Hokies earn first victory of Brent Pry era, knocking off Boston College
Racing out to a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter, Virginia Tech looked poised to blow out Boston College.
The Eagles responded, though, scoring 10 straight points - after not even notching a first down prior to their field goal drive at the end of the second quarter. BC didn't go down without a fight, but thanks to inept offense, it took little more than the Hokies' offense putting another score on the board (then capping with a field goal for good measure) to see out a 27-10 victory.
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A run-of-the-mill win over ACC opposition may feel typical for Virginia Tech, but it'll surely be special for Brent Pry, who earns his first victory as a head coach in a stadium that meant so much to him early in his career. From VT graduate assistant to Head Hokie, Pry has come full circle.
There's work to be done for the Hokies. They averaged just 3.2 yards per carry against a Boston College defense that was eager to load up on the run and single-cover receivers. Outside of a 43-yard bomb to Kaleb Smith, that gamble paid off, since the Hokies' receivers had difficulty getting open against a strong secondary.
Meanwhile, a strong day for the Lunch Pail Defense - holding BC to 2.6 yards per play - will be reflected upon as a missed opportunity, with just a couple inches here and there separating the team's five sacks from perhaps a half-dozen more. The play-extending mobility of BC quarterback Phil Jurkovec (which turned into drive-extending plays on a few occasions) didn't pay off statistically, with a quarterback rating of just 98.7. But sharper play from the Hokies could have made the Eagles look even worse.
Nonetheless, a bounceback game after a horror show in Norfolk last weekend was welcome. No major special teams gaffes, just five penalties committed, and most importantly, an ACC victory.
Quarterback Grant Wells completed 16.25 passes for 140 yards with a touchdown (and no interceptions, after tossing four of them the previous week), while Keshawn King's 65-yard touchdown sprint in the second quarter was enough to not just win the game, but lead all rushers in the contest.
VT will head back to the lab and continue to fine-tune aspects of the scheme on both sides of the ball. With home games against Wofford and West Virginia coming next, there will be ample opportunity to implement those tweaks before getting back into the thick of the ACC schedule.
For now, the Orange and Maroon will gladly savor the taste of their first victory in a new era.
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