Virginia Tech Hokies Football
This week we are joined by HoosFootball for our second annual HATE WEEK Q&A. He has been a long-time follower of UVA football. If you take a look at this website, HoosFootball.com, you’ll see a ton of great information on the history of UVA football. In addition to that, he’s a talented podcaster himself, as one of the hosts of the Message Board Geniuses podcast. Enjoy!
The Hokies missed a big opportunity to get their season back on track against Clemson. The defense played pretty well but the offense couldn’t do anything. To salvage the rest of this season, the Hokies have to go 2-0 in their last two games. Even then, this season would still be considered a pretty big disappointment. But it would likely keep Brent Pry and maybe his coordinators off the hot seat going into the offseason.
SP+ Rankings
Virginia Tech
Overall: 29th
Offense: 37th
Defense: 33rd
Special Teams: 37th
Duke
Overall: 43rd
Offense: 70th
Defense: 25th
Special Teams: 89th
Duke has a pretty strong passing offense led by QB Maalik Murphy. He’s been consistent about putting up good numbers in just about every game this season. The good news for the Hokies is that he is not a running quarterback. If Tech’s talented secondary can slow down Duke’s passing attack, that would go a long way toward the Hokies getting a win in this game.
Duke’s defense is the strength of their team. Particularly by stopping the pass game. They have a talented secondary that is only giving up 191 yards through the air per game. This is a game where Tech needs to stick to the run game. If Tech can run the ball consistently, they should have good results against this defense. This is a game where Tech should be able to move the ball on the ground regardless of who is available at running back.
Duke is 7-3 against a pretty soft schedule. They are certainly better than a lot of people expected this year but it looks like they are over-performing against a weak schedule. That’s not to say Duke isn’t a good team because I think they are. But they might be getting more credit than they deserve. If the Hokies can run the ball and stop the pass, they should be able to get out of Durham with a win. The Hokies are 7-1 in Durham since joining the ACC. This is a good opportunity for Brent Pry to get his first one-score victory this season.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 23, Duke 20
A couple of things before we move on to Clemson. First, it is completely unacceptable to blow a 21 to 3 lead halfway through the third quarter. Doesn’t matter if you’re playing an FCS team or the #1 team in the country. Secondly, no one will take this coaching staff seriously until they can win a one-score game. They are 1-11 in one-score games and that one win wasn’t REALLY a one score game. If you remember, Virginia Tech kneeled the ball against Liberty on the goal line for the win. They could’ve easily score to win by two touchdowns. These coaches need to prove they can win a one-score game or they’ll be gone from Virginia Tech sooner than later.
SP+ Rankings
Virginia Tech
Overall: 27th
Offense: 31st
Defense: 37th
Special Teams: 24th
Clemson
Overall: 15th
Offense: 11th
Defense: 25th
Special Teams: 124th
Clemson RB Phil Mafah is a beast and the Hokies will have a tough time tackling him. He is a big back with good speed. He’s Clemson’s version of Derrick Henry. And for a team that has trouble tackling at times, he should look like a nightmare for the Hokies. This offense looks a lot like the Syracuse offense that torched the Hokies defense last week. This is a good opportunity for the Hokies to show that they’ve improved on that performance from last week. The biggest task this week is stopping the run.
This isn’t the Clemson defense of old. In fact, it looks like they’ve taken multiple steps back from the Brent Venables days. At this point, I’d call them an average ACC defense but that doesn’t mean they don’t still have a couple of All-ACC talents. If Tuten and Drones are healthy, I definitely think they can move the ball against this defense. The biggest thing is don’t get behind big or early on the scoreboard. If Tech is able to run the ball and doesn’t have to chase the game from behind. They’ve got a good shot in this game.
Clemson is the best team the Hokies will play this year despite their issues this year. If I felt good about a 100% healthy Kyron Drones and Bhayshul Tuten, I might feel better about thinking Tech could win in a shootout. But with lingering injury concerns and even questions about if they will actually play, I’m leaning Clemson here. I’m also leaning Clemson because I don’t think the Hokies defense will be able to stop Phil Mafah. I think he will have 100+ yards on the ground this week. That should make life easier on QB Cade Klubnick. The Hokies will hang around in this game and it’ll be close. But ultimately I think Phil Mafah and the Clemson running game will be able to wear out the Hokies defense late in the game. I also have ZERO faith in this coaching staff to win a one-score game.
Prediction: Clemson 31, Virginia Tech 24
Virginia Tech proved on Saturday they can win a game even when the offense isn’t producing. Georgia Tech did a nice job of stopping the run but the Hokies need to prove they can move the ball with the passing game. This week’s game against Syracuse is a good opportunity to show that the passing game can make plays.
SP+ Rankings
Virginia Tech
Overall: 24th
Offense: 34th
Defense: 29th
Special Teams: 21st
Syracuse
Overall: 61st
Offense: 47th
Defense: 63rd
Special Teams: 106th
Syracuse’s offense was BAD last time out. QB Kyle McCord threw five interceptions against Pitt. I wouldn’t call that a normal performance for this offense. They got down 31-0 in the first half and McCord had to throw the ball 64 times! Syracuse usually likes to throw the ball a lot and they have a very good passing offense. This is a game where Tech’s secondary will need to be able to make plays against Syracuse’s receivers. They like to spread the ball to a lot of receivers including tight ends and running backs. Tech has to be ready for an air raid offense that they haven’t seen thus far this year. The good news is that McCord is not a running QB. So Tech will face a more traditional pro style offense this week in what feels like the first time this year.
Syracuse has a solid defense. Good against the run. Not great against the pass. Tech should not abandon the running game — especially not with Bhayshul Tuten available. But this is a game where Kyron Drones is going to have to hit some passes downfield. The running game alone will not win this game. Tech needs to be able to find balance offensively. A stout running game is a great thing to have but they cannot be one-dimensional. Tech needs to bring Jaylin Lane, Da’Quan Felton and Ali Jennings out of the witness protection program. Tech has weapons and they need to use them in this game.
The Carrier Dome gives me nightmares. There are always weird vibes up there. Last time out in 2016, Virginia Tech took a ranked team there and lost by 14. It’s a strange environment to play in but the players need to be focused on football and nothing else. No cockiness. Just show up ready to play from the opening whistle. A workman-like effort like they had against Stanford. Tech is the better team. I actually think the matchup works in Tech’s favor. The biggest thing is not to let the ghosts of the Carrier Dome take them down. Avoid a turnover fest or a major special teams meltdown and this should be a win.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Syracuse 24
Virginia Tech looks like the team we expected in the preseason. Bhayshul Tuten is a special player and will be playing on Sundays next year. APR is the best pass rusher since Daryl Tapp. This team is still only 4-3 but they look like they’ve turned the corner. They are playing good football even if they still can’t string together four quarters of quality football.
SP+ Rankings
Virginia Tech
Overall: 25th
Offense: 30th
Defense: 40th
Special Teams: 26th
Georgia Tech
Overall: 48th
Offense: 28th
Defense: 67th
Special Teams: 121st
Georgia Tech has a good, balanced offense this season. GT’s regular starting QB, Haynes King, is likely out for this game. Meaning his backup, Zach Pyron, will probably get the start. Pyron is a solid QB. He started the game in Blacksburg in 2022 and got a win. The Tech defense he will be playing this weekend doesn’t look much like the defense two years ago. Expect the GT offense to take a slight step back with Pyron under center instead of King.
Georgia Tech’s defense reminds me a lot of BC’s. Generally stout against the run and susceptible to passes downfield. The Hokies should follow the same game plan as the BC game. Establish Bhayshul Tuten early and often which will open up plays downfield. This offense is at it’s best when they are running the ball with Tuten and Drones. The threat of the run game from both of those guys opens opportunities for others to get involved in the offense. When Tech is running the ball, that’s when this offense is clicking.
Georgia Tech is a solid team. The Hokies need to be ready to play in this one. Even at full strength, I still think I’d pick the Hokies in this game. But going against Georgia Tech without Haynes King, I like VT even more. The most important thing is to keep the momentum going from the last two games. The Hokies still have all their goals in front of them if they can keep winning but that involves not taking any weeks off. They gotta keep this good momentum going.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Georgia Tech 21
Virginia Tech finally looks like they are getting back on track. Flying to the West Coast and getting a 24 point win on the road is impressive. Now they need to prove they can take care of business like that at home.
SP+ Rankings
Virginia Tech
Overall:36th
Offense: 44th
Defense: 42nd
Special Teams: 33rd
Boston College
Overall: 49th
Offense: 67th
Defense: 35th
Special Teams: 48th
Offense has been a bit of a struggle for Boston College this year. QB Thomas Castellanos has looked a little banged up this year so he hasn’t been his normal dual-threat self. A fully healthy Castellanos would give Tech a lot of trouble since we know they have issues with running quarterbacks. Luckily, in this game, it seems like Castellanos is less likely to run around as he has in the past. If the Hokies are able to stop the run, it’s unlikely that BC can put up big yards through the air.
Boston College is pretty stout defensively. They are one of the better run-stopping teams the Hokies will play this season. They also need to stop DE Donovan Ezeiruaku. He is a defensive end who likes to wreak havoc in the backfield. Tech needs to try to run the ball away from him and be prepared to block him in passing situations. Like the Stanford game, this would be a good game to get the run game going with Tuten and use play action to find open receivers downfield.
Boston College has had a good year thus far and been competitive in every game they’ve played. But if you look at the two most recent games, they look like a team that’s slowing down a bit. I’m not sure if that’s because of an injured Castellanos or if the wear and tear of the season is starting to catch up with them. Either way, Tech looks like they are starting to gain momentum at the same time that BC is starting to lose it. Especially on a Thursday night at home, I like the Hokies to take care of business like they did last year against Syracuse. Get things going early and ride that momentum to victory.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Boston College 17
At this point, I thought the Hokies would be 5-1. Instead they are 3-3. It’s a disappointment but their three losses have been in one-score games. Good teams win close games. Virginia Tech feels close to getting over the hump where they start winning those one-score games. The expect-to-lose mentality is still present in this program and that’s one of the toughest things to overcome when you are building a program.
Virginia Tech is good enough to win all of their remaining games. Will they? Probably not. But they’ve got a good chance in every remaining game including Clemson. The biggest thing they need to do is to play a full 60 minutes like they did against Miami and Stanford. If they can do that, they can play with anyone. It makes me wonder why it takes this coaching staff a full month before this team is ready to play 60 minutes. But that’s an issue for next year I guess.
Let’s gauge the remaining slate against preseason expectations.
| Final 6 Game Record | Regular Season Record | Vs preseason expectations |
| 2 wins or less | 5-7 or worse | This would be a catastrophe and fans would call for heads to roll including the head coach’s. |
| 3-3 | 6-6 | This would match last year’s regular season win total and would be a big disappointment considering the returning starters and transfer additions in the offseason. |
| 4-2 | 7-5 | Still a bit of a disappointment but a slight improvement over last season’s regular season record. |
| 5-1 | 8-4 | Probably where most realistic fans would have set their expectations in the preseason. A 5-1 finish would make most VT fans feel good going into the offseason. |
| 6-0 | 9-3 | Exceed preseason expectations. A win over Clemson and a 6-0 finish with a chance at an ACCCG appearance. |
Offensive MVP: Bhayshul Tuten
One of the national leaders in rushing yards and touchdowns. Hard to have a better first half than he has. Feed him the rock.
Defensive MVP: Antwaun Powell-Ryland
APR is ranked 4th in the nation with seven sacks on the season. Safe bet that he’ll get to double-digit sacks his year. It’s been a long time since someone did that in Blacksburg.
Special Teams MVP: John Love
He is 9-of-10 on his field goals this year and has connected twice from over 50 yards. Reminds me of the kickers that Tech had during the Beamer era.
If the Hokies continue to play the brand of football they’ve played in the last two weeks, the second half slate looks very manageable. The first two games are at home against teams that look beatable in Boston College and Georgia Tech. Next is the trip to Syracuse. That looks like a REALLY tough game to me. Syracuse is playing well and they have a very good QB. And Tech never wins up there unless they have Michael Vick at QB. Then it’s Clemson. I think it’s a winnable game but Tech needs to bring their A-game. Anything less and that game is a loss. Duke and Virginia both look better than expected but those are both games Tech should win. A 4-2 record seems likely but the Hokies shouldn’t overlook any of their remaining opponents. It feels like the Hokies are starting to hit their stride this season.
Virginia Tech got robbed against Miami. We can argue all day about whether it was a catch or not. The reality is that they called it a catch on the field. Saying they had enough evidence to overturn the call is nonsense. The ACC officials were just making up rules at that point. Either way, life isn’t fair. Use it as motivation and move on to the next one. The best Virginia Tech teams I can remember used heartbreaking games as motivation to achieve bigger goals.
SP+ Rankings
Virginia Tech
Overall:43rd
Offense: 47th
Defense: 43rd
Special Teams: 43rd
Stanford
Overall: 83rd
Offense: 79th
Defense: 90th
Special Teams: 19th
Stanford has had moments where their offense shows a spark but they aren’t consistent. This is a team that likes to move the ball on the ground. Tech has had a lot of trouble stopping the run so far this season. Stanford’s leading rusher is QB Ashton Daniels. However, he suffered a leg injury at the end of the Clemson game so we’re not sure about his status for Saturday. If he can’t go there isn’t a lot of experience behind him. One of the backups, Justin Lamson, played some last season and is more of a runner than a passer. The Hokies need to be ready to stop a running QB regardless of who starts on Saturday. Another player to watch is WR Elic Ayomanor. He catches everything thrown to him and can break a big play if you give him space.
Stanford doesn’t give up many yards on the ground. This is a game where Drones has to be on his game and let is receivers make plays. Stanford ranks 124th in the country in passing yards allowed. The Hokies are going to have to air it out this week. A conservative game plan is a good recipe for a loss in this game. If this passing offense is going to get right, it needs to be in this game.
The line for this game opened at Virginia Tech by 4. It has since moved to Virginia Tech by 9. I think someone in Vegas knows something about the health of Stanford’s QB. Either way, Tech needs to be able to stop the run. They’ve already been burned by two running QBs this year. They need to figure out a solution for stopping a running QB. Since Stanford is good at stopping the run, they are going to force Tech to do something they aren’t as good at which is throwing the ball. If Drones can throw the ball like he did against Miami, they should be okay. I tend to agree with Vegas. If Ashton Daniels were healthy, I would think this is a close game. If he’s hurt, I like the Hokies in this one.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Stanford 21
The season so far has been a disappointment. It’s not that 2-2 is a terrible record. It’s not. But when the expectation was 8+ wins and competing for a conference title, it’s a disappointing start. There is no way around it. As conference play starts, this team gets a clean slate with a 0-0 conference record. But they are going to need a serious turnaround if they want to make some noise in a much improved ACC.
SP+ Rankings
Virginia Tech
Overall: 40th
Offense: 51st
Defense: 37th
Special Teams: 42nd
Miami
Overall: 7th
Offense: 6th
Defense: 21st
Special Teams: 64th
Miami is a different team with QB Cam Ward under center. Anyone paying attention saw that Cam Ward was a special player at Washington State. Now he has a lot of skill talent around him at Miami to make the most of his elite skillset. Miami’s big play guy is WR Xavier Restrepo. He’s like Miami’s version of Jaylin Lane. Give me the ball in space and let him do his thing. At running back, keep an eye on Jordan Lyle who has the ability to break off big runs if given space. The only good news for Virginia Tech is that Cam Ward doesn’t normally run a lot. He can. They just don’t like to run him a lot in this offense.
Miami’s defense is elite. They stop the run and the pass and are ranked in the top 10 in the nation in total defense. DE Tyler Baron (brother of VT DE Woody Baron) plays for Miami. He can get after the QB and cause havoc in the backfield. Miami also has a strong LB core who do not give up a lot of yards on the ground. Miami is a little more susceptible in the passing game but having such a strong pass rush makes their jobs a little easier in coverage.
I don’t feel good about this game. Tech has the ability to turn this season around but that’s a tough order in a short week on the road. There isn’t much opportunity to change anything or try anything new in a shortened week. Maybe Tech will come out with a little more fire this week after they’ve heard all the criticism all week. Even so, I still like Miami to win by multiple scores. The only way this one stays close to the end is if Miami has a turnover fest that leads to short fields and scores for the Hokies. Otherwise, Miami wins this one comfortably.
Prediction: Miami 38, Virginia Tech 17
Virginia Tech has had good moments this season. There are times in each game where the defense is getting stops and the offense is scoring points. The issue is that the Hokies still haven’t been able to put together a full 60 minute game. They got close last week but the offense went into a coma in the 2nd quarter. Let’s see if this is the week they can put it all together.
SP+ Rankings
Virginia Tech
Overall: 35th
Offense: 44th
Defense: 35th
Special Teams: 53rd
Rutgers
Overall: 41st
Offense: 77th
Defense: 21st
Special Teams: 35th
Rutgers is a very physical team. The Hokies have yet to play a team this season with this level of physicality. If Tech wants to win, they need to be able to match Rutgers’ intensity. RB Kyle Monangai is one of the most physical runners in the country. You need to bring your lunchpail if you’re going to meet him in the hole. I’m not sure if Tech is ready for a physical game like this. Rutgers has played Howard and Akron so far, so maybe Tech will be a big step up in competition for them too. For Tech to win, they need to be able to stop the run. If Monangai goes for 150, it’s going to be tough for the Hokies to win.
It’s tough to get a read on Rutgers’ defense based on who they have played. You’d expect a Greg Schiano coached team to play good defense. But it’s hard to gauge quality based on who they’ve played so far. If Tech can bring their physicality to the run game, they may give this defense some problems. Once again, this is a game where Tech needs to establish the run game and then bring in the play action passing game downfield. This offense works best when they are able to run the ball first.
This is a game where Tech either wins by one possession or loses by multiple touchdowns. There is no in between. If Tech can’t stop the run, they are going to get blown out. But if they can find gameplan to stop Monangai, they should be okay. This isn’t the scariest offense outside of one guy. I said that about Diego Pavia too and we all remember how that turned out. I’ve been going back and forth on this one all week but I feel like I’m trying to talk myself into a Tech win when it’s not really there in the numbers. I’d pick VT if I felt like they could consistently stop the run but I don’t think they’ll be able to.
Prediction: Rutgers 31, Virginia Tech 17
treadmillhorse 