There wasn’t a ton of hope to win in Hokie Nation but a standout showing might have salved some feelings. Some of the squads were really playing well, but like 2024, the Offense just couldn’t get the ball downfield and sync up with the big plays on defense.
South Carolina Started Fast
The Gamecocks came out to the 25 after the opening touchback and quickly, without more than a run or two sliced the Hokie defense, operating in base mode, apart until Gamecock QB LaNorris Sellers ripped through the line for a 15-yard designed QB draw.
South Carolina opened up a 7-0 lead, and never lost it.
The fast start for South Carolina’s offense was matched by Tech’s stumbling, inconsistent performance on offense. Even getting the ball to the Gamecock 11 resulted in a series of wasted plays and then a 3rd down terrible pass from Kyron Drones was picked off in the end zone.
The Tech defense, which didn’t look too bad for most of the game and often was excellent, managed to sack Sellers in the end zone because the Gamecocks were stuck on their 7-yard line. Overall, the Hokie ‘D’ played a credible game only giving up a single touchdown until the 4th quarter. But by then South Carolina had put the game away with a reminder that the “Beamer Ball” label has moved south.
The Hokie ‘O’ Never Got Any Mo
It wasn’t what Hokie Nation was looking for, change. The Virginia Tech Offense looked indistinguishable from the 2022, 2023, and 2024 offenses. Tech wasted plays into the line of scrimmage. On the final drive of the 2nd quarter, the team stalled out and only John Love’s leg saved any points on the final opportunity to score something beyond the safety and another field goal in another stalled drive earlier in the half.
There was a real hope that Tech, in receiving the kick after the half, would make critical changes and get the ball into the endzone. It was 10-8 Gamecocks at the halftime whistle, and the Hokies were thinking that they had some momentum. The reality of the 3rd quarter was that neither team managed to do much of anything productive.
They exchanged a total of four punts in the period, and the Hokies managed to get into position to, maybe, get the ball moving and score something to get ahead at the beginning of the 4th. That’s when disaster struck, and the “Beamer Ball” flag was hoisted on the South Carolina sideline. The Hokie crowd went silent, and the air came out of the team.
Shane Beamer took advantage of a re-punt on another Tech mistake on an illegal punt formation. He forced Nick Veltsistas to punt again, it was a beautiful 57-yard blast, that Nick should have kicked out of bounds in a coffin corner move. He didn’t and Shane had a return play on. The Gamecocks ran the ball back into the endzone, put the Gamecocks up 2 scores, which in this game was completely out of reach for Tech.
What Happened to the Hokie Offense?
The Virginia Tech Offense wasn’t totally terrible. The running backs produced some decent enough runs when they had a chance to get out from behind an excellent South Carolina defensive line and linebackers. Marcellous Hawkins had 58 yards on 15 attempts, P.J. Prioleau and Jeremiah Coney each got 16, but Drones ran too much again.
The receivers were pretty good, though there were just too many drops in critical situations that turned a promising drive into a punt. Ayden and Donavan Greene led the team in catches, and more than a few were nearly impossible duels for the ball.
But the fact remains that Kyron Drones struggled the entire game. He was hurried constantly. His protection broke down quickly when he was in the pocket, and when he was outside the pocket, he was missing critical reads downfield.
Unfortunately, he threw two interceptions on a bad throw and a desperation toss. The Tech offense still has not beaten the curse of the red zone. The team missed out on 21 points because it could not move the ball into the end zone from inside the 20 (or 15 for that matter).
The Inevitable Happened
The Hokie Offense went nowhere, and a defense that had no scoring from the offense finally melted, and South Carolina’s QB eventually led the final Gamecock drive that sealed the game by completely putting it out of reach for the Hokies.
The final score of 24-11 Gamecocks will be a difficult opening bid for the Hokies to get by. The Hokie offense never scored. Only special teams scored 9 on field goals on stalled drives, and the defense scored a safety. The Hokies never led, and never really threatened to pass the Gamecocks.
Next week Tech opens the home schedule at Lane Stadium, but it’s doubtful that they will be favored against Vanderbilt who beat up on Charlston Southern for their opener. If the wise guys think that Tech is favored, it’s the hope of the Sandman over a very disappointing Virginia Tech offense.
