By Adam Kilgore
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 23, 2007

BLACKSBURG, Va., Oct. 22 -- More than anything, Sean Glennon missed the competition. After the initial malaise swept over him upon learning Tyrod Taylor would replace him as Virginia Tech's starting quarterback, he adjusted to being a backup. Glennon could handle huddling with the second team in practice. He didn't mind losing the stature that comes with being starting quarterback.

Game days always stung, though. He had been reduced to standing on the sidelines and signaling in plays to his former understudy. He watched his teammates win and felt detached from their success, happy his team had won but bitter that he had not contributed. He missed helping to determine the outcome, but more so the feeling that it brought.

"Sometimes, you forget it's a lot of fun to be out there, too," Glennon said.

Glennon appreciated that sentiment during Virginia Tech's last game, when he relieved the injured Taylor against Duke. The junior played one of his best games as a Hokie, performing with both skill and joy. He threw precise passes, punctuating touchdowns by leaping into the arms of his offensive linemen and smiling.

On Thursday night, when No. 8 Virginia Tech hosts No. 2 Boston College, Glennon may or may not regain that feeling. Coach Frank Beamer said Monday the Hokies would not decide on a quarterback until close to game time, wanting to gauge how much Taylor's high-ankle sprain has healed and how effective he may be compared with Glennon.

The wait may also be a piece of gamesmanship, forcing Boston College to prepare for two quarterbacks with differing styles. Beamer, though, discarded that notion.

"That's a veteran defensive staff up there," Beamer said. "We're not going to cause them too many troubles with that."

Whoever starts, Glennon has certainly proved the merits of having a backup quarterback who has won 11 games as a starter. Against Duke, he completed 16 of 21 passes for 258 yards, playing with a confidence and relaxation he may have lacked before his benching.

"You have to have fun playing this game," Virginia Tech quarterbacks coach Mike O'Cain said. "You can't go out there all uptight, worrying about making a mistake, worrying about if I make a mistake, what's going to be done? I just think he went out there and played football."

At first, Glennon had a rough transition from starter to backup. O'Cain informed Glennon of the move the Monday morning following Virginia Tech's 48-7 loss to Louisiana State on Sept. 8. That evening, Glennon spoke with reporters and criticized the decision, saying he might transfer. He now considers it a mistake, both agreeing to speak and coaches allowing him to. If he had waited a few days, he feels, he would have answered questions with a clear head, not raw emotion.

"I know some people said it wasn't a good attitude to have," Glennon said. "And I agree. It wasn't. But if you got demoted at work, and then immediately people were asking you how you felt about it, I don't think you would have good things to say about it. It's just natural."

He moped through the first few practices that week, viewing his spot with the second team as a blow to his pride. He rarely spoke. O'Cain didn't say anything to him, aside from coaching advice.

As the week went on, Glennon talked with close friends and his parents, and his phone buzzed with text messages offering encouragement. The message was always the same: You can sit there and feel sorry for yourself, or you can get over it. "Eventually, I stopped letting it go in one ear and out the other," Glennon said.

By that Thursday's practice, Glennon began to resemble his old self, pumping his fists or clapping after good plays. He conversed with teammates at practice. O'Cain finally sat down with him the next day, confident the shock of the move had subsided.

"You're going to have to help us win a game, and maybe more than a game," O'Cain told him.

After the first week, Glennon settled into his backup role. When Taylor scored his first touchdown against Ohio, Glennon was the first player to meet him on the sideline. He said he never even looked into transferring. "Right now, that's honestly not in my mind," Glennon said. "Any decision will come after the season."

He is focused solely on Boston College, he said, as much in the dark about his playing status as everyone else. But he will be ready, his time away from the field helping him to savor his time on it.

"It's not just a business," Glennon said. "I'd missed it. It was fun to be able to compete."

Hokies Note: Outside linebacker Cam Martin (mononucleosis) practiced without contact Sunday and likely will play Thursday night against Boston College, Beamer said. Cody Grimm would be Martin's replacement.