The Virginia Tech football team showed no hangover following their 38-34 loss at Miami on Sept. 27 when they traveled out to California to play Stanford. Instead of letting the loss linger and compound into another loss against Stanford, the Hokies played a good 60 minutes Saturday afternoon to roll to a 31-7 win over the Cardinal. The Hokies shutout Stanford in the first half to take a 14-0 halftime lead, before scoring on the opening drive of the second half to take a commanding 21-0 lead. The defense bent a few times, but never broke like they had earlier in the season. After the win, Virginia Tech saw a massive jump in their FPI at ESPN to crack the Top 30.
Virginia Tech’s FPI soars after Stanford victory
The Hokies’ Football Power Index (FPI) at ESPN surged 14 spots, moving from No. 42 to No. 28 following their victory over the Cardinal. This marked the third-largest increase of any team over the weekend. West Virginia also saw a significant jump, rising 18 spots to No. 33 after a 38-14 win against Oklahoma State. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt (yes, that Vanderbilt) climbed 16 spots to No. 41 after defeating top-ranked Alabama, 40-35, at home on Saturday afternoon. In hindsight, that season-opening loss for the Hokies in Nashville doesn’t seem so bad now, does it?
While some may not place much importance on these rankings, they indicate that head coach Brent Pry and his team are making progress. The season could have taken a negative turn as they approached their first bye week, but they managed to travel cross-country and achieve a notable win. After their bye, they have four of their final games at Lane Stadium, all against ACC opponents, and they need to win at least two to become bowl-eligible. This goal is certainly within reach.
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