Tech Talk Live Notes: Brent Pry And Antwaun Powell-Ryland Talk Rutgers

Virginia Tech football head coach Brent Pry and defensive end Antwaun Powell-Ryland joined Zach Mackey and Mike Burnop on Tech Talk Live on Thursday night at McClain’s at First and Main to preview Saturday’s home game vs. Rutgers (3:30 p.m. ET, ACCN). They also discussed the Hokies’ 37-17 road victory at Old Dominion.

Brent Pry

Congrats on the win last week. How are you?

Thank you. That win is way in the rearview mirror, though.

It’s nice to see Kyron Drones have a good game.

I thought the coaches and KD did a good job at coming out fast. We had some gimmick plays, we blocked well, stayed on schedule. The defense also started fast, which was important.

What was clicking for the offense in those first two drives?

We stayed on schedule, which was really important. You can’t get to third-and-long and make it more challenging. That’s where you get off track and we stayed on schedule. I thought we had a good play mix. Coach [Tyler] Bowen did a nice job of getting it out wide and going down field. We got that PI early. All of that stuff matters and adds up.

How good was Jaylin Lane in that first quarter?

Man, when he catches the ball, he looks like a tailback. He can break tackles, he can outrun guys, he can make you miss. He’s great with the ball in his hands.

What was your assessment of how Kyron Drones played?

I thought he played to his strengths and leaned into them, which is really important for all of us. We have got to be able to do that. I thought he did well with that against Old Dominion.

Tell us about the play with Parker Clements doing jumping jacks.

It’s a trick formation. We call it circus everywhere I’ve been. Unfortunately, I’ve also been got by that formation. You hide the passing strength into the boundary. Normally they don’t see the tight end tucked into the O-Line. But they identified him and covered him, but they didn’t cover J-Lane. However, we can get it right there. Kyron ID’d it. Looked to the boundary first and did a good job with his reads. I thought it was a great catch by J-Lane and great acting by Parker.

How about the play of Bhayshul Tuten?

Like he said, he’s a dawg. Maybe a tugboat? He’s done a great job. He got banged up in the game a little early. They taped him up and he came out and said, ‘Coach I’m ready to go.’ I’m glad T-Bow got him the ball and it went back to him. We have to establish the run, and sometimes that takes some patience. Just keep giving it to him because he’s hard to contain. When you give it to him enough, he’s going to make some plays.

He got stronger as he went on and had two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

That’s like a lot of backs, right? You feed him enough and he gets better as he goes. Gotta get greased up and get confident. That’s how Kyron is. Get him going in the run game and he gains confidence. He’s got some tailback similarities in that regard.

It’s interesting how Kyron gains his confidence on the ground rather than through the air.

I learned that in camp. He was never live, we never let anybody touch him. And he’d come back after I blew the whistle because somebody tagged him off and he says, ‘Coach, you really think he’s going to tackle me right there?’ I have to tell him no, but I have to play within the rules and have a practice. But he is definitely built that way. He’s a big, strong guy that likes to impose his will, like he did that one play against Old Dominion.

Let's talk about the broken play where he found Lane.

That’s who Kyron is. Being able to grab that ball, scramble out and make a play. That’s leaning into his strengths. I want him to feel like he can take chances. I told him that week that the defense has your back, I have your back, go be you. I thought that was his best performance to date.

How about what Antwaun Powell-Ryland did on the defensive side?

First of all, when he made that decision to come back, evaluating his options, making sure he knew what the money would look like where he was going to go, but I told him when he came back, ‘You can’t be the same guy, you have to improve,’ and he’s done that. His technique in that game was awesome. It paid dividends for him. He made plays. When you play in the framework on defense, the plays come to you. A bunch came to him on Saturday.

He was the guy who told his story to the team on Friday. Can you relive that?

Before we break bread and have dinner, we have one of the guys playing in their last year get up in front of the group and give their personal story. Growing up, their family, football, what it means to them, and then what the game means to them. He did a great job. Everybody is a little bit different. The players respect him, showed a lot of interest in his story, and he’s got a great one. It was awesome to see him go out and then play that way. Back at home, I’m so happy for him, I really am. Him and his family.

It was pretty cool to see some of the stats that previously hadn’t been done since Bruce Smith was here. He was walking on the sideline at ODU, too.

Yeah, he was on the sideline, and he’s legendary out there. There was a bunch of young guys. Before we kicked off, I asked them if they knew who he was and they didn’t. ‘Oh, he only leads the NFL in career sacks. First Team All-American and the first pick in the draft.’ They said, ‘Huh?’ I mean, that’s everything they could hope and dream for, to be one of the two guys to have multiple four-sack games. I hope he has three of them.

What was the message going into halftime?

We told the group it was 0-0. We played decent at times, but not the way we could play. We needed to come out at halftime and make a statement and the guys did that. 

Have you ever been around a team where you didn’t give up a yard in a quarter?

I loved hearing that they had zero yards in the third quarter. You come out at halftime just like the start of the game. You want to come out, set the tone, get that three-and-out, get the ball back and go do something with it. The guys did a good job at halftime with adjustments and coming out with the right mindset.

The blocked field goal seemed controversial with the long snapper.

We complained about it, we looked at it on the iPad. You’re supposed to give the snapper one full second before there is any contact. That did not happen. Not on all of ‘em, but on the first couple. It made me a little nervous. That’s why we went for it on fourth early. We hadn’t got it cleared up with the official. There's rules in place to protect that guy. He’s got his head down. I thought the rules were broken there, but the refs didn’t see it that way so we had to move on. We weren’t good enough in protection, we had other issues on it that allowed it to happen. But to me, that’s a situation where if you want to protect players, then call the foul.

What about the hit on Stephen Gosnell?

At first, I thought it was dirty. Then you look at the film and you don’t feel the same way. I was ranting and raving and raised heck with those guys. Hopefully you get one later for it if you make them feel guilty and give them grief.

There were a lot of guys who went down with injuries in that game. Any update?

We’re a little beat up. Couple guys in the two-deep and on special teams. It was a physical game. Marshall and Vanderbilt were physical. We’ve been rehabbing like crazy. Guys in the hot tubs, cold tubs, rolling things out in the training room, trying to get well. We have some guys playing for us that are 80, 85%.

How about Kelvin Gilliam and that defensive line?

They were good. Those guys got after it. ODU ended up giving [Wilfried] Pene a sack on Sunday. APR had 4, KG and Pene had 1 apiece and KG was close to another one. KG’s playing well. A guy that went to Oklahoma out of high school. He didn’t have success, it wasn’t the right scheme for him. Came back home, he’s a Richmond guy from Highland Springs. Here he is in Week 3 getting his first sack and doing big things. He’s a great guy in the locker room with a big personality. He’s always happy, always got a great attitude and he’s playing well. It’s a competitive room. You got [Josh] Fuga, Pene, Aeneas [Peebles], Kemari [Copeland]. It’s competitive and KG has the start Saturday.

This is the first team you’ll see all season that doesn’t have a bunch of turnover.

Coach [Greg] Schiano has done a great job. I have a lot of respect from my days around him at Penn State. He’s a really good defensive play-caller. A bit old school. He recruits the Jersey guys, he’s created an identity of being a tough team. They do a good job. They beat Miami last year to finish the season. They’ve got some momentum right now. 

A big part of their offense is running back Kyle Monangai.

He hurt us a lot in the fourth quarter last year. Those guys had 170 yards with 10 minutes left in the game and they gained 125 yards in 10 minutes. It was 21-16, fighting back in it. We have to play better. We’re a better team, but so are they. It’s a good running back challenge. Both our guy and theirs are Jersey guys. Two good backs. The challenge is in the trenches. It’ll be a physical game.

ODU didn’t have a drive over six plays. Meanwhile, Rutgers will have those slow drives where they just lull you to sleep with the run.

They’re based in the run game. I know their play-caller, he was with us at Penn State. I’ve coached against him a bunch. Kirk Ciarrocca, he does a great job. They’re sound, good at what they do. The quarterback for them was with him at Minnesota. He’s played at Ohio State and at Penn State in this offense while he was at Minnesota. This kid has some experience and guts. He can throw the ball, run the ball, they’re going to be a balanced offense. They’ll stay on schedule. And when you run, the play action is tough to defend.

They’re huge in the trenches on both sides, aren’t they?

Yeah, one tackle they have is 6-8, 350. He looks like two guys out there. He’s a giant. I told our guys not to tie up with him and to go on his edge. If you go at him straight up, we won’t see you for a couple plays.

What have you seen out of their linebackers?

They’re doing well. They have depth there. We need that this weekend. Coach Schiano is a defensive guy so they’ve got the right personnel. They’ve got guys ready to play. Them losing Mohamed Toure is a big loss for them, not only on the field but in the locker room. He’s a really good player. They’ve got a good football team with a good culture. This’ll be a tough test.

How about Johnny Garrett playing 70 snaps at left tackle?

Yeah, he ended up with 70 snaps and no nameplate on the back of his jersey. We had a little plan where he was going to see five or six plays in a different number because Johnny was a tight end in high school. From Boston, a really good one. He was 240 when we recruited him and now he’s 315. But he still has good ball skills. We were going to use him as an extra tackle, maybe slip him out on the play action. All the sudden he has to play left tackle for 70 plays and he did a great job. Second-year player, redshirt freshman. He’s worked and waited for his opportunity and it came and he took advantage of it and did a nice job. Xavier got hurt in pregame, which is crazy. He’s OK right now, feeling good about him playing [against Rutgers]. Johnny stepped up in a big way without a nameplate.

How do you see a high school recruit and think, “We can put 80 pounds on you and put you on the offensive line?”

First, you look at the features. Their head, their hands. One of the more uncomfortable ones is saying, ‘You’ve got a good booty, you’re going to be a big guy.’ Their moms will look at you and go, ‘Wait a minute, I don’t think I want you to play for this guy. But when they’re wide-bodied with a good frame — Johnny was a big kid. He played basketball so he was still lean. You could just tell he’d be a big guy.

How about the equipment staff in the building tonight?

We’ve got some. We have Stewart Carter, the head of the equipment staff. He’s got his assistants here and then his army of interns, which came straight from practice. I appreciate the commitment to being here. We couldn’t do it without them. Our practices, if you ever come watch us, are efficient. We stick to the second. We have yard markers everywhere, we have period clocks, whistles. This crew makes that happen. I don’t know what we would do without them. Pizza and wings is a small token.

Those trips to Miami and Stanford are going to be some long hauls.

We’re talking about Rutgers right now. It will be, there is so much help that’s needed. Nobody is perfect, but man, you have to be on point to make it go. This group in here tonight make it happen. Everything matters. It’s the smallest detail that you gotta do the right way. If you do enough the wrong way, it’s impactful in a way you don’t want. As coaches, those details matter. We try and move the needle everywhere we can, whether it’s traveling efficiently or anything else.

Who’s wearing No. 25 this week?

We’ve got a linebacker. We do a team positive every Sunday. We show a few plays in every aspect of the ball, win or lose, of very good things. And this guy keeps making the highlight tape for special teams, and that’s Caleb Woodson. A Virginia guy, he’s going to start at will linebacker and he’s going to wear that 25.

How is it to honor some of those Hokies serving in the military?

We are so excited about that. We’re going to wear some special pullovers and hats for the Hokie Walk. We have KG, who’s dad served 36 years in the army. He's going to carry the American Flag for us. I love how college football has joined in celebration and appreciation of our military. Everywhere I’ve been, there's a weekend denoted to it. It’s awesome. And then there’s the Hall of Fame [inductees], we have Tyrod [Taylor] and Duane [Brown] going in. We’re excited about that. Duane wasn’t able to make it, but Tyrod is going to be here. And a bunch of guys who played with those guys are going to be here. It’s a big weekend. Got the white effect. It’s what makes you love Lane Stadium. We have a ton of top prospects coming. It’s a lot.

How is Kaleb Spencer growing?

He’s a young man who went to Miami on scholarship and transferred back in state. He’s getting more comfortable. Getting reps on special teams and even some on defense. You’ll see his role continue to grow.

With the later start times, have the coaches been able to get out and do some more Friday recruiting?

We had a couple coaches go see some guys last Friday night. You don’t have as many days as you used to, which makes it tougher. But you can be in home now, seeing the parents, they’re important visits. We’ll do that, we have two byes this season and following Boston College, we’ll be on the road.

How about the news about Metallica?

I can’t believe it hadn’t happened already. They’ll have to play Enter Sandman twice. It’ll be a big show. It’s awesome. What a great band and I love how they’ve embraced this whole thing. And what Virginia Tech has meant to that song and their legacy, it’s awesome, I’m glad it’s happening. I’m not a heavy metal guy, but I like Metallica.

What’s one message to the team this week?

Physicality. Stopping the run and running the ball. A good mindset is necessary. It’s a good group. We need everybody pouring into Lane.

Antwan Powell-Ryland

Have you had a good week?

We definitely prepared to get ready for Rutgers.

How did speaking to the team last Friday go?

It was a lot of telling them how I got here. Being from so close to the stadium, being from Portsmouth and now being able to play here.

How was playing in the 757 again?

It was definitely a great moment for me. First time since high school.

How many tickets did you get?

I want to say about 30.

How cool was it seeing Bruce Smith?

It was awesome. An NFL Hall of Famer. Talking to him was great.

Being the only guy in Virginia Tech history to have two four-sack games, besides him, it had to be cool having him on the sideline.

I’ve known Bruce for a little bit. When I got my first sack, I looked over at him and knew he approved of it.

Coach [J.C.] Price talks about how sacks come in bunches.

Yeah, last week I didn’t have a sack and that definitely affected how I played. He talked to me, and sure enough, I had four of ‘em.

You ended that game with seven tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles and picked one up. When you’re out there do you realize the stats?

No, I don’t keep up with it. I try to always worry about the next play.

Talk about the depth on the D-line.

There’s no dropoff really if I need a breath. C.J. McCray does his job. We have a bunch of guys that can be starters.

What’s that room like?

It’s great. We work, we have fun with it and Coach Price stays on us too, which is great.

How about KG getting his first sack?

We’ve been waiting for it. I can’t wait to see him do more and that goes for everybody. We definitely built confidence for Rutgers.

When you’re on a tear, does the game just feel slow to you?

For the most part I just stick to my keys. With the first few, it just gives me motivation to go get more.

You guys did a nice job on third downs at ODU.

We had to work on that from the last couple weeks. I want to say they only had two conversions.

After watching the tape, did you see anything that you could exploit against the Rutgers O-line?

Not wasting a rep. Knowing if it's run or pass and getting to my job.

What do you remember about playing at Rutgers last season?

They had a good day running the ball and that’s what they’ll want to do here. They did what they were supposed to do and we didn’t. We want to change that.

Does the physicality of this game excite you?

Yes. It’ll be about who lasts the longest, and I got my guys every day.

They’ve got a big O-line, don’t they?

They’re pretty big. That’s what you deal with in the trenches.

What’s the key to getting around a big lineman?

Using my speed. One of the tackles is big and wide, I have to use my speed to get up under them and finish the rep.

I think that ODU tackle saw enough of 52 the other night.

I plan on making that happen again.

How is it being back in Blacksburg?

It’s great. I love playing in front of the fans. Without them, it wouldn’t be Lane Stadium

Do you prefer grass or turf?

Grass. I play in spiked cleats. Turf is slippery and not very forgiving.

What is it like walking out to Enter Sandman as a player?

It locks you in. You’re walking down to Lane and you can’t think about anything but game time.

What is your major and what do you want to do when football is over?

I’m a sociology major. I picked it because it’s a broad degree. I don’t know exactly what I want to do after football. That’s a lot of thinking I have to do.

What are your impressions about Rutgers and the quarterback?

They’re a great team overall. They’re coming here to win and we have to match that energy.

What’s your favorite time to play?

Night game under the lights, for sure. A night game in Lane is unstoppable.

What would your message be to a younger self getting into football?

Brent Pry (Yelling from the crowd): Tell him he should’ve gone to Virginia Tech out of high school.

APR: I’d just tell him to keep going. I worked really hard when I was younger, too. Just needed to trust the process.

What’s the key to winning?

Come in ready to be physical and play team ball from the first snap.

Do you want defense or offense first?

Defense. I want to set the tone of the game immediately and let the offense piggyback.