Four weeks into the 2023 season, things are not looking good for the Virginia Tech football team. After three straight non-conference losses to Purdue, Rutgers and Marshall, and a 1-3 slump in head coach Brent Pry's first season in 2022, he went 3-8 and has more questions than answers. There were more.
You need to be at least 5-3 in the ACC to qualify for a bowl, and it seemed like a long way to get there given how the first four games played out, but Pry and his staff's Achievements are praised where they are due. The former Penn State defensive coordinator retooled the team and took advantage of the ACC's favorable schedule to go 5-3 and qualify for bowls. This was a big step for the program.
The Hokies advanced to the Military Bowl, defeating the Green Wave 41-20 and ending the season with a 7-6 record. This is a huge turnaround for Virginia Tech, and all credit goes to Pry and his staff. CBS Sports college football writer Tom Fornelli gave the second-year head coach his grades, but his grades for the Hokies coach might be considered a little low.
Fornelli graded all second-year coaches and gave Pry a B-, which is too low in my opinion. Fornelli said of the Virginia Tech coach.
“It was mid-October that the entire atmosphere at Virginia Tech changed. The Hokies went 3-8 last year and started 2023 with a 2-4 record with losses to Purdue, Rutgers and Marshall. After the loss, the Hokies “turned things around. They've won five of their last seven games to finish 7-6 and look like they'll continue to be a team that makes some noise in the ACC.”
– tom fornelli
The Hokies turned things around in mid-October, but there's no telling how things could have turned out or what they actually did. It could have been easy for Virginia Tech to struggle the rest of the season and finish 4-8 or even 5-7, but Pry, offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen and defensive coordinator Chris Marve He has worked wonders for the team and the unit. They played Florida State and Louisville and at home against North Carolina State, but most teams struggled against those teams.
To be honest, after Virginia Tech fired Justin Fuente, Ply was in such a mess that it wouldn't be surprising if it took three or four years to clean up. I'm not saying it's completely cleansed, but for all the players who are committed to coming back next season, and the transfers who have committed for 2024, the culture in Blacksburg is very good and going forward. There are many things that will continue to improve. Stronger. Just two years after taking over the mess, he has players who want to come to Virginia Tech rather than leave.
Considering how the season started and how it looks six weeks into the season, there's no reason Pry wouldn't earn a B+ to finish 7-6 with a bowl win. The atmosphere around the program is real and there's no reason it can't be a major factor in the ACC race next season. Now that Pry has restored the program, the rest of ACC will soon notice (if they haven't already).
