Virginia Tech vs Vanderbilt Game Preview | College Football Game Predictions

welcome back to another episode of rock boys football Brent pry Virginia Tech heading on the road to open up the 2024 college football season against the Vanderbilt program that deal you talk about two programs that kind of just trending in the opposite direction Virginia Tech we've been buying stock in this program pretty much all offseason Vanderbilt you know probably not so much want to dive into this matchup talk about a few Keys obviously give a game prediction with Virginia Tech heading on the road to to play Vanderbilt pill you make no mistake about it especially with Team like Florida State losing week zero like this is one of those teams in Virginia Tech that you look up mid October end of October and say this team is thickly in the hunt for an ACC Championship we both certainly wouldn't be surprised really excited to get into it now before we do and as always number one would love to hear from you guys in the comment section the best part about doing these kind of game predictions is hearing from you guys chopping it up about boss so appreci appreciate yall let it fly in the comments section if yall do enjoy the content consider subscribing to the channel and D without further Ado let's start with this Virginia Tech offense going up against the Vanderbilt defense that was 130th in points per game last year my big takeaway and what I'm most excited for for Virginia Tech is towards the back half of the 2023 season you really saw this offense kind of find their identity with kyen Jones at quarterback specifically running the football and they going up against Vander Bell defense that was not good stop in the run last year and that's kind of fundamentally what I'm looking for is can Virginia Tech this year start beating the teams like Vanderbilt like an Old Dominion in a way that I think makes me think they're a much better team it's like last year it felt like they let teams hang around that they had no business letting hang around I want to see this team play in a physical nature in a dominant nature especially up front because that's the one unit I think from from the offensive standpoint that I'm really looking at and I think needs to take a step have a lot of guys back I want to see that unit be able to impose themselves on on a defensive unit that they sure certainly should have their way well that that was kind of my big takeaway from the end of 2023 and what makes me just kind of a believer in this Virginia Tech program is you've seen the Player Development take place like that offensive line when Brent Pride first took over in 2022 disaster significantly better in 2023 and I would even argue that you saw that unit start to play better as a whole as kind of throughout the 2023 season you look at the last two last two games against Virginia and against tand in the Bull game ran for 250 rushing yards against Virginia and then 360 yards against tane like this was a team that from a rushing attack standpoint you know started to put it together now we think Virginia Tech's going to have some success running against the Vanderbilt defense that gave up 5.2 yards per carry last year there 122nd in the country where I see Virginia Tech you know kind of taking that step on offense is if Kyon Jones and the at Trio of wide receivers that we think are very good can kind of marry that Elite rushing attack that we know they're going to have with a downfield passing attack that can manufacture some explosive plays look Kyon Jones has all the talent in the world to push the ball down vertically down the field make those kind of throws you didn't see it as consistently as you wanted to in 2023 if he takes that step going into 2024 I think that's the peak of what this Virginia Tech offense can look like in the 2024 year and Vanderbilt's certainly not the measuring stick to kind of make that assessment but again I don't think we ever saw Kiron Jones play an extraordinarily clean game when it comes to the passing attack and not to say he didn't have his good games he obviously had some games where he was able to make some big plays in the passing game but again just quarter to quarter to quarter be really really consistent Miss almost zero throws again when Virginia Tech's playing this type of game that I think if are going to take the next step as a program it needs to become so routine that they play an unbelievably almost perfect game I think that's kind of what I'm looking for from drones because that'll make me think like all right he's starting to get really confident because that's like the one thing I feel like you didn't quite have was him just being Ultra confident confident as a pocket passer I I would totally agree with that I think that's a great take and you you look at drones last year you saw the flashes there's a reason we're high on this kid like there were some things like some throws that would make you draw drop we know he has that Talent even when he was coming out of high school when he first committed to Baylor and now can he put that together consistently and you know what makes me kind of feel good about it as you go back to last year like he wasn't the quarterback one in the fall Camp I mean this was uh he you saw a transition period And I think you saw as the season went on like drones get a little bit more confident as the quarterback one in this Virginia Tech offense and if they can kind of continue that momentum into the 2024 season that's what you're looking for and again these wide receivers he I think that's the part nobody talks about everyone wants to talk about this Virginia Tech rushing attack and how much returning production they have hey that's what makes us Believers in Virginia Tech as well but they have legitimate NFL Talent at the wide receiver position as well D going to the defensive side of the football I think for Vanderbilt or Vanderbilt on offense I guess you'd say not really sure what the quarterback situation is going to be they brought in two transfers both of which are very good athletes right Diego Pavia coming from New Mexico State he's a wrester out of high school this dude is tough as Nails he's a gamer I think he can win some football games then you have Nate Johnson who was you know a coveted recruit is a very very good athlete outside the pocket we're not necessarily sure who's going to be the quarterback one one thing I know though Vanderbilt's going to give Virginia Tech linebackers a chance to prove that they've maybe taken that step because again we kind of look think you're comfortable with that defensive line the interior probably needs to still prove itself to an extent bring in a couple of transfers have a few guys back I think that unit should be pretty solid but to me again you want to see these linebackers take on a little bit more of that identity of what I'd expect from Bren pride and be ultra physical because that was unit that it didn't always play that way they weren't always flying downhill and hammering guys and trying to make plays at the line of scrimmage and again I think Vanderbilt's gonna give him steady dose of the rushing attack last year they tried to play that Pro style when you have the talent that Vandy has you just can't do it that way you see them go out and get two quarterbacks who going to do something totally different vander's going to give that vers Virginia Tech Team a chance to prove their linebackers are legit well yeah I think they're going to run the football a lot like you have two Dynamic quarterbacks you have a really good sophomore running back and Cedric Alexander you kind of hit the nail in the head and we've talked about this in the offseason let's start with Kelly Lawson first Kelly Lawson is a freak Show arguably one of the most physically gifted linebackers they will see in the ACC and deal we've been banging on the table for this kid going back to the 2022 you've seen the flashes but I don't know if you've seen the consistency that you want to see from Kelly lawon then you go to Allan pisale last year four and a half yards average that the tackle like these linebackers just weren't being difference makers you know they were making some tackles but they weren't really making their tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage you're bringing Sam Brumfield from Middle Tennessee I think he could be a Difference Maker and if he's a Difference Maker at that offb linebacker spot maybe allowing you to get a little bit creative in terms of how you use Kelly Lawson because that's a kid that you can get creative with in the front seven that is an area where I see Virginia Tech take that step now you also setting the tone I mean a little bit bigger a little bit more sized than what I think we've seen from the Virginia Tech linebackers over the past few years and maybe establish some of that like thumping attitude just take on some of that Brent pry energy that we kind of saw from those Penn State defenses that L and one thing I do want to mention an people's on the inside the more you read about this kid in Fall Camp the more you he was phenomenal at Duke I mean we were this was a a guy that we knew was going to be a hot commodity in the transfer portal Virginia Tech was able to get it done that's a guy that can be a Difference Maker for Virginia Tech on the inside you want your linebackers to play better one of the best things you can do for your linebackers get a really good defensive line in front of them hey we know the edge rushers are going to be good they sacked a quarterback 10.2% of the time that was number three in the country the interior defensive line if they become a little bit more dominant I think you see the linebacker play take a step in the right direction as well looking the secondary it's maybe just going to hold this secondary to some higher expectations you know I look at this Virginia Tech secondary and say it has the ability to be one of the better units not only in the ACC but in the country I'm not sure if Vanderbilt is going to challenge this Virginia Tech secondary in any sort of significant way that being said you want to see them come out kind of put the clamps on these Vanderbilt wide receivers they do have a guy in ly kundi for Vanderbilt who I think really good coming from Texas Tech D let's get into the pick here Virginia Tech Road favorites 13 points I know where I'm going with this where are you going with this I think this a Preposterous ELO line and frankly if Virginia Tech's gonna make me really think they're gonna be a legitimate competitor for the SC or the ACC this year I think they gotta beat this team by 20 plus minimum because that's kind of where again and that might be locky expectations from Brent pry this early in his career at Virginia Tech but I don't think it is I don't this is year three we are seeing Brent Brent pry kind of get his fingerprints all over this program I don't think that's lofty at all I look at inside of two touchdowns I'm kind of with you here give me forgia Tech to cover the points I know it's weak one I know they're on the road but I look at this Vanderbilt team and say I don't know if there's a single match up on the football field that I like Vanderbilt in I don't think Vanderbilt moves the football in any significant extent and then you look at Virginia Tech and say they should be able to run the football Vanderbilt was very poor they gave up a 70% completion percentage last year that was a bottom in the country I think Virginia Tech be able to move the football give me Virginia Tech as well and D I think you summed it up best like you want to see Virginia Tech kind of make a statement week W against Vanderbilt kind of solidify all the hype that's around this program we'll shut it down there again appreciate you guys rocking with the fellas if yall do enjoy the content consider subscribing to the channel appreciate you guys we'll talk to youall later peace