Boston College Football vs Virginia Tech: Q&A with Gobbler Country

The Eagles take on the Virginia Tech this Saturday. Hopefully, we can keep this win streak going into this weekend.

Big shoutout to Bryan Manning and our pals at Gobbler Country for sharing some thoughts on the Hokies’ season thus far.

The Hokies have had an up-and-down season thus far. What are the biggest pain points for Virginia Tech fans this year?
The Hokies are still in the rebuilding process under Brent Pry. The change at QB has done wonders for the offense. Offensively, though, the offensive line remains a work in progress, particularly run blocking. QB Kyron Drones has helped improve the running game. The Hokies have two excellent backs in Bhayshul Tuten and Malachi Thomas, but there aren’t always a lot of holes. Defensively, linebacker play has been dreadful, particularly against the run.

The last year, the Hokies took down the Eagles pretty handily, winning the game 27-10. What is your prediction for the final score this time around?

Your quarterback, Castellanos, concerns me most. The Hokies have historically struggled against dual-threat QBs, with several going over 100 yards rushing against them. If they can keep Castellanos in the pocket, I think they can win. However, under Pry, they’ve yet to prove they can win on the road. I probably give a slight edge to B.C. this weekend, but neither result would surprise me. I do expect a close game.

The Hokies were a powerhouse for much of the early 2000s under Frank Beamer. What will it take for Brent Pry to bring Virginia Tech back into the CFP conversation?

Pry is doing so many of the right things. It’s just going to take time. They’ve shown steady progress this season, but last week’s loss at Louisville was a reality check. Louisville is a better all-around program right now. For the Hokies to turn things around consistently, they need to improve in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Pry has focused hard on repairing recruiting relationships in Virginia that Justin Fuente destroyed. The Hokies need to recruit players from Virginia better, but also strike gold in the transfer portal each year. So many of Tech’s top players this season came via the portal, including Drones, Tuten, Jaylin Lane and Antwaun Powell-Ryland.

What would you consider a successful season for the Hokies? They will have to win 2 of their last 3 in order to become bowl-eligible. Would a bowl game make this season a success?

Sadly, yes, I would consider 6-6 a success.The Hokies were terrible last season and are better this year. Going to a bowl in the second year of the Pry regime would show everyone things are headed in the right direction. Getting to seven wins would be even better.

Although Virginia Tech has suffered through a few tough seasons, Enter Sandman is still one of the greatest walkouts in all of sports. Can you think of any other walkouts that rival it?

I think some of the best are right here in the ACC. Florida State and Clemson also have excellent walkouts. Call me biased, but there is nothing better than Enter Sandman at Lane Stadium. If you’re a college football fan, it’s something you should experience at least once.