”The Abanikanda Game” Pitt 45 - VT 29

I think it's fair to say that Saturday's game didn't really go how any of us expected it to. The Hokies competed and showed signs of improvement, but that was only part of what could have been a breath of fresh air. That was the inhale. The exhale is actually winning the football game.

In a season where the Hokies haven't done a whole lot of breathing, seeing us show some level of fight yesterday was refreshing. But Hokies don't do moral victories, so let's call a spade a spade. Izzy Abanikanda didn't just eat our lunch yesterday, he also took our lunch money from us on the playground. If he doesn't end up winning ACC Player of the Week, then the system is rigged and John Swofford is still making phone calls.

Grant Wells played what was probably his best football game yet in a Virginia Tech uniform. He looked comfortable and made some solid reads, which we've been waiting to see him do all season. As he continues to play, he'll continue to develop with this offense. Now this offense desperately needs to work on discipline and has some serious work to do improving collectively, but at least we didn't roll over and die yesterday. We stayed on the attack, and that's a good sign.

Next week we're back in Blacksburg and face a tough Miami team. It's growing pain season and it's hard, but the Hokies will be there. So as Pat Finn would say, if you're in town next Saturday, "Win the Tailgate." Sip a cold drink, put some extra bourbon in your coffee, talk to a friend and still enjoy the foliage. It's fall in Blacksburg, so it can't be all bad.

Go Hokies!