Did anyone give the Virginia Tech Hokies a chance on Saturday night against the NC State Wolfpack in Raleigh? Sure, NC State isn’t a top powerhouse, but the Pack are consistently good, well-coached, solid
on both sides of the ball, and a considerable favorite.
How did the Hokies respond? By playing an efficient game, rushing for over 200 yards, making several critical stops on defense, and playing with a fire that they lacked as recently as two weeks ago. Virginia Tech interim coach Philip Montgomery improved to 2-0 as the Hokies walked away with a 23-21 win.
The Hokies have now won two games in a row and improved to 2-3 on the season. Virginia Tech is 1-0 in ACC play.
Here are five takeaways from Saturday’s big win.
The team quit on Brent Pry
The Hokies seemed to like former coach Brent Pry. There didn’t appear to be an effort issue until the second half of that loss to Vanderbilt in Week 2. It was like a switch flipped. There were already questions about the team’s talent level, but effort seemed not to be the problem. When the Hokies went down 31-0 to ODU the following week before losing, it was clearer than ever: the players (not all of them) had quit. It was about preserving bodies to enter the transfer portal after the season while playing for a lame-duck coach and staff.
Montgomery, a former head coach at Tulsa, took over, and there’s a clear difference. Pry often looked like a deer in headlights, either clapping when things were going badly or taking notes — always taking notes. Nothing ever changed. Montgomery runs a tighter ship. He has the experience, and players seem to respond. The Hokies are down several players, with many choosing to sit out to preserve their eligibility; some have already entered the transfer portal, and others are dealing with injuries. Sometimes, it’s also a matter of which players are no longer there. You can read between the lines.
It’s two games, but there appears to be a world of difference with Montgomery in charge of the team, rather than Pry. It’s also good to have strong leaders. In tough times, leaders emerge. The Hokies need more guys like Kelvin Gilliam and Benji Gosnell. Remember this from last week from Gilliam:
It’s ok to feel good
I can already see it now, “LOL, this team sucks.” Or, “LOL, this team is going nowhere. Who cares?” You know what, if you follow this team, you do care to a certain extent. And it’s OK to feel good after the Hokies beat a respectable opponent. Two weeks ago, the sky seemed to be falling. On Friday, a lawyer on X threatened lawsuits over NIL payments. We aren’t getting into that. This looks like a different team than the one we saw at home vs. ODU.
We all know the Hokies are overhauling the athletic department, specifically football ops. Better times are ahead (we think, I mean, they can’t get worse). But, counting Saturday’s game, eight games are remaining in this season. We only get 12 of these regular-season games every year. Let’s enjoy what we have of this team, root them on, and hope they make life difficult for every team on their schedule — and win some games while they’re at it.
Look at those smiles:
We need more Terion Stewart
Terion Stewart had his breakout game for the Hokies, rushing for 174 yards on 15 carries, including an 85-yard run to set up a touchdown. Stewart ran over multiple NC State defenders, giving Virginia Tech’s offense an identity it had lacked through four weeks. Over the first three games, Stewart had just 11 carries and missed last week’s game against Wofford. He has battled an injury, but now appears healthy. Fellow transfer Marcellous Hawkins looked great, too, rushing for 47 yards on just four attempts, and catching a touchdown pass.
Opponents change, and so do game plans. Stewart will not average over 11 yards per carry every week. But Saturday’s win established a blueprint for the remainder of this season: run the football, with Stewart leading the way. Mix in Hawkins, Jeremiah Coney, P.J. Prioleau, and others, but Stewart should lead the way. The running game makes life easier for Kyron Drones and the offensive line.
That fourth down….
It was late in the game, and the Hokies were holding on to a 23-21 lead. On a third-and-7 with 1:44 remaining in the game, Drones ran for six yards to the Hokies’ 40-yard line. At that moment, you were faced with punting it away or going for it. In most cases, you always punt it. However, Virginia Tech’s current situation isn’t “most cases.” The Hokies were 1-3 and had lost several one-score games over the last few years. Fans had seen this situation play out time and again. Virginia Tech punts it, and NC State comes down the field for the win in the final seconds.
I would’ve gone for it. What did you have to lose? Sure, the game, but going for it would’ve given the players more confidence, and in case you weren’t paying attention, the Hokies averaged over seven yards per rush on Saturday. They didn’t go for it, and I understand why. Drones admitted after the game, he urged Montgomery to go for it, saying he would’ve gotten it. Montgomery also revealed that he seriously considered it, but instead chose to trust his defense. In the end, he was right.
Montgomery said the defense had been playing well, and he trusted them to finish the game. Again, he was correct.
Play the kids
We saw a lot of first and second-year players on the field against NC State. Some of that is out of necessity, while some of it is due to the Hokies wanting to see what they have. We know there will be changes, but these kids have a chance to audition for the next staff, or, in some cases, for their next school. Let’s find out what they have, and you may find some diamonds in the meantime.
We saw Sheldon Robinson, Noah Chambers, Snook Peterkin, Jojo Crim, among others, play significant snaps on Saturday. Chambers responded with six tackles, including three solo, one TFL and one sack. There were concerns about how Virginia Tech’s linebackers would perform with Caleb Woodson out and Michael Short in the transfer portal. Tech may have stumbled upon something with the true freshman. Overall, Tech’s linebacker play has struggled since Bud Foster retired, which is odd considering Brent Pry was supposedly excellent with linebackers. Chambers should start permanently, regardless of who returns.
Quentin Reddish appears to be on his way out. That’s a bummer, but an opportunity for freshman Sheldon Robinson. He responded with six tackles, including one for loss. Do you think Chambers and Robinson were worried about preserving their redshirts? No, and it showed. That’s the type of guys you want.
Christian Ellis isn’t a young player. He’s a senior safety who transferred from New Mexico. But he hadn’t played significant snaps before Saturday. How did he respond? By breaking up three passes, including the game-winner.
Reward these guys. We shall soon find out which players want to remain at Virginia Tech, potentially. Watching young players sink or swim is a good experience for them, and also fun for fans. Seeing players improve every week, by playing, is encouraging.
