Last Minute Thoughts: Vanderbilt vs. Virginia Tech

good morning and welcome to First Bank Stadium here on the campus of Vanderbilt University alongside Joey dwire I'm Billy Derek and it's time for our last minute thoughts Joey we're back it's hot I'm already sweating got some tailgates going out here in front of us as you can see the stadium behind us a lot of Virginia Tech fans but it just feels good to to be here and and talking about a game as opposed to talking about position groups and and rehashing fall Camp practices so it uh it feels good to have football back yeah and it's a big game too Billy this is a real measuring stick iname for vbt I think Clark Lee has talked a lot about the changes he's made this offseason to the program and how last year wasn't good enough now it's time to see those changes come to fruition and I think today's a big again measuring stick to see where this program is at relative to where it needs to be I think Virginia Tech is probably a step above where they're going to be in the near future but I think this is a real chance for them to show that things are heading in the right direction they have Better Bodies they have better depth they have better physicality they can compete with a team like this and I think if they can't it's going to be really hard to sell a product the rest of the year but if they can go today or even win the game I think man that would go a long way yeah I mean it's a big day it's a big day for vable football uh you brought in so many new players and coaches and you should see it come to fruition at least somewhat right this should be different than last year it should feel different than last year for every fan in attendance as I told you a few days ago on the podcast maner fans should not walk out of this Stadium today feeling down about their team they should they should get a glimpse and and take take wins or losses away they should get a glimpse of what this season could be and what the future can be and this should be a turning of the page a new chapter uh in the Clark Le book and Team Four uh for for everyone and you know for the fans mostly I think today is about the fans to to really get a taste of of what this team could be so Joey let's get into what what they have to do today and I know I what we did basically last year we would talk about keys to Victory and mention a few keys for you what's what's the one thing I know there's a couple other things but for you what's the most important thing Vanderbilt has to do today in order to I'm not going to say win but be in it in the fourth quarter well I think there's a lot of things but I'll put it all under the blanket of doing small things well and we talked about that all last year they couldn't do it I think today they've got to take care of the ball right and that's become a bigger and bigger emphasis Point throughout the inside of the program throughout the summer they've got to force turnovers I feel like they've got to get a couple breaks today Billy because Virginia Tech I think is more talented than them at a lot of positions and I think they're more physical them with the line of scrimmage bol's got some Playmakers on the back end of the defense though and those guys have to make some plays they got to give them the ball back and I think they've got to put the offense in a better position than they did for a lot of last year and the offense obviously has to coexist with the defense I think for a lot of last year the defense was just on the field way too much and today need a more balanced attack I think better complimentary football it just all kind of boils down to you've got to do things that they've harped on in the past that they haven't done and today is just an example of that they got to force turnovers they got to be sharp on special teams they got to take care of the ball offensively and they've got to continue to extend drives they got to make the timely play and I think they've got a shot if they can do that if they can keep K Jones in the pocket bil they got a shot I mean I don't think they're completely out bodied this game I think the talent is obviously different the experience is obviously different they shouldn't be getting ran off the field today though right no no they shouldn't and I I'll go offensively for Vanderbilt be be in sync right chemistry today cannot look like a disaster offensively there were way too many games I mean you could you could probably Series in at least every game where the offense looked disastrous and there was there didn't look like there was a plan it didn't look like there was an identity go out offensively and and play with an identity and it's it's it's weak one right you're gonna you're gonna make you're it's probably going to be a couple turnovers here for both teams and you're going to make mistakes uh it's week one that's what happens but at the end of the day Joey this offense has to look like they have played together and I know it hasn't been a long time right they they've really it's really just been the second half of Summer and getting into the fall so they got to be in sync okay and what that means not necessarily sure uh I don't have anything you know on on paper or something they can do on the field to you know to to make that come to fruition but just clean football and operationally you know we heard that a lot from Tim Beck not getting to the line too slow right getting to the line as quick as you want and I think pav will be an important part of that he he's he's been in this offense and he he knows he knows the speed at which Tim Beck wants to run this offense and so I just think in sync is a word that this offense cannot look Loosey Goosey and just disastrous like it was too many times last year yeah I mean I think the operational point is great because they're not going to have talent Virginia Tech we've said many times throughout the fall right but if they're sharp in their operations if they go up there and look like they have a purpose and what they want to do if Diego pavi seems to have command of it like he did at times in the fall and they've got a shot and I think they have enough Playmakers at least at tight end and probably a running back as well to be able to help Javi out and that's another thing too is Javi can do all he wants he got to get more help than Ken seals and AJ Swan got last year and I think today is going to be a real barometer of how much they have on the perimeter how much they have uh in terms of their matchups and what they can do Tim Beck's got a challenge with this offense I don't think he's got as many Playmakers as I think he would have hoped for but he's got enough to where he should be able to work some mismatches and should be able to run a clean operation at this point yeah I mentioned this on the doorport a couple nights ago I think Vanderbilt needs a big special teams play um and and I say that I think you can lump in a a big uh turnover as well you need a huge play that shifts momentum you remember the Wake Forest game a couple of years ago was a home game and you may or may were you covering in 2022 no last year was first year last year was first year I always get that mixed up but anyway 2022 Wake Forest game here Vanderbilt had a huge fourth down stop early in the game and that shifted the momentum all the way to their side now they didn't end up really coming close to winning that game but that was an early momentum shift that and Chris would obviously remember this and V fans watching that pulled it all the way to their side I think they need and likely it happens in special teams whether it's a a big 50 yard from Brock Taylor you know after after a third down stop or a a muffed punt you know a mishandled punt anything special teams wise I feel like Vanderbilt needs that to happen today and they have to force it right they're not going to make them they're team they're not going to make a whole lot of mistakes exactly Virginia Tech's not going to give you much today now it's week one maybe there's a play or two that they give and you've got to take advantage of that have to take advantage of right that that's another key if the ball's on the ground you got to fall on it because there's not you know Virginia Tech's gonna play a clean game I I have a good feeling about that with drones and toon and because they've got an out they've got an out pitch right Vanderbilt does not have an out pitch reg Tes out pitch is drones and toon right give the ball to drones drones you could keep it I mean they they've got an out pitch banderol does not so I think Ville obviously they've got to make out of out of the ordinary plays and maybe two right maybe multiple so I threw that out there a couple nights ago big special teams play to swing the momentum yeah I just think they need maybe early they need a great equalizer play and we talk about it with basketball is they've got to hit more threes and that's how they're going to counteract the bodies I think today they need a great equalizer they need a big turnover they need to hit on a deep ball that they normally probably wouldn't hit on they need to have a huge special teams play they just need a play that's going to get all the momentum behind them it's going to be very Virginia Tech heavy crowd I would think it's a sellout and Vander wolt does not do that without a big opponent um Billy they've got to have something bounce their way today and I mean it's week one could happen right but kyen Jones only threw three interceptions last year yeah I think it's gonna be a difficult task it's gonna be a tall task but if they can get one or two big plays to bounce their way I don't think the talent Gap is great enough to where they wouldn't be in the game and that's the key for me today is it's not a must-win game for me it's a must compete game and it's a must show proof of concept game yeah I'll mention one more thing here make KY drones do what he doesn't want to do I don't know that he wants to sit back there and throw the football you know 40 times today right but what he does want to do I think he'd be fine running the ball 10 15 carries today like that's what he does but make him make him not want to to do that you know hit him a couple times make him uncomfortable to where he's like and I don't want to I don't want to run up up up up to the right side here and have CJ Taylor coming after me or Patterson or font net like there are some guys that I think can strike fear now Dron is a big guy right big guy he's a big dude but M make that make that not fun to do getting out of the pocket and and stepping up into the pocket so that was one more I wanted to mention I mean Mar Su said it too right like Marlin Su was talking about earlier this week if they can stop him from getting out of the pocket if they can kind of make Virginia Tech play left-handed they've got a shot in this game and if they can force some turnovers if they can make him a little uncomfortable got a shot he's not a world beater he's probably not going to be a first- round draft pick he's good but I don't think that's a guy that if you make uncomfortable is gonna completely torch you so and that's kind of my thing with the whole Virginia Tech team is like I don't think they're going to completely run you off the field if you play an okay game but I do think like if you make mistakes they're going to make you pay for them and they're really good on the defensive line they're really physical Ben's got to win on the Perimeter at times and that's one of my biggest questions with this team and what I'm pretty interested to see if it gets answer today can they make plays on the perimeter can Kobe Taylor make a play can he slow down some of their best receivers can Quincy Skinner have one of his better career games they're going to need all that to win today yeah and both teams are gonna have to handle the heat U both both teams have been practicing in it Vanderbilt had their heat plan Clark Le mentioned that a couple of days ago they've been inside the last few days to just get their bodies feeling right to where they're not suffering in the heat too much but I mean it's hot on that Turf Joe I mean hard to breathe sometimes yeah I mean it's all Clark mentioned it's all trapped inside so it's hot on that Turf both teams are going to have to handle that and and that that's G to play a factor I think both coaches would probably like a little sprinkle of rain it doesn't look like it's going to rain no doesn't look like there's going to be a delay this I think we will get some cloud cover maybe half halftime fourth you know third fourth quarter type thing but we'll see either way Joey that it should be it should be a fun game I think I think it should be fun for the fans to today obviously it's week one it's always fun um but again I don't think Vander fans deserve today to be walking out down about their season about what what could come this year uh Virginia Tech they've they they've just they've got to play a clean game and I think if they do they'll be fine but obviously for Vanderbilt they've got upset on their mind and I think if they do the things we talked about they'll have a decent shot yeah I mean today I just go back to the one phrase proof of concept we talked all offseason about the change they made people have gotten excited about them time for Vander to show some reason for those people to be excited about this show some proof of concept show that you belong on the field with a team like this and I think that's the big thing of the day is does Vander even belong on the field with a team like Virginia Tech I think they've got a lot to prove today this is one of those games kind of in the mid tier where you're thinking Vanderbilt's probably not going to win it but if if everything goes well they've got a chance and I think that's really all I can ask for at this point in the season but we've got to see them prove they belong today there's the PA announcer Joey dwire I'm Billy Derek we're going to head in grab our credentials and uh begin our coverage so follow along all throughout the game and uh we course we'll have you covered after the game as well that's Joey I'm Billy say so long and uh enjoy your coverage today