BLACKSBURG — Barring an absolute disaster, there was a high expectation that Virginia Tech’s start to its post-Brent Pry era would be a success.
How successful was the bigger question for the fans who were seeing their team for the first time since the Hokies’ coaching staff was revamped and several veteran players are considering opting out and moving on.
The effort was there, as were the results, as Virginia Tech got its first win of the season by topping winless and overmatched Wofford 38-6 Saturday at Lane Stadium in front of a crowd of 57,229.
The much-needed victory came from a team that not only transitioned to interim head coach Philip Montgomery, but with a number of new faces in the starting lineup — especially on defense.
Virginia Tech (1-3) played without four defensive players who played significant snaps a week ago — linebacker Caleb Woodson, safety Quentin Reddish and cornerbacks Dante Lovett and Caleb Brown.
Montgomery said those players were unavailable, with some of it having to do with injuries and some of it with “some other things.” That led to a lot of new faces playing important roles — two defensive players made their first starts Saturday, and four defensive backs made their season debuts.
Virginia Tech wide receiver Ayden Greene lunges over the goal line to score a touchdown past Wofford defensive back Darius Malcolm Jr. on Saturday in Blacksburg. (Robert Simmons/AP)
For at least a week, the results were good. Virginia Tech held Wofford (0-4) to 141 yards of offense, including minus-1 yard on the ground. And Tech held the Terriers without a touchdown — a first since last October, when the Hokies beat Georgia Tech 21-6.
“It was good to see,” said Montgomery, who took over last Sunday when Pry was fired after three-plus years in charge following Virginia Tech’s 45-26 home loss to Old Dominion the previous evening. “You kind of go through injuries and other things that could potentially happen in conference play. Having the opportunity for those guys to get into games and feel what it’s like to be in games like that, I think will pay dividends for us later.”
The Terriers had no answer for Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones, who enjoyed one of his best days in his three seasons in Blacksburg, completing 27 of 32 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns. He also scored on a pair of short runs.
Drones had good support on the ground, led by running backs Marcellous Hawkins, who had 79 yards on 13 carries and caught two passes for 27 yards, and P.J. Prioleau, who had just 17 rushing yards, but caught a team-high seven passes for 65 yards.
“P.J.’s an eclectic back,” Montgomery said. “He’s coming off of an injury, really didn’t get a lot of play in spring ball because of that. But he’s really done a nice job throughout this summer and throughout the fall camp, and now that we’ve gotten into the season, a guy that’s tough to tackle in space.”
Virginia Tech did not have to be perfect Saturday to earn a win in Montgomery’s debut as the interim head coach, and some of the errors that hampered the Hokies during the slow start that led to Pry’s departure resurfaced.
The offense quickly moved into the red zone on its first possession, thanks to Hawkins carrying the ball on the first three plays from scrimmage and picking up 43 yards. That drive ended, however, when Wofford stuffed the Hokies on a fourth-and-2 from the 8-yard line.
Later in the first half, Drones for the second week in a row lost a fumble that was then ruled a turnover following a booth review.
In both cases, Virginia Tech’s defense picked up its offense, some of the complementary football Montgomery said he wanted to see from his team.
Virginia Tech running back P.J. Prioleau dives for extra yardage against Wofford during Saturday’s game in Blacksburg. (Robert Simmons/AP)
Wofford was forced to punt on each of its first four possessions. Then defensive tackle Kemari Copeland made up for the Drones turnover when he showed off some impressive agility, picking off a Jayden Whitaker pass that had been tipped by James Jennette.
“Oh my god, (that was a) 10 out of 10,” Copeland’s fellow defensive lineman, Kelvin Gilliam Jr., said. “Just because I was in on that play and I was like, ‘Where is the ball?’ That play just showed you how athletic he is, and I’m just super-proud of him just because of what he’s been through.”
Copeland said he had some interceptions in his past, since he played some linebacker in high school for Kellam, but this one was likely his most memorable.
“I was just working to the boundary, and then I saw the ball get tipped in the air, and then I was diving and I caught it,” said Copeland, who also had five tackles, including a half-sack. “It happened in like 2 seconds, and then I was thinking ‘Did I just get an interception?’ ”
Not every play the defense made was as spectacular, but most were solid.
The Hokies allowed just three Terriers first downs and 52 yards of offense in the first half. Wofford’s three points, which came on a 43-yard field goal by Sam Spence, followed a drive that was aided by a roughing-the-passer penalty on Virginia Tech’s Ben Bell.
The Terriers were also forced into passing on nearly every play due to their inability to run the ball. The Hokies held Wofford to minus-11 rushing yards in the first half and only faced eight more running plays in the second half.
“Being stout on defense and becoming more balanced on offense, I thought we did a lot of those things today,” Montgomery said. “I thought our defense played tremendously well. Our defensive line was just wreaking havoc. Linebackers played downhill and we made good tackles, we made gang tackles. The secondary was swarming.”
