Author: Rich Luttenberger

The questions are flying throughout the Hokie Nation.  Message boards, Facebook groups, Twitter; you name it, fans are voicing their opinions, for better or for worse. Who can blame them?  The Hokies were routed in Chapel Hill last week, closing out a two-game stretch where they were outscored 74-20.  They only scored ten points against a West Virginia team who then fell behind Texas by 35 points before finally scoring.  Tech followed that by being routed at North Carolina, a team whose defense couldn’t stop Florida A&M when they were without 25 scholarship players. Hokie fans are scratching their heads. …

Last Thursday night, we saw a great display of old school Virginia Tech football.  Ball control, defense, and pick six. The problem for Hokie fans is that they were not the ones playing that style of football. West Virginia played much like Virginia Tech did in its heyday, beating the Hokies 33-10 on national TV Thursday night.  The Mountaineers (2-2, 0-1 Big 12) just wore down Virginia Tech (2-2, 1-0 ACC), outscoring the Hokies 17-0 in the fourth quarter to run away with the game. During most of Frank Beamer’s remarkable run as coach, Virginia Tech often played their signature…

Virginia Tech took care of business Saturday, beating Wofford 27-7.  With the win, the Hokies improve to 2-1 on the season (1-0 in ACC play).  And with a short week ahead, they can officially focus on trying to take back the Black Diamond Trophy from West Virginia in a Thursday night rivalry game. The First Half Was Impressive Coming into this game, most Tech fans were probably hoping for a huge margin of victory and an opportunity for the backups to see the field in the second half.  And after a solid first half, it appeared as if this was…

When a team suffers an embarrassing loss, there are two ways to react.  They can get caught up in the negativity of the loss, or they can put their noses to the grindstone and go back to work, putting emphasis on the defense while hoping to correct the mistakes of the previous week and play better. Virginia Tech did the latter this past Saturday. Actually, they did more than that.  They dominated most of the game against Boston College. After committing 15 penalties and turning the ball over five times in a loss at Old Dominion, Virginia Tech played a…

“We made too many wrong mistakes.”  Yogi Berra famously said that key phrase. After last Friday, many in the Hokie Nation are saying the same thing.  Virginia Tech made way too many “wrong mistakes” in their season opener, falling to Old Dominion 20-17 in Norfolk, Virginia. This was unlike the Hokies’ previous trip to S.B. Ballard Stadium, where Old Dominion just out-played Virginia Tech.  In that 2018 contest, ODU racked up over 630 total yards and won 49-35. No, this one had a much different feel. In this one, the Hokies generated better statistics in most box score categories and…

When Frank Beamer endured a loss, it was common for him to say if one or two plays went the other way, the game would have ended differently.  While my younger, less mature self was often frustrated by that response, my older, wiser self sees the insight.  In most close games, if a few key plays go the other way, the outcome will be different. Just look at last season.  The Hokies finished the regular schedule at 6-6.  Had a few plays gone differently, they could have been 9-3.  Against West Virginia, three trips inside the ten yard line yielded…

In an announcement that is sure to be cheered by the Hokie Nation, Virginia Tech is bringing back the Lunch Pail!! On Friday, Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) tweeted the announcement in a video narrated by former Hokies standout defensive end Darryl Tapp. The Origins of the Lunch Pail The tradition of the Lunch Pail began in 1995 when legendary Virginia Tech coach Bud Foster became defensive coordinator.  Then co-defensive coordinator Rod Sharpless obtained a battered, black metal lunch pail from his mother-in-law’s neighborhood, and the rest is history. The famed Lunch Pail became the identity of the defense.  Hard working. …

Earlier this week, new head coach Brent Pry announced that fourth year sophomore Grant Wells will be Virginia Tech’s starting quarterback.  Wells, the transfer from Marshall, emerged as the leader over South Carolina transfer and fifth year senior Jason Brown.  This is exciting news, since Wells has the potential to play three more years and give the Hokies much needed consistency at the position. For the entirety of the Justin Fuente era, there was a quarterback carousel of multiple starters and a transfer portal exodus.  It is no coincidence that the Hokies have been mediocre for most of that time…

Let’s say that you are a portfolio manager and you have to buy stock in college football players.  You are required to buy 3-5 stocks from every ACC team.  Who are you buying from Virginia Tech? Obviously, Hokie fans have to buy stock in new head coach Brent Pry.  How can we not be happy with him so far?  He is the anti-Fuente…open, enthusiastic, inclusive, and he’s in tune with the history and culture of the program.   So clearly, his is the first stock to buy. And what about the OL coach Joe Rudolph?  Coming from Wisconsin, his stock is…

With three weeks until kickoff, why not look ahead to the 2022 Virginia Tech football season and predict every game?  This is a very interesting year for the Hokies.  With a new head coach and a new staff, the players are adjusting to new schemes.  And with so many players gone from key positions last year, there has been some shuffling on the roster. How will the players gel?  How quickly will they learn – and execute – the schemes?  The quicker they do, the better they’ll be. With an ACC Coastal slate and an unimpressive non-conference schedule, there is…