So much for Philip Montgomery going undefeated as Virginia Tech’s interim coach. On Saturday, the favored Hokies fell to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons 30-23 at Lane Stadium. A wave of mistakes after mistakes contributed
to almost every Wake Forest point, ending VT’s winning streak at two games.
The Hokies fall to 2-4 on the season and 1-1 in ACC play after their latest loss.
Here are five takeaways from Saturday’s disappointing loss.
One of the worst quarterbacked games in years
We aren’t just talking about Kyron Drones. Wake Forest quarterback Robby Ashford was bad, too. I’ve never seen so many wide-open receivers overthrown, underthrown, etc. Ashford’s numbers were better (24/39, 256 yards, 1/1), but he was bailed out multiple times by the Virginia Tech defense — more on that later.
Then, there is Drones. The senior quarterback completed 14 of 28 passes for 111 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Drones finished with a QBR of 27, via ESPN. Anytime the Hokies dial up something down the field, Drones almost always leads his receivers out of bounds. Ayden Greene is phenomenal, but he can only do so much. Outside of the Wofford game, Drones has double-digit incompletions in Virginia Tech’s other five games. His 48.0 QBR is ranked 90th in college football.
It’s important to point out that Virginia Tech’s pass protection remains a problem. There are too many free runners at Drones. However, he often holds the ball too long, so one helps with the other.
Mistakes
Let’s look at these mistakes:
- Wake Forest’s first field goal came because of a Drones’ fumble-turned interception
- Wake’s first touchdown came because VT defensive end Ben Bell hit Ashford late. It was a third-and-long and would have been the Hokies’ ball.
- Wake’s second touchdown came when VT linebacker Kaleb Spencer hit Ashford late out of bounds. Again, this was on third-and-long. The Demon Deacons were already in Virginia Tech territory.
- Drones had a long first-down run late in the second quarter, which was wiped out due to a holding penalty. The Hokies would’ve been around midfield with a first down and plenty of time to score before halftime. They would also get the ball to begin the second half.
- Wake kicks a short FG, but misses it. Flags. Offsetting penalties means replaying the down, and Wake re-kicks the field goal, making it this time. The Hokies had the center covered up. Come on, Stu Holt. How do these mistakes continue to happen on special teams?
- An interception sets up 1st and goal at WF 4-yard line. The first play was run to the 1, then two straight Drones runs were stuffed. On 4th down, VT called for unsportsmanlike conduct. Forcing them to have to kick. 27-23 Wake. There was a lot of things that went wrong, costing the Hokies points.
Do we sense a theme here? Virginia Tech handed Wake Forest this game. None of the above calls were bad by the officials, but…….
ACC officiating still stinks
We’ve known for years that ACC officials were among the worst in all of sports. They’ve pretty much screwed every team in the ACC at some point, except Miami. We’re kidding — sort of.
In Saturday’s game between the Hokies and Demon Deacons, ACC officials handed out a total of 17 penalties for 159 yards between the two teams. There were other penalties that the teams did not accept. At one point, it felt like there was a flag on every play. It was frustrating. Let’s reiterate something: the officials did not cost the Hokies the game. The late hit flag on Ben Bell, or the out-of-bounds hit on Spencer, was the right call. Those were self-inflicted mistakes by the Hokies. But for the love of the sport, can you please let the guys play?
Drones should not lead the team in rushing attempts
I don’t know if it was a result of Drones scrambling, or designed runs, I’d need to rewatch and I am not sure I want to, but Kyron Drones’ 13 carries led the Hokies. Marcellous Hawkins had 11 for 48 yards (4.4 YPA) and a touchdown, while last week’s hero, Terion Stewart, had only nine attempts for 62 yards (6.9 YPA). So, how did Stewart only get nine attempts?
There was one drive after a Wake Forest score where the Hokies dropped back to pass three consecutive times. Of course, they punted. This team can’t win like that with the pass protection and Drones under center. The Hokies ran for 152 yards as a team, averaging over four yards per attempt. That’s good. But Stewart and Hawkins need more touches. This was a winnable game, and any one possession could’ve changed the outcome. Empty possessions are killers in close games, especially when your team makes a ton of mistakes. Moving forward, the Hokies better find a way to commit to the run. It’s their only way of keeping things close, especially against superior teams. Wake Forest was not a superior team. Virginia Tech handed them a win on a silver platter.
Loss dampened some of the excitement
When I say this, it’s not as if I believed the Hokies could go on a 9-0 run after beating NC State last week. However, Tech should’ve beaten Wake Forest and sitting at 3-3 with some potential wins in front of them. Heck, a win would’ve meant going 3-3 in its final six games would’ve clinched a bowl berth. Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter. This version of Virginia Tech football is being blown up soon. And it should be. And it’s also not a bad thing. It’s wonderful to see the administration finally waking up and going all-in. But wasted seasons aren’t fun. It feels like we are playing out the string now until the new head coach arrives, attacks the transfer portal and all eyes turn to 2026.
The schedule looks ominous: Georgia Tech, California, Louisville, Florida State, Miami, and Virginia. Four of those teams are ranked, and Louisville has lost only one game. There aren’t a lot of wins in there. Of course, the Hokies could shock some folks and win a game or two they aren’t supposed to. I think we know which one they’d prefer. Hopefully, the opt-outs are kept to a minimum and Tech can get some players back and finish the second half strong. Still sitting at 3-3 instead of 2-4 feels a lot different. Oh well.
