When Virginia Tech won the toss and deferred the choice to the second half, Brent Pry was hoping to have his defense make a statement on the game's first drive. It didn't happen.
South Carolina and quarterback LaNorris Sellers marched down the field on a seven-play, 75-yard drive with ease that was capped off with a Sellers touchdown run on a scramble. It wasn't promising, and it appeared that the Hokies were going to be in for a long afternoon. However, after that drive, first-year defensive coordinator Sam Siefkes regrouped his team and now, instead of getting run out of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Hokies are in a defensive fight with the 13th-ranked Gamecocks.
Virginia Tech defense rebounds with a strong first half after allowing an easy opening drive to South Carolina
After Kyron Drones threw an interception at the South Carolina goal line, the Hokies' defense responded with a safety by sacking Sellers in the end zone by Kelvin Gilliam and Kody Huisman, with help from Emmett Laws to cut the deficit to 7-2. After the first drive, the defense did a nice job of establishing itself along the defensive line, frustrating Sellers and the Gamecocks' offense. At the end of the first half, South Carolina drove to the Hokies' 10, but had to settle for a field goal after a touchdown catch was overturned by video review.
After the first drive, it appeared that it was going to be a long afternoon for the Hokies' defense, but with Siefkes making some adjustments on the fly, we have a game going into the second half. Last year, it felt like Chris Marve would take multiple possessions before adjusting the defense, but against a talented signal caller like Sellers, adjustments are needed right away.
Now they need to continue it in the second half.