Having watched Hokie football for 50 years, losing a season opener you were favored to win is nothing that unusual. It’s happened before, and it will happen again.
But the overtime loss to Vanderbilt Saturday, and the key play that decided the game, have me flummoxed. Things happened today I couldn’t possibly fathom. And it has left me thinking “are you serious?” even hours after the game is over.
Consider that when we last saw our heroes, they had won a bowl game and were hoping for big things in the future. They would convince a number of key players to return and there was a buzz about 2024 being a return to the good old days of football glory.
With the advent of NIL, emphasis was put on resources being needed and donations were stepping up. When more were needed, the athletic department began shifting monies from other sports to the football program, reasoning that football was the main engine that drove athletic revenues, so they should get as much as they could. It was the classic you need money to make money scenario, and most agreed it was the proper strategy to employ.
Fans got excited and flocked to Nashville to personally witness the opener, some media people spoke of the Hokies as a possible dark horse contender for the college playoffs, and everything seemed like the Hokies had the right people in the right seats on the bus.
Everything seemed wonderful, that is, until the game started. The Hokies fell behind 17-0 before mounting a comeback in the third quarter and getting within one score at 17-10. At that point, Vanderbilt was going to attempt a long field goal, but the Commodores were called for delay of game and the ball was moved back 5 yards. Vandy opted to now punt, and the Hokies were set to start from their 20 trailing only by a touchdown as the punt went into the end zone for a touchback.
A flag, however, was thrown on the field, and as it turned out, Virginia Tech sent two players out on the field wearing the number ZERO during the return. You can’t do that, so the Hokies were called for illegal substitution, Vandy got the ball back 5 yards closer, and this time they made a field goal to lead 20-10.
However you choose to look at it, when a game ends tied 27-27 in regulation, and if that penalty isn’t called, that field goal never gets made (or even attempted) and the Hokies win 27-24.
At the moment this all happened, trying to process all this was mind boggling. Wait, I thought, they’ve raised all this money and funneled even more from other departments to football and they HAVEN’T provided every player for a road game their own jersey with their own unique number? And with all this money that they’ve hired enough assistants and analysts to form their own flag football league, none of them noticed two guys were on the field wearing a ZERO?
Say it with me, everybody. ARE YOU SERIOUS?
Even if none of that were true, there’s an entire coaching staff I trust to be watching for tendencies, weaknesses, and opportunities to use on the next call and NONE OF THEM knew who was on the field and that two of them were wearing big fat ZEROS?
As the score indicates, Virginia Tech got its act together and came back to take a 27-20 lead before blowing it defensively in the final few minutes. That’s when the coaching staff sparked another round of “are you serious” thoughts as starting QB Kyron Drones was injured on the last play of regulation, and it was decided the leg injury would keep him out of playing in overtime.
Sixth-year transfer Collin Schlee got the nod, but after a QB keeper for a first down and a handoff to Bhayshul Tuten, Drones was sent back in. I’m no medical doctor, but generally if someone isn’t healthy enough to start an overtime, that injury won’t have healed by two plays later. But in he went, and even though he was favoring one of his legs, they sent him in to run the ball.
Say it with me again, everyone. ARE YOU SERIOUS?
One play was all they needed to determine Drones was too injured to continue, then Schlee did his best for the next two plays on 3rd and 4th down. But he was in a no-win situation and the game ended with Vanderbilt a 34-27 winner.
Like all losses, this one stings. But this one may linger just a bit more because of those two situations.
Losses, I’ve learned, can be accepted.
Regaining confidence that the people driving the bus know what they’re doing is considerably tougher.
I have been waiting and hoping your analysis was going to come out tonight. Losing on the field of playing is bad enough, but losing it on the sidelines by paid career professionals is very tough to accept.
I am serious. I feel for you. This UVA alum was jumping out of his recliner calling the Hokie coaching staff “boneheads.” I suspect by season’s end the Tech substituters, number callers & uniform distributors if jersey numbers shall have regrouped sufficiently by season’s end to send my Hoos packing per usual. But today’s miscues were certainly a handful of bitter pills to swallow for both the faithful and those of us who envy SEC football money and prestige.