Across the Beat: Getting to know Virginia Tech

Wake Forest and Virginia Tech will meet for the first time since 2020, when the Deacons beat the Hokies 23-16, and for the first time in Blacksburg, Va., for the first time since 2019, which was a 36-17 win for VT.

Of course, neither game has the ignominy of the 2014 matchup of these teams that was a 6-3 result in double overtime, in which the teams were scoreless after regulation.

To get to know the Hokies better, we’ve enlisted the help of Tim Sullivan, editor of Hokie Haven on the Rivals network.

Here is our five-part Q&A:

1. I like to start these with a simple vibe check. I can’t imagine it’s all that positive with the Hokies, given the 2-4 start …?

Answer: The vibes are not great! VT got a revenge win against Old Dominion, but three straight to teams that they historically wouldn't have had any trouble with, and even in 2023 form should have been able to earn wins against.

With a win against Pitt, it felt like things may have been getting back on the right track... until they were mostly uncompetitive against Florida State this weekend.

There's still a slight tinge of optimism given that FSU is a team that will demolish a lot of folks, and the Hokies seemed to put something together against Pitt. But the margin of error has been almost completely consumed, and VT will have to be excellent from here on out to be in serious bowl contention.

2. How has the change to Kyron Drones altered — if at all — the Hokies’ offense? And what can still be improved upon?

Answer: It's hard to say what is specifically a result of Drones taking over versus what is offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen finally realizing (after a year and a half) what he needs to do to scheme around a weak offensive line.

The Hokies have been much more willing to attack the perimeter with WR and RB screens, pitch plays to the edge, and even the occasional trick play. They probably needed to do that all along, because emptying the box is the only way to move the ball on the ground.

The part that's pretty clearly a direct result of Drones' ascension to the No. 1 QB spot is vastly increased use of the passer's legs. The threat of a keep is another thing giving RBs Bhayshul Tuten and Malachi Thomas a bit more space to roam on the frontside of plays.

As for what needs to happen next... Drones's consistency in the passing game is hit-or-miss, and he can't execute the midrange stuff well, so there's a "bombs or screens" nature to the passing game at times. If he can concentrate on that, VT may well be on the path to competent offense. It's probably too much to ask for offensive line quality or depth to make huge strides at this stage of the season.

3. Putting things bluntly: What has happened with VT’s rushing defense this season (Hokies have given up at least 200 yards in four of six games; held Pitt to 38 yards but gave up 282 against FSU last weekend)?

Answer: You're right: the run defense is certainly bad. One issue for the Hokies is that it isn't always the same problem, so they spend one week putting a finger in the dam in a specific spot, only to see leaks pop up elsewhere.

There's a clear problem at each of the three levels of the D: the line is pretty good at holding up at the point of attack and even moving it backwards at times, but the individuals have missed a lot of tackles. That's not always a problem... except the linebacker level is rolling with two new starters in comparison to a year ago, and they have been bad at hitting their run fits.

It's particularly disappointing because one of the new starters, Alan Tisdale, is a sixth-year senior who spent plenty of his underclassman time as a top contributor. Then in the secondary (where to be fair there have been tons of injuries), pursuit angles have been quite poor, and that's led to 5-10-15-yard runs turning into 62 or 85 yards (as FSU's Trey Benson got on his two scoring plays Saturday).

4. Wake’s offense has a few problem areas but a lot stems from blocking — more accurately, not blocking — the interior rush and penetration. How good has VT’s interior defense been this season?

Answer: The interior defense — particularly the line, given what I said about the inside linebackers a moment ago — has been one of the bright spots on the D.

There's a healthy rotation with DTs Mario Kendricks and Norell Pollard giving time to Josh Fuga (a team captain) and Nebraska transfer Pheldarius Payne. These guys also have a good breadth of skillset, with some overlap between the personnel. Most can penetrate alright, but Payne is exceptional at it. Most can hold up at the point of attack, while Kendricks is the best there. Pollard is very good at both, and Fuga is serviceable at both. If they can win blocks, disrupting the offense is the name of the game they want to play ... and then it comes down to their tackling.

5. Obviously this hasn’t been the ideal start to Brent Pry’s second season or tenure in general, to this point. What realistically has to happen for the rest of this season for Hokies fans to feel good about the state of the program, and is a win against Wake Forest necessary to reach that feeling?

Answer: Four wins in six games is basically necessary. Sitting at 2-3, the FSU game was written off as a loss (accurately so, it turns out!), and fans knew that going 4-2 in those final six games would be what it would take to return to the postseason.

The Wake game itself may not be strictly necessary — it's a reasonable run-in for an ACC team, with BC and UVa teams that should be wins, and then needing just two more out of Wake, Cuse, Louisville, and N.C. State.

There are certainly some corners of the fanbase that could live with just getting close to a bowl game, so a 5-7 record — with things pointed in the right direction, of course — wouldn't be the end of the world. But 6-6 may well require a win against Wake, and would be the step that probably sees the shadow of the Justin Fuente era left in the rearview mirror forever.