Just when you thought the Virginia Tech football team had hit rock bottom in 2024, a new week comes along. Seven days after blowing a 21-3 third-quarter lead at Syracuse to lose in overtime, 38-31, the Hokies were looking to rebound against No. 23 Clemson at Lane Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Virginia Tech's offense was bad. Kyron Drones and Bhayshul Tuten were back in the lineup and neither looked healthy. Both were out of the game by the fourth quarter and the Hokies offense put up a grand total of seven points. The only points scored were on a Quentin Reddish return of a blocked punt by Keyshawn Burgos in the second quarter and a garbage-time Collin Schlee touchdown pass to Ayden Greene with 1:43 left.
Other than that, the offense was nonexistent all day long. If it wasn't a turnover or penalty, it was extremely head-scratching play-calling that put them in bad spots. Leading 7-0 with two minutes left in the first half and the ball in field goal range in Clemson territory, offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen called for a trick play which ended up in a loss that led to a missed field goal from John Love. Keeping moving forward, made the field goal attempt, at worst, easier, but instead of going into halftime with a two-score lead, it was just 7-0. It likely wouldn't have made a difference.
In the second half, the writing all season long has been on the wall and it wasn't any different Saturday. Clemson scored on the opening possession of the second half, added another touchdown on a tremendous play by QB Cade Klubnik and the rest was history. A Drones interception late in the third quarter inside the Tigers' 20-yard line led to an insurmountable two-score Clemson lead.
This loss drops the Hokies to 5-5 on the season and a disappointing season gets more disappointing by the week. Entering the season with such high expectations, this is not what Virginia Tech fans were expecting when the ball was kicked off at Vanderbilt on Labor Day Weekend.