Virginia Tech 2024 football opponent ranks near the bottom of post-spring power rankings
By Scott Roche
Just like in 2023, the Virginia Tech football team will begin the 2024 season playing their four non-conference games before they begin ACC play. Expectations are high for the Hokies following a 7-6 campaign last fall and a win over Tulane in the Military Bowl in late December.
Last season, Virginia Tech struggled in their non-conference games after beating Old Dominion in the season-opener. They lost at home Purdue in Week 2 and also lost starting quarterback Grant Wells. Head coach Brent Pry turned the offense over to Baylor transfer Kyron Drones and after getting his feet wet against Rutgers and Marshall in two losses, he led the Hokies to a 5-3 ACC record and a bowl game.
This upcoming season’s non-conference schedule will feature Old Dominion, Marshall, and Rutgers once again, but instead of playing Purdue, Virginia Tech will open the season on the road at Vanderbilt on Labor Day Weekend. The Commodores enter the upcoming season under coach Clark Lea and looking to improve, one college football writer, Brad Crawford of 247Sports, thinks their struggles will continue.
"There's no need to pile on. Clark Lea might have the toughest Power conference job in the country, leading a Vanderbilt team playing opponents with talent advantages every week during league play. That's mostly why he's 2-22 in the SEC over this first three years in Nashville. He's a bright football mind and took it upon himself this offseason to make wholesale changes on his staff, bringing New Mexico State's Tim Beck to call the offense (along with NMSU quarterback Diego Pavia who arrives this summer) and will handle the defense on his own. Lea previously served as Notre Dame's DC before arriving at Vanderbilt, so he knows what he's doing. Whether the Commodores execute will determine if 2024's successful or a wash."
- Brad Crawford
As usual, it appears that Vanderbilt will enter the season with more questions than answers, which makes the season-opener in Nashville a game that they need to win if they are going to have a chance to reach their goals once ACC play begins at Miami on Sept. 27.
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