Brent Pry identified a key issue affecting his team’s ability to close out games this season.
On Tuesday night, the first official 12-team College Football Playoff rankings were revealed. While there was early-season optimism that Virginia Tech might appear in the Top 25, they were absent from the list. The only ACC team in the Top 12 was Miami, ranked No. 4. Other ACC schools in the Top 25 included SMU at No. 13, Pittsburgh at No. 18, Louisville at No. 22, and Clemson, Virginia Tech’s next opponent, at No. 23.
Virginia Tech has a 5-4 record after nine games, falling short of preseason expectations. In last Saturday’s game at Syracuse, the Hokies built a 21-3 lead by the middle of the third quarter, despite missing quarterback Kyron Drones and running back Bhayshul Tuten. However, a second-half collapse—something that has plagued them throughout the 2024 season—ended in a 38-31 overtime defeat. There are various factors contributing to their struggles, and Brent Pry has pointed out where he believes the responsibility lies.
Brent Pry points the blame for his team’s lack of finishing
Finishing games has been a persistent challenge for the Hokies this season. The struggles began in Week 1 against Vanderbilt and continued into Week 4 versus Rutgers. The pattern repeated against Miami in Week 5 and again last Saturday at the JMA Wireless Dome against Syracuse. If Virginia Tech had managed to close out those games within 58 minutes, their record could have been a much stronger 8-0-1. Unfortunately, in the final two minutes of each of their four losses, opponents have either scored to win or push the game into overtime.
“We’re obviously disappointed in the outcome of the game,” said Brent Pry. “We weren’t able to finish, which is something we’re addressing and I’m reflecting on. We need to be better there, and it starts with me.”
Typically, when a coach says this, it can seem like an attempt to take the heat off their players. In this case, however, the responsibility genuinely falls on Pry and his coaching staff. Issues have included questionable play-calling, clock management errors, and critical decisions regarding scoring opportunities. Additionally, the penalty against Vanderbilt for having duplicate jersey numbers on a punt, which led to a Commodores field goal, still looms as a frustrating mistake.
Pry’s 1-11 record in one-score games during his tenure at Blacksburg is a harsh statistic that underscores these struggles. Many of these defeats have been avoidable, placing accountability squarely on the coach. Identifying the problem is a step in the right direction, but if improvements aren’t made, Virginia Tech’s rebuild under the former Penn State defensive coordinator could stall.
Leave a Reply