Monday Thoughts: Coaches, Players, Officials, And Dumb Luck

Will Stewart

Founder

September 30, 2024 49

Dorian Strong Virginia Tech — Virginia Tech scrapped all game long but couldn't come up with the W at Hard Rock Stadium (Ivan Morozov)

Three days after this game ended, there’s a lot to unpack, but I’ll start where everyone else did: the final play.

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Monday Thoughts 2024 VT-Miami Football

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49 Comments

rsplante October 1, 2024 at 4:00 PM

I didn't read all the comments; but, did anyone else notice that on the next-to-last play, Miami got away with pass interference? The Miami defender pushed the good guy out of the end zone prior to the ball's arrival, and he wasn't looking for the ball either.
VTagr406 October 1, 2024 at 11:56 AM

One other point that has not been much discussed is that the officiating crew in this game was the same one that botched the Miami/Duke finish in 2015 (I believe Andy did mention it one of his articles). I'm not sure if the whole crew was the same, but the referee was Jerry Magallanes in both games and the crew was suspended for several games by the ACC after the Miami/Duke games. With the excruciating ending of our game, and the many missed calls (seemingly more detrimental to Tech), I don't know how this crew continues to be employed.
LDHokie October 1, 2024 at 10:47 AM

Somebody said this feels like 1992. I disagree- I think its more like 1998. We lose to Temple on last play- lose to Cuse on Last play.- lose to UVA after being up by a zillion. At least we ended up 9-3 that year. It's doubtful we end with that record, but it feels very similar to me for some reason.....
vvhokie October 1, 2024 at 8:13 AM

For older Hokies, this is beginning to feel like 1992. Frank had come oh so close in 1991 and finished with a 5-6 record. Off-season, we felt like this team was turning the corner. Instead we got a disastrous and disappointing 2-8-1 season (yes kids there were ties back then). Bobby Ross met with Frank, told him if he didn’t fire some people on staff, he would be fired. Our AD gave Frank another chance, he did let some people go and replaced them with better assistant coaches and the bowl streak was born the next year. Any chance this happens with Pry? Will, you are my age, is this a stretch?
1. moneal October 1, 2024 at 10:54 AM
  
  Maybe (likely) I'm just old and jaded now. But I felt a lot more optimistic in 1992. Games were fun back then
quinine September 30, 2024 at 11:00 PM

This might be one of your best Will! I appreciate the positive perspective of this game being the best we have played against a good team in Pry's tenure. Disappointed that I hadn't thought of it that way. Most fans probably didn't because it was such a tough loss and everyone was upset about how we lost.
cdogvt September 30, 2024 at 9:48 PM

I was at the Clemson - Stanford game - Stanford O is all RPO and misdirection and the QB, if healthy, can run - they were even yardage wise with Clemson and moved the ball, but turned the ball over on poor throws. Clemson has a strong run D but still struggled stopping the cardinals. Let’s see.
dobrohokie September 30, 2024 at 7:44 PM

Will, this is excellent work as usual and I appreciate your insights. I have read virtually everything written on this subject and it seems to me that it boils down to two points. First, there are differences of opinion on whether he caught the ball. However, the call on the field was a catch. Second, everyone agrees that there is no “indisputable video evidence” to overturn the call. Thus, the call was overturned for some reason other than “indisputable video evidence.” That’s the rub. There is ample room to conclude that the ACC wanted the call overturned, and so it was. This is unconscionable and is a marker of the state of football today.
1. VTSandman September 30, 2024 at 9:00 PM
  
  I agree with you 100%. Big Games come down to the final play all to often. If the ACC can't provide photographic proof the a Miami player was out of bounds when he touch the ball before Felton was given the winning TD catch, then should VT get the win. More importantly VT ( Dr. Sands) should step up demand the ACC admit they made the wrong decision and either give VT the win or pay for damages incurred ( I'm not an attorney) The players, Coaches and fans deserve better! VT is getting a rap as a school that will not fight back against injustices Ex ( Michigan - Danny Cole) now Miami - Felton) . Stand up and fight.
  1. MiamiSailingHokie October 7, 2024 at 2:13 AM
    
    +1
vtgriff09 September 30, 2024 at 6:48 PM

Your statement is why Pry never should have fake puntes, but why he always does the over aggressive thing....If he would have converted the fake, it would have been Les Miles level genius. We don't need a genius, we don't need the guy who wants to make the calls so he can be the genius saviour. It reaks of desperation....and his overaggressiveness continues to cost us. He is 1-10 in one score games for a reason, he doesn't know how to manage time, we are undisciplined, and he tries to force it....to make the plays so he becomes the genius that wins the game. Just take the points on the road and keep the momentum......is that too much to ask????
1. vtgriff09 September 30, 2024 at 6:48 PM
  
  fake fg**
Two4VT September 30, 2024 at 6:14 PM

I was sitting on my couch and "questioning" the spot on that play as well. How did nobody on the coaching staff say, hey wait a minute...
1. vtgriff09 September 30, 2024 at 6:51 PM
  
  Yeah....wait a minute. They have no clue what is going on in a game. It won't change. If you have been around football your whole life and you don't get the most basic things (like running a clock down to 1 play on a 57 yd fg instead of calling a timeout to be so nice to let the other team have a try too)., then you will never just all of a sudden get it. M.O.P- Master of Panic!!!
  1. Steeltown Hokie October 1, 2024 at 8:55 AM
    
    +1. Coach Cheerleader has no sense of time and situation.
xhokiehurler19 September 30, 2024 at 5:58 PM

Very good points Will. There were many opportunities for VT to put itself in a position to win before the last play. But I’m surprised no one is talking about all the wildly inaccurate passes by Drones. By my memory there were 5-6 times that he missed guys who were open. Most he threw behind the receiver, but at least one more where he over corrected and threw it well in front. A starting P3 QB has to complete more of those.
1. quinine September 30, 2024 at 10:45 PM
  
  Absolutely agree about Drones. If he hits Gosnell in stride on first down after the interception return, he walks in and no fake fg needed. Will did mention that Cam was more accurate.
jboyhokie September 30, 2024 at 5:56 PM

The more I think about it, the most cost efficient and quickest way to address Pry's deficiencies is to hire some assistant for $50,000 to stand right next to Pry and keep him informed as to the time risks. Much cheaper than hiring a new coach. (Only partly TIC)
1. McHokie78 September 30, 2024 at 6:25 PM
  
  Doubt you could hire anyone with those skills for $50,000, but I like the idea. With 55 employees and coaches on the football staff, we should have at least one that has that skill.
  1. DonHo-kieHi September 30, 2024 at 10:49 PM
    
    Evidently we have several hundred TSL subscribers with those skills.! Surely ONE will step up for 50K. Personally, I don’t get the angst. 4th and whatever with little time. The choices were… go for it …… punt and get to the half…. Or try a career field goal by the kicker. As a head coach I might have required a couple minutes to think about that decision and collaborate with my assistants and probably would have called a time out. I’m guessing I would have then been criticized by most subscribers here as well! I’m thinking “ oh crap, what are we going to do” went through all the coaches minds. I guess most of you are on the ball and quicker!
    1. Hokie90_CA October 1, 2024 at 4:45 AM
      
      Great summary. The choice what to do there was not obvious. It’s only ‘obvious’ in hindsight after Love nailed the 57 yarder.
  2. Cheesehokie October 1, 2024 at 12:53 AM
    
    Hell, I’d do it fer nuthin!
    1. Buzzardlip October 1, 2024 at 12:51 PM
      
      You're hired!
TomTurkey September 30, 2024 at 5:45 PM

I can hear your voice as I read. Well written. Like laying down your napkin after a nice dinner. Time for a glass of wine and a cigar.
hokiebone9 September 30, 2024 at 5:41 PM

Will, there was also two #17’s on the field during one of our field goals. How can Pry let that happen again? Poor coaching.
1. Will Stewart September 30, 2024 at 8:26 PM
  
  Yeah, I tweeted about that, and we discussed it on the boards and in articles.
MKD September 30, 2024 at 5:26 PM

What concerns me is when an average or bad team plays a great game (usually against a rivalry or a game on prime time) and everyone thinks they're going to play that way for the rest of the season. However, most of the time, the team goes right back to the way they're were playing previously with the same results. Sometimes it can be the game that launches a program forward for the rest of the season. Hopefully for VT, this was the game that does spark them to finish out the season strong. Sports psychologists have studied this for decades and still don't know why most teams go right back to their old ways... Go Hokies, beat Stanford
El Paso Hokie September 30, 2024 at 5:25 PM

Let's also not forget that in the final moments of the game, Drones was horse-collared and no flag was thrown. A flag there would have been huge.
1. Will Stewart September 30, 2024 at 8:27 PM
  
  Yep, that was in my notes, but at some point you have to quit writing and hit Publish.
GO_HOKIES_GO September 30, 2024 at 5:11 PM

I have often said it is better to be lucky than good (if you practice enough, you can get good), getting lucky is not a learned-skill. Unfortunately for VT, Pry is neither lucky nor good with his in-game decisions and adjustments. That is going to be a problem for the Hokies moving forward and I don’t see an easy/cheap way to remediate the HC, OC, DC deficiencies.
Reston Hokie2 September 30, 2024 at 5:00 PM

OK VT had been in the ACC only a few years when it was paired with FSU for the championship game. That year Joe Paterno was retiring and he and Bobby Bowen had never faced each other on the playing field. Penn State had already earned a BCS slot and the network that carries the Orange Bowl advertised if FSU beats VT then FSU and Penn State will face each other in the Orange Bowl. There were 29 yellow flags called on VT in that game and FSU prevailed. My son who was in his teams was getting very emotional about all the flags. I turned and told him to relax. I told him this game is not about FSU vs VT, this game is about FSU winning and Bobby Bowen and Joe Paterno meeting in the Orange Bowl. Before the season started the ACC had what they thought was at least 3 premier teams FSU, Clemson, and Miami with thoughts of 2 teams in the group of 12 in the playoffs. FSU has laid one egg after another, Clemson laid an egg in their game with Georgia. Miami has done well and climbed into the top 10. The game with VT was expected to a Miami blowout. No one expected Drones could throw the ball into the endzone and the ball snagged by a VT player. The referees ruled the throw a touchdown. Oh wow oh my what do we do now. It took 5 minutes for the decision to be made to over rule the call on the field and preserve the one ACC team in the top 10. Money makes the world go around. Money has taken the fun and fairness out of college football.
1. JAG88Hokie September 30, 2024 at 5:44 PM
  
  I'm not a conspiracy theorist typically, but you make a good argument based on the unfortunate fact that the conference more than ever is motivated by $$. Indisputable video evidence doesn't take 6 minutes to determine. There should be a time limit on all video reviews.
  1. grosehokie September 30, 2024 at 8:59 PM
    
    You don’t have to believe in conspiracy, you just have to recognize bias. When a questionable play is put to the ACC to make a ruling, they can’t help but side with the overwhelming favorite. It’s a freak play that rarely works and the consequences were so high that they were looking for any reason to overturn it, not indisputable evidence.
  2. delmarva hokie September 30, 2024 at 10:22 PM
    
    My big issue is the ACC hyping Miami's undefeated record in their post game marketing. If you're a conspiracy theorist, this is your proof. If you're not, it's still very bad optics given how the game ended.
  3. VTAtlantaHokie October 1, 2024 at 12:56 AM
    
    I hate the reversal call but the reality is what if the calculated decision saves the conference because it leads to Miami plying in the 12-Team Playoff and winning the National Championship with Cam Ward as the Heisman Award winning QB. Thats likely going to be the irony of it all. Our game and what Miami overcame will run in constant loop for us and everyone in the country to see over and over again. Your welcome Miami! Your welcome ACC!
    1. TboneParkerVT October 1, 2024 at 1:45 AM
      
      Not happening
2. VTSandman September 30, 2024 at 9:12 PM
  
  I agree with you Reston Hokie2, JAG88Hokie, grosehokie, dobrohokies -VT need to fight back and demand the ACC overturn their bad decision. See my reply to dobrohokie above .
DW Hokie September 30, 2024 at 4:47 PM

How long until this staff’s in-game bumbling leads to morale problems with the players? They’re aware that the officiating and Lady Luck MAY go against them, but by now they’ve surely figured out that at some point in each game, coaching miscues WILL go against them. BTW, I’m still in awe that special teams AGAIN had duplicate numbers on the field. There was one lucky officiating break we got!
1. Cheesehokie October 1, 2024 at 12:50 AM
  
  Agree. I made this point on the message board but was dismissed. Accountability is a big part of what holds a team together. Anyone, player or coach, can make a mistake. But players who make them repeatedly get benched. At a minimum, the head coach needs to own up to his shortcomings with the team. And either get better or delegate that responsibility to another coach.
brownsummithokie September 30, 2024 at 4:47 PM

We can hire someone to help Pry with the game management. Pretty much any of the GA's and half the fans would do a better job. Hell, I would do it for free. Frankly he needs to play 1,000 EA Sports College football games in the off season to wrap his mind around how to manage the game. I just cannot stomach the lack of progress with the coordinators and Pry not making any changes after last year. I like Pry and will give him another year, but my support ends there. Management of the program is job 1. PS - You forgot (or I did not see) the player with same number fiasco rep[eat itself as well as the no reason to be offside on a freaking FG and turn a 52 yard FG in to a 57 yard FG.
1. GO_HOKIES_GO September 30, 2024 at 5:06 PM
  
  Pry needs some help - send in your CV and see what happens. Maybe the people that are making 6-7 figures can make the necessary adjustments, but based on the evidence thus far I doubt it.
Nortazhokie September 30, 2024 at 4:44 PM

Mod on the Stanford Rivals board was hearing that Daniels may have a broken foot. Not confirmed yet.
1. atlhokie1 September 30, 2024 at 8:41 PM
  
  Just means some freshman will start, throw for 300 yards and 3 td's and coaches will say they didn't have any tape on him.
  1. LDHokie October 1, 2024 at 10:58 AM
    
    this.
IB4TECH September 30, 2024 at 4:42 PM

I thought that I was Miss Taken when I first saw Miss Fortune.
George Baylor September 30, 2024 at 4:38 PM

Will, well written with very good thoughts. CBP, IMO, is way over his head and making the same mistakes in year 3 as in year 1. Whit needs to put REAL DEMAND and consequences at season's end. As example, replace all 3 of the current coordinators: Bowen, Marve & Holt and must win X games in `25 without all the experience of this year's squad. GO HOKIES, need a W at "Stan."
Cheesehokie September 30, 2024 at 4:31 PM

Another good synopsis, Will. And thanks to Raleigh for pointing out the bad spot! That was a hidden killer. The ACC really needs to discipline that officiating crew, as well as the replay folks in Charlotte. Regarding Pry, if a 54 year old career coach hasn't yet learned to manage the clock better than fans on barstools and couches, then he ain't gonna get any better at that aspect of his job. He needs to delegate that responsibility to someone else. Finally, I sure hope our staff learns how to better manage hydration (as well as morale) because the Saturday weather forecast for Stanford is sunny and 90°. Our guys won't be ready for that after the ongoing rain, gloom, and cool temps of the mid-Atlantic.
1. RRHokie90 September 30, 2024 at 6:56 PM
  
  Tru, but the humidity will be about half of what it was in Miami. They'll be alright.
RustyHokie94 September 30, 2024 at 4:09 PM

Above, in the screenshot of the plays, is a Hokie (#3) being face masked--probably didn't get called...

Monday Thoughts: Coaches, Players, Officials, And Dumb Luck

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