Another week, another disappointing defeat for the Virginia Tech football team. For the fifth time this season, the Hokies came up short, falling 24-14 to the Clemson Tigers on Saturday afternoon at Lane Stadium in a lackluster performance.
The loss left Virginia Tech with a 5-5 record, putting their bowl game hopes in serious jeopardy, which is surprising given the high expectations they had heading into the season. They have a bye week next weekend before traveling to Duke on November 23 and hosting Virginia on November 30. Here are five grim takeaways from the Hokies’ latest loss.
1. Adjustments were few and far between
In-game adjustments have been a recurring problem for Brent Pry and his coaching staff this season. After yet another loss, Pry was once again asked about their lack of adjustments, and once again gave the same response: “I think it’s something we have to look at.” That answer is starting to wear thin with fans, to say the least.
Against Clemson, Kyron Drones and Bhayshul Tuten made their return to the lineup, but it quickly became evident that neither was healthy enough to make an impact. While it’s understandable, it becomes a problem when everyone except the coaches with headsets can see it. Eventually, in the fourth quarter, Brent Pry turned to UCLA transfer Collin Schlee, but he wasn’t fully healthy either after last week’s game at Syracuse. At this point, why not give Pop Watson a shot? It couldn’t be any worse than watching two banged-up quarterbacks struggle.
2. Wide receivers had a rough day
It was a tough day for the wide receivers. While there were some off-target throws from both Drones and Schlee, the bigger issue came when the passes were accurate—too many drops. Some of those drops came from receivers who were wide open, which is far from ideal.
Drones missed a wide-open Ayden Greene in the second quarter on a throw that could have gone for a touchdown, and then Greene had a key drop in the fourth quarter while wide open. Stephen Gosnell, the one receiver who’s been reliable this season, got injured in the first half and didn’t return after the break. The injuries are starting to mount up across the board.
3. Hokies defense was not bad
Somehow, the Virginia Tech defense managed to keep Clemson off the scoreboard in the first half. Despite spending what felt like the majority of the half on the field, the Hokies held firm, thanks in large part to a red-zone interception and a blocked field goal, which set up a touchdown by Quentin Reddish.
In the second half, Clemson began to find its rhythm, and quarterback Cade Klubnik made an incredible play on their second touchdown in the third quarter. After a bad snap, he picked up the ball, rolled out, avoided a sack, and then hit a wide-open receiver inside the 5-yard line, who finished the play. It’s the kind of play that feels like it only happens to Virginia Tech this season—really, it does. That moment encapsulated the game and the struggles of the second half. The defense, however, can’t be blamed for this loss.
4. Sideline body language was not good
The ESPN broadcast frequently cut to shots of the Hokies’ sideline in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter, and the body language was telling. Players had their heads down, towels draped over their heads, and many wore blank expressions. The same could be said for Coach Pry, who appeared to be searching for answers that just weren’t there.
5. Virginia Tech fans deserve better
This was the season Virginia Tech fans had been waiting for. With huge expectations, especially with the new 12-team College Football Playoff on the horizon, the year has instead turned into a disaster—there’s no other way to put it. Hokies fans showed up once again today, as they have all season, only to endure another frustrating performance from their team.
Can you blame them for leaving early? I certainly can’t. A serious soul-searching is needed during the bye week, from both the coaches and players. It’s not out of the question that Virginia Tech could lose their final two games and finish 5-7, which would be a fitting, albeit disappointing, conclusion to the season. After all the optimism over the past 12 months—thanks to coaching changes, player retention, and transfer portal additions—this is not the season many envisioned. It’s nothing short of stunning.
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