Horne makes move to get on the field

As a running back on the scout team, Raynard Horne looked for holes.

The gaps often appeared in a split second to the junior’s delight. At other times, they never emerged, leaving the Maryland native lying flat on his back.

What Horne failed to respect during the process was the blocking that correctly or incorrectly created the space in which to roam.

Now a wide receiver in the Cavaliers’ offense, Horne looks at the situation in a completely different light.

And that puts one aspect of the position in a new light.

“To play in this offense you have to block,” Horne said. “Blocking is so much harder than you would think. You are blocking for six seconds sometimes.

“I never appreciated how much receivers blocked so much. You have to block or you will not play.”

The 6-foot, 245-pound Horne has heard the company line on numerous occasions from first-year wide receivers coach Latrell Scott.

It will continue.

“The team rule that we have is if you don’t block, you don’t play,” Scott said. “We have some great tailbacks in this system and we want to be able to get those guys downfield. For them to be effective, we have to be physical.

“Our downfield blocking creates opportunities for Mikell Simpson, Torrey Mack and Keith Payne.”

Horne appeared in 11 games last year, making his biggest impression on four of the six special-teams units.

He led the team with seven tackles on the kickoff unit, but he longs for a greater impact as a player that can be trusted, and a crowded mix in the backfield led to the position switch.

“I really want to help this team,” he said. “I hope I can do that. It does not matter how. I really just want to be on the field.”

With that in mind, Horne accepted the move to wideout with open arms and lucked out with the new spread offense that incorporates numerous on-field options.

“I really do like the move,” he said. “It is going well out there. It is fun out there with the wideouts.

“Playing for coach Scott has been great for me, and I am just trying to do what I can do to help the team anyway possible.”

The simple things of the position, those that are often ignored by the average fan, have taken their toll on Horne at times.

“Route running is pretty tough to me,” he admitted. “As a running back, it is one block and you have to chop it up, so that is the biggest adjustment so far.”

Extra points

Virginia coach Al Groh said Tuesday that the program’s offense would not be vanilla against William & Mary in an effort to hide schemes from the second opponent, Texas Christian. ... Linebacker Cam Johnson will assume the role that former standout Clint Sintim had on the nickel and dime units, according to the coach.