see."

If the offensive line does get it done, Stinespring's job will become a lot easier. Ditto for quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who will have more time to find receivers from the pocket rather than merely run for his life. Same for a talented group of young, tall wide receivers and a veteran trio of tight ends, who will have time to break free and get open. Same deal for a inexperienced group of tailbacks that need more running lanes now that tough, inside basher Darren Evans is out for the season with a torn ACL.

"We've got all the pieces now and you will see a better offense. I can promise you that," senior tight end Greg Boone said.

Taylor, who desperately wants to prove he can throw the football as well as run it, said the offense possesses the ingredients to produce many more big plays than a year ago. Last season, the Hokies had only one wideout catch a touchdown pass. That was then-freshman split end Jarrett Boykin, who caught one in Game 11 against Duke and another the next week against Virginia.

"We've got guys who can make big plays, and now it's my job to get the ball to them," Taylor said. "I'm nobody without this team. We've got a lot of talent and it's just about us going out there and maximizing those guys' opportunities and getting the ball in their hands."

Stinespring said he's confident that his offense will jack up its production this time around.

"I think we should be an improved offense," he said. "We're more settled in the offensive line and we've got more guys who can play. Our receivers are a year older and a lot further along. So the experience factor and being more settled gives us a comfort level that we should be improved."

The offense will be tested immediately, facing Alabama's stout defense in Saturday's season opener in Atlanta. If the offense lays an egg in the Georgia Dome, Stinespring doesn't have to be informed that he will be roasted again by the Tech fanatics.

"You know that vehicle I'm driving has even got extra metal underneath in case of a bottom, underground explosion," said Stinespring, laughing. "My cousin, Dizzy Garten, owns Alleghany Motors and he told me I probably could use the car. Hey, blood is thicker than water."