Jaylen Griffin and Virginia Tech have committed too many penalties. (Ivan Morozov)[/caption]
On Thursday at then-No. 24 NC State
Tech (2-6, 1-4 ACC) also committed a season-high 10 false starts in Raleigh against the Wolfpack, which contributed to the one-point loss. Nine different players had one; the combined number of FBS games played from that group is 301.
After the West Virginia performance on Sept. 22, head coach Brent Pry instituted a new punishment: one individual 40-yard sprint for every penalty yard committed on the Sunday after the game. In the four games since, Virginia Tech has 30 penalties for 225 yards, which equates to 9,000 yards in 40-yard sprints (or 5.1 miles).
"I don’t think the penalty system is broken," Pry said in his Tuesday press conference. "[The Wolfpack] were doing a nice job with a move call that was catching our guys off guard. ... They were all related to move calls by the opponent. A lot of dramatic action by those defensive ends when they moved. Which, as long as they’re not using our cadence, it’s within the rules.
"It’s something we had to look at, what we’re doing with our cadence, and making sure that we’re not making it too difficult for our guys. In the end, they have to sit in there and the reflex has to hold off. They can’t react to sudden movements and noises. ... It was intentional to draw guys offsides."
The Hokies have been called for 27 false starts in 2022, which averages out to 3.4 per game. All five starting offensive linemen have at least three, headlined by five from Parker Clements. Moreover, the most flags in a game in program history is 17. They've hit 15 twice (at Old Dominion, vs. West Virginia) and 13 once (at NC State) this year.
For comparison, the most false starts in a season since 1987 is 30 (2007). Tech is on pace for 41. Similarly, the 1993 team was flagged the most in that span (105 times). That's a number the Hokies are on pace for in 2022.
Through eight games, Virginia Tech ranks 126th in the FBS in penalties (with 70), tied with Syracuse and UMass. Only Bowling Green, Cincinnati and Houston have more.
Injury Updates
Pry provided injury updates at his press conference on Tuesday, beginning with cornerback Dorian Strong. The junior from Upper Marlboro, Md. injured his hand in the West Virginia game and has not played since. Pry said he's doubtful for Georgia Tech (3-5, 2-3 ACC), which is the same status he held ahead of NC State.Running back Malachi Thomas is also doubtful. Shortly after a diving 23-yard catch in the third quarter against the Wolfpack, he departed the game while holding his left leg. It's the same one he injured before the beginning of the year and forced him to miss the first five games.
In three appearances in 2022, Thomas has 37 carries for 146 yards (3.9 avg) and one touchdown. He's been a receiving target out of the backfield, too, and has 13 catches for 91 yards and a score.
Fellow running back Keshawn King is probable for Saturday vs. Georgia Tech (12:30 p.m. ET, RSN). The Apopka, Fla. native missed the Thursday night showdown with the Wolfpack with an undisclosed injury. In six games in 2022, King has 44 rushes for 259 yards (5.9 avg) and two touchdowns, along with 13 receptions for 93 yards and a score.
"I think it puts more pressure on Chance [Black]," Pry said of the absence of Thomas and potentially King. "It puts more pressure on Bryce Duke, if those guys aren’t able to go. It puts more pressure on Holston. Those guys will have to carry the load if Malachi and Keshawn aren’t able to go. But the plan is the plan."
True freshmen cornerbacks Cam Johnson and Devin Alves are both "out." In the open practice the media observed on Oct. 24, both came up clutching their knees in one-on-one drills between wide receivers and cornerbacks. Neither traveled to NC State on Thursday, which left the Hokies with five scholarship corners. For the time being, that's where they'll stand.
[caption id="attachment_7482589" align="alignnone" width="2100"]
Mansoor Delane almost had an interception or two at NC State. (Ivan Morozov)
No Break For Delane
Due to its lack of depth, Virginia Tech had to play Mansoor Delane every snap at cornerback against the Wolfpack. In 79 snaps, he was the team's fifth-highest grader, according to PFF, and his 83.1 tackling grade was a team-high.
Pry admitted it was the first time in his 32-year coaching career he's played a true freshman at corner for a complete game with no rest.
"We had a plan, but we had some guys go down mid-week, Cam [Johnson] and Devin [Alves]," Pry said. "We had a plan to spell those guys and do some things. You know every play could be the difference, and Mansoor and Armani [Chatman] right now are both competing at a high level, and they don’t want to come out of the game. Right now, they give us the best chance to win when they’re out there, whether they’re at 100%, 90% or 80%.”
In five career appearances, the Archbishop Spalding product has 20 tackles, 1.5 for loss, four pass breakups and one forced fumble. He was nicked up during preseason camp so it took the coaches some time to get a clear read on him, but discovered in late August that he was a serious option at both safety and corner.
Pry said the game isn't too big for him, and though he was playing high school ball a year ago, he plays with confidence and doesn't panic.
"He can bounce back from a mistake or a big play from the other team," Pry said of Delane. "He was on [the NC State] sideline quite a bit and isolated. And I think there’s some things that he learned throughout the game that can help him be better moving forward. But also, he played every snap, and we’ve got to help him there.
"You’ve got to be able to spell them at different points throughout a game so that they can be their best when the game’s on the line, and I think Mansoor, if he’s as fresh as he was in the second quarter, does he make another play or two down the stretch? I believe he does. We’ve got to build the depth. That’s our job. ... We’ve got to find ways to spell him, because I think it’s hard to ask any corner to play a full game and get every snap."
Struggle To Get Pressure Led To NC State Comeback
On the first nine Wolfpack possessions, the Hokies forced eight punts. But once that final Tech touchdown was scored with 4:02 in the third quarter, all of the momentum swung NC State's way.Freshman quarterback MJ Morris got comfortable and found his stride, and he started the comeback with a 35-yard pass to Thayer Thomas before the fourth quarter began. The Hokies had a tough time wrangling him, and though they sacked him twice in the first half, that penetration slipped away as the game wore on.
As a result, Morris completed 12 of his final 14 passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns. Five passes were longer than 15 yards, too. That sparked the NC State comeback.
"We’re up 21-3, they hit a big box on DJ Harvey," Pry said. "We didn’t have the proper leverage, but they made a nice throw and a nice catch to kind of get that first score, and then to me, they found a hole in the secondary a couple of times. Our underneath coverage wasn’t great. They hit that backside seam a little bit, nice job by the quarterback.
"We’ve got to be able to win more one-on-one battles. I keep saying that, when we don’t bring pressure or when we do bring pressure, when you get a one-on-one and you have three guys that have one-on-one blocks in the throw game, you’ve got to win one of those. It takes one guy to get home and pressure the quarterback, make him move his feet, get him out of his comfort zone."
Special Teams Continues To Disappoint
Chance Black muffed two kickoffs that set Virginia Tech up inside its own 10-yard line on Thursday night. The Hokies also allowed a 44-yard return to Julian Gray, the longest of the year.
Tech's often covered kicks well, but the return game has struggled. The team ranks 107th in kick returns (17.7 avg) and 128th in punt returns (1.29 avg), and the latter has seen a revolving door. First, it was Harvey back there. Wide receiver Jadan Blue tried it out for a week when Harvey couldn't play, and walk-on wideout William Kakavitsas filled in when needed. Against NC State, true freshman Tucker Holloway caught punts.
"He looked great in person, he looked great on video," Pry said of Holloway. "His communications were solid. His body position, I thought Tucker, he’s a guy that really works at it. And we gave him the opportunity, and he deserves the shot again this week. We’ve got to do a little bit better defending the gunners and getting a little more on them, slowing them down to have a chance to generate a return."
Clock Management Strategy
Another interesting note Pry mentioned in his Tuesday news conference dealt with clock management.In the season-opener at Old Dominion, 28 seconds ran off the clock before Virginia Tech called timeout on ODU's final drive. Against West Virginia at home, there was a delay of game following a false start in the second quarter. That occurred again at Pitt on the second drive of the game and it bumped the team out of field goal range.
And against NC State, the Hokies called timeout ahead of a two-point conversion for the Wolfpack. After the game, Pry said he wanted to make sure the right personnel was on the field, but that was a timeout they could've used later in the game.
"My chief of staff, Mike Hazel, is usually near me in those situations," Pry said. "But then also Brian Crist, one of our senior analysts, is also a guy that’s in my ear in moments where it looks like there could be a situation for a timeout, for when the clock is going to wind, all those types of things.
"We’ve got a group that does some analytical studies throughout the week of where we’re at, how did we do with this, how did we do with that from a management standpoint."