Instant reaction to another frustrating Virginia Tech football loss to Rutgers

After a disappointing season-opening loss at Vanderbilt in overtime, you would think that the Virginia Tech football team had hit rock-bottom in Game 1 of the season. Guess again.

Just when you think it couldn't get worse, it did. After a pair of rather unimpressive wins over Marshall and Old Dominion, the Hokies were looking to show that they were still in a position to take the next step under Brent Pry at home against Rutgers on Saturday. Instead, they look like they're taking several steps back.

Rutgers came in and was the more physical team, more disciplined team and once again, the Hokies offense struggled mightly in a disappointing loss in front of a sold-out Lane Stadium crowd. It was yet another game where self-inflected mistakes played a huge part in Virginia Tech trailing 16-7 at halftime. They were lucky to be down just nine points as a missed field goal and a fumble on the Tech 3-yard line stopped the Scarlet Knights. It was the only thing that stopped them in the half.

The third quarter wasn't better as Rutgers took the opening kickoff and bullied their way down the field for a touchdown and a 23-7 lead. Their defense stopped the Scarlet Knights on downs at the 1-yard line and then they missed a field goal, but again, the offense did nothing in the quarter and turned the ball over downs in plus territory.

Then in the fourth quarter, it was an avalanche from the Virginia Tech offense. They scored on consecutive possessions on Bhayhsul Tuten's touchdown runs and two-point conversions to Benji and Stephen Gosnell. Tuten's second TD of the quarter and Stephen Gosnell's two-point conversion tied the game with 4:35 left.

However, a 63-yard screenplay on the ensuing possession set the Scarlet Knights up for a game-winning field goal with 1:56 left in the game. A Kyron Drones interception on third down sealed the victory for Rutgers.

This was just another concerning performance from a team that had a lot of preseason hype at the beginning of the year. Now at 2-2, they have to go down to play at Miami Friday night on a short week before boarding a cross-country flight to Stanford in two weeks. After watching the Cardinal last night and this team for four games, that is not going to be easy.

Nothing is easy right now for a team that continues to have self-inflected mistakes and is not talented enough to make up for those mistakes.