Virginia Tech hopes to rebound from surprising loss, hosts Marshall at Lane Stadium on Saturday
BLACKSBURG — Dealing with the unknown left Virginia Tech unsettled in the first half of its season-opening football game at Vanderbilt — so much that the heavily favored Hokies lost in overtime to the Commodores.
When Marshall sets foot in Lane Stadium for Saturday’s 4:30 p.m. game, Virginia Tech (0-1) will get a second chance at dealing with the unknown. Even with a week’s worth of game tape, the Thundering Herd (1-0) likely will be full of surprises.
With more than half of the starters who played key roles in last year’s 24-17 win over the Hokies in Huntington, West Virginia, no longer on the roster, Marshall brings in a team that is full of transfer-portal talent and younger players who are still trying to prove themselves.
The Herd avoided revealing many of the bells and whistles in its offense during a 45-7 season-opening win over FCS opponent Stony Brook. Marshall coach Charlie Huff said his team struggled in the first 10 minutes of the game, but then took advantage of a 90-minute rain delay to make the necessary adjustments to cruise after that.
The Hokies never seemed to get their footing at Vanderbilt. Their first two offensive drives ended with an interception and punt, and the Commodores were up 17-0 until the final seconds of the first half. Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry listed multiple issues that led to the outcome:
The Hokies’ offense, which was considered in the preseason to be very balanced and led by one of the most experienced offensive lines in the ACC, struggled to establish a run game, which led to quarterback Kyron Drones spending much of his day on the run and out of sync. He threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns but was also sacked once and threw a costly interception on his team’s first drive.
A special-teams mistake — two players wearing the same number were on the field during a punt — led to a penalty. That moved Vandy close enough to successfully attempt a field goal, which proved to be costly later in the day.
And while the defense started to hold its own against Vanderbilt’s option-style offense late in the first half, the Hokies started to look worn out late in the game in steamy Nashville.
“I think they all understand we didn’t play our best today — that’s the first thing,” Pry said after the game. “Secondly, it’s humbling. Maybe we needed some of that. As much as we preach about ignoring the noise, maybe we felt a little better about ourselves than we needed to.
“I don’t think that will be the case next week.”
Trying to bounce back with a home game also has its advantages. Since 2014, only two Group of Five-level teams have beaten the Hokies at Lane Stadium. They also will be playing on a day that the program’s most celebrated team — the Michael Vick-led 1999 group that reached the national championship game — will be honored.
Tight end Benji Gosnell added that he believes this Hokies team has the proper character and experience needed to return from a loss.
“We took a really mature approach to it,” said Gosnell, who caught four passes for 61 yards. “We covered the bases that what happened on Saturday was not OK. But great teams have mature approaches to losses — you either win or you learn. That was how we approached it late Saturday and Sunday.”
If Virginia Tech’s players can avoid the hype this week, they may be the only ones. Despite last week’s outcome, the Hokies enter Saturday’s game as a bigger favorite against the Herd (20½ points) than they were against Vanderbilt.
Virginia Tech will be facing similar challenges from Marshall that had been cast by Vandy.
The Hokies’ defense will see as many as three quarterbacks, as Huff said he has yet to settle on just one guy. All three threw TD passes in the win over Stony Brook, and all presented different challenges.
Marshall also plays a high-energy, charging-style defensive scheme, which means Drones will need to make quick decisions early in the game on which of his many weapons are available on each snap. The Hokies do not want to let another underdog gain confidence early in the game.
“This is a good team we’re playing,” Pry said. “It’s a group that’s beaten Notre Dame recently, that’s beaten us and took North Carolina State to the wire. They’re going to give us their best effort.”
Marshall (1-0) at Virginia Tech (0-1)
When: 4:30 p.m.
On the air: The CW, 790AM, 910AM, 107.5FM
The Thundering Herd: Coach Charles Huff’s team displayed a balanced attack in last week’s 45-3 win against Stony Brook, throwing for 290 yards on 32 passes and rushing for 259 on 36 attempts. A.J. Turner is part of a three-player rotation at tailback and was the most impressive against Stony Brook. Though he did not start, Turner rushed for 119 yards on just eight carries, including an 80-yarder. Starting QB Stone Earle, a transfer from North Texas, and Braylon Braxton threw two touchdown passes apiece. The Herd added 45 new players and six new assistant coaches in the offseason.
The Hokies: QB Kyron Drones started slowly against Vanderbilt but finished with career highs in completions (22) and yards (322), and he threw two touchdown passes before leaving the game late in the fourth quarter with cramps. The Hokies are 20.5-point favorites but will be without safety Jalen Stroman, who suffered an undisclosed injury against Vanderbilt. Jaylen Jones and Mose Phillips III should see increased playing time, according to coach Brent Pry. — Associated Press
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