When the Virginia Tech football team played South Carolina on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, they were shorthanded at some positions with players dealing with injuries. The depth was tested, and you could tell in areas where they missed the injured players.
On Tuesday, Hokies head coach Brent Pry met with the media for his regular press conference ahead of a short week with Virginia Tech hosting Vanderbilt on Saturday night at Lane Stadium. He gave some injury updates, and it sounds like things are trending in the right direction for some players who missed Sunday's game to potentially be cleared to play the Commodores.
Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry gives key injury updates
The biggest player missing was Bowling Green transfer running back Terion Stewart. He was injured in camp, and the closer it got to game time in Atlanta, it was becoming clear he wasn't going to play. He didn't even make the trip to Georgia. Pry said on Tuesday that he is making progress, and he was encouraged.
Against the Gamecocks, Central Missouri transfer Marcellous Hawkins carried the ball 15 times for 58 yards and looked good. The problem was running the ball between tackles too much kept him from being able to get into the open field.
We all know that the offensive line is a work in progress under first-year coach Matt Moore, and truth be told, it wasn't all bad against a stout South Carolina defensive line. However, the Hokies were shorthanded with Brody Meadows, and Jaden Muskrat both missing the game, but Pry said that both players are a possibility against Vanderbilt.
With a short turnaround and a game against another SEC school, it's going to have to be all hands on deck for Virginia Tech on both sides of the ball, and anyone they can get back will be helpful.