Hokies Seek Reset After Vanderbilt Loss; Stroman Out For Marshall Game With Injury

Andy Bitter

Senior Staff Writer

September 03, 2024 30

Week 1 didn't go as planned for the Hokies at Vanderbilt. (Ivan Morozov)

The postmortem to any loss can be difficult, especially one to start the season.

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2024 VT-Marshall Football

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30 Comments

DGHOKIE September 4, 2024 at 2:42 PM

Neglected to directly mention the insanity of continuing to try the East-west passing game when it was clear that Vanderbilt had it figured out. We were consistently outnumbered. Maybe Kill knew what to key on and they practiced stopping those plays. They were ready for it. So why did Bowen keep calling it? And why did Pry allow him to?
1. boyd September 6, 2024 at 2:15 PM
  
  Because Bowen is a poor o/c. If it does not work keep running the same play, never try something different till it is to late.
RiverViewHokie September 3, 2024 at 10:13 PM

Seems like, and I thought this during the game, that Vandy focused solely on the Louisville tapes and that’s all they needed to see. Also, what’s going on with McDonald? Now I’m more concerned about LB than I am with the OL.
1. ShockWaveVT September 3, 2024 at 11:01 PM
  
  Yeah, somehow our best ILB in the later part of the 2023 season is now 3rd string and plays 1 snap in a game where Lawson who was a step late every play but somehow earns the starting job at Will. Marve's overall defensive coordinating has not been terrible but his LB coaching & personnel management has been a disaster.
11hokie September 3, 2024 at 10:05 PM

Stroman will miss a game? I for one am shocked. That dude never finishes games. Misses more time than he plays. We all know this and yet our backups are terrible too. Mark Marshal down as a loss. 0-2. Here we come. Good lord. This is painful as hell.
Slider!22 September 3, 2024 at 9:37 PM

So our best linebacker at the end of last year now can’t even make the two deep? I really thought MacDonald would be our answer at Mike next year.. we should be getting better play from our LBs.
HokieTC September 3, 2024 at 8:49 PM

“They were shooting gaps and doing some things we hadn’t expected, and I think it slowed us down a little bit,” Pry said Well, why wouldn’t every team do this??
1. HokieLF1 September 4, 2024 at 5:36 PM
  
  And why didn’t Marve adjust? Why didn’t Pry, a former DC, notice it any WTH MAN?!! FIX IT NOW!!!!
HokieTC September 3, 2024 at 8:46 PM

Against Marshall, we will see a bunch of deep passes despite the coverage. Most will fall incomplete, some will be intercepted.
N2VT2 September 3, 2024 at 7:00 PM

Delane has been "moonlighting" at all positions. Put him at safety and let the slot receiver own him. Now that the "Faheem effect" is over, maybe someone on the coaching staff will wake up and put him someplace he can do the least damage.It's time for him to gut-up and get with the program.
khakiblue September 3, 2024 at 6:12 PM

Might as well have said they didn't play fair, because they did things they weren't supposed to do. Way to go coach.
1. HokieTC September 3, 2024 at 8:43 PM
  
  +1
MDHokie79 September 3, 2024 at 5:04 PM

They outplayed us and outcoached us. WHY WHY WHY? And how do you plan to fix it? SOS!
cdogvt September 3, 2024 at 5:00 PM

The one position we could least afford an injury was safety.....and what is going on with LB? McDonald thing is really odd to me.
VBHokieman September 3, 2024 at 3:51 PM

Johnson has a broken fibula as an fyi.
spudman September 3, 2024 at 3:46 PM

Blah Blah Blah
DesertHokie September 3, 2024 at 3:39 PM

To point #5: Maybe it would’ve been better if we didn’t hear the actual calls lol. The way we were going vanilla in the first half might’ve been better if the players were deciding
1. Bruin2Hokie September 3, 2024 at 5:41 PM
  
  Sure was a lot repeat failed plays... kind of like let's practice that again until we get it right, because that last try sure didn't work! Maybe our OC thought that our execution was so bad that Vandy wouldn't expect the same play again...
VThokie59 September 3, 2024 at 3:19 PM

Keller relegated to back-up Mike LB again. Color me shocked.
2hhoop3 September 3, 2024 at 3:13 PM

Pry has the coachspeak routine down. The real proof comes in what happens on the field in the coming weeks. Marshall, IMO, cannot really confirm much positive but, can reinforce negatives if they continue to persist. I have always said a team should be judged on the full body of the work of a season. I am trying my best to stick to that practice. One more thing I will say, after watching the slow starts and the digging of early holes last year it is disappointing that with a coaching staff in its third year and a significant number of returning starters that condition reappeared last Saturday and it certainly raises skepticism and challenges trust.
1. DADEC52 September 3, 2024 at 6:12 PM
  
  How many times can I give this a Thumbs UP? This coaching staff needs to get something done and fast. The fan base is about as negative as I have ever seen. Sick of the lies and excuses week after week. Another slow start loss and I expect "For Sale" signs up in every coaches yard and Whit too. I know we can't afford to jettison these guys yet but just keep it up and it will be the next big fund raising effort and a lot of folks will chip in!
rickbattle September 3, 2024 at 2:52 PM

Pry said, "There were some plays called and we got soft coverage and Kyron checked the ball down, which he should have, that prevented a big play down the field". This is what he said, but is that what he meant? You check the ball down against soft coverage? Excuse me if I am out in left field, but I understood when you are trying to stretch the field vertically and get the ball down field against soft coverage you throw the ball down field, not the safe play for less yards underneath. How is that pushing the ball vertically?
1. Andy Bitter September 3, 2024 at 3:01 PM
  
  Soft coverage meaning guys hanging back. If that's the case and they're playing deep, you check it down. Pry was explaining why there weren't a ton of deep balls, even if the play had a deep option.
  1. xhokiehurler19 September 3, 2024 at 3:37 PM
    
    Which to me begs the question - did Vandy recognize a tendency in Drones to be too quick to check down and bait him into doing that over and over?
    1. HokieCrazy1994 September 3, 2024 at 5:03 PM
      
      The announcers of the game continually commented on how Vandy was giving us a 2-high safety look and then would change it up late....specifically to lure us out of deep plays. It took us nearly 3 quarters to recognize that and adjust. I love our coaches for recruiting and culture, but they are not good game-day coaches.
  2. vfrhokie September 3, 2024 at 4:44 PM
    
    Doesn't answer why none of the check downs were 5-yard hitches instead of Tuten behind the line.
  3. atlhokie1 September 3, 2024 at 5:20 PM
    
    You would think the plays would be layered with a deep, medium and checkdown option.
  4. rickbattle September 3, 2024 at 5:36 PM
    
    Got it thanks.
2. mcannaday September 3, 2024 at 9:05 PM
  
  i agree. KD can make ALL the throws, Bowen just can't be agressive when he needs to. 6-5 Felton got like 3 targets. That's rediculous. I know the line was struggling a little but where was the play action? He abandoned it early
3. bluetickhound September 3, 2024 at 10:28 PM
  
  Nailed It!!

Hokies Seek Reset After Vanderbilt Loss; Stroman Out For Marshall Game With Injury

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