For the second time, Hokies suffer embarrassment in Norfolk

It wasn't supposed to be like this. A coaching change was supposed to cure Virginia Tech's inept clock management and shambolic kicking game.

Instead, both played major roles as the Hokies gave up a touchdown on a bad snap on an attempted field goal, burned 20 end-of-game seconds that proved to be all-too-precious, and suffered a comeback that saw a second loss to Old Dominion in five years.

Not a HokieHaven.com subscriber? Join today for access to all our premium content and message board community.

A 20-17 loss to the Monarchs in what was supposed to be a triumphant opening game of the Brent Pry era instead has Hokie fans looking at a team that may need a little more time to climb back out of the depths - and realizing that simple time may not be enough. There needs to be growth in all aspects of the team, particularly in areas like discipline (15 penalties for 121 yards), precision (the aforementioned bad snap that not only took three points off the board for VT, but provided the Monarchs more than a third of their scoring output) and decision-making (from ill-advised passes turned interceptions, to clock management and more).

There were silver linings. If not for three Grant Wells interceptions (the fourth was effectively a Hail Mary, and largely irrelevant to the flow of the game), two of which were the result of a prematurely-aborted route and a drop by a receiver, and one that was a bad decision by the quarterback himself, the Marshall transfer's game would have been a near-coronation. 197 yards and a touchdown through the air, 45 more and another score on the ground. The problem was those back-breaking turnovers in the first half.

The Hokies got 190 rushing yards on 38 carries (a very solid 5 per tote), and if not for the 54-yard loss credited to "team" on the botched field goal, would've had a strong game on the ground. Shifting carries to Keshawn King earlier in the game - Chance Black and Jalen Holston combined for just 34 yards on 12 carries - could have seen more productivity. there were better decisions to be made when it comes to cutting upfield rather than trying to sprint to the edge. Leaving a lot of yardage on the field and still having one of the better rushing outputs of the past couple years says something.

But those bright signs point to a solid future for the Hokies, and don't take away from the pain of the present. They'll also have to be lessons learned, rather than observed and ignored (the pain of the past few years).

On the defensive side, there's little shame in the Hokies' performance aside from a late inability to shut down a passing game that had been inept for over three quarters - and a tendency to commit crucial penalties at inopportune times. ODU's 3.6 yards per play and 13 points allowed should have been meager enough for the Hokies to outscore them.

So, it's back to the drawing board. The staff has, at long last, had a full opportunity in a competitive game to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the VT personnel. The strengths and weaknesses of the decisions in the coaching box - one that the assistants couldn't return to after halftime, causing a delay with those staffers stuck in an elevator - will also be evaluated.

There were signs that the Hokies could be close. But close wasn't good enough on Friday night, and it's unlikely that it will be for the rest of the 2022 season, either.

Chat about this story and all things Hokies and Hokie recruiting on our premium message board, The Gobbler!