Hokies Mailbag: Is It Clock Management Issues Or Game Management Issues Troubling Pry?

32 Comments

1. 

   jkharman November 8, 2024 at 12:41 PM

   I want Pry to be the guy. The stat about us being 8-0-1 if the games ended with 2 minutes remaining that shows we are competitive. It’s closing that’s the problem he needs to improve dramatically on that. The last 3 games will go a long way to showing if he can change. We could go 3-0 or 1-3. I don’t see us loosing to UVA
2. 

   George Baylor November 8, 2024 at 7:49 AM

   Andy, super article, well done. Pry's extension, like you said "NO RUSH." Since he was hired I have liked and supported his PR and still do, as for On-Field Coaching/Game Management its so, & so. Where can Whit get advise? Whit should demand that Pry make DEEP staff changes at season's end. 1st to go is Marve, way over his head as DC and Maybe as LB coach. Since that group has only very marginally improved in 3 years. As a season ticket holder for 56 years, my eyes have seen the Good, Bad & Super Ugly of VT football. This was to be our year, I predicted 8-4, we MAY reach 7-5, but don't count the Blue Devils as an "auto" W and fire all should we lose to Mr. Jefferson's school. GO, go HOKIES!!!
   1. 

      hokieben November 8, 2024 at 4:20 PM

      Not sure firing our best recruiter is the right answer. Perhaps a demotion if that would work, and bring in a new DC.
3. 

   moneal November 8, 2024 at 7:43 AM

   Well in fairness, Col Jessup did finally answer the question
4. 

   HokieAvalanche November 8, 2024 at 7:35 AM

   Seems Pry lacks the "killer instinct" in games. Don't take your foot off the pedal Pry!
5. 

   namibiahoke November 8, 2024 at 1:44 AM

   A decision I cannot fathom is choosing to run down the clock against Syracuse to go into overtime, winning the coin toss and then preferring the defense to start the overtime period. The D had their backs to the wall all of the second half. AND in the event Syracuse were to score (which they did), this results in more pressure on your 2nd string QB...who played brilliantly in my mind.
6. 

   hokieben November 7, 2024 at 10:57 PM

   I find it interesting that Pry seems to be fairly aggressive on going for it on fourth down but gets so conservative at the end of the half or end of the game.
   1. 

      tspoon5 November 8, 2024 at 8:02 AM

      +1
7. 

   jeff4vt November 7, 2024 at 8:23 PM

   With all the analysts we have in the program now, it seems as if they could pull together various end of game/half scenarios that played out positively for said team and pass those scenarios over to Pry to study and learn. Thoughts?
8. 

   proudhokie2001 November 7, 2024 at 6:38 PM

   Jerry Kill was not a slam dunk advisor. If we was, Fuente would still have his job. Complimenting jerry kill is an overreaction on this website.
   1. 

      atlhokie1 November 8, 2024 at 9:40 AM

      If Fuente would have done what was recommended he might still be here.
      1. 

         Jackie VT November 9, 2024 at 11:11 AM

         Having to wait until we could “afford” him didn’t help either.
9. 

   Technocrat November 7, 2024 at 6:20 PM

   Andy as for the extensions these agents are eating Whit's lunch. He is in so far over his head on negotiating these types of deals. The Fu deal was ridiculous.
   1. 

      phoenixhokie November 8, 2024 at 12:35 PM

      Uh .. see: A&M, Texas
      1. 

         HOKIE SEAN November 8, 2024 at 4:07 PM

         ?
10. 

    133831Hokie November 7, 2024 at 6:07 PM

    Pry shows which side of the difference between the mind of a Defensive guy and an Offensive guy he was trained to be Defense wants the clock to shrink and time to run out. Offense wants to stretch the clock - just save us a few seconds and we can get into scoring position!
11. 

    TomTurkey November 7, 2024 at 4:29 PM

    Thanks. Your answer to my question made a lot of sense. Deeper in depth than I anticipated. This is a great feature for TSL.
12. 

    Spartacusjones November 7, 2024 at 3:49 PM

    The defense has played quite well - at times, this season. I think that is messing with Pry's decision making as he's making decisions that seem to rely on a solid defensive performance late in games. He needs to factor in the too frequent missed assignments or other errors in critical spots in the game. Maybe make decisions based on the worst possible outcomes instead of the best.
13. 

    133485Hokie November 7, 2024 at 3:41 PM

    The picture of Schlee carrying the ball loosely reminds me that we have too many players who are NOT holding the ball (in Billy Hite's language from years ago) "high and tight." In the Syracuse game alone, we had Felton and B. Gosnell fumble out of bounds (fortunately), Coney, and then Schlee all were holding the ball too loosley. Drones almost always carries too loosely too.
    1. 

       tylerhokie November 7, 2024 at 8:06 PM

       So does Tuten.
14. 

    NativeBurger November 7, 2024 at 3:40 PM

    Andy - I think you are missing the most important point regarding giving Pry an extension at years's end. He needs an experienced DC (Marve has to go or be relegated to LB coach) and he is not going to get one unless that prospective DC believes (rightly or wrongly) that the man he is going to go work for has multiple years left to "right the ship."
    1. 

       Andy Bitter November 7, 2024 at 4:00 PM

       DCs never get anything longer than two- or three-year deals anyway. Pry’s got three years left. No need to change anything. And all coaches know they’re one year away from their next job, anyway. Look at any assistant coach’s resume. There’s a hundred jobs on every one.
15. 

    OhioHokie74 November 7, 2024 at 3:28 PM

    When a team consistently blows late leads to lose close games, I believe we can reasonably conclude that his approach isn't working. Will he become more aggressive at putting away games? I doubt it. James Franklin hasn't.
16. 

    maroonhiker November 7, 2024 at 2:55 PM

    I hope Pry asks Bud to review the defense and the linebacker coaching in particular. I know he'd never tell the public his brutally honest take on Marvel and the defense but he must have some thoughts about what is not going well.
17. 

    RustyHokie94 November 7, 2024 at 1:06 PM

    Un-MARVE-lost should be consulting Foster daily.
18. 

    extremehokie November 7, 2024 at 12:50 PM

    IMHO, the 7-5 final record is just a pipe dream right now. We could just as easily end up 5-7. As Metallica says, Sad but True.
    1. 

       vtunited November 7, 2024 at 8:32 PM

       Totally agree! I see the final record at 6-6. I think we lose at Duke and beat UVA at home. And lose to Clemson, obviously.
19. 

    McHokie93 November 7, 2024 at 12:18 PM

    No extensions for Pry please!
    1. 

       BGHokie13 November 7, 2024 at 1:05 PM

       I saw the trick play at the beginning of overtime talked about a few times in TSL articles and pods. Why didn’t the coaches call time out when they saw the odd formation? Seems like the coaches were out of touch with that.
       1. 

          DonHo-kieHi November 7, 2024 at 9:19 PM

          Those time outs seem to our coaches to be too valuable to use on mere confusion. Especially in late game situations.
          1. 

             tspoon5 November 8, 2024 at 8:06 AM

             Or to use at all...
    2. 

       Spartacusjones November 7, 2024 at 3:45 PM

       Pry has 3 more years in his contract. There's plenty of time to make a decision on an extension.