Monday Thoughts: The Perils of Too Much Kool-Aid

Will Stewart

Founder

September 02, 2024 79

Brent Pry Virginia Tech — "I keep looking at that scoreboard, and it keeps saying that we lost." (Ivan Morozov)

That was a really fun trip to a great city, but someone threw a lousy football game into the middle of my vacation weekend.

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Monday Thoughts 2024 VT-Vanderbilt football

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79 Comments

Burgrugby September 4, 2024 at 1:05 PM

Maybe Weaver's ghost is behind the DDOS attacks? I've heard there's a very talented group of kids and their dog who excel at solving these type of mysteries.
GO_HOKIES_GO September 3, 2024 at 6:55 PM

The fundamental problem has been obvious from the beginning - VT hired two coordinators who are still trying to figure out how to do their jobs. I have watched two other mediocre ACC teams beat F$U and their superior athletes with better schemes, superior execution, and incredible intensity. This Hokie squad have weapons on offense and solid players on defense, but they are not ever going to line-up and dominate anyone - why is that obvious to me, but not to the coaching staff? I fear for this team if things start spiraling down - it could be a very long year. I will hope for the best (1995), and prepare for the worst.
1. VT GUY September 3, 2024 at 10:15 PM
  
  This is spot spot spot on!
Al Czervik September 3, 2024 at 6:00 PM

Best column on TSL! Haven't read any of the other columns this week yet. Needed a bit of balance to ground me before braving the 'we basically sucked' write-ups which are fair, just not looking forward to reliving what we all witnessed. Disappointed for sure. Not that we lost so much but, how we lost. Don't know if I bought into all the hype as much as I had certain performance expectations like we wouldn't play like primates fornicating pigskins. MTs keep me grounded after games like this. Thanks Will.
moneal September 3, 2024 at 5:30 PM

So what you’re saying is we need to hire FU back as the OC…. Good article BTW
Georgia Hokie September 3, 2024 at 1:44 PM

Thank you for transparently addressing the message board issues...tried to ask about it on Saturday but thread was overtaken by a troll unfortunately so let it drop. HATE that you guys are going through the DDoS crap...but did think this paragraph was one for your hall of fame. Captured both the game and site issues perfectly. "Just like the Virginia Tech football team, TSL was down for the entire first half Saturday, and as the Hokies were falling down 17-0 and my website wasn’t functioning, it was a pretty excruciating 90 minutes. Tech Sideline wasn’t ready for the first game, and that DDoS attack hit us like Vanderbilt hit Virginia Tech, and we both took the L for the day." Onward and Upward!
ChazB September 3, 2024 at 11:38 AM

excellent article. time to regroup and take out some frustration on the Herd-- build mojo the ole fashion way by kicking some opponent's backside!!! Let's Go--- Hokies!!! Beat Marshall!
HokieMac September 3, 2024 at 11:01 AM

Will, excellent analysis and well written post, agree with you about the game and the need for a hard turnaround to save the season as well as Coach Prye's ability to recruit/retain the talent needed to win.Go Hokies!
Wowo September 3, 2024 at 10:07 AM

I’ve been a Tech fan since we knew them as the VPI Gobblers so I’m not going to stop now. But I must admit faith in Pry and his staff is fading fast. Game management and player development doesn’t seem to improve. My concern is it’s not going to get better.
HokieJB September 3, 2024 at 8:01 AM

Well there is this ... we're not FSU.
1. VTAtlantaHokie September 3, 2024 at 12:24 PM
  
  Right nor are we Clemson right now. Imagine what the reactions are inside and towards those two fan bases right now.....especially if GT, Miami BC, VT all won their respective games but not the league's potential 2 defectors.
Hokie67 September 3, 2024 at 7:24 AM

Simply out coached. All the little things added up to the loss. Two Special Team plays - double 0's and failure to down the punt at the goal line. What Special Teams coach can't coach these two simple things. BTW - VT went 97 yards for a TD when Vandy downed a punt at the 3. It was all over the TSL board that Vandy was gonna stack the LOS. Hmmm. Drones did not look comfortable with the new helmet communications. The TV color commentator was the best I've heard. VT should hire him as an analyst. FSU laid another rotten egg. Unfortunately - both GT and BC are on VT's schedule.
1. MYNAMEISHOKIE September 3, 2024 at 1:32 PM
  
  I actually saw a handful of QBs/green dot comms players in other games looking similarly uncomfortable with the headset comms over the course of the weekend, at least when it came to being able to hear in a true gameday atmosphere. There were a BUNCH of guys cupping their hands over the ear holes in the helmet to block out crowd noise, so I wonder just how loud the speakers are and how much of that communication was actually heard in big moments across CFB (vs QBs and defensive players needing to check the sideline signals, since most teams still had those as far as I could tell).
Doublehaul Hokie September 3, 2024 at 5:45 AM

Frank Beamer wouldn’t have been Frank Beamer without a push from the AD to change out much of his staff. Turned things around and led to HOF. I believe this needs to happen again.
VTAtlantaHokie September 3, 2024 at 3:40 AM

Thanks Will, Chris, Andy, David, Brandon, Giovanni & Team. Hang in there and Appreciate Techsideline and all that you guys do. You are seriously this fanbases' weekly Therapy Couch. Ive been around when the 1st operating system of Techsideline was just a weekly paper to my dorm room. It's never been easy being a Hokie fan. BTW, the sports & health nutrition manufacturing firm I work for also took a Cyber hit this past month on 8/20; Ransome-ware involved. It shut our business down for several days and we are still recovering. We just have to keep hanging in there Hokies. Let's Go!
1. HokieJB September 3, 2024 at 7:59 AM
  
  Sanity! Thanks.
VTAtlantaHokie September 3, 2024 at 3:14 AM

Your Right Cheese. There was a lot of arrogant assumptions Hokies were just going to walk in and beat Vandy. Problem was some forgot what conference Vandy lives in an the extreme level of competition they face every single week. I live in the heart of the SEC.....these teams, these fans, these battles are hard core. We walked right into an ole fashion Star Wars Trap and allowed for a fed-up starving hungry fan base and team to feast.
1. phoenixhokie September 3, 2024 at 2:14 PM
  
  totally agree as my wife and her whole family are alllllll Tennessee Volunteers. They *know* competition. But look at the title of this article and particularly two words -- Kool Aid. Isn't that on us as fans? Brent Pry didn't order us to drink it. WE did. WE set ourselves up with the over the top optimism, expectations and kool-aid drinking. That's what fans do, yes, but it doesn't make it smart. And as we've seen from the boards and post-game messaging, the dolts are already calling for coaching changes. Get a clue.
Coach Dailey September 3, 2024 at 12:36 AM

I had quite a belly ache on Saturday afternoon from all the Maroon Kool Aid I drank over the summer. IMHO the coaches practice too much in the friendly shady Beamer Barn in low 80s temperatures and 50% humidity. Nasty Nashville humidity and noon heat slowed both our line play. At least that’s what I felt sitting in the sun in Commodore stadium.
HokieAvalanche September 3, 2024 at 12:25 AM

We must establish a strong running game that doesn't include running our QB up the middle evety time! Our Offensive line needs a ton of work again as usual though!
HokieJ September 2, 2024 at 11:26 PM

Wife and I went to SQUEEZE Saturday night as well. Highlight of the weekend. They were so good!
georgel September 2, 2024 at 10:41 PM

Hmm... very few passes over 5 yards first half and we expected to recruit ---retain 4 star wide receivers---wait until portal time baby !
middletennhokie September 2, 2024 at 10:34 PM

Will, I love you guys but let's be fair too. The preparation and coaching were horrific but TSL was helping to mix the kool aid with all the BS hype, predictions, etc. Go back and read the articles predicting how we were so much more talented... it was a gimme game. The hype train didn't help, and the 'all is lost' train won't either. Love ya, but own it.
1. HOKIE SEAN September 3, 2024 at 1:18 AM
  
  He did own it. Did you read the article?
fosterD1 September 2, 2024 at 10:24 PM

Too soon to throw in the towel on this season. Let the season play out.
HokieInAR September 2, 2024 at 9:37 PM

Will, you read my mind on the Pry/Fuente comment. I was thinking yesterday that you could build an awesome head coach by taking Pry’s personality, recruiting, and culture, and combine that with Fu’s Xs and Os. I realize that this is Pry’s first gig as a head coach, abc there’s a learning curve. But that’s where Dabo’s strategy was better. He balanced out his lack of HC experience by hiring experienced, proven coordinators. Pry, in the same situation, went with coordinators who have to learn on the job. That’s too many guys at the top that are learning on the job.
1. HokieInAR September 2, 2024 at 9:38 PM
  
  *and* there’s a learning curve. Stupid autocorrect!
2. Reston Hokie2 September 2, 2024 at 11:42 PM
  
  1995 Tech lost their first 2 games to BC and Cinn. They went 10-2 and played Texas in the Sugar Bowl,. After being behind 10-0 in the first quarter. They held Texas scoreless over the remaining 3 quarters while scoring 28 pts. I normally don't read articles on this site after a loss because of all the BS that gets posted. I don't care to see insulting comments aimed at coaches just because the team lost their first game. One game does not make a season. After laying an egg in Ireland, FSU laid another egg in their stadium tonight against BC. Better to remain silent and thought a fool rather than speak up and remove all doubt.
  1. Reston Hokie2 September 2, 2024 at 11:46 PM
    
    Let's not forget that Beamer lost games he should not have in those early years. Fortunately, Tech Sideline did not exist. Tech lost to Temple when they were a very bad team, to James Madison, and there is a lost to W&M somewhere. Vandy is not the same team last year that lost 10 in a row.
    1. gaholder81 September 3, 2024 at 7:37 AM
      
      Totally! VT turned it around once 35 years ago. They'll do it again for sure! Stay the course! 30 years from now we'll look back and say, "Wow, Pry is a CFB Hall of Famer and we almost got rid of him after dozens of coaching mistakes. But we stuck with him and in year 13 it all clicked!"
    2. Steeltown Hokie September 3, 2024 at 11:17 AM
      
      It ain't 1995 and this ain't that team. Cool story.
3. 7 FOX 9 VT September 3, 2024 at 10:08 AM
  
  BINGO-Second paragraph
  1. 7 FOX 9 VT September 3, 2024 at 10:10 AM
    
    In reference to HokieInAR post.
Ranger Sam September 2, 2024 at 9:36 PM

Coaches appear to miss the details that kill organizations and teams. Makes you wonder how much that plays into Pry’s 1-8 close game outcome.
RustyHokie94 September 2, 2024 at 8:57 PM

Marve, for not adjusting to give Delane some help, should have to walk his ass back to VA. Coaching malpractice. Same for Holt. Everyone in the stadium knew they were going to throw it to #3. I was at Green Day in Nashville on Friday! Let's regroup and try and beat Marshall--I cannot BELIEVE we are favored by 19.
Mikeb September 2, 2024 at 8:47 PM

I sat beside Bud Foster recently at a dinner. He said that he thought there was over exuberance around this team. He predicted beating Vandy was far from guaranteed. He said every game was winnable, but also lovable. Given the miserable play by the DBs and LBs, 7 wins seems best case to me.
1. Mikeb September 2, 2024 at 8:48 PM
  
  Not lovable. Losable
  1. gaholder81 September 2, 2024 at 9:48 PM
    
    Yeah, nothing lovable about that game! I still have faith we can get to 8. Stupid I know. And it may not be the best thing long term for the program anyway.
2. thewhofartedlook September 2, 2024 at 9:42 PM
  
  Bud doesn’t need to see anything but the LB’s. He knows it’s a glaring weakness and Maeve couldn’t hide them like he could
3. middletennhokie September 2, 2024 at 10:23 PM
  
  Exactly correct. 7 wins could be a pipe dream
4. mcannaday September 2, 2024 at 10:48 PM
  
  scheme was bad. you had a mobile QB that you knew liked to extend plays. Why not bring the blitzes from jump and force him to beat you against tight man coverage. less time to throw. He beat us with his legs and he had time to throw. Gotta stop one of them so you can control the game! We miss Bud for sure
5. AnotherTechW September 2, 2024 at 11:13 PM
  
  Jeez that first line would have been good info prior to the game
VTVOICE September 2, 2024 at 8:45 PM

Will, your thoughts are accurate and well expressed. This is a disappointing subject to cover. I have been losing my desire for college football and thought I would give the Hokies one more try for emotional support. However, after this opening surprise, I will only follow the game scores this season and casually check into TSL to get a feel for the fans' mood and AD news. Life is too short to get down on this year's football product and its potential negative future with unfavorable conference realignments to VT. I will miss TSL's insightful analysis as I peruse it less constantly, and I hope it won't be applied to an average or mediocre Hokie-coached team and ACC. A 6 or 7-win season will not bring me joy and excitement, nor further coaching letdowns as witnessed this past Saturday.
1. AnotherTechW September 2, 2024 at 11:23 PM
  
  So what will you do instead?
mygreenbaypackers September 2, 2024 at 8:18 PM

?
selhini September 2, 2024 at 7:55 PM

Vandy needs two SEC wins to make a bowl. I don't anticipate them losing to Alcorn State, Georgia State, or Ball State. We should have been the loss that made the bar three SEC wins.
spudman September 2, 2024 at 7:49 PM

It's rough being A VT fan, I should know better by now
DCL September 2, 2024 at 7:35 PM

Will, great article and very well thought out. For a coaching staff in their 3rd year the game Saturday was unacceptable. Anything below 8 wins this year would be considered a failed year and necessitates chances I’m both our OC who was clueless Saturday and our DC who still seems to be in the management trainee position
MAHist87 September 2, 2024 at 7:33 PM

Same as it ever was! I for one look to TSL to help cut through the BS and help shield us from the electric kool-aid.
bluetickhound September 2, 2024 at 7:27 PM

A painful beginning to a season of high expectations. No fluff or Smoke about how the loss will be good for the team is acceptable. This unprepared, out coached and out played game will be forever in our minds. With that said I've been in the Hokie Club for +40 years So I'm still a Hokie and hope they can turn the season around starting this Saturday. Pry and the other coaches owe the fans and players a public apology.
VermontDDS September 2, 2024 at 7:15 PM

i'm an idiot but believe Vandy will be bowl eligible
1. Ronf September 2, 2024 at 7:50 PM
  
  I agree! Will, how about a double or nothing bet on my next year’s subscription. If Vandy makes a bowl, I get free subscription for a year. If they don’t, I pay double. You in?
  1. slday55 September 2, 2024 at 8:32 PM
    
    You should take it, Will. Vandy has a 40% chance to beat SC, 20% to beat KY - everyone else is 10% or so.
    1. middletennhokie September 2, 2024 at 10:25 PM
      
      Sure, and a 1% chance to beat VT.
  2. Will Stewart September 2, 2024 at 8:37 PM
    
    I'm in! Check back in at the end of the year.
    1. jfhokie September 2, 2024 at 9:15 PM
      
      You might be giving up a free subscription. Vandy reminds me of Fuentes' first year with Jarod Evans. Nobody knew what to expect and we went 9-4. Vandy will be better than people expect.
      1. gaholder81 September 3, 2024 at 9:19 PM
        
        We went 10-4. And Vandy will most certainly not approach 7 wins, much less 10.
Hokester September 2, 2024 at 6:42 PM

Losing these types of games has become part of Tech's DNA. Sadly, it is something that surprises none of us. Based on the end of last season & the fact that just about every player was returning, I was hopeful that this would be the year, VT would climb back to relevance. Once again those hopes were smashed to smithereens just like they have been countless times before. I am really getting tired of it.
extremehokie September 2, 2024 at 6:23 PM

It all goes back to this- New head coach allowed to hire two new coordinators. What did we expect?
1. VTownie September 2, 2024 at 8:04 PM
  
  I am still stunned that Whit agreed to that. If I’m the AD make it very clear that we need an OC and DC with a proven track record. They don’t have to come from a major school, but you can’t have the HC, OC, and DC all learning on the job. It’s a clear recipe for problems. Of course it might have worked, but the odds were VERY slim and still are. I hope CBP can figure this out. He seems like a great guy. Go Hokies.
2. VTAtlantaHokie September 3, 2024 at 2:55 AM
  
  +1. Like Coach Pry but this is the biggest Flaw with Whit's decision. I hope Coach can pull us and the Team out of this plane dive but this is why it was crucial out University chose a replacement coach with HEAD COACHING experience who would have brought his DC and existing successful coordinators with him. People laughed and thought the idea was absurd.....but we should have should have taken a hard look at Hugh Freeze and Deion Sanders. Watch.....their programs will rise and achieve more faster than the Hokies. I hate to say it but Watch.
PNW Hokie September 2, 2024 at 6:06 PM

Glad you got a chance to see someone at the Ryman. It was also my first trip to Nashville. I saw Steve Earle play at the Ryman on the 28th and it was a great show, especially since I didn't know who Steve Earle was. My brother knew all about him and clued me in to his best known song, 1988's "Copperhead Row." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvaEJzoaYZk As a bonus, Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams came out and sang a few songs with him. Shame the game was the low point of the weekend. VT fans, especially the ones who traveled, deserve better than that
Walkin` Willie September 2, 2024 at 5:50 PM

I thought this was an eight win team before the season and nothing has changed my mind. Saturday was disappointing as all get out and I believe Marshall will be the target of frustration relief. We all knew this team had not beaten anybody really good (Tulane doesn't count as they were roster depleted) but we didn't KNOW it. Now we do. All that being said, eight wins will meet my expectations and anything above that will be bigtime icing on the cake. GO HOKIES!
1. HokieTC September 2, 2024 at 6:31 PM
  
  Maybe you can seek out fosterD1 who said this about our Roster "Bigger, stronger, faster! Looking more like a top-tier SEC roster" I have gone from 9-3 to 7-5. More importantly, I still care but am pretty sure that if Pry can't win that game where he was a 13.5 pt favorite with a so many returning players, VT will struggle to win this year.
133895Hokie September 2, 2024 at 5:44 PM

The only defense I can give to the coaching staff is that it is hard to prepare for a team with a new coaching staff and 51 new players. On the other hand, we are a veteran team, thus the Vandy coaches were able to watch game film and prepare for what they saw.
vtgriff09 September 2, 2024 at 5:40 PM

Will....you hit it on the head about this coaching staff, headlined by Pry. The weakest part of our program right now is not recruiting, NIL, a position on the field, stength and conditioning.....it is the coaching, from the top down. This is simply just not a good football coaching staff. Pry's last 2 yrs at PSU- 11 wins, 11 losses PSU record since Pry left- 22 wins 5 losses The only thing I disagree with is that you said this is not a great team. Drones is supposed to be great, Tuten is great, top 3 WRs are great. The DE, DT, LB and CB are all great players. The OL is experienced and showed the ability to hammer last yr....but we just aren't getting better at any position besides bringing in portal players that have been coached up by other staffs. Pry needs 8 wins...or we need to stop acting like he is the future. Conference realignment is at stake, and we can't continue to be this poorly coached if we are serious about football at VT. He has got to turn it around hard
1. HokieTC September 2, 2024 at 6:33 PM
  
  This is the post I fear - if it's truth. No strong evidence to make me think it is not.
B Hokie September 2, 2024 at 5:32 PM

Thanks for saying it like it is. VT got beat by a better team, and that team was lowly Vanderbilt. The one sure take-away for me is that we all "wanted to believe." Well, I tried that, even tempered my expectations. But I see no change since year one, Vandy was way better prepared, VT staff struggles mightily with in-game adjustments, and VT coaching staff does not do the little things well. They only consolation for me was at least Pry takes responsibility. Now will he do anything to improve the situation?
bonedoc September 2, 2024 at 5:17 PM

Hype-Train wreck
TomTurkey September 2, 2024 at 5:02 PM

Good, thoughtful accounting. I refer readers to the podcast for your in-depth analysis of Kool-aid, or is it Koolgate?
79EEHOKIE September 2, 2024 at 5:01 PM

Thanks Will, always look forward to to Monday thoughts, it always provides incite and perspective.
RoswellGAHokie September 2, 2024 at 4:56 PM

Will, I do remember that Temple drive in ‘99. Ike Charlton cheated on his receiver’s route and got burnt deep. The other thing I remember that game was Temple’s OT handled Corey Moore pretty well without any help.
1. Vippie1 September 2, 2024 at 6:48 PM
  
  I was there at old Vet Stadium. Probably a crowd of 20 to 25k. Mostly VT. Just remember Vick looking like he was running through high schools kids. My friend who had no connection to VT met me and hadn't seen Vick on tv yet and was slack Jared watching him.
Cheesehokie September 2, 2024 at 4:55 PM

You were really kind, Will. My simple explanation is that everyone associated with VT assumed that all we had to do in order to win was show up. Vanderbilt had other ideas. The season isn't over, but the lofty expectations sure are. And a four star in-state commit just voted with his feet to walk away from this mess.
1. 133222Hokie September 2, 2024 at 6:17 PM
  
  Who decommited after the game- 4 star in-state recruit??
  1. Cheesehokie September 3, 2024 at 12:16 AM
    
    Outten from Norcom HS in Portsmouth. Going to Penn St now.
2. VTAtlantaHokie September 3, 2024 at 3:11 AM
  
  Your Right Cheese. There was a lot of arrogant assumptions Hokies were just going to walk in and beat Vandy. Problem was some forgot what conference Vandy lives in an the extreme level of competition they face every single week. I'm one heart of SEC battles.....these teams, these fans, these battles are hard core. We walked right into an ole fashion Star Wars Trap and allowed for a fed-up starving hungry fan base and team to feast.
  1. HokienGeorjaw September 3, 2024 at 12:44 PM
    
    +1
  2. TimmyBarkVT September 3, 2024 at 1:09 PM
    
    I think it is reasonable to assume, we were going to beat Vanderbilt, and cover. There are 50-50 games on our schedule, and games where we won’t be the favorite. I’m sorry, this was not either of those.

Monday Thoughts: The Perils of Too Much Kool-Aid

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