Virginia Tech Football: Brent Pry pulls out all the stops to beat Virginia

Second-year Virginia Tech football coach Brent Pry knew that the Commonwealth Cup showdown with in-state rival Virginia was a big one. Along with bragging rights and retaining the Commonwealth Cup, the Hokies also had a chance to become bowl-eligible after starting the season 1-3.

Becoming bowl-eligible is a big thing for Pry as it gives him and his staff extra practice and one more game before they look ahead to the 2024 season and take the next step in their rebuild. He took several measures to make sure his team knew how big the game was and he was given a gift by Virginia that he used to motivate his team.

Brent Pry left no stone unturned ahead of Virginia

During the week, Brent Pry had legendary head coach Frank Beamer talk to the team, along with former defensive coordinator Bud Foster, along with several alumni, something he discussed following his team’s 55-17 romp over the Cavaliers.

"“We made a strong effort to make sure this group understood what this game really means, what it’s about, and not really for UVA, for our group, for our fan base, for Virginia Tech, for all the players in who played in this game.”"

It’s always great to have former coaches and players who have done so much for the program to talk to the team before playing Virginia, but Pry also got an assist in motivation from Cavaliers quarterback Anthony Colandrea.

Following Virginia’s home win over Duke last week, the freshman QB made a bold prediction that was easy bulletin board material for the Hokies, something the players discussed following the game in Charlottesville.

Pry used the resources he had, former coaches, players, and of course Colandrea. Whatever he did, it worked and now the next step in the rebuild begins for Virginia Tech with a bowl game.