As we move to Week 4, we’ve reached the one-third mark of the season, where Virginia Tech finds themselves without a win.
The Virginia Tech Hokies (0-3, 0-0 ACC) will host the Wofford Terriers (0-3, 0-1 Southern) for a matchup that features two winless teams. Wofford has struggled offensively but found themselves on the wrong side of three one-score games including two losses by a single point. On the other hand, Virginia Tech has perhaps played their worst stretch of football in the last decade over the past 6 quarters. After a respectable three-quarter showing against Top-15 ranked South Carolina to open the season, the last two games and one quarter have been forgettable events for Hokies’ fans. It is also the reason why Brent Pry was fired one day after a blow-out loss against Old Dominion.
Philip Montgomery will take the reigns of the program as Virginia Tech looks to find their first win of the year for the Hokies, while Defensive Coordinator Sam Siefkes will face off against his last college stop in Wofford.
The game will be held inside Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia. It is scheduled for a 12:00 PM EST kickoff. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network and streamed on fuboTV.
Ahead of the contest, VTSCOOP’s EvanGWatkins, Doug Bowman, Andrew Alix, Kolby Crawford, Amber Marie and Matej Sis put together their predictions for the game.
Evan G. Watkins
While the Post-Pry era began on Sunday afternoon, this is the first game since Brent Pry was fired at Virginia Tech. To say this week has been abnormal would be an understatement.
With distractions galore, I expect an ugly start on Saturday. Philip Montgomery will lead the charge. Can he rally the troops? How banged up is the offensive line? What’s the overall morale of the team?
Virginia Tech will overpower Wofford on Saturday but there are a ton of questions going into the game.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 28, Wofford 13
Doug Bowman
Virginia Tech has the luxury of facing a bad FCS team this week. Despite all that has happened this week and the looming uncertainty with this roster the rest of the season, they should still be able to win this game. I doubt it looks pretty, but this feels like a slow-moving crockpot of a small blowout for the Hokies.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 27, Wofford 7
Matej Sis
Of course I led off last week’s predictions with the redeeming quality of Brent Pry’s tenure -his teams don’t quit. Welp, they did (or were too tired). Unfortunately for Brent Pry, he unceremoniously exits after an embarrassing beat-down by in-state foe Old Dominion. There will be repercussions that come to light in this game either from an emotional standpoint or personnel availability. This could very well be the last winning prediction of the season if the Hokies are unable to show form. In what was projected to be a tune-up, show off your developing underclassmen-type game in the preseason now plants a seed doubt that maybe, just maybeee… no. I can’t see 0-3 Wofford winning this game. First game of the Philip Montgomery interim era is an ugly, yet necessary, victory for morale.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Wofford 14
Kolby Crawford
It feels *almost* silly to overthink this one. Virginia Tech is a mess. The coaching staff is in flux, the roster is fragile and the energy in Lane Stadium isn’t exactly peaking. At the same time, Wofford is 0-3 with one of the worst statistical profiles in all of FCS.
The Hokies should lean on Terion Stewart and Marcellous Hawkins in the run game, get a few shots downfield against a shaky secondary and let their size win out over four quarters. But expecting anything crisp or inspiring after the ODU debacle is probably asking too much.
Wofford will find a couple plays, but in the end though, I think talent wins out and Virginia Tech finally gets on the board in the win column.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 30, Wofford 17
Amber Marie
The first game of the post-Brent Pry era is upon us. Because of the emotions and distractions of the week, I’m trending a bit more cautious with my score prediction than the spread would indicate. I still expect Tech’s defensive line to make it hard for Wofford to get going in the run game and pass protection is already an issue for them, so I think they struggle to find the endzone. On the other side, Tech’s ground game should have a good day. I’m hoping to see Drones step up in the passing game because if not now, when? Time to build at least a little bit of confidence in an otherwise reeling team before heading into ACC play.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 35, Wofford 10
Andrew Alix
Ladies and gentlemen, the Phillip Montgomery era is upon us. Many of you, like myself, probably aren’t quite sure what to expect from this purgatorial nine-game stretch of Hokie football.
Given Wofford’s talent level, I’m looking for one thing above all else from the Hokies: effort, something that was sorely lacking in the final three halves under Brent Pry. Virginia Tech should win this one, and win it comfortably, though I don’t see them covering the 34.5-point spread Vegas has set.
In the end, talent carries the day. And for a brief moment in time, Phillip Montgomery will hold the best winning percentage in Virginia Tech football history.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Wofford 10