[Mark Umansky]
Who: Virginia Tech Hokies (0-0, 0-0 ACC) vs South Carolina Gamecocks (0-0, 0-0 SEC)
When: Sunday, August 31, 2025 at 3:00 PM ET
Where: Atlanta, GA | Georgia Dome (71,000)
Watch/Listen: ESPN | Virginia Tech Sports Network
Spread: VT +7.5
Weather: 81°F Partly cloudy outside the Dome
Series: The Gamecocks lead the all-time series of former Southern Conference mates 11-7-2.
Reppin' TKP: Couch coverage and hanging in the game thread.
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Let's Go!
Hokies!
It's GameDay Bitches! Finally!
Now unfortunately, I'll only be able to watch the most of the first half live cause of......you guessed it......a fall wedding.
Scheduling Infraction on the Wedding Party
15 seconds added to the awkward best man speech.
I'm watching on tape delay myself. My daughter's move in day at college is today.
Sunday is one thing, but Sunday Labor Day weekend is baffling to me.
Lets gooooooo
I've never been more excited to watch the guys get out there and gobble those Cocks
I hope everyone who went has been having fun in Atlanta. The Benz is a great place to see a game.
FTFY-
I hope everyone who went has been having fun in Atlanta. The Benz is a great place to
seeWIN a game.Who needs a Benz, when you've got a Beam...dammit
0-0 record. Best time of the year. Let's go Hokies.
Hokies are undefeated!
I have no idea what to expect.
Whew....i almost forgot! Last year I jinxed the start of our season by not having a VT flag up! Went with the clean VT look this year over the Hokiebird....
I much prefer that one. Was never really a fan of the Hokie Bird look. The clean VT is more my style.
Have the recorder set as there is a family thing that might spill over into the start of the game. I'll probably log back in before turning it on so people can let me know if I should watch the recording or not.
I just hope both teams have fun.
Pulled into Atlanta an hour ago. Grabbing brews at Atlantucky Brewery outside the stadium. Crowd here is probably 3:1 USCe.
Anybody heard Woodson's status?
He's on field warming up. Rumors swirling are that he will be playing the full game. Not confirmed yet.
Big boy program!
Let's get wet
This is a weird fanbase.
What I'm curious to see is what will the differential be in terms of athletes... you could see yesterday that LSU was simply bigger and faster than Clemson. As long as they stopped turning it over they were gonna win. It used to be against a team like USCe we were the faster and bigger team. I'm not sure that is the case anymore.
over under on the number of times shane embarrasses himself?
I hope we get up a score or two on them and he starts throwing his usual hissy fits to the refs.
Me at 2:50 PM: I still love Shane.
Me at 3:45 PM: Oh shut the fuck up Shane you whiney bitch.
#shanenarduzzi
My expectations: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
What's the current over/under line for Game Day Thread comments? Last I saw was 563.5
Take the under. I'm not going to be commenting much as I'll be driving.
All depends on if it stays a close game. Not sure there will be much action if it gets ugly early. Tune out factor is high in the fan base these days.
Stayed close enough to hit the over
Wife's due date was Aug 28th. Her only concern was the baby arriving late and on her birthday of Sept 5. I joked last week our future daughter would wait until kickoff just to mess with me. Welp...water just broke! First child incoming and hopefully we won't need to head out until after the game! Hear it takes some time to ramp up so fingers crossed!
Congratulations and best wishes to everyone! Gotta be honest though, if water's broken, it's probably go-time now. If childbirth is one thing, it's "consistently inconsistent".
Congrats and good luck!!
Congrats buddy! My daughter was born the morning of the VT-CAL Insight bowl in 2003. Had to watch it quietly In The hospital room that night. Fuck Aaron Rogers. That is all.
Right on time for football season! Good luck!
Congratulations!
I choose to take this as a sign of the rebirth of the Hokies football program and a big win today!
Took her 25 hours to arrive! Mom and daughter healthy as can be!
Congrats!
25 hours, ugh was Pry working the clock there too?
Congrats!
No way Pry would allow that much time.
Safety blanket for a coach under fire- Pry starting his two transfer Brown and IBM at corner over Lovett and Williams
I am a bit shocked by this news.
I'm watching (first half) from the Atlanta airport Delta skylounge, Terminal A, lower level, if anyone happens to be in the area.
I really hope we come out and just smack them in the mouth. I'm ready for true Hokie football to be back.
I have no idea what to expect though, other than some beer consumption.
Seriously... I had actually not had a drink since 4th of July, and today's the day I break that.
GET THIS TENNIS OFF MY TV.
Seconded
Third. I hate when they do this shit.
Ok, so what time does US Open coverage end and they switch to football?
This is obnoxious and makes me think kick is actually 330
Starting off with cookies and milk. Not sure how the game is going to go, but we're starting delicious
Meh the maroon numbers on shoulders with white everywhere else is a weird look
Yeah, I wanna see more maroon.
Ummm....delay of game on the first play by usc? No call?
Yeah what was up with that?
They look like men against our boys. Having their way against our defense.
If this little slip pass RPO is going to be the kryptonite today, I'm going to go fucking nuts.
The same TE pass that Vandy and Rutgers used to abuse us. Great.
Oh good, the linebackers still have no clue what's going on. Overrunning every play action
Right down our throat
Defense still looks like shit lol.
Gonna be a long day folks
Gonna be a long season
This is not a good team
That was.....not ideal.
Big woof. Might be a long season after all.
Okay espn. Maybe put tennis back on...
Why is our defense gotten worse every single year under a HC who is a former DC?
There was literally no resistance there
Well, we get to find out quickly if Siefkis can make adjustments.
Linebackers having problems tackling.
Didn't these guys play in HS?
you mean bench players that dont do what their supposed to?
So the defense looks.... Familiar.
well, if anyone was wondering about the defense...
Least it sounds like a "neutral" site.......
That looked like a high school defense
Long way to go but please no 3 and out for our first possession. Trying to remain optimistic but that was a kick in the nuts
Right, I wanna see yards.
If we come out and go 3 and out just......
Hope we don't embarrass ourselves.
That was a well scripted opening series designed to create some confidence.
Welp
I'm just glad Liverpool won. At least one of my teams can win
I remember a lot of games starting like this with Bud at the helm. If we have a competent DC, adjustments will/can be made. The inability to tackle Sellers will be what kills us.
They did stop the run.
Until the TD run.
Shooting ourselves in the foot. Seems familiar
Its poop again
And same old Drones. Late and behind. Wow
LB suck and OL making more mistakes...
Pretty much sums up the Pry Era..
no PI?
I thought so too.
Should I change shirts already? Need to change mojo already wtf
cant hurt
Yes
That wasn't the ideal first offensive possession either
Looked like block in the back on the gunner
I feel like I've watched the exact same VT team for almost 10 years. The names on the jerseys change. The coaches change. But the way the team has looked and played has been the exact same for so long now. It's the same painful loop.
Exactly
Self destructive false start 😡. Same old sloppy o-line play
I felt that lineman wanting to jump offsides at least five seconds before the ball was set.
Trying my absolute hardest to not be a homer, but how was that not DPI on the throw and a block in the back on the gunner? Drones pass was not good, but the CB had him wrapped and he couldn't turn to reach back for the ball.
Clear handful of jersey on the replay they showed from behind the play. I would say call it both ways, but our guys weren't close enough to their TE or receivers to get called for PI
i thought so, too, but i'm definitely a homer, and it's early to be looking to the refs for calls.
Offense was really tight on that possession where USCe looked smooth.
As I predicted, I do expect SC to go up by 14 to 17 points before we wake up. I expect us to compete utnil about midway through the 4th quarter, at which point I see Sellers absolutely taking over.
Just hoping Pry's new coordinators can make some adjustments.
We always look timid and scared just play
I'm scared
That was better.
X2
2 good def plays.
Defensive adjustment #1 coming up. Let's see what happens.
Def adjustment?
Might want to play a safety that wants to tackle. I didn't even include Flowers in my preview because he looked so bad at Rice. Two missed tackles plus lost linebackers on RPOs
At least our DLine showed up
it looks like we've only practiced run defense
Gotta make that tackle.
Pathetic
Can we just tackle?
What a blown opportunity....just let him stroll for a first down
If they drive right down and score again here it's going to be a long season folks.
Def end went to the inside and no one had contain on the QB.
maybe if we let them get wide open they'll just drop them all
These receivers don't even have anyone within ten yards of them
Let's go now.
Good embarrass us
nice try, Shane.
nice discipline, VT.
Good discipline on the 4th down.
Much better D!
Thank you d for the attention on that play.
That looked like it was all about trying to draw an offside penalty for a 1 st down.
Announcer needs his eyes checked. Punt was downed at the 10
GET THE RUN GAME GOING!
Second time on offense, maybe we can get it rolling
There are some wide open receivers for SC.
Looks like Woodson sat out the first drive, and then played that one. Looks like an SEC/Grayson Allen punishment.
Taking a shot on 3rd and 1? I like it.
Our first 2025 !st gown
Rapidly followed by our 2nd for a big gain
2 beauty throws by drones!
And a great throw away
Good decision.
Movement!
Big gain with a nice pass and move by the receiver.
Great play call there.jussed missed
Rushed from pressure on his right.
Don't mind the timeout there. Scoring opportunities may be sparse. Just dont come
E out with a false start.
Welp...not good James
Fuck.
Freshman mistake.
Our coaching is pathetically bad
OMG intercepted in the end zone.
Wasted opportunity
Drones is just not good.
Great escape then threw tithe wrong guy.
Why didnt Drones just run it? He had 10 years easy. Instead he threw late over tbe middle across his body
I'm not yet impressed by the new Drones.
6 usc players there. 6.
Should have tossed it to the WR in the back of the EZ.
WE JUSTBEAMERBALLED BEAMER!
It really does look like we always come into our first game like we haven't practiced all off season
Poor decision by Drones ,but WRs need to come back to the QB.
Defense scores!!
Our scoring streak in games continues
SCAR got cocky and paid for it.
Somebody lit into the Defense after that 1st drive
It also helps that we now have a coordinator that is capable and willing to make adjustments immediately.
Seems that way to my untrained eye. Dont really know what they adjusted but something is working.
Marve would have done nothing different until halftime.....and then most likely would have continued to do nothing different in the second half. It only took one game to see how much better Siefkes is.
Underrated comment. The defense was markedly improved.
Not Beamerball...Lunchpail D!!!
Safety!
SAFETY!!!
SAFE MF TEE
High IQ play by Kyron. Give them the ball on the two so we can get the safety and the ball.
Well the INT only cost us a point.
Defensive adjustment ability? Check.
Seifkes is rightly attacking the questionable interior of the SC o-line. Keep it up
Was that a coverage safety? I'm chasing a toddler so I'm only able to halfway pay attention
Penetrated and contained.
Hubba hubba!
That throw by Drones was nowhere near a VT wide receiver. He has to make better decisions. Tuck it and run or throw it away to get the FG. Defense gave you new life. Offense needs to take advantage of it
WHAT A CATCH!!
Bc why not?
Another shooting ourselves moment...just can't do basic things right
Poor call. Both hit high.
I don't really see it. Looks like he planted his shoulder in his gut
Yeah. Me neither.
Yup, that's above the waist and the lineman pushed him at shoulder height.
Pretty weak call. Defender wasnt even really engaged with the guard.
Credit Drones for that throw! Great catch too. To bad for not
That chop block call was a little questionable at best.
Haven't been terrible impressed with the offense as of yet. Still looks like kind of the same offense. Running straight up the gut, lots of slow developing passes.
Saving all the good stuff for Wofford no doubt /sarcasm
If you're going to run a sweep on 3rd and god-damn just punt. Such a surrender play.
Instead you want them to high risk play of QB sitting in pocket waiting for receivers to get 25 yards out?
Why is SCAR trying to run the ball? Their WR went ham on us first drive
SSSSSSHHHHHHHH WHAT ARE YOU DOING!
So seifkes can make quick adjustments?
Looks that way. That is at least a noticeable improvement.
Our running defense is holding up (except for the QB runs)
Running QB's have been our achilles heel for quite some time.
Why take the penalty there? Catch was for 6 yards
Geez Pry. Is there literally still no one to help him with this stuff?
Refs may not have given the choice depending on the whistle.
This was a long first qtr it feels like.
50 minute.
First quarter analysis- looked like we were gonna get killed 3 minutes in. Made some D adjusments
and not getting killed. Yet. Let's see if it keeps up
And a free 15!
Good to see some fight in the boys today after getting kicked in the nuts on the first possessions. Keep it up!
Holy shit a crossing route!
That should have been another personal foul
Guess I dont know what a horse collar tackle is
makes two of us. that was the first thing out of my mouth.
So say we all!
And Greene held there on the 3rd down pass.
FG opportunity.
Left tackle getting beat like a drum...Drones taking alot of blind side hits. No bueno to keep him healthy.
Not sure if anybody has said anything, but during pregame, Frank was wearing a USC jacket. I dont think I feel real good about seeing that.
He had a VT pin on as well.
Supposedly had VT pants on, per Bill Roth.
And.
VT pin.
For those of us who have kids... we would all likely be doing the same thing. It's a good thing to have parents like that!
Serious question- anyone else know the league affiliation of the refs today?
Big 12.
Good. Thanks
Another missed offensive opportunity, but we scored again
Drones needed to climb the picket and move off his first read on that 3rd down. Heath was running open at the goal line
2 decent drives. Need to get those TDs.
Greene doesn't know how to make a guy miss though.
I don't know if it's comforting or worrying that the only reason we aren't up a TD is because of bad red zone offense.
That feels very familiar...last season familiar :/
WR needs to tuck that undershirt in. Don't give DBs anything to grab on to.
More than once we've decided to let Stewart roam free. Not sure what the game plan is there.
I can['t see all of what is going on with the offense, but it doesn't look good form a "package" standpoint.
First of all, if Hawkins is able to make his block on that LB, we may have scored a TD there. Also, either Drones is not seeing the field well at all (what's new, right??) or he is being told that he is a single read QB. With that being said, he has no time in the pocket.
Isn't That the Baylor/briles/monty system though? Only read half the field?
Not a fan of one option plays in the red zone. First and second down there....grrrr
Two risky throws by Drones. Feel lucky to walk away with 3. Drones still seems like a wildcard to me. I don't trust him but he can definitely make some big plays
Are the SCAR fans really that much louder than ours? We seem to keep having issues getting the calls in.
Am here. We're outnumbered.
Thanks for reppin! Keep it loud and proud!
Like 3:1
Yeaaap. Stadium about 70% full. Probably 2/3 were gamecocks
A defensive score or turnover would be nice here!
Just in case anyone has forgotten, SC can spread the field and really lean on the legs of Sellers at any point in this game and he can absolutely take over.
Great spying by Woodson there.
somebody better keep spying
Woodson played that perfectly
Nice hold
To my untrained eye we are having our way with their interior olime still. Lets keep attacking that.
Kyshon jarrett sighting
1 in 3????
That can't be right is it?
Link
Good first down call, not so good second down call.
At some point, Pry is going to have to get a flag for yelling at the officials abut the SC DE being line up in the neutral zone on every single play.
Zero touch
None. His accuracy is so inconsistent.
That's the infuriating part. He goes from throwing dots to missing an easy pass to a wide open RB out of the backfield
So frustrating. Makes some beautiful deep passes, but can't hit someone 10 yards away.
Where is the improvement with Drones? Where?
🤦♂️
Ugh... Drones is who he is at this point.
Great play call poor execution.
He probably had 1 guy to beat for a BIG gain
Great play call though...
Another drive where it ends on our mistake rather than SCAR being better.
I think I'd rather have that though. You can correct mistakes.
If your just getting physically beat down not much you can do about that.
Drones just needs to learn that every pass doesn't need to be a dart.
That's the difference between winning and losing. You have to make that throw when a guy is wide open 5 yards away from you.
That's normally the warm up throw for new QBs.
That RB is gonna fumble eventually
Two 25 year old running backs in their seventh year. I know DC is about to throw the TV out the window.
2 7th year 25 year old running backs! No one hear what they're saying?
Finally got holding on the WR.
What a hit.
Sellers, ugh.
As bad as that was he was no where near first down. Two yards short
You've gotta make that TFL!
Have our linebackers ever played the sport of football before?
Yeah, he was short.
It doesn't matter. They'll get it eventually
Siefkes has been scheming excellently. Our guys are in position, they simply miss sometimes.
2nd and 33 and we give up 30
Maybe I haven't TKP'd har enough, but I don't think I've even heard of Elhadj Fall.
I'd like to hear and see more of him!
Transferred in after spring practice
That was the most laughable spot ive ever seen. lol
Once USCe realizes they can pass again we might be cooked
Sellers had two guys wide open in end zone.
HE DID NOT COMPLETE THE PLAY!!!
That ball rolled on ground
That ball definitely moved when he went to the ground, no TD
Very quick decision.
Might be overturned.
not a catch
Danny Coale says not a catch
lol I think that should be a catch, but hope it's not
Clearly will be upheld. Caught it with his kidney
Ball moved. He didn't go to ground with it
These commentators wanted it to be a TD so badly
Im watching sky cast i have no clue what the commentators want and it is glorious
These announcers need to EABOD
Bro, your handle and this acronym have me 💀.
🤣🤣🤣
That seems like a catch to me. But I'll take it!
arguable
We really need Drones and Co. to figure something out here. We need some kind of score, but more than that we cannot give the ball back to SC before the half.
Holy shit we got a call in our favor
Louis "If it looks like a catch, it should be a catch" Riddick.
i heard that too, so stupid
Good hand swipe there by the defender to prevent the TD.
I love my Hokies, but I think that was a catch
Not even close based on the rules. You have to finish the play. He did not.
He caught it, he just didn't compete it to the ground...something something, Cowboy tears in Green Bay!
Danny Coale karma?
If the WR had been balanced enough to be able to hold with 2 hands it would have been a TD.
Not quite the same stakes, but ill take it right now.
Benji with the push!!
Why did we just forfeit 30 seconds? French Pry back to his old tricks to lose close games.
We get the ball to start the second half. Don't want to give them the ball back with time on the clock. Defense was worn down that last drive.
Then call a running play but too many times last season he came up one or two plays short and we lose by three.
Hate the lack of aggression here.
Low confidence move. I don't completely hate it BUT we must eat up the clock and score
Ugh, why does Pry hate clock management? Plenty of time to get one more play in there.
So... Brent Pry said that the team had been working on end of half and end of game management a whole lot this Fall. I'm not sure slow playing things here at the end of the first half is wise. While you certainly don't want to give the ball back to SC, I do think you need some urgency so you can at least attempt a FG.
I don't have a problem with going to the 2 minute warning. Drones took a big hit the play before. Get the right play and don't rush it.
Shouldn't we just let Montgomery handle clock management for the offense?
I think they wanted to give Drones a mini-blow
We aren't even trying to score here.
Drones completely missed the hole on the run
so 3 minutes to go 75 yards and we just run out the clock. Cool
Scared ball.
Pry literally hasn't learned anything
What the effing hell were those calls? Just wave a white flag
And now we called timeout? Shades of Miami. Gave them 25 seconds and they scored
The timeout was a good call.
It'll force a measure and I think he got the yardage.
1st down.
And the time out returned.
The Brent Pry era is over folks, and this is why. This is why we lose close games. Absolute horseshit clock management here at the end of the half.
Yeah Pry has still learned nothing about game and clock management. Does he just hang out on the sidelines?
This a choice, not an error. Might be a bad choice.
I don't disagree, and apparently it's a choice necessitated by the reality that you don't have a QB you can trust.
Being down 5 going into the half ti the supposed number 13th team in the country I dont hate running the clock out in that scenario. VT needs to stretch the feeds in the second half or we will be in trouble.
It's an absolute horrible decision. These are exactly the games you where you take these chances - games where you are double digit dogs. Incredibly stupid IMO.
Shane should thank Pry for losing this game because so far USC isnt doing much to win it.
I'd like to see more Hawkins running the ball
Open on with successful pass and then go into run? It's so obvious we don't trust KD.
Was that just a second call on our favor???
Damn was hoping
Well there's the Drones deep accuracy we're used to
Overthrew.. good try.
Green comes back to the QB for a positive play.
I'm so disappointed in the offense so far. Just no creativity at all. Same old slow developing passes and straight up the gut runs.
That's a great throw from KD on the run. I know it's off, but man, great strength.
Those 20+ seconds would be incredible to have right now
Our Love is better than your Love
Why wasn't SC charged a TO there?
He was shown to be injured before the ball was placed.
Ahhh. Is that the rule? How does one prove that? Seems like a nebulous part of the rule to me.
Imagine if we had time for one more play?
Pry is a fucking pussy for letting the clock run out. I am fucking done with him. Fire him with a win
And the score would not be any different at best. And if we don't get the spot on replay and SC gets the ball back it could be 17-5.
We would've won by two scores if we caught the ball and Drones didn't throw the ball straight to their DB when he had all the time in the world and a lane to run.
We were clearly the better team in this game. Incredible stupid mistakes and mismanagement on offense is why we lost. Pry is done. South Carolina is not a good team, if we can't beat them Louisville Miami and GT are going to tear us to shreds
A 56 yard FG!
WHAT A KICK!!
Just how Pry drew it up.
Kid's gonna be playin' on Sundays.
I am blown away by how well our DL has been playing outside that opening drive. Lots of different guys rotating in and out as well.
Agreed. Other than the opening drive, the DL has been super impressive. And Siefkes was quick to make adjustments. Very pleased with the D overall.
O has been pretty disappointing. Not seeing the creativity and spark I would have hoped from Montgomery. Seems pretty predictable and vanilla so far. Drones accuracy still also leaves a lot to be desired.
But hey, we are in this. It's a 2 point game at half. If we can keep it up on D and get a little more offense, we can easily win this.
Schematically, I really like what I'm seeing from Siefkes. His guys are mostly in position (with the exception of that first series when the TEs were killing us on those RPOs), but sometimes they simply don't make the play.
To your point, the DL looks really good.
Think we switched from three down with two on the edge on the first series to a straight four down since then. Seems like it's done the trick so far. We'll see if they have to adjust to the adjustments.
Well, glad we got three there.... But we are double digit dogs playing with house money and Pry is still acting like he has no earthly idea what is going on when it's crunch time.
Aside from that 1st drive and our 1st possession, I've been very impressed.
BUT - no moral victories here. Come out and get that W in the second half!
If you told me beforehand this was going to be the score going into half time I wouldn't be mad.
I'd be like "Oh, so we were aggressive and went for 2? Wait, no touchdowns?"
Guys, we did a great job there keeping the ball and getting the points. Last year we would have failed.
Our D looks miles ahead of last year and we have some dudes.
We start with the ball and are in a 50/50 game against a very good team on a neutral field.
All positives and maybe just maybe we sneak this one across the line but at a minimum have shown some promise for the season going toe to toe with a top SEC team.
I would expect to see a heavy dose of Sellers in the second half. That kid can absolutely beat us all by himself.
Reddit still whining about that "catch"
They explained the rule last night and again today and people still done know it
Well..... defense looks improved now, although USC's offense looks inept at times. Offense still looks disappointing. But hey, down 2 to the 13th ranked team at half? I'm good with that compared to where we have been in games like this in the past.
Also this dude, "outplayed VT"
They've been pretty even dude. What game are you watching?
Definitely pleasantly surprised by the D-line but I also think USCe is helping by abandoning the passing game somewhat.
Could really use some stupid play calls from Mike Shula at key times in this 2nd half
I'm cautiously optimistic. Probably as good a half as we could have hoped for, especially after that disastrous first series. DL has looked great, tons of pressure every play. OL seems like it's holding up better than last season anyway, Drones has had some time and I've seen a few holes open. Several great catches from WR. Still hoping to see better consistency/accuracy from Drones, and better coverage and tackling in the secondary.
Just a few plays away. That half would probably feel a lot better if Drones threw the ball away instead of forcing the INT, was able to complete that 3rd down toss sneaking out into the flat (loved that play call), and the 20 run on 2nd and 25 was tackled for a loss.
Still have a great opportunity here starting with the ball second half. Let's go!
That was the worst return I've seen. Just fair catch it dude.
Looks like Hawkins is the no 1 so far.
Terion Stewart is out or think he would be #1
Stewart is supposed to be #1 but is injured
Adeen Greene is the real thing
If it was called back, it wasnt a touchdown!
And we only have one toe left on the first foot....grrrr
Pass was behind him. Stop me if you've heard this.
A little, but he wasn't "running" his route, he had settled into a spot in coverage. That was 100% on Heath.
If Drones had led him he would have run him right into the other defender.
Hit him square in the numbers
That drop is going to cost us.
Every drop has cost us.
Gotta make that 3rd down catch. Looked like we were building momentum.
Chicken/egg: win games/get better players
Gotta make those catches. Dang. Cmon d.
Seriously. You have to catch that damn ball.
Hawkins might be a dude
Whiff one say hi to whiff two
Ugh...why can't we defend that simple TE flat RPO
The Defense is holding up
If we could stop tripping over our own dicks on O for a drive or two, we could be up a couple scores.
The Virginia Tech way.
Is Mason John's brother?
Tucker Holloway is definitely going to muff a point, or multiple.
What is scar's defensive weakness that we should be attacking?
They're really aggressive and coming downhill. I think we need to use more misdirection, motion, and mess with their eyes. And hey hitting on these big pass plays will help!
And he still caught that, damn
WHAT A FUCKING CATCH!!!
You know he stood up and said, "And I caught it, bitch!"
We need to wear All Green Everything next week
PI and the catch!
Holy catch Batman!!
Drones really needs to learn how to climb the pocket
So it's ok to grab a QB by the neck now?
Only if it's an SEC defense in a non-con game
How was that not roughing the passer? Smashed right into his head
I agree. Definitely pulled Drones down by helmet
Dumb da dumb dumb dumb
Oof
great we're gonna punt now
So many self-inflicted wounds.
I thought it was illegal to grab the helmet to make a tackle. I've seen SCe do it twice
We can't get out of our own way offensively.
Fucking embarrassing. We are losing this game way more than SCe is winning it
Yep. We could be winning by a couple scores if we had a competent offense.
Also the Virginia Tech way.
How long of a leash does Drones have this year?
I can feel the incoming implosion.
Called it.
Was the punt return what you felt?
On one hand, there are some great things to take away from this game. We are yet again, losing a very winnable game.
The question is - is SC really a top-15 team? If so, we should beat a lot of other teams we have left to play. Especially if their QB really is projected #1 pick.
Does anybody know how good their defense is supposed to be? Is our offensive production a sign of poor coaching or player execution (there are a couple drops that look like the coaching call was good, just poor execution), or playing a very good defense, or something in between?
My money is on them being closer to the FSU team Fuente dominated than a legit playoff contender
You may be right, but I'm guessing we'll have to watch both teams play more to get a true sense.
I'm really hoping it's that they're a legit ranked team.
I'm loving how well this DL is playing
Laws is making plays
He is the lawsgiver.
How about the Legislator?
On a positive note, the DL..... Looking a little old school today
Great sack.
X2.
WOOO I'm liking this Siefkes guy so far
Just think what he could do with some real talent at LB
Siefkes is in Sellers' head. Very impressive defense.
Ok. Win this game.
Sacksburg!
Sacksburg is back on the menu
Thread is getting too long, getting failures.
We need to mix this run game up more. So much outside zone, but few counters off of it
We are going to see how our conditioning program is working
Anxiously awaiting the film review.
The offense has had a few opportunities that particular players have failed to capitalize on. That being said, It still looks discombobulated and lacking any sort of rhythm. And I have no earthly idea why we are hell bent on running Prioleau inside the tackles.
usc would have 49 if Chris Marve was still here.
Truth.
Alright seriously, is this an SEC Network broadcast?
Isn't every espn broadcast?
Yea fair. This has just felt so clearly focused on the SEC for a neutral site kickoff game. Even the halftime show ignored every game that wasn't SEC. And they have rights to a bunch of other conferences!
Maybe it's too early for this, but I'm OK moving onto the Pop era. Drones simply cannot make good decisions or good throws.
It's a real problem that Drones can't throw the ball when running to his left.
Not many QBs can throw well throwing across their bodies on the run
You don't have to throw it well to throw it out of bounds. He won't even try running to his left.
Drones has hit ceiling for sure
I did not expect the offense to be this disappointing. Especially given Monty's experience. We just can't get anything going at all and it's going to cost us this game.
He called the right plays but the guys failed repeatedly to execute. Most of it was on Drones accuracy. Guys were open. Running game was hit or miss but the SC DL is really good.
Only thing I might fault was not much misdirection but may have felt those plays were too high risk to develop.
Just another classic Virginia Tech offense. Don't know why I expected different
This is the best defense we will play this year by far. And lots of self-inflicted wounds. Let's see how we look next week.
Our defense looks legit (well, except for tackling).
Yeah. These guys or Miami will definitely be the best Ds we see
In before they block the rekick
Worse
Stu Holt SUCKS.
And you wrote that before the return...
Dumb penalty
Was it...you know?
It certainly proved costly
lol wtf
Man I freaking hate this team.
that's ball game
You've got to be kidding me!
Big playoff special teams gaff. Classic Pry. Classic VT football.
Ball game
Wow...just whiffed on five or six tackles
Seven missed tackle opportunities
There's the bone headed bullshit we were all waiting for
are you kidding me!!!!
This is the perfect summation of the Pry era:
Close game...can't line up correctly for a punt.
Please just fire him now.
Saw that coming from a mile away.
Pry might avoid the 1 possession loss though
Yep
Were we really expecting anything else? Pry isn't it, end of story.
Yeah, I think that's the ball game. This offense is back to the Stiney era. And Drones shouldn't be starting. I have no idea what that group was doing all Spring and Fall, but whatever it was sure wasn't productive.
Let Stu Holt walk back to Blacksburg.
Ballgame. I don't think this offense can score another point.
Special teams has been bad the entirety of Stu Holt's tenure. Don't know why he wasn't included in the offseason purge.
We are about to overcompensate and retrn yo the 10
Only thing I will say is keep in mind our offense is going up against a defense that was 16th nationally last season and got four 4/5 star transfers in for this season.
Also can't fault the OC because most of our drives ended on our guys mistakes
They lost a load of NFL talent after last season. It does take a minute for a team to gel. This is a good defensive unit, but not close to last years unit.
They have nine 4/5 stars on starting defense and five more on two deep
I know they have a bunch of "former" 4/5* guys. I didn't see how they were ranked in the portal, but I know a handful of those guys left other programs because they couldn't get playing time.
I'm not saying it's not a good unit, it's just not elite. It's a middle of the pack SEC defense.
We've played a really well. Just can't maintain momentum and take advantage of their mistakes.
Good run.
So basically that telestrator replay proves our punt kick formation is fundamentally flawed. Too many big boys as up-men, who are woefully unable to make an open field tackle on a return if something breaks free.
They went entirely unblocked because SCAR did enough scouting to realize they are a nonfactor.
Excellent pass.
We need to stop trying to run a slow developing play up the middle (escorting with the smallest guy in the team). Outside zone and RPO is working. Don't gonna from it.
What a catch!
We do have some wide receivers!
I thought he had that pass.
How was that not PI? Both hands grabbing jersey
Been doing it all game.
SEC
Our guys have made some left catches this game.
Alright, defense has to step up here
So, instead of going in either direction, Drones thought it was advantageous to run into the defender 3 yards short of the first down marker. Got it.
Back to a. 1 score game.
John Love is a weapon
why does Drones initiate contact with defenders every single run???
We need to clean up our red zone issues. We're winning if we could come away with 2 TDs from our 4 red zone trips.
We have made more contested catches in this game than we did the entirety of last season
I was just texting a buddy... I think our receivers can contest catches. I like that but I also wonder if we're practicing that instead of... like just normally running routes and catching balls.
But some terrible/costly drops as well. Think we have more talent at WR. Just need to out them in position for easier completions and find someone who can take the top off the D.
I would like to see the end zone please.
We could use a break....turnover, fumble on the kickoff, etc. If the D holds, we probably have one possession left.
There's been Drones disappointment, but my recollection is some of those deep passes he's made to covered receivers, he wasn't hitting those last year. He may not be the greatest, but unless I'm misremembering, seems like he's better than last year.
And am I wrong that the SC defenders are putting a LOT of contact on our receivers?
I agree. He's still not an All-ACC caliber QB, but he seems better than last year.
And SC is definitely playing very handsy/grabby. I mean Torrian Gray is their DB coach
We know Montgomery can coach. This game plan says he doesn't think he's got the horses.
What we haven't had other than Tuten is explosive scores and we give up at least 1-2 per game
Ball game
That's ball game. We kept a lid on it for a while, but they protected that well and he's just too fast
Don't have the athletes and too many costly mistakes. I just hope that the old adage of "most improvement from week 1 to week 2" proves true.
Done. We are a losing program now.
Now? Hell, I thought we at least looked better on defense.
Dagger
Fuck.
The difference between scoring TDs versus FGs
We (did) have more yards rushing, passing and more 1st downs. We are not getting blown out. But the games are won with points on the scoreboard
Don't know why it took them this long to do that. That man is the human flash.
Oooooofffff. Thats gonna be game.
And again, we hang around long enough to maybe have some hope, and then get let down.
The bright side is I don't think SC is that good, probably a pretty average team overall. So we will probably not be very good this year and will clean house come November. The Pry era has just be a total disaster.
How is that "the bright side"???
Just beat Vandy.
Just beat anyone!
Just like always, not even trying to win.
the fuck are we running the ball on 1st down still
Prioleau is not impressive on returns. Zero twitch
We need to be in a 2 min drill state of mind. Not sure we have that mindset.
Maybe we are trying to just cover the spread and calling it a victory
Run it down the gut 3 times in a row, got it
Burning clock... taking our time. Classic Pry.
why isn't the clock stopping on 1st down?
The new rule, as of a couple years ago, is that it only stops on first downs inside of 2 minutes.
It only stops on first downs inside the final two mins of the half. That was a 2023 change.
No sense of urgency 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Haven't had any urgency on O all day. Just look lackadaisical.
Hopefully at least we can put a TD on the board to close the game out.
Have played better than I expected to.
Not playing hurry up though. Don't have time for a long slow drive.
Also, another bright point -we have 3 receptions longer than 25 yards. Didn't we have whole games last year with no receptions longer than like 15 yards?
Yeesh the inaccuracy is killing us
Drones just can't throw when pressured.
Trying too hard.
stop throwing low
Another bad throw causing a drop. His mechanics are just not good. Green still should've caught it, but these should have been easy throws
And when he puts it on the spot, the receivers are dropping them.
I know none of us are at practice every day, but how bad is the QB room that you don't have someone who can throw an accurate pass?
Drones: low, low, low, high (pick)
Let's see Pop...enough of Drones
Aaaandthatlldoit.
Same old same old on offense!
Drones is just god awful when he's under pressure. Has gotten worse every year he's been here.
Gimme Pop the rest of the season.
I have no clue what he was seeing or who he was throwing to on that 4th down
Drones is ass. Good first year starter who has refused to improve.
Some players just don't develop, even when they put in the work. Let's not assume he isn't working hard
I'm sure he's working. But 2023 was just his ceiling unfortunately.
Not what I meant. More a symptom of the covid years making fans think players will only get better with age when they clearly hit their ceiling.
Drones is what he is and has been for a while
Drones ain't it dawg. He just ain't. Put in Pop of we get the ball back.
Yeah, I've seen enough of Drones. Play Pop
Well that was fun until the 4th.
If I'm Beams, I'm taking Sellers out at this point, get the backup some snaps.
Drones is not it.
Kyron Drones stinks.
Big arm, mediocre accuracy, and low football IQ.
Should have let him walk to LSU.
It just looks he sees the field and play developing in slow motion. Very low football instincts. Big guy, big arm, very inconsistent accuracy and falls apart under pressure. And injuries seem to have hampered his mobility, he just looks lumbering and slow.
His o-line has being a wet paper bag on the pass rush doesn't help.
Well at least the defense is looking better.
Well. They WERE looking better...
same old story, no offense means the defense is tired by the 4th
We won the TOP battle 34:17 to 25:43 even with them burning the last 4 min. The defense shouldn't have been that tired. They just got whipped at the point of attack and were probably more focused on forcing a turnover than getting a stop.
We gave up two TD drives to the #13 team in the country. Can't fault the defense there.
Oh I agree! This game definitely sits on the coaching and bad offense.
I just meant that the defense not getting a couple stops at the end should not have been because they were tired.
Well when you are down 5 and decide to burn the clock instead of score then you really help your TOP
Louis Riddick sucks
Drones ain't it.
Pry ain't it.
Playing scared at the end of the first half was criminal.
Think he stepped out short of the first not that it matters at this point but awful tackling
Definitely stepped out well short of the first.
Maybe it's not conditioning and the team just isn't able to compete with teams with a pulse in the 4th quarter
I would like to give an attaboy to the devs at EA. I cannot throw downfield at all because all that happens is the wr drops it. Lo and behold
Brent Pry looks like the kid that missed the ice cream truck!
We need to stop trying to tackle his face.
Shane, please done embarrass us and just kill the clock please.
Beamer smart enough to not risk a FG or punt giving us momentum
Pooch punt it!!
No need, we let them walk all over us
Also kind of him to spare us having to see Drones and this ass offense again.
So, if we stop them and get the ball back and score, will the story line here be we can't win one score games under Pry?
What does it mean to score 11 points in a game.
11 points.
How do you... end up 11 points
Total hold by the running back there but doesn't matter.
Welp...
Honestly really happy with our defense in this game and our wrs made some insane catches that we never made last year... running game had bright spots... we better win next week
Week 2 is already a must win
Well, it's a loss. We all knew it would be a loss.
The defense looks improved. More speed, more pop, more winning a the line. The bad, tackling. Nothing new there.
The offense looks like I'd expect. The good, receivers catching the ball, the bad, all the drops. The line looks lost or is just extremely outmatched by better and mid players.
Also, I hope Shane never comes back!
Well, there has been bright spots today. Kinda like the sun filtering down on a patch of toadstools in the forest. And you know what they grow in, so...fitting.
Shane gets a Gatorade bath a beating *checks score* Virginia Tech???
This from David Teel....
100%
Well the offense stinks, but defense looked much better
End of the day, it was a very winnable game that going into, we thought we had no chance at winning, so I'll take it. We beat Vandy and we'll feel good about the team.
I said no moral victories!
s/
Defensive line looks like the strength of the D. The Double Greens looked good if Drones gets them the ball.
Overall it was better than I expected. Maybe USCe is not as good as ranked.
I was still watching into the 4th quarter. I was not expecting that would be the case. I like the defense. Wait and see with the offense.
offensive coaching looks to be fine actually. it's looked like Monty was trying to herd cats out there today
I thought the offensive play calling was fine. But ultimately the offense scored 0 touchdowns today and you can't win that way. That has to change quickly if we want to have a decent season. We shall see
Bingo. Not scoring a TD hurts. Offense stalled inside the 30. Gotta fix. Especially after the last Pry-sser where he said that 2min drill and red zone were points of emphasis lol