Pry pleased with leaders after Hokies win
Following a back-and-forth nail-biting win, Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry and linebacker Keli Lawson took to the podium to discuss just how Virginia Tech got its third win of the season
Coach Pry was beaming with excitement after his team scraped by Liberty University winning 23-22. He first thanked the team and the whole staff for keeping their heads up after the difficult week the Commonwealth had been through, with three players at the University of Virginia losing their lives in a mass shooting.
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Pry mentioned that the veterans on the team did a great job not letting their heads drop, and that they excelled at keeping the team in shape throughout the week. Pry stated that he keeps a close eye on the leaders and he was very pleased with them this week throughout practice.
A big talking point was the performance of running back Jalen Holston. The sixth-year senior posted a career-high three touchdowns and a season-high 99 yards. Holston was wise enough towards the end of the game to not grab a possible fourth touchdown as he was inching towards the goal line. The prevention of that touchdown kept the ball in Virginia Tech’s hands which allowed them to milk the clock and to ultimately win the game. Coach Pry praised him and the staff for playing “smart football” on what turned out to be the game sealing drive. Lawson called Holston a role model to the team and he feels ecstatic that his teammate was able to showcase his ability.
A major announcement that caught the press corps off guard was the revealing that defensive coordinator Chris Marve was in charge of defensive play calling this week. It has been a talking point through the season that even though Marve is the defensive coordinator, the play calling was left in the hands of Pry. This was changed for this week's game and the results boded well as Tech only allowed 22 points to one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation. Pry felt as if he needed to become a better head coach and in his eyes the best way to do so was to hand the defensive play-calling reins to Marve.
Despite the team's rough season and the devastating toll that last week had on the program, it was evident that Pry was very happy with his team's performance. He made it clear that this win was due to the hard work of the whole staff and players, not just himself. As a matter of fact he did his best to deflect any praise that was aimed at him.
As it stands Virginia Tech will host the University of Virginia next Saturday but that has not been confirmed by either of the two schools.
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