Following the Hokies’ home loss to Rutgers, there are some unsettling patterns.
No one ever said it would be easy, but Virginia Tech’s football team continues to make things difficult for themselves. Through the first month of the 2024 season, they’ve struggled repeatedly. After bouncing back from an opening loss to Vanderbilt with wins over Marshall and Old Dominion, the Hokies faced their biggest test yet when Rutgers came to Blacksburg on Saturday. Ultimately, a late field goal by the Scarlet Knights decided the game, handing Virginia Tech a 26-23 loss and dropping their record to 2-2. Here are three concerning takeaways from the game.
Virginia Tech’s slow starts continue
It happened once, and after the Vanderbilt game, you expected it to be corrected. Then it occurred again against Marshall, though the Hokies managed to rally for a win. Despite two strong drives against Old Dominion, their first-half struggles resurfaced in the second quarter, allowing the Monarchs to close the halftime gap to just four points. The slow starts continued against Rutgers, where Virginia Tech fell into a 14-0 hole before rallying to tie the game in the fourth quarter.
But how many more slow starts can the Hokies afford before it really hurts them? Four games is enough of a sample size to raise major concerns. If they don’t address this issue soon, the upcoming eight-game ACC schedule could feel much longer than anticipated.
Rutgers was much more physical than Virginia Tech
This week, head coach Brent Pry stated that his team was better prepared for Rutgers and their physicality. However, that proved not to be the case. Rutgers’ offensive line outmuscled Virginia Tech’s defense throughout the game, and while the Hokies did push back at times, it simply wasn’t enough.
On the other side, Rutgers’ defense dominated the Hokies’ offensive line, making things difficult for quarterback Kyron Drones. Despite addressing several key areas through the transfer portal this offseason, the offensive line was overlooked, and it’s now becoming a major issue. The physical superiority of the Scarlet Knights was evident throughout the game.
Offensive play-calling continues to be head-scratching at times
Through the first four games, offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen’s play calling has raised plenty of questions. It seems like whenever the Hokies find something that works, they quickly move away from it. While each game presents unique challenges, the offense hasn’t consistently played to its strengths, and Kyron Drones often looks unsettled and lacking confidence.
This issue was evident late in the game against Rutgers. With three timeouts and just under two minutes remaining, down by three points, the Hokies never gave Bhayshul Tuten the chance to make a play, despite his playmaking potential. Instead of sticking with their top playmaker, they missed an opportunity to run the ball and position themselves for a field goal to force overtime. With a reliable kicker, the decision to not get the ball in Tuten’s hands was puzzling.
If these issues aren’t resolved soon, the Hokies could be in for a rough ACC schedule, which won’t be forgiving given their early-season struggles.
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