Cheers and Jeers: Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina

Against my better judgement, we're doing this again. At this point one could argue that following and writing about Hokie football isn't particularly good for one's health, but I literally don't know another way to be a human being. People are born the way they are and if they're lucky, they grow after that. Me? I'm a simple Hokie and there's just no changing that, win or lose we'll greet you with a glad returning...so here we go again for good or ill. 

South Carolina looked mediocre for much of the game and they were practically begging the Hokies to beat them. Tech however messed around with varying degrees of missed chances and poor execution when it mattered most. Kyron Drones looked timid and continued his habit of missing easy throws while making some solid ones as well. His receivers also let him down at times but ultimately he didn't play remotely well enough to win a big game like this. The Hokies managed to hold onto the ball just over 34 minutes which is great, but they didn't score a touchdown and wilted deep in SC territory on offense. Drones was just 1-of-13 with two interceptions on the plus side of the field. That simply can't happen. There's plenty to build on but also some things that clearly need to be ironed out. We might need some stain remover too. 

ESPN's coverage has been headed steadily downhill for many years. That's what happens when you fire your talent and give all of your money to Stephen A. Smith. Still, the complete lack of analysis from ESPN's halftime show on the game they were literally in the middle of was truly shameful. They barely even acknowledged the Tech-SC match up and focused instead as they often do on promoting other games that had yet to happen, or focusing on highlights from yesterday's match ups. On a weekend where the focus was rightfully on sending Lee Corso off with a bang, it's somewhat fitting that the rest of their studio production was such a pale imitation of what came before it. Thankfully, I no longer feel the need to watch even the final moments of College Gameday without the master making his headgear picks. I'd rather mainline brake fluid than listen to Pat McAfee sputter out poorly informed sentence fragments. They should give his microphone to Herbstreit's dog.  

The Hokie defense as a whole seems renewed by Sam Siefkes but the big guys up front really put on a show. Tech finished with four sacks including a safety and South Carolina was completely shut down in the run game. Most of the pressure came from standard four-man fronts too which is the most exciting part. While there are some concerns on the back end of the D, the ability to generate pressure up front without a blitz will help immensely with the other issues on display. Please let these guys stay healthy and angry. 

John Love continues to be Tech's best weapon and apparently the team's only real scoring threat. His three field goals accounted for the bulk of the scoring and his clutch 56-yarder before the half was right down the middle. It's a little embarrassing for Virginia Tech that the best player on the team is a kicker, but that's been the case for quite a few years now. Love is a wonderful luxury to have in your back pocket. Hopefully he'll have an opportunity to put the Hokies over the top in a close game, but he was mostly window dressing against South Carolina.  

Wake Forest transfer Donavon Greene and returning junior Ayden Greene put on quite the show in Atlanta. The two combined for eight catches and 165 yards. That included some nice contested catches and flashes of speed that make you wish Tech had a more accurate QB to fully take advantage of their skill set. Throw in an amazing grab by Isaiah Spencer and it's clear that the receiver room could be a very bright spot for this year's squad. I'd like to see Benji Gosnell more involved in the future but the Hokies have some good targets if Drones can find a way to look in on them. 

As you can tell by the ratio of cheers to jeers I was generally encouraged by what I saw in this game from the Hokies. Yes it was a frustrating loss with stout defense and a listless offense, but that's Hokie football. The ACC is wide open and this Tech team has enough firepower to make things interesting. You can certainly be upset if you want to but I don't see the point. The new coaches seem to have made a positive impact and the talent level among the starters at least seems largely improved. To borrow one of my favorite Beamerisms, we were three of four plays away out there. The trick is turning those handful of snaps in our favor. Stay tuned.