Virginia Tech knew they had a huge task in front of them opening the season against No. 13 South Carolina in Atlanta, but with a roster overhaul this offseason and some big coaching changes, the Hokies were a bit of an unknown entering the game.
In the end, it was the same old story for Virginia Tech under Brent Pry: self-inflicted mistakes, penalties, poor clock management all added up to a 24-11 loss where the Hokies were held out of the end zone by a talented Gamecocks' defense. Yes, it's another frustrating loss, but it's one where, believe it or not, it wasn't all that bad. Here are five big observations from the season-opening loss.
1. Defense settled in and played well
The first drive of the game by South Carolina was far from pretty for the Hokies' defense under first-year coordinator Sam Siefkes. The Gamecocks marched down the field with ease and found the end zone after just seven plays for a 7-0 lead. South Carolina did what they wanted when they wanted.
However, after that drive, Virginia Tech kept the Gamecocks' offense in check, not allowing another touchdown until the Gamecocks sealed the game with a 64-yard touchdown pass over the top of Tech's defense from Sellers to Nyck Harbor to put the game away. Before that, the Hokies got pressure on Sellers, forced to throw the ball more than he would have liked, but bent and never really broke until late in the game. Virginia Tech could have used a turnover or two in the game.