Monday Thoughts: This Time, The Hokies Won

Will Stewart

September 28, 2026 62

Virginia Tech fans — Great fans. GREAT FANS. (Ivan Morozov)

Shocker: Virginia Tech rolled into Chestnut Hill to face an inferior Boston College team and struggled mightily. Over the years, Hokie football and men’s basketball have this down to an art form. But this one was different. Virginia Tech won.

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Monday Thoughts 2026 VT-Boston College Football

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62 Comments

11hokie September 30, 2026 at 6:55 AM

Damn Will. Do we need to send someone over for a wellness check?
jjcopeland September 29, 2026 at 9:21 PM

I think the posts are going up as the games are having more issues / difficulties Ability to complain has gone up in each game
middletennhokie September 29, 2026 at 5:10 PM

Will, thanks for another Monday Thoughts, look forward to that every week! With respect to increase prices, I think Hokie fans need to do a gut check. I am never happy about having to dish out more $$ as everyone else, but we need to figure out who we want to be as a sports program. You cannot demand national or even conference relevance, and pay a pittance. My close friend would take us to Auburn games several times a year and he was paying over $1200 per seat in the end zone nose-bleed 20 years ago. This is before NIL and all the other changes in college sports. If VT fans want to have a chance at making the CFB playoff periodically, you need to pony up! Sorry, but as Andy says "Thems the rules".
smokey de hokie September 29, 2026 at 1:04 PM

I stopped reading the boards many years ago because of the language and attitude of those posting on the boards. People should be able to say something without being call various names by people who have nothing good to say about anyone or their ideas.
laphroaig September 29, 2026 at 12:00 PM

So - how did the shelves turn out? Got any pics of your carpentry skills?
133222Hokie September 29, 2026 at 11:10 AM

Will, I have looked forward to "Monday thoughts" ever since I'v been a subscriber. You love VT but bring a balanced, objective view as opposed to being a "homer". Please keep that perspective. BTW, I told my wife I dreaded watching the BC game especially given the weather forecast. So, to see VT bear down and put 15 points on the board in Q4 was refreshing. That was an ugly win but Friday night will reveal whether this edition is ready for prime time vs a Pitt program that has pushed VT around the past several years. It is a night game in Lane and it is Homecoming. I do question why the defense did not adjust and put a spy on the BC QB. He is the only offensive player that BC truly has and we allowed him to almost win the game by himself. I sure hope that Coach Franklin gave Coach Pry and the defense an earfull. Go Hokies!!!!
HokieJB September 29, 2026 at 9:28 AM

Tech's glaring defensive weaknesses in the last two games ... and delay in adjusting ... has me wondering whether Coach Pry should have been retained.
billcarstensen September 29, 2026 at 9:03 AM

Hating a team or school because of sports competition is way over the top. This is sports, not real life folks. I enjoy my Techsideline subscription, but find this article as depressing as it gets. Please desist on suggestions that game outcomes are as important as life itself. We all want to win and be successful, but most Hokie fans are better than that.
1. HokieJB September 29, 2026 at 9:25 AM
  
  Agree completely. I know that most use the term hate metaphorically, but the word has become all too common in today's conversation.
Repugnance4wvu September 29, 2026 at 8:43 AM

I HATE WVU! It’s ok to hate a team. If you didn’t grow up near the VA/ WVU border you wouldn’t understand WVU hate. I was hit in the shoulder at morgantown by WVU fan. My mom and I were yelled at a KFC in Princeton just eating in the dining room with VT gear on and you deal with it at church every check out clerk etc. I have tons of stories to tell about it. Put up the picture you have of the WV State trooper holding the Gatorade bottle that was filled with sand and thrown at the tech players in Morgantown. Then tell me not to hate them or want them in the ACC. Some teams just make you hate them.
1. Freddyburg Hokie September 29, 2026 at 12:30 PM
  
  I grew up in Georgia, and I hate WVU with a passion. Geographic location is not required to understand the cousins.
George Baylor September 29, 2026 at 8:00 AM

Will, you "nailed it" with Pry Job One. All the BC QB has was his legs, and Pry did not have the D ready for that. Now w/Pitt that guy is mainly a passer, and our secondary is less that stellar. So another Job One for Pry. If he does not have the D ready, Pitt will prevail. Hope the bookies are correct but we will see come Friday night. GO HOKIES!!!
1. middletennhokie September 29, 2026 at 4:50 PM
  
  +1
HokieRaven7 September 29, 2026 at 7:57 AM

Re:drop in posting... (And I too have been here since the Hokie Central days, though I may have had a different user ID in the 90s... I honestly don't remember)... This may soumd trivial, but I was logged-in for years... with the new boards, I had to log back in, and I had to remember my password! Once I did that, fine. The new site seems to work great, it's not crashing... I have been logged and and except for one hiccup have stayed logged-in, so no problem there. It may literally be that those who just stayed logged in to the old site have not all migrated to the new site, or it has taken until they have decided they really want to.
dobrohokie September 29, 2026 at 7:35 AM

Will, I've been with you since the Hokie Central days and TSL is the first site I log on to each morning. I share your frustration with BC -- can't say that I hate them but there is no way shape or form that we should lose to them. And I don't think they belong in the ACC. I have seen many wonderful Hokie victories over the years, none more unexpected or thrilling than the Sugar Bowl victory over Texas. I told my wife Linda, "Let's go to this game so so we can say we went to the Sugar Bowl when Virginia Tech played in it!" Silly me. And, I have also seen Virginia Tech lay stupendous eggs and have killing collapses, none worse than the BC game in Lane in the rain in the I don't want to remember which year. BTW, I've got 20 years on you -- turned 82 this year so I qualify as an Old Hokie and remember the very good Hokie teams of the 60s under Coach Claiborne. Those years don't get enough press, IMHO. We had some really tough, impressive players during those years. It would be interesting to know how many subscribers are in the older age range, say 70 and older. Thanks for a terrific article. Great job as always.
1. 133222Hokie September 29, 2026 at 11:16 AM
  
  I'm 81 and those 4 years VT went 8-1-1; 6-4; 7-3; 8-2 when I was a student. We beat FSU both years in Miles/Lane and the 1966 game was the first game that VT was televised. VT won on a Frank Loria punt return and two goal line stands. Great memories. In the mid- 60's, we expected to win at home in both football and basketball. VT basketball only lost one game in Cassell my past two years in school, and that was a 2 point loss to Clemson. The '67 team came within an OT of going to the Final Four in basketball!!
  1. Cheesehokie September 29, 2026 at 4:00 PM
    
    Those were the days!
  2. middletennhokie September 29, 2026 at 4:55 PM
    
    Saw all of those as a kid. Dad played on the '46 Sun Bowl team having taken some time off for an all expense paid trip to the pacific in the USMC. We had season tickets since 1968, and saw some great games, although much different than today (X1000). Great memories though.
2. Cheesehokie September 29, 2026 at 4:03 PM
  
  "Just" 72 so I I wasn't attending VT for the Jerry Claiborne years, but I do remember him. He won at an under-resourced Tech and later at MD. During my time at Tech in the 70s, we were much better at basketball than football.
HaymktHokie September 29, 2026 at 12:05 AM

I've used this site both as a freeloader and a paid subscriber, have never once even visited the message boards. I'm old school but I subscribe and visit the site to take in curated content created by the staff. The internet has created a low bar where anyone with a device can express their thoughts and opinions on anything, most not worth the pixels they occupy. Beyond any doubt though it has proven the vastly under-appreciated and probably underpaid role that editors play in creating great content!
VT GUY September 29, 2026 at 12:00 AM

Here’s my theory for reduced message board posts… it’s the quantity and quality of articles and content published on the site. Back when articles were more like one a day I had more time to read message boards… I also relied more on message boards for info. Today I get much more content to consume, rely less on the message boards for information, but also have less time because I’m consuming more published content. Make sense?
1. Hokie Proud September 29, 2026 at 12:55 PM
  
  I think you may be on to something as I find the same. I'm spending more time reading, listening to and watching content, leaving me less time to head to the message boards.
ToledoHokie September 28, 2026 at 11:44 PM

Will, i’m worse than you. I won’t even turn the game on. I turn my phone off and I don’t check the score till I know that it’s over. Then I turn it on and in one quick second I find out if we won or we lost. That way I don’t have to go through the agony of 3 1/2 hours just to see how we lost another damn game to Boston College. I’ll do the same thing in the Pittsburgh game. I won’t watch a second then I’ll turn on my phone three hours and 20 minutes after the game and find out if we won or lost. If we won, I go and watch the highlights. If we lost, I don’t even waste my time and I’m move on. It’s sad to be that way, but that’s the way it is for me. when we get legitimately good again, I’ll start watching again. But for right now, it’s too soon, we can win or lose almost any game we play from this point one.
govt86 September 28, 2026 at 11:29 PM

People are talking and reading less too. May just be a general phenomenon. We’re on our phones and devices and less interactive. Who knows why, but it is not just message boards.
1. `lag September 29, 2026 at 4:03 PM
  
  Well, he has implied a pretty good correlation with installing the new boards although I understand the point you made about talking and reading in the general population. For one I’ve been reading more but knocking out 12 books a year last couple years of course I’m seven years old finished war and peace this last summer
75nokehkey September 28, 2026 at 11:18 PM

My input on posts. I rarely have posted. But I am a pretty consistent reader of articles. That is until the new system. Yes it works fine but the one change that has caused me to stop reading articles so much- I have to log on every time and I haven’t discovered a quick easy way to do so. Not complaining, I’m sure I’ll find a best way. You’re saying, we’ve always had to log in. Nope. Before, On my phone I left the window open 100% of the time. Never had to log in, just go to window and check new articles. Sweet. No more. Have to log in every time. Not bitter not resentful. Just slows me down so that I say, I’ll check some other time. I’ll be fine but maybe it’s just reduced traffic some??
1. Exit8Hokie September 29, 2026 at 9:08 AM
  
  That's odd... My experience hasn't changed in that regard. When I click to open TSL I'm always logged in - I don't have to log in each time I open the site. This is true for both my computer and my phone (Windows/IBM ThinkPad, Motorola Android). I'd look at your cookies settings - maybe something is clearing them out??
El Paso Hokie September 28, 2026 at 11:04 PM

I suspect that the decline in board posting over the past few years has much to do with Hokie fandom fatigue. Years of losing has had a grinding effect on our ability to remain engaged and it may take more than four early season victories to revive things.
jecvtmgr September 28, 2026 at 10:17 PM

To me and the quality of posting is definitely not better these days. It's the same cast of characters who treat the board like a version of FB. I would be interested to know the average age of posters on here? I would guess 65-75 (nothing against older people I am becoming one every day!) Now the content TSL provides is a completely different story. It's awesome! Informative and professional. It's grown leaps and bounds. You guys should be proud of yourself. It will continue to be my go to page for all things VT sports. Thanks, Jecvtmgr
Hokie2Architect September 28, 2026 at 10:12 PM

3 things. (I added a 4th thing) 1) Eff Matt Ryan for ever and ever amen. My disdain got BC is exactly the same. 2) Pitt happens….that being said one of the single greatest goal line stands I’ve ever seen also happened and man was it glorious after watching Pitt happen for four quarters. 3)This site and the boards have never been better. I visit the boards way more frequently since the update and find myself posting more. 4)Love the new buy/sell and game prediction stuff. super fun addition to the site. (Bonus thing: we need will’s banhammer TSL t-shirts or something)
Tidewater Hillbilly September 28, 2026 at 8:57 PM

My similar experience of intense frustration and hatred of an opponent culminated on October 25, 2018 in Lane Stadium. That night, I swore I'd never go to another game. I changed my mind about that but I HATED Georgia Tech and Paul Johnson and their chop blocking and those jackass zebras who refused to throw their flags for quite some time!!!
HokieACC September 28, 2026 at 8:46 PM

I hate every gaming featuring an opposing running QB that burns our defense over and over and over without any adjustments to the defense! Also hate every game where the offense insists on repeatedly running into the back of the OL without any adjustments made by the offensive coordinator. ;)
Riverguy September 28, 2026 at 8:29 PM

Your thoughts and feelings on BC could've been written by me (except that I don't write as well and I watched the whole game). I don't like playing them. It isn't the school. It isn't the people. I even have a history of respecting the heck out of their (yesteryear) ability to always put up good OLs. Guys in the trenches. But I hate playing them, and was all geeked up last week knowing that something like what we saw was going to unfold. But we won. I'll take it.
JHokieD September 28, 2026 at 8:21 PM

If banning a user is a key to turning the Hokies around and a path to victory. I can set up another acct and rant and rave before the game Friday (you know I won’t have any signal to lose it at the game). You can ban that account! It’s all I can do to support the cause. On another note I got so mad I deleted my fresh Ethan G. Background on my phone. Now I can’t find the picture to recreate it. Sigh. Maybe I’ll leave it alone so as not to jinx him.
RiverViewHokie September 28, 2026 at 7:57 PM

You give us more podcasts to listen to and more content to read. Maybe that equates to less time for posting. Maybe?
TomTurkey September 28, 2026 at 7:20 PM

FTR, I, too, turned off the 2009 Nebraska game. Was sitting in the car in the strip mall parking lot while my son looked in Goodwill. Disgusted, radio turned off. My cell phone rang and the wife excitedly told me my premature fair weather fanhood had stolen one of Bill's and Mike's top 5 calls. The funniest part is my brothers were leaving when a Nebraska fan they sat with started yelling NOOOO!!! They turned around to see Danny Coale wide (and still to this day) open down the right sideline. I've heard the buffet buddies' and Sean McDonough's call several times and they're both still Hokie classic football history.
Cheesehokie September 28, 2026 at 6:49 PM

I was never a frequent poster on the Subscriber message board. But my frequency of posting has gone down pretty sharply the last 2-3 years. Why? Partially because our teams haven't given us much to talk about. But mostly due to the snarky smart-alecks. Nowadays, I rarely even look at the board. Perhaps a return to football glory will motivate me to re-engage, but I doubt it. The shield of anonymity gives some people license to be their worst selves all too often. I remain loyal to TSL for the superb writing and analysis, and the occasional podcast. I see no value in engaging with sh*t posters.
1. dllawson September 28, 2026 at 10:23 PM
  
  Well said
2. BrewThruHokie September 28, 2026 at 10:36 PM
  
  Agree, I’ve learned to post and ignore the comments after
ShockWaveVT September 28, 2026 at 6:36 PM

regarding the boards, the interface and mechanics are great with one exception... I'm finding it difficult to keep navigating / reading older threads/chains on pages 2, 3, etc. I don't check the boards every day but I have a habit of going back through a few pages to catch up on anything interesting that was discussed. On the new boards that is a PITA (unless i'm missing something) I'll dive into a thread, reading post by post and then its time to go back to the main listing to find the next interesting chain. Except to get back to my place on Page 3, I either need to hit the "back" button about 20 times (to go back through all the posts I've read) or hit the "board home" link and then scroll to the bottom of the page, then click Next page, and do that 2+ times. That navigation path has cut down on my historical browsing a fair bit..
Hokie TD September 28, 2026 at 5:54 PM

Subscribed pretty much since Hokie Central days in 98 I believe, with a few minor lapses when my subscription expired while I was working over seas a few times, I literally used to live for the quality of the Monday thoughts articles. Now not so much these last few don’t really discuss or highlight the “ pulse “ of Hokie Nation . Pretty much ramblings. You used to be able express the feelings and anticipations of Hokie Nation and were right on point every time!!!! You get a pass for the last few years obviously with all the turmoil with in the program and short comings in the athletic department. The Monday thoughts this year feel like you are just checking a box vs being passionate. By no means am I saying I am correct but a few of my buddies and I have discussed this a couple of times and our perceptions are synonymous. I will always be subscriber just friendly constructive criticism.
1. Will Stewart September 28, 2026 at 8:13 PM
  
  Yeah, a few things: (1) Tech Sideline is way bigger business than it used to be. I became president of the company in 2009, I bought the company in 2021, and we went from just two people to five over the years. We added a podcast to the mix. I'm now responsible for programming the site. It just takes an enormous amount of time to run this business outside of paying attention to sports. 2. I'll be 62 years old here in a few months. Maybe I just don't have a lot to say anymore. 3. Careful about looking into the past, your memory paints everything with a rosey aura. It's possible that you're remembering a few great articles I had in the past and thinking that I used to do that literally every week. I didn't. Not every article is a grand epistle that belongs in the Will Stewart Hall of Fame. Fortunately, we have an outstanding staff and some great freelancers, and there's not so much pressure on me anymore to be the only one to produce great works.
  1. Hokie TD September 28, 2026 at 9:53 PM
    
    Fair enough, well said! And understandable for all the reasons you stated.
    1. Will Stewart September 28, 2026 at 10:50 PM
      
      We should have a beer someday. I'll say a lot more. 😁
      1. fortpaynehokie September 29, 2026 at 5:35 AM
        
        The Monday Thoughts were comforting because they made Hokie fans feel not so alone through the tough times, such as the late Beamer era offensive decline. Those articles made our Hokie football woes easier to accept because TSL put the pen of the matter to the paper. There will be tough losses this year and I'm sure my brain is still wired to look forward to the Monday Thoughts article to feel better about them. When things are going well, however, I'm not so quick to click to check for the dropping of the Monday Thoughts.
moneal September 28, 2026 at 5:28 PM

Maybe I’m an oddball, but in 30 yrs I’ve never come here for the message board
NokieHokie September 28, 2026 at 5:28 PM

The program is great hands now. The potential I knew VT had when I started "complaining" here 20 years ago is being vindicated in real time... And it's a beautiful thing!
1. astrohokiebob September 28, 2026 at 8:35 PM
  
  I miss you man...
  1. NokieHokie September 28, 2026 at 10:19 PM
    
    Haha, thank you sir! I appreciate the support 😁
CaryHokie September 28, 2026 at 5:00 PM

About BC, I second that emotion! I expect a 3 hour stomach ache against Pitt. Hoping for the best, preparing for the worst.
75hoke September 28, 2026 at 4:52 PM

Agree Will that Pry only had one job, everyone knew what that job was. On a side note, do you think the increase in posts during the MD and BC games over the previous 2 games could be the fact that they were away games and the posters are normally in Lane?
1. Will Stewart September 28, 2026 at 8:54 PM
  
  One day, in the off-season, I should do an analysis of that. But my gut feeling is that there isn't a huge difference between home and road games, as odd as that may seem.
CPVT3 September 28, 2026 at 4:51 PM

I switched from default view to classic view to the more interactive view after liking to read the title and comments at once (re: forums). That is interesting to have such a drop for new boards. You could probably break it down by specific message board and find a disparity?
1. Will Stewart September 28, 2026 at 5:33 PM
  
  Nope, it's across the board(s).
  1. tallahasseehokie September 28, 2026 at 7:42 PM
    
    Thanks for making a HOKIE CENTRAL LOUNGE. Folks who want to express their gratitude for life or rage at how life sucks now have their own special place for support groups. You have the message boards properly organized by topic and the interface is 👍👍
  2. CPVT3 September 28, 2026 at 7:52 PM
    
    Very interesting. Can't wait for the update on why! Makes zero sense to me unless purely resetting a password or logging back in is a barrier to some?
xhokiehurler19 September 28, 2026 at 4:39 PM

I have a theory on the drop in message board traffic since the new website was rolled out. I think it’s due in part to the creation of separate subscriber boards. As much as I like having a separate “off topic” board (I forget the exact name), having all that “noise” lumped together with the “on topic” threads in the old format probably created more interaction. I know I for one almost never visit the “off topic” subscriber board. But who knows.
1. RTFC September 28, 2026 at 6:26 PM
  
  This. I know there a lot of people who rarely post. But the "community" within the boards has disappeared in order to "keep the boards on topic". I get it. Some don't care for the arcane, kinda "inside" jokes about specific posters. The equivalent of discussing sports at a bar with a group of friends - and then busting someone for something unrelated to sports - and all having a laugh. Again, I get it, not all, probably not even most (and I consider myself on the very fringe of that) actually "follow" the personalities on the boards - they want strict opinions/content just about sports. And the new boards are technically fantastic in how they can do that. However, I do think some of the "community" is gone.
  1. fortpaynehokie September 29, 2026 at 5:50 AM
    
    This is well said. I rarely post but I used to check to boards every day just because of the 'community' and because of certain knowledgable posters who seemed to have friends inside the football program itself. However, it felt like it all became too snarky and taken over by handful of posters. Plus, TLS seems to provide a lot more content now such that I can get my fill of Hokie sports just by reading all the great articles.
1977hokie September 28, 2026 at 4:32 PM

With the ticket price escalating, winning now is imperative! Continued winning, price increases will be swallowed, a collapse, tougher sell
1. Will Stewart September 28, 2026 at 4:38 PM
  
  Yes, indeed.
  1. hokiepro September 28, 2026 at 6:30 PM
    
    Good timing though considering 4-0 start plus announcement of home schedule with Miami, Clemson, NCSt. I figured this was coming and the new administration at least got the timing right

Monday Thoughts: This Time, The Hokies Won

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