Virginia Tech vs Minnesota: Three Storylines To Watch On Friday
1. Will the short-handed Hokies mesh?
As I project right now, the Hokies will be starting plenty of inexperienced and young players. Out of all of the positions in football, what comes to mind when considering positions where you wouldn’t like to have inexperienced players? To me there’s a few that comes to mind. Cornerback: inexperienced players at cornerback will get torched, we’ve seen it time and time again. Quarterback: well, duh. Running back: especially for a team like Virginia Tech, you need to be able to put the ball in the hands of a reliable running back, ball security is not an option.
Virginia Tech just so happens to be fairly shorthanded at all of those positions.
Quarterback I think is the safest position, Pop Watson truly belongs in college football, but he doesn’t have the experience that a Kyron Drones would have. It’s safe to say that Virginia Tech will be without Drones as he is still wrestling with some injuries.
I’d place running back as the second safest position out of those mentioned. Malachi Thomas is currently in the transfer portal, but he has not committed anywhere, so it’s possible he could play in the bowl game. If he doesn’t play, expect Jeremiah Coney and Tyler Mason to get some run, they’ve combined for 175 rushing yards on the season.
The cornerback position will be a large question mark for the Hokies. Expect Thomas Williams to step into a huge role as a redshirt freshman, and although he is talented, he hasn’t played much, but he’ll likely start. If he steps up in a big way, the defense could have a massive day, but it’ll all depend on the young players at cornerback.
Even if there are some good single-player performances though, how will the players mesh together? Can they play as a full team? We’ll see on Friday.
2. The Clash of the Bowl Heroes
P.J. Fleck and Brent Pry have both evelated their team’s play as a head coach in bowl games. At Minnesota and Virginia Tech, the two coaches have combined for a 6-0 record in postseason games.
During P.J. Fleck’s tenure at Minnesota, he has led the Golden Gophers to wins in the Outback Bowl, Pinstripe Bowl, Guaranteed Rate Bowl, and the Quick Lane Bowl, twice. The Gophers have won their Fleck-led Bowl games by a total of 57 combined points. Minnesota beat Bowling Green by 6, Syracuse by 8, West Virginia by 12, Auburn by 7, and Georgia Tech by 24.
Pry has only coached in one bowl game for Virginia Tech, but it was impressive. The Hokies dominated No. 23 Tulane in rough conditions to notch a Military Bowl win. Tulane was held to just 252 yards.
3. How will the Hokies defense look without Marve?
Virginia Tech will be without defensive coordinator Chris Marve as Brent Pry parted ways with the DC in a controversial decision. Legends Shawn Quinn and Bud Foster will be in the booth for the Hokies defensively.
Foster and Quinn could give the Hokies a new look on defense, especially considering that Virginia Tech may be short handed in the secondary. Now that the Hokies have somebody new calling plays, albeit temporary, they could play much differently defensively, but it could not have a large effect on the game. It’ll all depend on the direction that Pry, Foster, and Quinn decide to go for the defense.
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RJ Schafer joined the On SI team in 2024, contributing to the coverage of Major League Baseball, Collegiate Basketball, and Collegiate Football at https://www.si.com/college/virginiatech/. Prior to this, RJ built a strong portfolio covering Georgia Tech and the Tigers for the Bleav Network. With a solid background in sports journalism, RJ has conducted interviews with both collegiate and professional athletes, enhancing the depth and authenticity of his reporting. RJ's extensive experience in the sports industry has equipped him with a keen understanding of the dynamics and intricacies of both collegiate and professional sports. His work is focused on providing insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage, making him a trusted voice in the sports community.