Golden Bears Notebook: ; Tech to Show Off Run Game Tonight; Third-Year Coach Plans Changes As School Debuts Martin Field Lights

Summary

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The defense and running game will be the backbone of the WVU Tech football team this fall. To many, that doesnt sound much like a Scott Tinsley-coached squad, but hes welcoming the return of a healthy Josh Culbertson, a much-improved offensive line and the establishment of a gutsier defense. We are about as close as you can get to accomplishing our goals in spring, said Tinsley, who will complete his third year of spring practices at Tech at 6:30 p.m. today in the Golden Bears spring game under the new lights at Martin Field. We wanted to get better in the running game, we accomplished that. Our offensive line has gotten better; we accomplished that. On defense, weve emphasized tackling and swarming to the ball. Last year, we played well on first and second down, but we couldnt get off the field on third down. Not surprisingly, Culbertson the 2005 Kennedy Award winner from Nitro High will be a big part of Techs attack. He spent two seasons at the University of Charleston before transferring to reunite with Tinsley, who was Culbertsons coach at Nitro. A knee injury sidelined the 5-foot-8, 190-pounder for the 2009 season. Josh Culbertson is the old Josh Culbertson, Tinsley said. One question mark is the quarterback position, where longtime Tinsley pupil Michael Scott played last year and won two NAIA National Player of the Week awards. Tinsley has brought in a myriad of signal callers, including two who will see time tonight in former Pocahontas County player David Callison (6-0, 180) Techs punter last season and former Huntington player Michael Morton (6-0, 180), who played mostly in the defensive secondary for the Highlanders. They are half of a four-player scramble for the starting QB job this season. The other two are Cabell Midland senior Michael Brumfield and Maryland product Taylor Henry. Brumfield has watched practice and participated the maximum two times hes permitted under NAIA rules while Henry will arrive in the fall. Henry is the most intriguing of the candidates. The 6-5, 215-pound dropback passer from Cambridge-South Dorchester High School was recruited by Connecticut and Temple, but, according to Tinsley, his 40-yard dash time fell short of expectations. Were pleased we were able to snag him, Tinsley said. With the two QBs in action tonight and two arriving in the fall, Tinsley has a race for a position that hes not used to being wide open. Theyll each have a 25 percent chance of winning the job, Tinsley said. We have to go back to basics at quarterback. Thats one thing we havent accomplished this spring. Were still searching a little bit in the passing game. You hear about open competitions all the time, but this really is. There is no leader of the pack right now. Michael (Brumfield) will be up here a lot this summer, which will help him.

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Golden Bears Notebook: ; Tech to Show Off Run Game Tonight; Third-Year Coach Plans Changes As School Debuts Martin Field Lights

TINSLEY SAID the...

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