Lose a game like that and it’s natural to think “what if?” What if the Hokies replaced a first quarter meltdown with simply average play? What if the young and inexperienced players had played with more confidence instead of getting caught up in the moment and the electric atmosphere that surrounded them? What if the inside linebackers had stopped the long BSU TD run instead of missing two tackles on the same play? What if the Tech offense had adjusted sooner, or broken tendencies right out of the gate? What if the Tech offense had called a timeout on the critical 3rd and 8 instead of adjusting to a low percentage takeoff route? What if the Tech defense had performed as they did during a 30-9 Tech run instead of making key mistakes on the BSU’s game winning drive? And what if the Tech offense had a better 2-minute plan to turn to at the end of the game?

This game analysis will focus on those “what if’s” in more detail, but
no matter how you slice it, this was a painful pill to swallow. For a program
looking to take that final step, the loss only reinforced that more work needs
to be done. But even with the loss, the Hokies still have a chance to make noise
on the national scene this season. For that to happen, many areas will need to
improve.

Let’s get to it…..

A Heavy Case of Stage Fright

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