Virginia Tech Wake Forest 2023:  5 Takeaways as the Hokie Victory Keeps Bowl Hopes Alive

So let’s not review the actual Virginia Tech Wake Forest game – you can get plenty of game recaps with a simple Google search.  Instead, let’s talk about some glaring takeaways from the contest.

1. Kyron Drones Needs to be the One and Only Quarterback the Rest of the Way

This is an obvious statement, I know.  Just scroll through Hokies Twitter and you will see plenty of tweets saying the same (sorry, I just can not and will not call it “X”).  Drones has been playing well and has earned the right to keep the starting job.

Against Wake, he had his best game of his career, completing 20 of 29 passes for 321 yards, two touchdowns, and no turnovers.  He also was Tech’s leading rusher with 59 yards on the ground.  This was only the third time in the past 20 years that Tech had a quarterback throw for 300 yards and run for 50! (and Lord knows that Tech has had a LOT of quarterbacks in the past 20 years!!)

Drones was the ACC Offensive player of the week after the Pitt win.  This week, he is the fourth highest rated passer in the nation.

This current version of the Hokies is the best team that Brent Pry has coached.  By far.  The offense is a new being.  And the team is coming together.  The running game is a threat – after being nonexistent pretty much for 13 games.

This is largely because of Kyron Drones.  He has performed well as a dual-threat quarterback, and the offense has changed since the Marshall game.  Offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen has made adjustments that are easy to see.  Because of that and Drones’ execution, the Hokies are moving the ball and scoring more in the last three games.

Tech needs to keep this going. And means that Drones needs to continue to be the starter.

The only rebuttal to this is the argument that injury should not be the reason someone loses a job.  Think about the real-world equivalent…if you have a surgical procedure a miss a few weeks, should you lose your job to the person who covered for you?

Most of the time, no.  But what if the replacement has been much more productive and the company is thus much more successful?  This is one of those “hard conversations” that Pry will have to have with Grant Wells when he is healthy to return, but it is, unfortunately for Wells, in the best interest of the team right now.

And hopefully Wells will accept that news and be ready to go as QB2 should the Hokies need him again.

2. When the Hokies Commit to the Run and Execute, They Can Compete With Most P5 Teams

Notice I said compete – not beat.  The Hokies have already proven that they can lose to anybody.  I’m just saying that when they are running the ball effectively, they are a tough team to defend.

In their last three games, Virginia Tech has had much more success on the ground – 199, 209, and 141 rushing yards in each game.  They were committed to establishing the run with 59, 35, and 36 attempts respectively.

This resulted in two wins and a three-quarter stalemate with the fourth-ranked team in the country.  If we recall, Virginia Tech started the FSU game throwing seven passes in the first nine plays, resulting in three consecutive three-and-outs.  That is when FSU put up 22 straight points, which was the final margin of victory.

Clearly, when Tech emphasizes the run, and of course when they execute (which they have these past three games), they are a much better team.

Why is this?  The changes since the Marshall game have resulted in more motion, more misdirection, and more read option.  And of course, a more mobile dual-threat quarterback who is being put in situations to take advantage of his feet.

It has been fun to watch.  There has been some creativity in play-calling, and Drones has made some nice reads.  My favorite play on Saturday (besides the fake punt and the touchdowns) was when Drones faked a pitch to Tuten, then he ran up the middle for a big gain.  Plays like that will stress a defense.  They will force them to react rather than anticipate.  And they will give Tech the advantage when the Hokies have the ball.

Virginia Tech looks to win their second consecutive game over a Power Five opponent when Syracuse comes to town – the first time a Pry coached Hokie team will have done that.  If they continue to establish the run like they have the last few games, they stand a very good chance to give Pry that achievement.

3. The Keys to Victory are the Same Every Week for this Hokie Team:  Run the Ball and Stop the Run

Looking back on the schedule so far, it is easy to tell when the Hokies run it well.  It is also easy to figure out when they stopped the run.  Just look at the W-L column.

As mentioned above, in Tech’s three wins they have run the ball often and effectively.  In those wins, they also stopped the run (with Old Dominion as the exception – Virginia Tech had some issues to work out in that first game).

Conversely, look at the losses:

• Against Purdue, the Hokies only rushed for 11 yards and gave up 179, including multiple runs of 20 or more yards.
• At Rutgers, Tech ran for 129 but allowed 256, including touchdown runs of 34 and 55 yards.
• At Marshall, Virginia Tech gained 184 but gave up 214.  Marshall running back Rasheen Ali broke off runs of 55 and 61 yards, one of which went for a score.
• And at Florida State, Tech gained 209 yards, its most of the year, but they allowed the Seminoles to run for 282 yards.  The Hokies defense yield three long touchdown runs of 28, 62, and 85 yards!

This is simple:  establish the run and stop the run.  When Virginia Tech does that, good things happen.  But when they don’t, life is difficult and wins are scant.

4. Pressure and Takeaways are Essential to this Defense

Ok, I know that sounds like a complete “well, duh, Captain Obvious” statement, but think about it…how long has it been since Virginia Tech’s defense was consistently a disruptive force?  Three times this year Tech’s D has looked like past Lunch Pail Defenses, and the results were all the same – comfortable margins of victory.

Against Pitt, the Hokies had four sacks, six tackles for loss, and recovered one fumble.  Against Wake, they were even more disruptive, tallying seven sacks and thirteen tackles for loss, while recovering two fumbles and intercepting one pass.  Both games resulted in comfortable wins.

So far this year, Virginia Tech has 22 sacks and 49 tackles for loss through seven games.  That sack total is almost as much as the Hokies had in the entire 2018, 2021, and 2022 seasons!

If the Hokies continue this pace, they will finish with 37 sacks and 84 tackles for loss.  That would be one of their more disruptive seasons in the last decade!

• 2022:  23 sacks / 74 TFL
• 2021:  25 / 68
• 2020:  36 / 76
• 2019:  38 / 83
• 2018:  24 / 80
• 2017:  32 / 101
• 2016:  32 / 113
• 2015:  21 / 78
• 2014:  49 / 113

Florida transfer Antwuan Powell-Ryland leads the way with 7 sacks and 9.5 TFLs, both tops on the team.  On Saturday, he became the first Tech player to register four sacks in a game since JC Price did it in 1995.  He now has more sacks than any Tech player since 2016.  For his efforts, the ACC named him Defensive Player of the Week.

Coming into the game, the Hokies had only recovered one fumble since the opener.  And they only had three interceptions on the year.

In the Wake game, Virginia Tech caused four fumbles, landing on two of them, and they intercepted one pass, with a few other drops that could have put this puppy away earlier in the second half.

The big defensive play has been absent for much of the year, so it was exciting to see so many takeaways in the Virginia Tech Wake game!  If the Hokies can continue to generate takeaways, they will put themselves in better positions to win more games

5. A Bowl Bid is Well Within Reach

What a difference a week makes.  Coming off the Florida State loss, confidence across the fanbase was still a little shaky in terms of how the season would play out.  Three to four wins seemed like the common expectation.

If Tech lost to Wake, that confidence would have been shattered, with the Hokies needing to win four of five, with three on the road.  Having won the game, Tech only needs three wins, and they head into the bye week with some momentum and confidence.

After watching the Hokies basically control the Wake game, especially in the second half, and seeing them run with Florida State for three quarters and dismantle Pitt, it looks like a bowl bid is a reasonable expectation.

If Virginia Tech continues to play like they did against Wake, Pitt, and most of Florida State, they certainly can win any or even all of their final five games.  I am not saying they will, I am just saying they can based on recent play.  Factor in the talent and trajectory of their opponents and the argument for a few more wins is logical.

Take a look at the remaining games:

• Syracuse – The Orange are 4-3 and currently on a three-game skid. Granted, those three losses came at the hands of the best teams in the league in Florida State, North Carolina, and Clemson, but they were routed in all of them, scoring only 24 points in three games.  Syracuse will visit for a night game at Lane Stadium, where the Hokies are playing well and the crowd will be intimidating
• Louisville – A week ago I had this penciled in as a loss, but Louisville inexplicably lost – by three scores – at Pitt. Ouch!  They won close games against Georgia Tech and North Carolina State, who aren’t exactly lighting it up right now.  However, the Cardinals are a better team at home than on the road, and this one will be played at the venue formerly known as Papa John’s Stadium.
• Boston College – The Eagles are 3-3 with all wins coming as three-point victories – over Holy Cross, Virginia, and Army. That won’t pad the power points!  And no self-respecting Hokie ever thinks Virginia Tech will lose this game.  However, it is in Chestnut Hill, a graveyard of enthusiasm and an unfortunate location of multiple Hokie disappointments, so Tech will have to be focused and play a clean game to leave the empty Alumni Stadium with the dub.
• North Carolina State – The Wolfpack are currently 4-3, but they are very inconsistent on offense. Brennan Armstrong lost his job to MJ Morris, who led the comeback win over the Hokies last year.  But this game is in Blacksburg, and it is senior night, and Corey Moore will be on hand to celebrate his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.  Do I smell revenge?
• Virginia – Do I really need to say anything here?

Look at that schedule…and answer this question honestly…if the Hokies play four quarters of complementary football like they did against Pitt and Wake Forest, do you see three more wins there?

Final Thoughts on the Virginia Tech Wake Forest Game

In the last few games, Hokie Nation has seen some things that they have not witnessed in the first 15 games under Brent Pry.  Individuals have been stepping up and making plays.  The Hokies are winning more one-on-one battles.  Tech has had several big plays – those huge momentum shifting plays – after barely having any last year.

And it looks like this team is learning how to finish games.

Kyron Drones has provided a spark.  More importantly, his insertion into the lineup has forced the offensive scheme to change, and the personnel has responded well to that change.  The despair of September has been replaced with the hope of October.  Hokie Nation is excited.

But be careful, Hokie fans, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.  Just like the sky was not falling in September, do not pencil the Hokies in for a bowl bid just yet.  There is still a lot of football to play and anything can happen on any given Saturday.

The Hokies are trending in the right direction.  Let’s hope that they can continue this upward swing over the next five games!

Afterthoughts

Was that first half not the longest half of football you have watched all year?  Sheesh, it seemed that every other play ended in a penalty, an injury, or a video review!  Thank goodness none of the targeting reviews held up, that would have been icing on the cake!

And how ‘bout that pre-game speech by Bud Foster?  “We need to make it miserable for that group over there wearing white.”  What a typical Bud Foster thing to say!  I love it!  And I love that the Hokies responded and made life miserable for the Demon Deacons, especially in that second half!

Virginia Tech was only 3 for 12 on third downs and they committed eight penalties.  Yes, they still won comfortably, but let’s hope that gets cleaned up.  There may not be so much margin for error down the stretch, especially with a bowl bid back in play.

With Antwuan Powell-Ryland earning ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors, the Hokies have now placed at least one player on the weekly ACC award list for three straight weeks!

Speaking of APR, he is just one of several transfers making a big impact.  Others are Kyron Drones, Bhayshul Tuten, Jaylin Lane, Da’Quan Felton, and Stephen Gosnell (yes he came to Tech from UNC).  Brent Pry was unfairly criticized for not mining the portal in his first year when he was busy repairing relationships with the in-state high schools.  A year later, he scored some winners!  He and his staff deserve plenty of credit for bringing in this talent.

Tech’s next opponent – Syracuse – will present a challenge because of their dual-threat quarterback Garrett Shrader.  Remember him?  He almost single-handedly took the Hokies down in a dramatic come from behind win in 2021 (Shrader threw for 236 and ran for another 174!).  Virginia Tech will need to play disciplined football to contain Shrader.  If they do, the Hokies stand a good chance to even their record at 4-4.

Speaking of 4-4, that is exactly where I predicted the Hokies would be at this point.  I had them at 2-3 heading into the FSU game, then losing to FSU, beating Wake, then beating Syracuse.  Let’s hope I am correct!

The Hokies enter a bye week before hosting Syracuse on a Thursday night ESPN game on October 26.  Kickoff is 7:30 pm.