Virginia Tech Football: Grading Hokies coaches through first 7 weeks
By Scott Roche
Head Coach: Brent Pry
If there is one thing to take away from the last two games, it’s that Pry is showing more desperation, and rightfully so. Two decisions, one each against Florida State and Wake Forest have shown that he knows his team is desperate, but it also shows the growing confidence in his team.
Against the Seminoles in Tallahassee, Virginia Tech trailed 22-3 late in the second quarter when they put together their best drive of the game. After failing to pick up a first down in the opening quarter, the Hokies moved the ball on a very tough defense and faced three fourth downs to keep the drive alive. Pry went for it all three times and his team picked up the first down and they capped the drive with a Bhayshul Tuten 5-yard touchdown run.
Against Wake Forest, his team clung to a 17-10 third-quarter lead when Pry was talked into calling a fake punt at midfield and his team executed it to perfection, picking up 18 yards. Ideally, they would have liked to have finished off the drive with a touchdown but had to settle for a field goal late in the quarter for a 10-point lead.
If there is one knock on Pry and it’s a pretty big one, it’s how unprepared his team has looked at times beginning of games. One thing is clear, they are not a team built to overcome slow starts and dig themselves out of early deficits. That’s not ideal for a team looking to find consistency.