The 2024 Virginia Tech football season was a frustrating one not only for the players and coaches but also for the fans. There were too many ups and downs for a team that some much expected of when the season began in Nashville on Labor Day Weekend.
After going a disappointing 2-2 through their first four games of the season, all non-conference tilts, the Hokies were hoping to change their luck around on Sept. 27 in South Florida in their ACC opener against Miami. For 59 minutes, the Hokies went toe-to-toe with the Hurricanes and even held a double-digit lead in the second half.
However, as we saw too many times past season, double-digit leads and leads in general were not too kind to Brent Pry and his team. After blowing the lead, the Hokies drove down the field and gave themselves an opportunity to pull off an unlikely victory. On the game's final play, quarterback Kyron Drones dropped back and lofted a pass to the end zone where Da'Quan Felton came down with the ball among Miami defenders.
The play on the field was called a touchdown but went to replay review. After review, the call was overturned without indisputable evidence and instead of leaving with a three-point win, the Hokies lost. Talk about a brutal ending, but one that summed up the season for Pry and his team.
Virginia Tech football overturned TD at Miami listed as one of the worst officiated calls of the 2024 season
On3 ranked the 10 worst officiated calls of the 2024 season as the fifth-worst out of 10. To be honest, the case could be made that it was the worst call of the season. The referee that night was Jerry Magallanes, which should come as no surprise that there was some type of controversy.
5. Virginia Tech’s Hail Mary attempt overturned vs. Miami💔
— On3 (@On3sports) February 18, 2025
(via @ESPN) https://t.co/gsNdJu8Rmp pic.twitter.com/92NahT9Kko
If there is one thing we have learned over the years watching college and pro football, to overturn a touchdown call on the field, you need indisputable video evidence. However, according to the ACC, there was evidence to overturn the call.
ACC statement on final play: "During the review process of the last play of the Virginia Tech at Miami game, it was determined that the loose ball was touched by a Miami player while he was out of bounds which makes it an incomplete pass and immediately ends the play."
— Dave Hyde (@davehydesports) September 28, 2024
Do with that what you will, but to overturn the call was not the right call. To compound matters, this was not the only game listed that involved Miami. It got worse a week later when a clear targeting call was not called in what appeared to be a targeting penalty by the rule that is in place.
What was frustrating was this was a loss that never should have happened if the Hokies won that game, the tenure of the season changes going forward. They went out to Stanford and rolled over the Cardinal a week later then beat Boston College after bye. Being 3-0 at that point in the season brings a different feeling to the team over the final five weeks.
Officiating in college football has come under scrutiny and will always. The 2024 season did nothing to stop that. Just ask Virginia Tech.