As we prepare to enter another college football season, one comment I keep seeing on social media these days involves Hokie Twitter being really quiet right now.
There is, of course a reason. Many Hokies were raised in the South, and because of that, we were taught that if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.
To say there is presently a certain sense of apprehension about Hokie football would be an understatement. It reminds me a little of the 1977 season, when after a disappointing 6-5 campaign, several publications predicted the Hokies would only win 3 or 4 games instead of bouncing back to the 8 wins they had managed the season before.
Head Coach Jimmy Sharpe bristled at the predictions, at times asking anyone who would listen during practices “does this look like a team that’s only going to win three games?”
Several months later when the smoke cleared from season’s end, the answer was “yes it does.” The Hokies went 3-7-1 that season and Sharpe was fired. Frank Moseley would then retire as athletic director, allowing both football coach and AD positions to be combined to attract the man who made “hey diddle diddle, let’s run up the middle” famous, Bill Dooley.
Brent Pry is kind of facing a similar situation. He managed last year to take a whole host of returning talent, and despite being considered by some as a dark horse candidate for a national title, finished with an underwhelming 6-6 regular season where they had to win the season finale against UVA in order to gain the right to lose in a bowl game and finish 6-7.
Some say Pry has to win at least 8 games to avoid the same fate as Sharpe, and while it’s possible he COULD do it, it feels like to me this could end up the same as 1977’s 3-7-1. Like back then, it’s also not inconceivable the current athletic director could get caught up in the crossfire and both offices are empty at the same time once more.
There are reasons to think this can be a surprise season. When Bill Clinton once said “it’s the economy, stupid” years ago, the same sort of applies to this Hokie team, only “it’s the quarterback, stupid.”
No team that is going to have a really successful years is going to achieve that without a good quarterback. Virginia Tech has one in Kyron Drones, and he played well in 2023, but last year he was hampered by injuries.
He’s healthy now, but it’s not the threat of injuries that concerns me. In 2023, he played with a reckless abandon at times, taking one glance down the field, understanding what he was seeing, and then either threw a bullet downfield or took off running for a sizable gain. Last year, he seemed to hesitate, as it looked like either he had lost a little of his confidence, or what he saw confused him. Maybe it was an injury. Maybe it was something else.
He also had to contend with an offensive line that at times sparked a lot of attention on social media, and not in a good way. That was addressed in the offseason as a change was made at that coaching position, and the new coach brought in some experienced talent. Giving Drones more time, or at least blocking in such a way where the QB understands what’s happening in front of him, could be a huge boost as well.
And of course, any QB’s best friend is a competent running back that can make linebackers hesitate for a half second by breaking off a few good runs. Bhayshul Tuten is gone to the NFL, but there is a buzz in Blacksburg about Terion Stewart as a special kind of running back.
Combine a confident Drones, a solid offensive line, and a breakout season for Stewart and the expectations of 8 wins this season might not be out of the question. Early success will be critical, and you can make an argument that how the first two games against South Carolina and Vanderbilt go, so goes the season. They MUST win one of those first two or the season will be similar to the Titanic post iceberg, and just about every press conference will be about Pry’s future instead of football.
That’s what happened in 1977, but unlike then, I think this team can be successful. I certainly want this team to be successful. Heck, I NEED this team to be successful.
But will they?
The answer to that may be why Hokie social media has been so quiet…
I think that it should take 7 or (hopefully) 8 wins for Babcock to keep his job; let the next AD figure out the coaching situation.
I agree. Having another season where the Hokies have to win against UVA to be bowl eligible is not going to be warmly received…