The Rundown: Hokies' Offensive Woes Hurdle Them Into Double-Digit Loss to Clemson
Blacksburg, Va- By kickoff, the weather around Blacksburg was a beautiful Fall day where the crunch of leaves fell underneath your feet as Lane Stadium was filled to the brim with Hokie fans brushing shoulders with one another, all in hopes that the Hokies were going to earn that "marquee" win that head coach Brent Pry needed to earn some credit in the bank after Tech's loss last weekend to Syracuse.
By midway through the fourth, the sole light in Lane Stadium were the LEDs which beamed an emptying Lane that saw its patrons filing out onto the concourse as Tech eventually fell 24-14 to ACC foe Clemson.
Things started pretty average for the Hokies. Despite an opening drive that didn't end in a touchdown, a Jaylen Jones tip-drill interception was the highlight of a first period that saw both offenses struggle to muster any momentum. There were just 126 yards split between the two sides, with Clemson taking the lion's share with 91 yards.
Clemson looked to be the first to notch points as kicker Nolan Houser looked to knock down a 46-yard field goal after Hokie quarterback Kyron Drones was stripped plays earlier. However, Tech defensive end Keyshawn Burgos vaulted himself into the air and grabbed a piece of Hauser's kick, deflecting the lofted ball into the hands of freshman safety Quinten Reddish, who neatly shifted his momentum to the left, leaving the Tigers stranded towards the right side of the field, allowing Reddish to race down the sideline and into the endzone to give the Hokies a 7-0 lead once kicker John Love converted the PAT.
"I was like feet don't fail me now, to be honest with you," said Reddish. "Like, just don't get caught. Don't get caught, go score, go score."
Unfortunately, neither Tech nor the Tigers could latch onto any meaningful other first-half drives, as both teams finished the half meekly, with the Hokies leading 7-0 heading into the half.
Clemson jumped out the gates hot in the second half, as QB Cade Klubnik flexed his rushing and passing ability with a smooth eight-play 50-yard drive, which chewed up almost four minutes of the third quarter and resulted in a Tiger touchdown to even the score.
Pry's side could not return the favor and instead found themselves punting after a quick three-and-out.
Mark nine minutes to go in the third quarter, as where that enthusiastic Hokie energy fully flipped to the favor of the Tigers.
Clemson began with the ball smack dab at the 50. Klubnik was then strip-sacked by Hokie Keonta Jenkins. However, Jenkins was unable to recover the bobbling ball, and the Tigers eventually fell on it, leading to just a three-yard loss. The sweat was dabbed off their brow temporarily, as it looked like the Tigers had suffered a small setback. Running back Phil Mafah then rushed to the left for six yards, giving Clemson a third and seven, keying in a third-down cornerback blitz from Mansoor Delane.
Delane quickly got to Klubnik, yet the Austin, Texas native narrowly avoided Delane's outstretched arms and instead found a wide-open T.J. Moore, who was planted inside the Hokie red zone and was able to juke himself into the endzone with ease, giving Clemson a 14-7 lead off that 41-yard Klubnik pass.
"Turning point, for sure. And we got an opportunity right there, first of all, from the sack...We don't get him on the ground, but we come out of coverage. Sometimes those guys that lose a sack, you gotta stay disciplined in your coverage, and we made it too easy for him right there."
From then on, the Hokies' offense went from bad to worse, as Tech tacked just 37 third-quarter yards against a blistering Tiger side that marched over 10 minutes of possession in the third.
Dabo Swinney's side picked up just where they left off in the final frame as a 10-play 93-yard drive that began the quarter previos, ate up 5:45 of the clock, and was capped off by Klubnik's third passing touchdown of the game.
Clemson would later tack on a field goal to end their night with 24 points, and the Hokies' offense, which was now marshaled by senior QB Collin Schlee, turned anemic as Clemson's defense was throwing sand in the gears of anything productive Tech was attempting.
A late Schlee touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Ayden Greene took the Hokie deficit to 10, yet a botched onside kick ended the evening's proceedings, and the Tigers marched out of Lane Stadium with a 24-14 win.
"We just gotta stay close, lean on each other. Keep the brotherhood, the brotherhood, and just come ready to work tomorrow and get ready for the next opponent."
Above are the words of converted Tech safety Jaylen Jones, who snagged the Hokies only turnover on their disappointing night.
Additional Links
Virginia Tech Football: 5 Takeaways From Hokies Loss to Clemson
