The Virginia Tech Hokies began the 2025 season 0-2 on Saturday after an ugly 44-20 loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores inside a sold-out Lane Stadium.
The Hokies actually controlled the first half of the game, forcing two turnovers and heading into intermission with a 20-10 lead. The second half proved to be one of the worst in school history. Vandy outscored Virginia Tech 34-0 after halftime, and the Hokies barely moved the football.
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Now 0-2, the Hokies’ next opponents are Old Dominion and Wofford. But before then, let’s get to our five takeaways from Saturday’s loss.
A false start
No, not a penalty, but the Hokies fooled us all for 30 minutes. The offense controlled the clock. Kyron Drones looked like a quality starting quarterback and the defense forced two turnovers. All of that led to a halftime lead and optimism throughout the stands at Lane Stadium.
But if you’ve watched any Hokie football in recent years under Justin Fuente and now, Brent Pry, there’s always this impending sense of doom. That’s what we got. The Commodores came out in the second half and bludgeoned the Hokies in every way possible. There’s no blaming the refs. In every way possible, Vanderbilt destroyed the Hokies.
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We crowned Siefkes too early
Anyone who watched Virginia Tech last week would tell you that what we saw from the Hokies’ defense was encouraging. Facing a top-15 South Carolina squad, the Hokies flew to the ball, put pressure on Heisman contender LaNorris Sellers and, for the most part, shut down the running game. It looked like Pry had (probably accidentally) hired a genius. And who knows, maybe he will be, but Jerry Kill ate his lunch on Saturday night. Yes, we know that Kill isn’t technically the coach or offensive coordinator, but, make no mistake, he runs that entire team. Not Clark Lea.
Siefkes had no answer for anything. Virginia Tech could not pressure Diego Pavia. There were massive lanes for the ‘Dores to run through. VT’s defensive backs had no idea where they were. When Pavia threw downfield, Tech’s corners — all of them — couldn’t even turn their heads around. It looked like a bottom-feeder G5 school going against a top-five team.
Siefkes has plenty of time to get it right, but does anyone have confidence in anything regarding this team?
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Two stats that stick out
Here are two stats that stick out:
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Vanderbilt did not punt one time
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The Hokies managed 21 total yards in the entire second half.
First, about the punting — or lack thereof. Vandy had nine possessions, scored seven times and turned the ball over twice. Both turnovers were in the first half.
Now, the other stat. Let’s look at its historical significance.
Gross.
We told you it was bad. That’s historically bad. Of course, if you watched that game and had any affiliation with the Hokies, as a fan, supporter, former player, etc., you already knew. Look, Vanderbilt isn’t the same ol’ Vandy, but this shouldn’t be possible. We can blame OC Philip Montgomery, Kyron Drones, or the offensive line, but this is a failure from much higher.
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What’s next?
I wish I knew. I would love to say 10 straight wins, but I laughed as I typed that. What we saw on Saturday night looks like a 3-9 team. Sure, the next two weeks should have wins coming to Lane, as Old Dominion and Wofford are in town. Let’s say Tech wins both as expected. Who cares? What does it mean? Absolutely nothing. The next “good” game on the schedule is N.C. State in Raleigh on 9/27. That will be a tough game. No, State isn’t a powerhouse, but the Wolfpack play a brand of tough football that the Hokies should model. They aren’t an elite program in terms of wealth, but they find ways to remain competitive year after year.
If you look at Virginia Tech’s schedule, it’s hard to see a lot of wins. That’s tough to say. But it’s the truth. It’s really amazing that the Hokies can continue to put this type of product out there and sell out Lane Stadium, or even come close. It says a lot more about the past than the current regime. The fan base deserves better.
It’s easy to blame it all on the players. The players are transactions in this culture we now live in. They come and go more than ever. Virginia Tech’s woes have been out there for everyone to see for years. It’s bigger than Brent Pry or Justin Fuente. The Hokies have always been a school to react to a changing landscape five years too late. That’s again the case. The college football world has changed and left the Hokies far behind.
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Teams take on the personalities of their coach
We’ve heard that forever, right? Boy, if that’s not the truth with the Hokies. When have you ever seen Brent Pry mad? We aren’t asking him to throw temper tantrums because that does no one any good. You want your coach to be himself. However, Pry never shows emotion; he does like to clap a lot, and he is not aggressive. This team, not just the 2025 version, but his teams, tend to take after him. They get punched in the mouth, and they fold. There’s no fight. When things go downhill, there’s no hope of turning them around. It’s rudderless.
Brent Pry is a great guy. He was the dreaded right culture fit. We should’ve known. It was good to see someone who cared, unlike the last guy. But it’s clear that he’s not the right guy. But, again, the problem is bigger than Pry.
