Virginia Tech entered the 2024 season as a dark horse contender for the ACC Championship and College Football Playoff. However, the Hokies’ season has gone off the rails just four games into the season. Everything started in Week 1 with a surprising season-opening loss to SEC bottom-dweller Vanderbilt. Saturday was another blemish to Tech’s record, losing to former Big East rival Rutgers 26-23.
The score wasn’t indicative of how poorly the Hokies played. A late surge made the final game more appealing, as Virginia Tech rallied to tie the game at 23-23 after being down by 16 entering the fourth quarter.
Yet, safety in the second quarter, which would make former NFL player and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky proud, illustrated how Virginia Tech’s season had gone thus far.
Back against its own end zone, Hokies quarterback Kyron Jones stumbled to the ground over his offensive lineman’s foot. As he hit the turf, Jones released the ball, but the force of his fall threw the ball backward into the stands at Lane Stadium.
Drones did convert back-to-back two-point conversions on passes in the fourth quarter to tie the game. That’s before the Scarlet Knights answered the bell with a 24-yard field goal by kicker Jai Patel with 1:56 remaining in the game.
Virginia Tech had an opportunity, except the drive ended with Drones throwing an interception.
The loss extends the Hokies’ winless streak against non-conference Power 5 opponents. Virginia Tech hasn’t beaten a non-conference Power 5 team since 2017.
On another note, close games have not been kind to Virginia Tech under head coach Brent Pry. The Hokies are now 1-9 in one-score games under Pry.
Road only gets tougher in ACC play for Virginia Tech
The Hokies are 2-2 on the season. Their two wins came against Marshall and Old Dominion. Losing to Rutgers and Vanderbilt, two programs that annually sit at the bottom of their respective Power 5 conferences, evaporated Hokies fans’ hopes of competing for an ACC championship.
Fortunately, Virginia Tech remains alive with zero conference games. The new 12-team CFB Playoff format leaves the door open for a team with multiple losses to have a chance. All the Hokies have to do is win the ACC championship.
Florida State may be down, but Virginia Tech doesn’t have them on the schedule this season. Meanwhile, Miami and Clemson appear to be a handful in the ACC. And don’t count out Louisville, who has a championship-quality roster. There is also the presence of newcome Stanford and the apparent emergence of Boston College and Georgia Tech.
The Hokies’ next four opponents are at Miami and Stanford, home against Boston College, and Georgia Tech before traveling to Syracuse and facing Clemson at Lane.
