Pry’s first game, 757 and more
Football
9/2/2022 12:35:00 p.m
After months of anticipation, it’s finally time for a new head coach. Brent Pr And the Hokies to officially kick off their 2022 campaign.
Below is what Hockey Nation should watch for tonight’s game between Virginia Tech and Old Dominion at 7pm ET on ESPNU.
Brent PrFirst game
The most prominent storyline coming out of the offseason is the hiring of a head coach. Brent Pr. Pry took over the Virginia Tech football program after spending the last eight years at Penn State under James Franklin. Pry is tasked with returning Virginia Tech football to its roots, staying true to tradition and fostering a winning culture. Pre has already become a fan favorite, heavily involved in the community, participating in the annual Cadet vs. Civilian snowball fight, attending other Virginia Tech sporting events, and more. While this first game won’t determine his fate, all eyes will be on Pry to see how he begins his season at Virginia Tech.
QB1
Virginia Tech has seen quarterbacks with a different Week 1 starter each of the past few seasons. Same goes for the Marshall transfer in the 2022 season. Grant Wells. It was announced on August 17 Grant Wells They won the starting job and lead Virginia Tech’s offense, led by the offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen. The redshirt junior comes to Blacksburg with 5,626 yards and 34 touchdowns against the Thundering Herd. Wells has been one of the most productive pass rushers in college football over the past two years, and became the first freshman named to the 2020 All-Conference USA first team. The Gunners will be looking to bring some stability to the quarterback department and it will start Friday night in Norfolk.
Bring back the lunch pail
An iconic symbol of Virginia Tech football is back in 2022. Prim’s goal is to get Virginia Tech football back on track, and he took it one step further by bringing in the lunch pail. The lunch pail was introduced by legendary defensive coordinator Bud Foster in 1995 and has been a staple of the program ever since. Foster’s defense has been ranked in the top 10 nationally 11 times since its inception through 2013.
The lunch pail is nothing new to Pry, having been a graduate assistant under Foster from 1995-97. Pry said he will make a lasting impression on him and will always want his defensive unit to retain the characteristics of Virginia Tech’s lunch pail defense. The lunch pail is a symbol not only of defense, but of strength and resilience that represents the people of Southwest Virginia, and we welcome it this season. Fifth year defensive unit and team captain Chamari Connor He was given the honor of carrying the lunch pail onto the field from a recent evening game.
The ODU-Tech connection
A bunch of now-hokies return to Norfolk, where they called their stomping ground before moving to Blacksburg. That team includes the receivers coach Fontel Mineral (2021), Senior Director of Strength and Conditioning Dwight Galt (2019-21) and Assistant Director of Player Involvement Joe Joe Headen (2017-21), who played cornerback for the Monarchs in all three Tech-ODU games. ODU head coach Ricky Rahne has ties to Pry as both worked together at Penn State as offensive and defensive coordinators. Pree also worked with Rahne and other Penn State employees who came to Norfolk. Finally, ODU tight ends coach Justin Harper was a standout receiver for the Hokies from 2004-07.
757
Another one of Pry’s goals as head coach is to focus on recruiting in the Virginia Commonwealth. Some of hockey’s most famous players – Michael Vick, Bruce Smith, Tyrod Taylor – all came from Virginia. Another thing all these players have in common is that they are all proud natives of the 757 (Hampton Roads metropolitan area). The 757 area has been known for producing high-quality players over the years, and Friday’s strong performance could certainly help Tech attract top recruits from the area.
History is on their side.
Heading into this game, Tech has history on the side, with an 89-38-1 mark in season openers. They are 56-64-6 when opening a season away from home, while the Hokies are 63-40-5 against Virginia’s FBS opponents. This is the first time Tech has opened against a Virginia team since 2016, when they defeated Liberty 36-13 at home. The last time the Hokies opened a season on the road at Virginia was back in 1982 when they beat Richmond 20-9.
