Cheers and Jeers: Virginia Tech vs. Duke

I didn't rush getting to this write-up partly out of laziness, but also because I didn't figure too many of our loyal readers were clamoring for another complaint session falling a close Hokie loss. 

When a promising opening 61-yard return was called back for us, it felt like par for the course and a potentially ominous sign. 

Minutes later Duke completed an 86-yard touchdown pass after which we received the double bird, both barrels, from quarterback Maalik Murphy. It felt a bit rude at the time but you know what? He and everyone else might as well pile on us right now. We're down bad. 

One of Tech's most electric running backs of all time finally crossed over the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season. It's all the more impressive given how much time he's missed recently due to injury. He currently sits at 22nd in the nation in all-purpose yards per game (118.5) and has proven to be the most talented and consistent player on the team over the last couple of years. 

He sits 23rd on Tech's all-time rushing list in yardage and is 9th in touchdowns with 27. That's tied with Ken Oxendine and one ahead of Dwayne Thomas. 

Tuten was an outstanding evaluation by the staff and one of the bigger portal pulls they've managed to reel in. I'll be sorry to see him go but he's been a real joy to watch. He's also been one of the tougher guys we've seen in a while.   

It's always exciting and terrifying when a quarterback who's never played before is pressed into duty unexpectedly. Collin Schlee gave another gutsy effort but got hurt once again, which led to Pop's time in Durham. 

He made the usual handful of rookie mistakes and took far too many sacks—although that's also the fault of a porous offensive line—but he made a lot of plays and looked as good as any Hokie QB has this season. He made some really strong throws and added in a few nifty plays with his feet. I'm not convinced he's the long term answer at the position but he's given me mild hope for the UVA game. 

I'm quite interested to see how he can improve with a week of practice as the starter. Hopefully, Tyler Bowen can come up with a game plan that puts Pop in good positions and can lean on the run game to ease some pressure. 

We're skipping right past the jeers and lumping them into the Final Thoughts because really, who has time to unpack an entire dumpster fire? 

I used to add Brent Pry's postgame press conference as the final video to these articles, but now I've just started inserting songs that stick to the general 'Rome is Burning' energy that permeates the Merryman Center these days. Besides, how many new ways can someone explain yet another one possession loss? That mark is of course 1-12 now for coach Pry and there doesn't appear to be any coming back from that. 

Miserable clock management, defensive breakdowns left and right, a seemingly stream of consciousness approach to calling timeouts, and the worst halftime adjustments in the country. These are the hallmarks of the Brent Pry era and it's just very over. 

I'll let others break down the financial predicament and explain just how tight a spot we're in as far as making a change might go, but needless to say things aren't looking so good. 

But it's still Virginia week and the Commonwealth Cup is out there for the taking. Our now time-honored recent tradition of two rivals having a chilly post-Thanksgiving mid-off will add another chapter in Lane Stadium for the first time since 2018. Enjoy it because it's going to be a long winter for the Orange and Maroon.