Football at Virginia Tech: Five lessons from the disappointing loss to North Carolina State
The Virginia Tech Hokies’ record after their 35-28 loss to the N.C. State Wolfpack on Saturday is now 5-6 (4-3 in ACC play). Both offenses had a slow start to the game, but in the second quarter, the Wolfpack’s offense really got going behind rookie wide receiver/running back KC Concepcion, who caused a lot of problems for Tech’s defense.
Concepcion ran for 44 yards on nine carries after catching seven passes for 63 yards and a touchdown. Concepcion even had a touchdown pass go 17 yards. Brennan Armstrong, a former quarterback for Virginia, had a fantastic day, passing for 203 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 89 yards.
It took the Virginia Tech defense until the end of the game to get any stops. It was too late by this point. Kyron Drones, the quarterback, completed 17 of 30 passes for 225 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Officials handling replays ought to have reversed the interception.
These are five lessons learned from Sunday’s defeat.
Two of the last three games the Hokies have played have presented them with enormous opportunities. It was against Louisville at first. In response, Tech lost 34-3. The Cardinals were undoubtedly a superior team, but that was a step backward following a period of optimism. The Hokies had yet another slow start on Saturday. Tech was still attempting to win its sixth game in order to qualify for bowl games, even though the ACC title game was already out of reach going into the game. The Hokies were uninspired; that’s coaching
Virginia Tech was not up against a particularly talented opponent. It’s close, but you could argue that N.C. State has the talent advantage. Even though the team lost by seven points in the end, the first three quarters of the game gave the impression that it was a blowout.
To be completely honest, we are aware that the Hokies still lack some quality defensive players. Alright, let’s now discuss Chris Marve, the defensive coordinator. Regardless of the offensive coordinator’s identity, Virginia Tech supporters are prone to holding him or her accountable for everything. Tech had possibly the worst offensive coordinator in college football during Justin Fuente’s tenure. That is true. With the legendary Bud Foster at their disposal, the Hokies never had to worry for years about blaming the defensive coordinator.
Two inexperienced coordinators, Chris Marve (defense) and Tyler Bowen (offense), work under head coach Brent Pry. For the previous two seasons, Bowen has been a frequent target for supporters. That has occasionally been warranted. However, since Kyron Drones took over at quarterback, Bowen has appeared much better. Nevertheless, we don’t hear the same complaints of Marve regardless of how well or poorly the defense performs.
That is unfair. If you’re going to criticize Bowen, you ought to hold Marve accountable as well. Poor run fits by the linebackers have been one of VT’s main problems all season. After 11 games, nothing has changed in that regard. On to coaching, then. Marve is not just the defensive coordinator; he also plays and coaches linebacker. Resolve this problem or use walk-ons. Take action. Everything.
N.C. State had 106 total offensive points going into the game on Saturday. It’s not good. Although Concepcion appears to be a future star, Armstrong had been benched by the Wolfpack, and it wasn’t until MJ Morris decided to sit out the rest of the campaign that he was able to rejoin the starting lineup. The coaching staff is to blame for this offense’s poor appearance. Before it was too late, the Hokies had no defensive strategies to counter. It was both embarrassing and unacceptable to score that touchdown at the end of the first half.
We’re just stating the obvious; we’re not asking for anyone’s job. The defense must perform better. And you should do the same for Marve if you want to blame Bowen for everything without understanding the context of some of his choices.
Why did Brent Pry not object to that intercept?
The Hokies were leading late in the fourth quarter. On North Carolina State property, drones were intercepted. It appeared that the defensive back had made a fantastic play. On closer inspection, though, it turned out not to be an interception.
Let’s set the scene: with four minutes remaining and all three timeouts used, the Hokies had the ball at midfield. The offense was enjoying some success. When the pass was intercepted, Tech was behind 35–21. The defense forced a three-and-out following the turnover, but they were forced to use two timeouts. Drones guided the Hokies on a rapid four-play, 56-yard drive that took just 1:11 off the clock after they regained possession of the ball.
