VandySports Pregame Show | Vanderbilt vs. Virginia Tech | Week One

[Music] welcome to the vny sports podcast from the 440 Sports Network I'm your host Billy Derek this week's Vanderbilt football pregame show is brought to you by the Wash House the Murphysboro pure milk company Southerland and Bel and the mayor Nexon government contracts group topics on today's show are brought to you by the Murphysboro pure milk company a family-owned third generation milk and ice cream distribution company located in Murphreesboro that partnership began over 50 years ago with Purity Dairy in Nashville to provide Purity milk and ice cream to consumers in Middle Tennessee and they now serve Southern Kentucky Northern Alabama Chattanooga and North Georgia today they Supply grocery stores convenience stores and others with Purity Products as well as Mayfield Nestle and hagendaz ice cream for more info visit their website at mpm.com topics today we're previewing Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech we're going to dive into what Clark Lee said about how the commodor are handling the heat it's going to be hot tomorrow morning but it also could rain a little bit so maybe that affects things as well hopefully there's no delay of course as there typically is there's typically something weird in these week one matchups at at Vanderbilt Stadium now first Bake Stadium on West End but we'll hear from Clark Lee on how his team has been handling the heat preparing for uh for the heat that they will see on Saturday morning also three matchups to watch with Joey dwire to uh to preview this matchup and dive into the details the nitty-gritty of this matchup and uh what fans should be looking for as they head to First Bank Stadium on Saturday also Andrew alag Greta play-by-play voice of Vanderbilt football in the booth along with Norman Jordan and Kevin Ingram on 1025 the game also vods.co he gives us a little personal anecdote on uh Virginia Tech coming to Nashville he was with Virginia Tech uh for a good good bit 2011 to 2018 as a sideline reporter and worked in the booth there with with some really talented broadcasters so we'll talk about that uh the Hoke return to Nashville and also preview the matchup from his perspective and what he's seen from Fall camp and then we'll close it out with Andy bder a guy that's covered Hoke football for a long time he's with techsideline.com great breakdown of the Hoke and what to expect in Saturday's matchup before we do though our interview portion is brought to you by southernland and Bel a family-owned injury law firm uh if your loved one has been hurt in an accident give Taylor or Russell a call at 615 846 6200 to see what your rights are and if they can help now time to preview this matchup before we get to Joey dwire though his three matchups to watch a little bit of background on both these teams obviously this is at First Bank Stadium 28,9 34 is the new seating capacity with the North End Zone uh being finished obviously the inside of that building not quite finished looking at around Christmas time for that but obviously the seating is is sold out there so it should be should be really cool to see for fans walking into the stadium what the North End Z looks like the game is on ESPN so right after college game day keep it on ESPN you got the hes and the commodor going at it Roy Philpot Sam AO and Taylor Davis on the call you can also listen to it on 1025 the game well these two teams have an interesting history Vanderbilt in Virginia Tech first met at Dudley field back in 1930 that was a 40 to nothing Vanderbilt win I know vanable fans are open that happens on Saturday they didn't play again until 1965 that was a 21 to 10 Vanderbilt win in Nashville they met each year from 82 to 86 Vanderbilt took the first game in that run 45 to nothing and then the hokes captur the next four games the last meeting came in blackburg 1989 and 18 to nothing Virginia Tech win so uh it's been a while it's been a while since these two teams got together Virginia Tech's last trip to Nashville the 1998 Music City Bowl so Hoke fans are really excited to get to Nashville but obviously Vanderbilt fans are are excited to see this new look team with with new coaches like like Tim Beck and and Jerry kill obviously Clark Lee making some changes bringing some some transfer portal players in we'll talk about a lot of that new Talent with Joey DWI and Andrew alag Greta touched a lot on on the coaching staff but again Saturday morning 11:00 am kickoff probably a little after 11: am it's all it's you know typically there after game day I'm sure the guys will pick make predictions for this game so that that should be fun but again 11:00 a.m on ESPN at First Bank Stadium Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech all right but first before we kick it over to Joey DWI and his three things to watch let's kick it over to Clark Lee he spoke yesterday in regards to how his team has been preparing to handle the heat it's going to be into the mid90s rain might help but rain is not a sure thing you never know about the forecast here in Nashville here's what Clark Lee had to say about how his guys have been working hard throughout this week of practice to handle the heat on Saturday morning well we've been indoors the last 2 days so we we in preparation um you know obviously we we had the 11:00 a.m. scrimmage to get in it to feel it on Sunday we were in the stadium in the heat that was our practice was at uh like 3:00 so it was we got the full effect of Sunday's heat Dome um and then being in it on Tuesday um was kind of our last you know chance to to uh to like experience it that was 110 minutes we've come inside the last two days as part of the heat plan um that's just to get Total Recovery with our body and to physically be feeling good um and then it's about the next 48 hours pushing hydration and getting them ready that way uh on Saturday um you we got to trust our training so you know we've we've pushed through a hard summer and a hard camp and you know hopefully we got our bodies back we feel good um you know the hotter it is and the more we're impacted by it the more people you got to play and so um you know we have to be ready to to put people in insert people maybe early in the game to give them a chance to um you know spell spell a a one for a series just to make sure that we're we're ready in the fourth quarter I don't expect that but obviously we'll be ready for it if it happens all right now let's keep this podcast rolling to get you set for this matchup let's take it over to Joey dwire with his three matchups to watch off the pregame show with Joey DWI we are back with his maybe not five things to watch we're going to re uh rename it three matchups to watch within this game between Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech 11:00 a kickoff First Bank Stadium here in Nashville but Joey let's set the stage a little bit I mean this is a big opportunity for Vanderbilt year four of Clark Lee facing an opponent that has has proven their concept that the proof is in the pudding for Virginia Tech it might not have been the entirety of last season but down the stretch of last year Virginia Tech really came on behind Kiren drones and their rushing attack and so this is a proven product the hokes are that that Vanderbilt is facing so it'll be a challenge but it's also not an insurmountable opportunity that uh that this team is facing yeah I think Saturday is a huge game for Venable it's not going to be season defining or anything but I think it could be a precursor to a lot of what we see for the entire season we're going to have to see something more than we saw last year Clark Ley talked all offseason about the changes he's made and how the infrastructure of the program has improved and talked a lot about the offense and how it's going to be different and that's probably a good thing we talk about how the defense is going to look different schematically how guys are G to take leaps because of Clark Lee as the defensive coordinator now it's time for us to see that Billy uh they have talked all offseason about the changes they've made we're going to need to see some proof that those changes were the right things to do and that even if they were the right things to do they're actually going to make some difference and that's really what I'm looking for this Saturday I can't leave that Stadium thinking that their offense is completely overmatched and that it's gimmicky or the systems they're running are obsolete um I can't leave that Stadium thinking man they are just completely overmatched at the line of scrimmage those thoughts can't be with people in the media after that game because they've this they should be past that at this point and I think Saturday is great opportunity for them to prove that they're passed a lot of what has hampered them in the past because I think Clark Lee has talked all offseason about nil has been improved they've improved their infrastructure all these things Billy it's time for that to show up now and I think it doesn't have to be shown up in a win but they have to look at least competitive with a team like Virginia Tech and I think that will go a long way with selling their program because if they look like a two and10 team on Saturday it's really really hard to sell hope of an improved product to that fan base yeah we might be sweating walking out of the stadium because of how how hot it'll be but Vanderbilt fans shouldn't be sweating walking out of the stadium about what the rest of the season's going to look like that that's basically that's a good way to put that Vanderbilt fans should have a an easy feeling if there's an uneasy feeling even if it's a loss right I think is what you're trying to get at if this is a competitive hardfought game where Vanderbilt's end it in the fourth quarter you're saying is that is something you can take away as opposed to just being totally uncompetitive like they were last year in certain games absolutely it it's all about the level of compete and I know Clark Lee talks about that but I think that's a real thing like they cannot get ran off the field on Saturday and expect for people to buy into the product that they're selling and that matters more than ever nowadays that people are buying into what you're putting out you have to have a way to get people on board and Diego Pavia talked about how people don't know what he can do um you got to show people what you can do uh clarky I think has talked about he's confident in what they've done this off season time for some proof of that I just think Vanderbilt has so much to prove on Saturday and it would be a huge step back for the program if they go out there and just get ran off their own field because I think that happened way too many times last year and vinil fans have to have some reason to buy into this team and some reason for optimism and that doesn't have to be them winning as 13 and a half Point underdogs they've got to probably at least cover that spread though and they've got to look more commented on the line of scrimmage their secondary has to look better and their offense just has to look like a vable offense should they've got to be able to take care of the ball there can't be a whole lot of mental mistakes um and we're not expecting them to play a perfect game by any means because they're playing against the team that's better than them but they have to look like they belong on the same field as Virginia Tech on Saturday absolutely and Joey let's hop into the three matchups uh that you say will Define Vanderbilt's matchup with Virginia Tech overall and and again I know last year we maybe this was a longer segment but I think getting into these three matchups specifically and more giving more detail on them will be a better look at uh at the matchup ahead and I like how you put this Joey that the margin is always small for Vanderbilt but there are some matchups and some one-on ones that if they're able to win tomorrow that that V will have a shot and so we're going to start with Virginia Tech's receivers against Vanderbilt's Corners you got Colby Taylor Martell height Tyson Russell are th I think those three guys will probably play the most I think you will see some jayen Lackey um as well I think you'll see some trudell Barry and maybe even some some taco Wright but Virginia Tech's receivers are not Elite but they've got three or four guys that played a lot last year and had some production last year so that'll be a challenge I don't know that this is you know this isn't getting ready to face Tennessee type receivers or LSU type receivers but these Virginia Tech receivers know no what this this offense expects of them and they had good Seasons last year so this is a matchup to watch and Vandal cannot get this can't be a game like Missouri last year where Bray cook and Luther Burton just treated it like the video game you know I mean Vanderbilt has Vanderbilt has to stand up taller um against these receivers who aren't World beaters right I think that's a good thing for vand not facing a a freak receiver but they've got three or four guys that that are pretty good yeah to me it's the proven versus the unproven and that's why this was one of the matchups to watch for me Virginia Tex receivers we know what they are we know they're not Elite but we know they have a couple guys that can really hurt you if you don't have capable corners and that was what it was like last year we talked about this in the quarterback preview Vanderbilt cannot get torched by receivers that aren't Luther buron or aren't highle receiver of Georgia whatever average receivers vanderville has to be able to keep in check and these are probably above average receivers but these aren't the receivers that should be going for 150 200 yards on you and that I'm a little nervous on Vander R's behalf about what this will look like Kobe Taylor I think is going to do some good things but we still got to prove it at the SEC level and then opposite of him I think I have a ton of questions marel Hy I think is capable of having a good year but I just didn't see enough out of him in Camp to be super conf confident in him Tyson Russell I think I saw a lot of in Camp but last year still kind of sits in the back of my head so again it's just proven Virginia Tech receivers versus unproven Vandy corners and that's a position group for Vanderbilt that I think we're looking at in a broad sense is like if they can't handle Virginia Tech's receivers this could that could be one of the talking points that you're saying man they are in trouble because that's how it was last year in week one or week zero it's like you're looking at their corners and they're barely able to defend Hawaii's guys so what are they going to do against SEC receivers I think again on V's behalf I'm a little nervous because I think we could be walking out of First Bank on Saturday talking about how Virginia Tech's receivers uh kind of made light work of vy's corners and uh I think that would be a really poor sign for Vander moving forward I think their secondary is improved as a whole but they're already short-handed at corner and I think they're unproven there as well so that's a big matchup for me to watch um Virginia Tech's got guys who are proven and know the offense and know what's expected of them and I think uh vanderbar there and seems like that's been the case a lot recently vanderbolten answer those questions in a big way on Saturday um and if they do that I think you got some real optimism about their secondary yeah that would be a bad look if you know Virginia Tech and Kiren drones are able to light Vader up through the air this is a run this is a run heavy offense um they do have some guys DeQuan Felton Jaylen Lane Steven gnell they all combined for about 1500 yards last year so it's the combined production that I think scares you where it's it's one of four or five guys that could hurt you they also have Oly Jennings who was hurt last year coming back this year so obviously that that that is something to watch on Saturday Joey let's move on to Second matchup to watch Vanderbilt's offensive line New Look offensive line new positional terminology new head coach new players against Virginia Tech's defensive line that is certainly proven they were uh I think second in in the ACC and Sachs or maybe it's third last year Antoine pal Ryland that comes back uh all ACC type player they got a transfer from duke as well that's a really good player this a test from vw's offensive line and it's good that we're gonna see this test because we're gonna see what this offensive line is made up uh made up of early on and can guys like Xavier Castile and Keo Wesley who are older guys that have been in this program can they step up because I think we know what we're going to get for the most part from gunar Hansen and Chase Mitchell uh those you know maybe Mitchell slightly more of a question mark than Hansen but I just think those in those guards man those those is it quick guard are are those the the the quick guards Strong Quick and strong so the strong are in the inside correct uh well it's on the the side of the line of scrimmage so it's like that's it's like the field and the boundary okay true I'm not even going to try to get deeper into that but um Joey still a good offense uh still a good matchup to watch um and I think this will be something when we look in the fourth quarter if vander's down two three scores it'll probably be because Virginia Tech's been able to get to the quarterback yeah I think there's a little bit of turnover on the Virginia Tech defensive line which makes it really interesting for me but another thing Virginia Tech has allocated about 25% of its total total scholarships towards the defensive line and I don't know how exactly that compares to other programs you obviously need a lot of bodies there but they really hit that hard in the portal um and they do have some really good returners as well and again Vanderbilt unknown on on the offensive line uh I think that's an interesting position because there's three returners starting on it but also I think it's really unknown exactly what they have because did K Wesley get better did Castillo get better um what does step Lya and Chase Mitchell look like I just don't know I think Virginia Tech is going to be really physical I think they got some really good athletes and Billy I think that's a matchup again that'll tell you a lot about where vilts at in terms of the bodies it has and I think the offensive line is kind of a microcosm of where Vanderbilt is in its build because I think last year the offensive line just didn't have enough capable athletes and bodies and that kind of told you that Vanderbilt was behind in its build and kind of what it was doing because you can make up for some some things just some skilled the guys on the perimeter which Vanderbilt tried to do last year I don't think you can hide the talent differential on the offensive line just because there's so many bodies there and there's such a difference between a high level offensive line in the SEC and what it looks like physically versus what Vanderbilt has so I'm really interested to see just how close they are to being even a League average group there and I think we'll learn a lot about that Saturday against a team that uh I think has a really deep defensive line they're probably two deest position groups a receiver and defensive line so that's really what I'm kind of searching for there is caner will keep up with a ton of athletes and a ton of rotating there um it'll be interesting I think they do have some improved Talent there I'm just not 100% sure that it's going to be enough to slow down a group with that kind of depth and they do have some top top end guys too as well Billy yeah I mean it's a talented defensive line and and Vanderbilt obviously has faced that before in the being in the SEC and that that's a big matchup to watch but another one Kiren drones his legs against vander's front seven now front seven includes front four your three linebackers so guys like Patterson longw well font net I think are are more important than the front four because Joey I don't have a ton of trust in the front four to hold up and and and get into the back field consistently and hold up there into the bargain I'm not nothing against those guys just we haven't that vandol hasn't proven that really under Clark Lee that their defensive line can be good enough but their linebackers I think in and the star position there with fet I think can be good enough now there's a lot of pressure on them so that's what I look at in this matchup as well but drones' legs could be the matchup like I If if drones goes off Joey and has a career rushing day vander's done you know so I I I think he can he can get his yards but you can't let him just get completely loose and tear you apart with his legs yeah I mean he's certainly capable of doing that right that's probably the thing that they honed in on the most when we asked him about Virginia Tech on the last day of hul camp is got to keep him in the pocket and I let Marin Su uh their Captain probably it was interesting he's second or third on the dep chart um I kind of expected him to be second but him with an ore with Sten sanola is interesting to me but I'll let him explain this to me uh or for me he said yesterday or Tuesday we know we've got to keep the quarterback in the pocket we don't want him to get out we want to keep him caged limit explosive plays and if we do those things we'll come out of the game with a victory I think they know that drones is gonna beat him over the air or through the air if they let him do both if they let him use his legs to escape plays when they get in the back field or cover well and they let him tear him up through the air I mean they got no chance right so I think the easier of the two to contain is his legs and vandol we've talked all off season about how they're supposed to have improved depth on the D line their Lineback position is strong time to prove it and I think that's a huge test for them right away and a great barometer for kind of what they have if Ken Jones can just do whatever he wants they're gonna have a really hard time but if they kind of make him into a one-dimensional guy and it doesn't have to be taking away his legs maybe they uh take away some of the things he can do through the air but he can't do both and that's kind of my point here is if they can make him onedimensional I think they've got a real chance to win the game I don't know that I have a ton of optimism they can do that at this point but we' talked a lot about their depth on the defensive line and their speed at linebacker their improved physicality at linebacker got a better chance to do it than they have in the past yeah Joey it's the age old uh Bill bich style of play on defense it make you play with your left hand I it's it's like you know the B style of play as well you force force a guy left that's strong right he's going to have a tougher time too right yeah I mean Kyon Jones wants to run the football he's more comfortable toing the the football you know and and getting close to 100 yards a game I mean he had almost 900 rushing yards last year but through the air Joey they were they weren't prolific you know they weren't awful but they I think 97th in the country like 220 passing yards per game so they don't Kyon Jones doesn't want to sit in the pocket and and drop the ball all over the field now maybe he's improved in that regard and as an improved passer uh but he doesn't I from last year he doesn't want to do that so make him play left-handed and and you're right I think if Vil's able to do that I mean would you agree with Su there I think I like that that's a big if though like like that's a big if yeah yeah so totally go ahead one other thing Billy before I get off I think I'm gonna name my starting quarterback for the week uh oh here we go I I don't think it should be any surprise but I'm gonna I'm gonna estimate that Diego pavio will be the starter this week just wanted to get my no my prediction out there because I don't know if it's any I don't think it's anything groundbreaking but I think I think both of us need to name a starter before the week are you burning a source no there's no Source I mean look at look at the captain list Billy yeah but also I loved uh I love Diego put on Twitter his doct I don't know when this picture was taken um you know it was during his surgery I don't even when he know when he had surgery but uh the the doctor's tweet basically said QB won so yeah we've uh we've known for a while I think at least in our opinions and that's something you can't scoff over and forget about that Vanderbilt Vanderbilt has their guy um but still I mean don't forget about Nate Johnson and also Drew Dicky because I think we'll both see uh see those guys as well some but Joey parting thoughts here before kickoff I know we'll have some last minute thoughts tomorrow early in the morning but uh what are you uh what are you what are you taking away here to close it out yeah I mean this is a huge game for them Billy not it's not a must-win game or anything along those lines but it's a it's a must compete game if that makes sense like they can't get run off the field tomorrow that would just be a huge step back for their program as a whole and what they're trying to build got to see a lot from Diego pav and I just think it's hilarious that it's still an open quarterback competition and he's saying in the presser people don't know I'm going to do what I can do I'm going to prove it on Saturday uh but besides that they've got a lot of lot to prove offensively they got a lot of new systems that people haven't seen yet uh that some people are skeptical of uh the way they' built this thing I think it's a big Saturday for them to be able to kind of shut those people up and those people are going to continue to talk if uh this goes poorly and it's a big game for them Billy big spread but um there's some optimism that maybe they could turn this thing around and Saturday would be a huge starting point for them to be able to do it yeah there's some hope in the air I think for Vandable fans week one always uh Hope Springs Eternal you know nobody's lost a game yet but come Saturday night week one there's g g to be some upset fan bases and Vander fans hoping they're not one of them but 11:00 am kickoff Joey and I will be up early uh might uh yeah well not might we definitely will get a a last minute thoughts in um early tomorrow morning so uh stay tuned for that and all of our coverage tomorrow on game day that's Joey d I'm Billy Derek and we'll keep this pregame show rolling coming up great stuff there from Joey DWI of course right here at vandysports.com we'll have great coverage all day on game day tomorrow now onto our next interview but first a word from the Wash House are you dreading laundry day is it stealing time to do the things that you truly enjoy let the laundry professionals at the Wash House take care of that for you with two convenient locations in the greater Nashville area just drop off your dirty laundry and their professional attendance can give you back the one thing you can never have enough of your time within 24 hours you can pick up your nicely folded fresh and clean laundry ready to be put away log on to wash house clean.com or stop in today and get your time back and now on to the interview with Andrew alretta rolling along with our pregame show now happy to be joined by Andrew aliga play byplay voice for Vanderbuilt football in the booth along with Norman Jordan and Kevin Ingram as well on the sidelines looking forward to the call on Saturday 11:00 a.m. kick off Andrew before we start just give give fans an idea of uh what the radio broadcast will look and and sound like of course more importantly and maybe maybe some new things that you guys might be excited about uh well first off I think the fact that you know first off hi good to be back it's genuinely exciting to talk football again like I I just it was yesterday as we record this that I sat down and I did Clark's pregame interview and it it was great to get back there and do a pregame interview with Clark so I am I am genuinely excited to have football start off again uh radio broadcast nothing dramatic back on 1025 the game from most of our broadcast here in Nashville uh some of them with the PRS conflicts will flip to 949 but as always you can find us on the vanderbild Athletics app uh there's also a uh stream option on vucommodores.com uh one thing it's incredibly small but if if people are so inclined uh there's a spot on vucommodores.com radio at the bottom of the page where you can submit questions uh concerns anything all of that sort of stuff if you got a question during the broadcast um shoot us a no and that's for football basketball baseball uh that's available all season long but that's vucommodores.com radio at the bottom of the page man it is exciting you're right and it's it's probably particularly exciting for you uh reuniting with uh with former School Virginia Tech you were there uh in their broadcast Booth from 2011 to 2018 not I was excited to ask you about you know what was it like when Jerry Hill got to Virginia Tech you were not there you missed him just missed him but um you know we'll be talking about and that's something that I think has slipped through the cracks a little bit uh that that Jerry Hill was a huge part of you know getting Virginia Tech back and and really improving their running game and we'll get to that but just for you Andrew Le's get personal what What's it gonna be like Saturday uh with the with the Hokies coming coming back in town and maybe a little bit of a a taste of of what it felt like for you back in the day because you were there for a while it's going to be cool um it may not surprise you to know I've been asked that question a couple of times so it's giving me a chance to marinate it on it for a second um it's usually poised as is this going to be weird I don't think it's going to be weird it's going to be nostalgic uh and the thing that is by far the coolest for me um and I think anybody in a work setting that's had a significant Mentor understands this uh the guy that's calling the Virginia Tech radio broadcast two Booth down is that's my guy uh he's the one that hired me first his name is Bill Roth uh he's with a brief pit stop in UCLA uh done Virginia Tech games for a long long time um and and I certainly don't have a professional uh career without Bill's support uh so the fact that that we get to call the same game two booths away from each other is is honestly very very cool very very special uh the logos thing uh not so much um I think it will be fun to see a lot of friends and you know it it it gets outrageously boring I get it when people say this but like you know I've called games or worked in college athletics for about 15 years which is not a lifetime but that's enough time to make good friends uh and the chance that I get to spend an afternoon with some of those friends uh and see some of those friends this weekend is is really special I look forward to it next year too uh getting to go back and and that might be weirder uh they're coming to our place I think going back and being in the visitors booth next year after after you know four or five seasons in the home booth on the sideline the whole bit like that will be weirder this is just nostalgic and fun well certainly looking forward to it and uh obviously happy for you have been able to connect with some of the some of those old friends let's get into Vanderbilt specifically we'll talk a a lot about this matchup a little bit later but what have you seen from Fall Camp what what what have you you know what have you enjoyed watching what have you liked but also maybe what are some areas where you're excited to see how it shakes out whether it's a position or a player or two uh because there's not a ton of injuries you know we have to talk about this year which I think is encouraging so that's not a huge storyline but maybe a couple positives and maybe a couple of negatives that you're looking to see how does this shake out this year because it does feel like there are a couple factors that are very important for this team heading into week one you know I probably can't say anything that people haven't heard in some form before I think where I would start with all of this and if there's a piece to it that I feel like um not necessarily has been overlooked but not talked about as much uh because the focus goes to the players which is rightfully so but the the coaching staff turnover not just at the coordinator positions not at Clark not at be but right on through uh from coach Gregory uh who's the associate defensive coordinator all all the way down to klenakis your offensive line coach like I I think people are sleeping on the significance of klenakis uh a former offensive coordinator at Nevada and everything it's kind of easy to um and I don't mean this negatively it's it's easy to say oh he coached uh Kaepernick what was kind of focused on the offensive line he he coached Jackson but was kind of focused on the I don't know I think that's a pretty heavy footprint that that people should spend a little bit of time think about the way that that he wants to help block for for Tim Beck's offense and kind of how he can put his fingerprint on it I I love the fact that there is significant head coach experience on this staff Tim Beck has been a head coach Jerry kill has been a head coach Chris kinois not a head coach but a lot of years as an offensive coordinator and of course uh you've got Clark Lee who's now in his fourth season as a head coach that's a lot of um game management player manage AG experience that I think will serve this team really really well especially because Clark is going to have to divy up his time as he's talked about you need really strong voices that you can depend on uh to coach up the X's and O's to work on the adjustments and get people in the right spot um I think one of the things and I I I wish everyone could have this experience one of the things that being a sideline guy for Virginia Tech taught me is how chaotic football Sidelines are like football coach former football players I'm sure know it but until you have lived the chaos of a football sideline it's really hard to understand and the fact that you've got that many uh former head coaches or people with a lot of experience I think I think that's really significant what that translates um into wins and losses as always no idea uh but from a steadying hand that gives me a lot of optimism that they will get to the right places and then it's just up to the players to execute those situations uh things that concern me um you know I do think holding up at the point of attack for four quarters will be interesting to see I think there's more depth there and I know that's been said before specifically on the defensive line and the offensive line uh there's more depth there that's great uh but for four quarters we'll see how that goes um you know managing the perimeter um I do think Martel height can be a really strong cornerback for us or Barry can be a really strong quarterback for us I think there are um pieces and options up and down the defense that that we have not had in quite some time uh but you know managing that over the course of four quarters and holding up is going to be significant um I know it's been been talked about about the wider Seer room um no it doesn't feel like we've got a standout in the same capacity but I I'm just so intrigued to see how Tim Beck and Jerry Hill can get the most out of his offense and I think that is such a differentiator than the past couple of Seasons um you know I pulled up um NFL draft prospects and yes will Shepard is listed depending on how deep you want to go as someone that could be an NFL draft prospect and that that's a piece that you know from a skill set standpoint you would love to have um but but from a game day management standpoint like we're in such a better position um scheming and adjusting with this coaching staff what I have said uh a couple of times and I'll keep saying it and I'll say it I'm sure on Saturday is that I think this is by far the best coaching staff Clark Ley has had in Four Seasons and it's it's certainly a good time to have it after last year uh so I'm I am most compelled to see how they manage game situations offensively you know for fans headed to the game Saturday they're going to see a different product right uh different coaches you mentioned kakis Jerry Hill Tim Beck all three very impactful coaches we've already seen in Fall camp but they'll they'll prove to continue to be impactful throughout the season but different quarterbacks like you said different receivers running back fairly similar you know to what we saw a year ago but what are you expecting from this offense whether it's Diego Pavia Nate Johnson and we've seen some from Drew Dicky in Camp as well that has been encouraging um but just operationally uh but specifically with the quarterbacks what do you expect from that position uh to you know to to carry on toward the season well um you know with Diego Pavia he's obviously been named a captain so that's not a that's not a minimal thing um he is fascinating in in every way in every way he was the Conference USA player up the year season ago he's got a toughness and a grit and a determination which is all cliche words but it's all there with him um I think the word Clark used in his pregame interview about Diego was magnetism which is a very Clark word that's a Clark word it's a Clark word but it but it Paints the picture of of what they want I feel like for the first time with Pavia um Clark has a player that is like the physical representation of what he wants this football team to be um Clark as we've talked about in the past for all of his Clark words and his intelligence and his you know Vanderbilt education and MBA education like that's a tough dude that works really hard and you were at the press conference the other day when when he talked openly about the fact that you know he can grind and he recognizes now that that sometimes it's hard for other people to keep up to his grind um and Diego is kind of like the physical representation of that so I I'm I'm really super curious to see how he helps lead an offense in a way that you know there's so much respect for Ken seals respect for Mike Wright uh respect for the skill set of AJ Swan uh but none none of them match the personality of Diego Pavia so the fact that Clark has that person on the field completely intriguing I'm curious to see he does not have AJ swamp's arm strength like nobody's going to deny that in fact respectfully just from like an arm strength standpoint he's probably below the other guys that we've seen the past couple of Seasons I'm not sure that that matters though like I'm going to sound like Norman Jordan um like it it took me and he's like internalized this in me um for four years now but it's about the ability for the offensive coordinator to call the right plays to match the skill set of the players that you've got on the field like and Norm would talk about that a million times with what Watson Brown could do with with Wht Taylor with Norm with Alam Matthews all of those guys um and and they were really well-crafted plays for that crew and I think we're in such a good position with Tim Tim Beck to call plays that that match the skill set of this offense I nor Norm joked that I was like what was Whit Taylor's arm strength and he joked he joked I'm sure I'm sure Whit could throw it he said 55 yards as long as there was a 30 mile per hour win in his back I'm sure he could throw it a little bit further than that but the point was you don't need the guy did you see Joe Milton the other day in his first throw with the Patriots I did what was it it was an overthrow interception yeah we don't need that guy um would I like to have him sure but I want the one that runs the offense and de I saw Diego make a great 40-yard throw right down the seam at practice the other day to Junior Cheryl um that's fine that's all you need you just need him to to get the safeties and the linebackers back enough that you open up the middle of the field a little bit for the Run game a little bit for your tight ends and all of that sort of stuff which he's got the arm strength for that physical representation of what Clark wants I like how you put that okay let's go defense hope I'm right it sounds nice I could no I haven't heard I haven't heard it yet I like it I like it a lot it could be so wrong we could get out there on Saturday and be like stop it we'll see no I I don't think so we'll see I love how you put that though let's go defensively um you know Clark has his stamp now on this group Randon fontanet is a guy they brought over from TCU cord Sor from Purdue uh MTSU transfer Zen wood comes in you know some new faces but you've also got a core there and Patterson and Taylor um you know you mentioned height who played a lot last year that feels like a good maintain maining presence on that defense what can we expect defensively especially now that Clark Lee has taken it over and he did in the speaking of the press conference mentioned guys I may not be DED up in suits anymore I I just got out of the film room you know defensive coordinator role uh you know obviously has him a little bit busier uh you know dur during week game week but what are you expecting from this defensive group can can I take one second to point out something he said at the press conference that I found fascinating um and then we'll get back to the defense I don't want to chew up too much of people's time no you're good um but he said and I thought it was interesting I'd be curious your take on it um but I talked about it with Norm already too he said uh too often in this program people focus on one game instead of the whole season I thought that was a really interesting line what did you make of that well I've heard a lot from fans uh whether it's on the board or just talking to people that um you know man this Virginia Tech game is so huge you know a lot of times in Vander Seasons you know the season goes how that first game goes and well yeah I mean you can say that but also look back late end Seasons you know you go back to 2022 Vanderbilt was able to you know to get the wins over Kentucky and Florida I I I I recognize the same thing in that that yes it's you know it's one game and it is important but he mentioned the staff and how this staff you know how you improve throughout a season is is a reflection of your staff and the quality of your staff so I know I I noticed that too and I think um think we do need to we need to pause at times and just say okay it's one game you know let's look at this entire sample size before rush into judgment after one game yeah I got the same takeaway I thought it was so interesting and you know some of that is to the larger Community some of that is to the players too right like we went and lost the Wake Forest game last year which everyone circled as like oh goodness you have to be able to go get Wake Forest that way you can go to UNLV that way you can be 4-0 that way you can make a and then it didn't happen versus Wake and the next week was unlb and that was that was kind of it um and it was really really difficult to get things back on the rails uh and that's not to lower the expectations for Virginia Tech but but I do think because of all of this experience with kill with Beck like there's a larger picture of what it means to get better as a team throughout the course of the season and he referenced twice New Mexico state was they did at the end of the year last year and Virginia Tech who finished I think 5-2 uh after getting off to a slow start and went seven- six and one a bowl game okay uh defense I like the pieces like it's it it strikes me as um the most compelling and uniquely skilled defense that Clark has had like Langston Patterson CJ Taylor der Ricky Wright fonet some of the guys on the defensive line like Z wood is really good um I think the growth of Isa with Taha can be really significant um you know I mentioned the fact that I I I saw is uh Daren Aku was kind of down the depth chart a little bit the other day I think um I wish I wish that would take some strides uh because he's got the the physical tools to do it but they've got a lot of guys that that can make some stuff happen but again I go back to the coaches like I have more confidence in Clark getting guys to the right spot to allow them to make the play than any of the past couple of Seasons um what was it Clark Clark was like top 20 scoring defense all three seasons at Notre Dame and I respect the fact that the talent level is different um but Clark is is deeply regarded as one of the smartest defensive coaches in America um and he wouldn't have climbed up the ranks to Notre Dame if he wasn't um so I I love the pieces the depth as always will worry you um we're not we're not the rest of the league when it comes to that although I do think we can rotate more defensive linemen than we have in the past but got to stay healthy in the secondary got to stay healthy at linebacker if if you can get just enough out of that defensive line that allows you to unleash the second two levels that's compelling all right to close it out here Virginia Tech comes into town Saturday 11:00 am kickoff on ESPN for you what what are some things you're looking at and you say okay if Vanderbilt is able to do this this game game will be competitive and on the other side if Virginia Tech is able to do this it might be harder right for for this to be a competitive game so what are the keys you're looking for here especially when Vanderbilt's defense goes up against a guy like Kiren drones that proved last season he's not only prolific on the ground but also through the air with the weapons they have coming back it's the Run game on both sides and I think it's it's fairly clear I think on both sides that if Vanderbilt can control those in some capacity and not let them get out of control then you've got a pretty good shot uh specifically with drones um I think Norm said the other day he led the team in passing and rushing six times and Clark made the point that that what they do uniquely that's a run first offense like yes drones can like Milton throw it over the top that's fine uh his his downfield accuracy is not quite as good as people think he can overshoot and and if he can overshoot then CJ Taylor or somebody like that can can pick him off um um but what they do is they'll try to split you with drones perhaps going One Direction and Toton going the other and you've got to make a decision as a defense where that Ball's going and if you miss they're going to puncture you up the middle and they're going to stay committed to the Run game if they can control Virginia Tech's Run game enough to force drones to be that passer you know middle of the field down the field they I think they've got a chance to will they give up a couple of big plays you know probably that's a good offense that's a really good offense with speed on the outside uh but if they can control the Run game enough drones perhaps can make a mistake get one or two interceptions and that can flip a ball game on the other side Virginia Tech's defense is good they've got two NFL prospects and Peebles and APR the transfer from Florida who played for Florida when fandy beat them at as I'm sitting that way yeah po Ryland y yep a couple of seasons ago those are NFL guys and strong a cornerback uh is an NFL guy they they can cause Havoc that's a good defense but if there was a question mark for them it was the run defense at times like I think they're very aggressive and you can get them to overp pursue um it happened a couple of times last year NC State was a good example of that NC State's good I get it uh but Virginia Tech gave up 200 yards rushing five times last year like if if Bandy can within reason run the football and within reason stop the run game you're going to take Virginia Tech out of what it wants to be uh and that will stretch the game to the fourth quarter football's back pregame shows are back Andrew is is back uh calling a Virginia Tech football game but this time for Vanderbilt so it should be fun and uh you get to take the trip back up to blackburg next year so obviously looking forward to that one I might want to go to that too blackburg sounds awesome you know I will I will say look I'm a I'm a Commodore through and through uh but but on Saturday in the fall blackburg can put on a show yeah yeah driving up through the smokies and blackburg you know that there's nothing like it so looking forward to it kickoff 11: am Saturday Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech that's Andrew aliga Andrew thank you so much for taking the time thanks guys Andy bitter from techsideline.com been covering the hokeys for a long long time up there in blackburg he joins us now to preview Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech Saturday at 11:00 a.m. but before we preview the matchup Andy and again I appreciate you hopping on let's talk about the hokes and what Vanderbilt fans can expect to see from this team not only against themselves but this season uh because obviously we all know how many starters they've got coming back Brent pry who of course has connections to Vanderbilt being with James Franklin here so does Chris Marv defensive coordinator just start with an overall analysis of of what this Virginia Tech Team could look like this year yeah I think a lot like it did at the end of last year with they were sort of humming uh offensively and defensively I think uh you mentioned all the guys coming back from last year this is sort of what they've been building for for a couple years in terms of uh had to find some depth at certain positions had to rebuild completely some uh a couple of rooms had to find a quarterback and Kiron drones who really makes this whole thing go a dual threat guy you can run it and pass it but you know defensively I think they're coming into their own under Brent pry and and Chris Marv there they started to look a lot better at the end of last season versus the start and uh you know I think they might have gotten over that hump you know you always need to do that as a new coach is sort of you know get your you know schemes in there get everybody understanding your culture and everything and you know year three this is the time it should be happening right now yeah take us back to to last year uh you know first I guess what was it five six games Hook's kind of struggled out of the gate but then you insert Kiren drones and all of a sudden this offense starts clicking what did you see in that and and what about Kiren drones allows this offense or at least allowed them last year uh to really start cooking mostly with drones it it was the running element that he brought to this offense they they really reshaped how they were calling plays uh with him him in the game Grant Wells the previous quarterback didn't really have that to his game he could he could run but not like drones does and you see drones and he's actually a lot bigger in person or feels like that he is when you see him on the roster he's well-built he can take a hit he can Dole out a hit out there and you know they went from not being able to run the ball at all to all of a sudden teams have to worry about him and they ran for 300 yards three times last year so that opens up basa toon in the ground game you Malachi Thomas behind him and you know he threw the ball pretty well you know even for not having Ali Jennings as top receiver who got hurt I think they moved the ball pretty well with the receivers they had and you know that whole thing and I think when the offense started clicking that helped the defense too obviously because they're they're not giving up uh the ball on a three and out and all of a sudden the defense is back out they're defending for another you know eight or 10 play drivve something like that I think that showed up and uh how they stopped the Run they stopped giving up as many big runs just I think the whole team really rallied uh once Kyon went in as the starter because he was that much of a difference maker and then fast forward to this year obviously drones is the signal caller and obviously more comfortable within the offense who are the weapons though you know I i' I've heard the last month or so that Virginia Tech has three or four guys that they can rely on uh there may not be a guy but they've got depth there at receiver and you mentioned Toton at at running back who are those weapons that drones will go to and maybe even a a go-to guy you might be expecting this year yeah to and tailback I think he could be a thousand- yard back uh he was second in the ACC and missed tackles forced last year uh and that was behind s an offensive line that was still sort of you know Finding its way so I I think if that group is better and you have drones there for the entire year I think he could certainly be a thousand yard back he has those skills the receivers they have a deep group they have four graduate students who all decide to come back uh oi Jennings DeQuan felon Jaylen Lane and Steven gnell uh that's pretty rare especially in a school like Virginia Tech that's never really had receiver depth quite like this uh Felton's a big guy 65 just a a mismatch problem out there physical guy on the outside jayen Lanes Works more in the slot was it Middle Tennessee before so Vanderbilt fans might be familiar with him uh pretty Shifty guy there and a good operator uh gnell you know I think 16 of his 22 catches last year went for first downs so he's just sort of a steady reliable guy in that receiving core and then you add to the mix oi Jennings who you know broke his ankle his foot in the second week last year missed the rest of the season and he was the guy they brought in to be their top guy he had two touchdowns in the opener against ODU so you add him to the the group of receivers that they had last year and I think you know that's more receiving weapons than Virginia techs had uh in the time that I've covered this program it's been 13 years so um maybe not as big big a numbers for each of them as you might expect because they kind of have to share the wealth but across the board I think they could put a certain number of guys in the game and still feel pretty comfortable about production all right let's go over to that Brent pry Bud Foster lunch pail type defense that Virginia Tech fans have have gotten acquainted with over the last man for a long time their they're at Virginia Tech but obviously Brent pry has has rejuvenated it Antoine pow Ryland comes back uh you also have uh guys that you lost like Mario Kendricks Nora Pard uh Feld Darius Payne other guys like that so you lost some but you also have some some really good players back there uh for the hokes coming into this season what can we expect defensively how active will they be and and maybe what's the strength of of this defense coming into this year yeah I I think strengths are in the front and the back end uh they really get after the quarterback well they were tied uh for the ACC lead in the regular season last year in sacks I think they had 38 something like that uh Powell Ryland was a big part of that the tackles were they had to replace a bunch of tackles but they bring in anas Peebles from duke who was an all ACC performer I think very high hopes for him to succeed in on this defensive line but it's just a very deep group on the defensive line where they just come after the quarterback in waves uh so I think that's going to be a strength and then on the back end of the defense they brought back their two top corners from last year somewhat surprisingly I thought Dorian strong might try his hand in the NFL I thought moner Delane might try his hand as a transfer I think he probably could have commanded a pretty penny and probably did here at Virginia Tech anyway those are two of the top guys in the ACC two guys that are probably going to get drafted next year and uh you know that allows them to do a lot more with their coverages in terms of leaving them on an island or you know if you have that extra second of coverage that could mean a lot on the front end to get into the quarterback so I think those two things work hand inand and those are really the strengths of this defense all right let's go overall and I do still want to get into this matchup coming up Saturday but in the ACC Virginia Tech among some experts is a trendy pick to to maybe even win the conference uh but there's also other people that have them still a rung below teams like Florida State Miami and Clemson which of course no shame in that those three teams are obviously really good we saw Florida state did last Saturday though so maybe that's an opportunity for Virginia Tech where do you see them in the pecking order of the ACC coming into this season and are they a team you think could be into that conversation in the college football playoff at the end of the season yeah I think I picked them fifth in the ACC in the preseason um you know I think this is a very improved team I think that with everybody back they're going to take a jump from even last season but they were a six and six team last season and you look at some of their games and you know I've said this many times it's like I need to see them beat somebody really good you know they played three pretty good teams last year Florida State NC State and Louisville and they were not very competitive in any of them I know the NC State score was close at the end but that was a a 20-point game at one point in that contest so uh I need to see them hold up in the trenches against a really good team before I'm going to pick them to be the you know back you know we always say Miami is back Virginia Tech is back I think people are really hoping for these ACC teams from the early 2000s to finally be back uh and sort of help the conference's reputation there but I need to see them do that on the field before I truly pick that that said you know there is a a a scenario where if everything clicks and this team is legitimately as good as I as you know people think they could be that you know the schedule is favorable enough that they might be a Darkhorse Contender for the playoff I mean if things fall right and we'll see how this new system works out and who actually gets in and kind of what record you need to get you know I think they're contender in the ACC and if you're contender in the ACC you're a contender for the playoffs so uh I look at the ACC this year and I don't see like a top you know Far and Away Head and Shoulders best team there's been that in the past with Clemson and Florida State and they've sort of separated themselves from the pack obviously that's not the case already with Florida State I don't think Clemson's there either I think there's any one of six or seven teams that could win the ACC this year and i' put Virginia Tech in that group it should be fun it should also be fun this Saturday Virginia Tech comes to town again 11:00 am kickoff you can watch it on ESPN right after college game day Andy last thing for you this is an interesting matchup Vanderbilt obviously struggled mightily last season one of the worst teams in the power five they made a lot of changes obviously bringing in Diego Pavia and basically a lot of the New Mexico State offense which should be interesting in in a week one scenario where you never know what they're going to throw at you for Virginia Tech some familiarity now it's been a while since coach pry and Chris Marv have probably been back but still a place that they have a lot of respect for and and probably love so should be excited uh exciting for them to come back what are you expecting Saturday when they kick it off 11:00 a.m hokeys and the doors well that's the beauty of openers right as you never quite know we talk about all this stuff throughout the offseason we think we know how it's going to go and then boom Georgia Tech beats Florida State in an opener uh yeah I think there'll be plenty of points in this game I think I look at the offenses and I I think they're pretty capable uh you mentioned all the New Mexico uh State guys you know Jerry kill coming in as an adviser on that side hoky fans are very familiar with him because he had a big hand in reshaping the offense and sort of saving the 2019 season here as an advisor when H Justin funte was the head coach so uh they understand what he can help uh with a team turning around a run game or you know just crafting an offense that could be pretty effective so uh you know I think the offenses might have a day on Saturday coming up I might be completely misguided on that you never quite know in these things but I just think uh you know I think Virginia Tech certainly is Prim to have a pretty good offensive day so I I think they're eager to pick up what they left off after last year and I think with all the pieces coming back including an offensive line where everybody's back and and ideally improved if you're a hookes fan uh I think they can put up some numbers it should be fun ACC SEC week one I've always loved started the season like this and uh looking forward to it so again 11:00 am kickoff that's Andy bitter from Tech sideline Andy thank you so much for taking the time oh thanks for having me and that's a wrap for our week one pregame show right here with vandysports.com big thanks to Joey dwire Andrew aliga Andy bitter and everybody that made this week's pregame show possible looking forward to action this podcast has always been free and we plan for it to stay free so here's how you can help keep it that way a few things number one give the podcast review and a festar rating that helps us get noticed if you're listening and you haven't subscribed yet please do you're missing out it's $99 a year $9.99 a month and helps us tremendously it's a great subscription this time of year especially during football season subscribe to our Vandy Sports YouTube channel all kinds of content going up every day right there on our Channel also if you're interested in sponsoring the show email Chris Lee chrisly 70@gmail.com that's chrisly 70@gmail.com thanks for listening we'll catch you again soon with more episodes of the Vandy Sports podcast