Recent Comments

Next day thoughts:

- we're better than in years past. We had two new coordinators and 30+ transfers. Years past we would have been down 0-17 before getting a first down and showing any signs of life.

- We couldn't take advantage of their mistakes. After first series, D settled in and was making plays. Could have easily been up 1-2 scores in 1H if we sustain drives and keep momentum.

- D played strong. Can't tell you how many times I saw DTs and LBs just flat out push guys back. Ferg is paying off.

- D scheme is much better. We made some mistakes. But you could certainly see the gameplan.

- O has the potential to be "improved". Talent isn't as good but scheme and cohesiveness seem better.

- stop running up the middle. OL doesn't execute it well. Especially slow developing and with the smallest back. Attacking the edges and PO plays worked much better.

- Drones is improving. Had much better touch. Threw catchable balls. Those highlight plays were because he had some touch on the ball. Think Monty is designing a good system around his strengths. Need to let him run more early. He always plays better after issuing a few hits (he doesn't like to slide). Take some pressure off him being too perfect on throws.

- WRs drops crushed Drones confidence. Throw lasers and low balls are when you forcing to be perfect. Esp noted at end of the game...you could see him lunge forward too much or throw off his back foot.

- ST can be a weapon. Think we were afraid of making stupid mistakes and playing "not to lose". Once the other pieces (O and D) gel a little better they'll take chances with ST personnel and scheme.

Going back Pre-Game "Bare Minimum" thread--I think what I really wanted to see was "not the same." Essentially, all the things that have plagued the Pry era so far--improved or gone.

And despite sorta kinda hanging in there, I still saw far too much of the same. Poor clock management, mistakes leading to points for the other team, weak play from the back 7 on D, and Offensive miscues that killed drives.

The DL was a solid bright spot and the OL looked at least passable (although we'll see what French thought). But the passing game was an entire mess-Drones is consistently off-target and when he is, we can't catch. And the LB are just never making plays.

And there's a reason that you lose close games...when you can't get lined up for a Punt correctly in a 2 point game, you are a poorly coached team. That sequence was quintessential Pry Football.

Honestly, I came out of this game thinking we physically have a better chance to beat Vandy than I thought but I am simultaneously sure that we will find a way to lose....

There are not 4 teams better than USC on our schedule. Miami and FSU, that's it

First game I'd watched live in ages.

Now that I've had some time to process....it felt like a loss as soon as that opening drive happened. Even when it was 7-5 and 10-8 it never really felt like we were in it. Taking the lead and scoring a touchdown were tasks that felt equally insurmountable.

On the bright side that was some of the stoutest DL play I've seen in a long time. They had a relatively hard time running the ball, we got some good hits in on Sellers (too bad the ball didn't bounce our way on that one strip sack) and the safety was awesome.

Unfortunately, everyone else on defense looked...rough. Still can't stop that damn Rutgers tight end play. LBs and safeties were ass, Reddish in particular had a terrible game at least to my eye test. Corners I thought were pretty okay? I was not sober and not fully paying attention for every single play so film review may refute some or all of this.

And the offense...I'm about to do what I used to hate Fuente for doing and blame some players here. True, some of those ineffectual inside runs looked like they were straight out of Stiney's playbook. And I hated the decision to throw deep on 3rd and 1 early on, even though it worked.

But everything else on that side of the ball came down to a failure to execute. Plays were there to be made, there were some particularly inspired play designs and we had people open all game long. Guys just weren't making those plays. Hawkins ran hard all game, but he missed a block on that one play in the second quarter that should've been a horsecollar foul on USCe. Forget about the bad no-call, he makes that block, it's a first down if not a TD. That one series in maybe the early 4th before the game got out of hand where Drones threw 3 catchable balls in a row and all 3 were dropped. The wide open outlet pass on 3rd down that was dropped, I think that happened sometime in the second half too. All the great sideline almost-catches. And then there's Drones himself, who is still the wildly inconsistent passer we've come to know and tolerate. Overthrowing. Throwing behind the receiver. Leading the receiver too much. The INTs were all squarely on him. The only good thing I can say about Drones' passing yesterday is at least he didn't throw any hospital balls. Is he really the best we've got? Really??

All in all, I feel like Montgomery and Siefkes had pretty okay first games. We might win more than 4. But we could easily still only win 4. Or less. Really, really would've liked to have this one. And that PRTD was just a horrible twist of the knife, our special teams have been anything but for years now. Just another edition of the same movie we've all seen way, way too many times before. Go Hokies I guess

Morning after thoughts:

Team looks much better than last year even in the loss.

• Recovering after getting slapped in the mouth on the first drive is huge.
• The defense feels much more like a VT defense than whatever we've had the past few years.
• we had a run game at times
• catch the freaking ball

I feel like if the offense can ever manage to get a touchdown, we'll be in a pretty good place going forward.

I said it last season and I'm saying it again, if "Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda" was the game of football VT would have a number of natty's by now. We are duty bound as CFB representatives of WaCaSa.

To an earlier point, our troubles have had one thing in common, amongst others (don't get me wrong, I know there are others), and that's not having a true QB1 since Tyrod. Couple this with WaCaSa, and we would be a 9+ win season team and ACCCG contender.

Outside of landing a QB1, there has to be a time when VT can get out of their own way to a larger degree than what we have seen season on end.

Lots of empty seats throughout the stadium. Capacity is ~75k, and only 55k tix sold (per a mid game announcement).

But we saw way more Gamecocks in the tailgating lots, on the way into the stadium, in the stadium, etc. we estimated it was 60/40 cocks.

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

I just want a quarterback, ANY quarterback, who throws a catchable ball. I don't give a shit if he can scramble or anything like that, just be able to hit an open guy.

I feel like this is the opposite of what we said when Grant Wells was our qb and drones was on the bench 😭

We need QB development. We can't have QBs (or any player really) who's in the program for >2 years without showing any demonstrable improvement.

After watching the Dline I think we have more of a chance than I did 24 hours ago. The teams than gave Vandy fits last year just used their lines to shut down anything up the middle.

And Texas is ranked #1. Did Texas look like the best team in the country Saturday? I thought they looked more like us.