Hokies 2023 Season Preview Panel

0:45 And welcome back to the Boundary Corner Podcast with my partners Brian Siegler and Jonathan Talley. I am Curtis Wilson and this episode is brought to you by Doctor Lord Jeremy Counts at the Main Street Pharmacy in Blacksburg and Boys, in less than a month we going to be down at the Main Street Pharmacy in Blacksburg. What you say? Yes, Sir. Yes Sir. Looking forward to it, you know. Always good to go down there to three O 1 S Main St. Say hello to Jeremy, say hello to everyone and get ready for a game man. And this is a special night everybody this, this is something that we did last year, received very well. We wanted to tweak it a little bit, get some a couple of new faces on here, do it a little bit bigger this year. So this is the 2023 hokey.

1:35 Season preview I'm a new face. I'm a new face on here. I want a new face. We really redid it. We got a whole. Weird host. Now definitely redid. Full revamp so if if y'all don't know we got. Non panelists total one is our very own Shelton Moss coming in on segment 2. And what we need from you is each segment is going to have a little part where we're going to get some audience questions in there for the panelists. So if you've got some questions, you won't answer it, whether it's general where we can kind of run it each segment or whether it's something specific for that panelists for that segment. Let us know, put it in the comments, we'll get it on air for you. And let's let's start it off here. We got the the first panelists.

2:21 He is a third generation hokey who has been attending games at Lane Stadium since he was two years old. He's a podcaster, content creator, and one of the elite members of the Virginia Tech Twitter community. Please welcome Grayson Wimbish. Gentlemen, thank you for having me. It's good to be here. Been a little while, but you know, we had so much fun last year. I appreciate. The opportunity to be invited back to do this, How are we? Good. Everybody feels yeah, I. Feel like it, Valley? Show how good we feel. Man, how How's the weather out there? How's the weather? How's the weather out there in LA, man? It's good.

3:01 It's hot. It's surprisingly humid, if you can believe that. But Sun is shining like always. Awesome. Well, we're glad to have you here, man. You got to eat. Dry heat out there. It is a dry heat. You know, mom and dad were out here last week. Same with my little brother. And they're like, dude, I can't believe you know, 75 degrees out here it means 75 degrees, not 75 and feels like 96. So very grateful for that, I should say. Nice. Nice. Well, next person we have is Uncle Dan. We had Dan Pulse coming in. Go ahead and bring my boy Dan in. Dan is the host of Tales from the Terrordome.

3:43 He is your local PK's taste tester. He was the Cheetah Wings taste tester. Coach liaison. Dan, how you feeling, man? Man, I'm good, bro. Damn, we're a second, You know that? I'll tell you, this is a good looking crew right here, man. Don't come in here, television. Don't come in here with the weird shit. Don't you start the day now, man. How you living, Dan? Man, I'm good. I can't complain, bro. I'm fresh. I'm fresh off a fan the Fan Day weekend in Blacksburg, so let's try and keep it together. Did you go the whole weekend or just Sunday? Saturday and Sunday I tied one on Saturday night and then Sunday I went to Fan Fest.

4:27 There we go. There we go, very nice. Well, we appreciate you having us stand. We know you've interviewed a lot of people in the last few months. So we got some good questions for you tonight. Now our third panelists up in the first segment here. He's been in the Vt podcast game a long time. He is the Co host of the Two Deep podcast. He is a Virginia Tech alumni and definitely a dedicated Hokies fan. Like to welcome on Pete B, Pete B, how you living today man? What's up fellas? Thanks for having me guys. How you doing tonight, Pete? It's. I feel good. I'm like Tally, man. I got I got a little drink in my hand as as I will be known to do on a podcast every now. And you would have thought.

5:08 I'm not sure we all look good. Cat Tally looks pretty. I figured. That man, this hat game is so strong, man. None of us wear hats. Occasionally you'll see Curtis with the hat, but Curtis takes the hat on and off so often, maybe then you know, it's just it's you can't do it. You can't live with it. Yeah, I went hatless tonight. Had to show off the hair. And yeah, I'm ready for this, dude. Let's. Let's get it going. I got two things for you, Pete. I got two things, Pete, before we get started. Number one, what are you drinking? Okay, I got. I mean it's an IPA so and that's not going to surprise anybody. It's a it's a traditional it's just a little loss in sip of sunshine. You can grab this just about anywhere on the East Coast. But I'm I'm feeling pretty good right now. All right, that's good.

5:51 Sip of Sunshine. I'm not sponsored by them. Pete say y'all got some good shit. If y'all want to go get Sip of Sunshine, don't do it #2. I looked at a picture you put up. I don't know if it was your Abbey or you just posted a picture. Wonderful looking picture. Everybody's out there. They got the maroon on, they got the orange on Y'all got the big Vt behind you, and then you got a dunce in the front with a Big Blue Delaware shirt on. Why y'all didn't get the man of Vt shirt man? Listen, that was an old picture. It was the day we played Delaware back in 2017. And we we whooped them. I think we might have shut him out that day, but he went, that was a buddy of mine from I'm from Delaware.

6:31 So he came down to visit, go to the game, and there actually was a fair amount of blue hens visiting that day. But they were all very nice because they knew they were going to get their butts kicked. That was back when we could count on stuff like that. All right. I just want to see what was up with the Delaware Sherry, but OK, perfect. Yeah, the Blue Hens do have a pretty good football following. Like they have a pretty, pretty solid fan base. So the fact that. They're dedicated. Yeah, they're traveling for that. All right, let's start it off here. So we'll go ahead and break it in there. We got the the cordialities out the way here. So we're going to start with the question for my man Grayson. A whole lot of movement for the hoagies. It's offseason. 40% of that roster got flipped. Some solid pickups in both portal windows. Net positive coaching shuffle. I feel like best summer on the recruiting trail since probably 2017. A distinct lack of negative headlines of the Turkey bacon persuasion.

7:23 All that said, how you feeling about the first full offseason for coach Brian, that staff? Thank you, Brian. This is a great question and I will try and be as short winded as possible. But Long story short, I feel really good about this offseason given the results of the 2022 football season. You know this staff is obviously they're selling some level of a dream. The Hokies, as we all know, won three games and Coach prize first year out. I think it's fair to say we all expected that. But this summer, man, Coach Pry and his staff have gone out and gotten commitments from kids like Kaylin Adams, Gabriel Williams, Gerard Johnson and Chance Wiggins. What do I love about that specifically? Well, two of the names I just mentioned are two of the top 10 recruits in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Adams and Johnson are both from Virginia Beach, as many Hokies are well aware, Virginia Beach.

8:19 For a long time was a longstanding recruiting hotbed and A and a stronghold. Back in the days when the legend coach Jim Kavanaugh was selling ketchup popsicles to football players wearing white gloves. And then the blue Bloods, they got wise. The Ohio States. The world. The Penn States. The world. The Alabama's the Nick Saban's. They came knocking. They've been coaching for eons. So getting commitments from 4 star talent. Always exciting, getting commitments from in state talent, always exciting. Hearing an exorbitant amount of good news compared to bad news is always something to celebrate. When we've had many off seasons that have had a lot of negative undertones, if you will.

9:03 Now many will say and I've already said well, you got to develop these kids that are coming in and there's a lot of validity to that. I'm in that camp. You look at Matt Brown at you and seeing what he's done. Half of those kids he recruited to go there are somewhere else now. Most notably Tony Grimes. He's at A and M and he was, he was the guy. And really, you know they haven't developed a lot of these these guys. So I'm hoping that Coach Fry and his staff, once these guys are in, you know at Virginia Tech, we developed them. Only time will tell. We're going to have to wait around and find out. So if I had, in summation, to give this offseason a grade. I'm giving it an A minus. It's gone as about as well as it possibly could have after a three and eight season.

9:47 But you pull a 5 star kid wishful thinking or Chris Cole, that's bumped up to an A+. So there was a lot to be excited about in this offseason. I hope that answers your question. That's, that's a great way to answer the question, Grayson. And you're right, it's it's a recruiting binge that we haven't seen here in Virginia probably since 2011, 2010 guys like David Wilson's class when it was the way the top ten had three or four guys. I think Logan was in that class as well. So yeah, I mean it, it has been an A minus. And then you didn't mention this, but I think we all see it. I think we see Coach Brian, we feel he is part of the university. You see him out there, Special Olympics Golf last week. You see him obviously.

10:32 Dan, you you've seen him numerous times out within the community on a Saturday evening, which is always great to see. But PB, I'm going to go in a little different direction for the question I got for you, man between 2 Deep and Memory Lane that you take care of. You talk a lot about Hokey History. You've seen a lot of Hokey history in your time. Let's pull out the history books on this one. On paper, on paper right now. Do you feel there is a team in Hokey History that is has a similar pedigree to the one we're about to witness this season? Or do you think this is a unique team? Well, every team has its own unique characteristics, right? And if you look at last year, we don't often win three or less games.

11:14 So trying to pick a team from recent history, you're not going to get perfect unless you go all the way back to 92. But I do think that the 2019 team some then that a team that a lot of us can remember and and watch closely has some similarities. For one thing, 2018, the year before 2019, wasn't a good season. That was our first losing year since 1992. We went six and seven. We lost the ball game to Cincinnati. So coming in to 2019, we had a second year transfer quarterback named Ryan Willis because he started the the vast majority of the games in 2018 and we had a guy behind him who some people were clamoring for, a mobile quarterback who hadn't really gotten a chance and had in hooker. That's literally.

11:57 Wells and Kyron drones like that's. It's a very similar set up there. Then you factor in the receiver depth from that 2019 team, Trey, Turner, Hazelton, Tavion, Robinson, Grimsley. Let's go to the tight ends, Mitchell and Keen. I mean that team had some really good receiving options and we're hoping Jennings and Lane and Felton and Daquan Wright and Holloway Gots. Now we's hoping those guys can be what the guys in 2019 were. Then look at the running back, Malachi and Mcleese. Mclees was a guy who was slight, wasn't the biggest running back in the world, kind of struggled with injuries and then in 20/19 he went for 800 plus and had a really nice run during that year. So flipping to the defense, you will remember Farley and Waller from that year, great corners, well the strength of our secondary, strength of our defense is hopefully the secondary this year as well. You had good safety, Diablo Connor and who is our, who's our third guy that year.

12:51 Floyd, of course. And so we look at Stroman, we look at people. There's a lot of similarities. Now, clearly I want the pressure on the quarterback from the defensive line to be better this year than it was in 2019 because there was very few sacks. But I for those reasons, I'm going to say the 2019 team. Grayson has a great deal of knowledge in this area as well, and I know you guys do too. I couldn't really think of anything. But I think for those reasons, there's there's a lot of correlaries to this year, especially with that quarterback. I also hope that our quarterback doesn't suck for the first four games this year. We all hope. That please, please, I can't do it again like we saw at the start, especially the way it started last year, I can't do. It I can't take it.

13:31 Yeah. I can't take it. We didn't. When you do your own thing, Pete, you can, you can say that on here. We ain't gonna even talk like that, right? We ain't gonna even talk about the quarterback being the first four games sucking. No, I said. I hope he's. Not. Yeah, I know. We don't even want to bring it up. We don't want to juju. I'm sorry. No, no. Listen, I hope that Grant Wells does well. How about? That no man, awesome man. But no. That honestly how you answered that question was awesome because I didn't even think about the similarities between the teams and. When you talk about the transfers coming in, like that's why we get smart people on here who know how to dig into stuff. Because people like me, I just go off the top, you know, kind of like Dan, you know, that's what he does.

14:16 Dan goes down, Dan goes down to Blacksburg. We know, Dan, you've been down there. You build a lot of relationships. You pretty much are what Coach Pry preaches about. You know, you Coach Pry talks about the relationships. You've built some of those. You've been down, you've interviewed players, you've interviewed recruits, you've interviewed coaches. You've done a good job of that. You know we appreciate your content. We appreciate you having a good time and sharing that with us. But I will ask you my question for you is through that, through that insight that you've got and through those relationships that you've built, what gives you the warm and fuzzies about this season that's coming up? And also do you feel any pause about maybe this season? I've been blessed to develop the relationships that I've developed.

15:05 Probably learned that from my mom. She's always been a networking queen, so it's really about who you know, get you in a lot of rooms and then they figure out what you know, and then you stay in those rooms, right? The coaching staff seems really excited about the athleticism on this team. I think we're more athletic at every position group now than we were last year, but I don't think it's close. Paul's wise. I would probably say what everyone else is saying. Offensive line, Not so much the defensive line, but I mean, you had Antoine Powell on one edge and then you got a slew of others on the other edge. I like our our chances of getting some pressure this year and creating some mistakes from the opposing quarterback instead of our own.

15:50 But if the offensive line can answer the call, and I think we can, because I met Ron Crook this past weekend, and buddy, I'm a believer. That man is intense. He is 1000% the epitome of an offensive line coach and that man's ready to get nasty. Yeah, before, before we hit the what's up man, go live button tonight Dan was talking about he's like, yeah, I talked to crook and he's like crook would be your type of guy. And I was like. All right, all right. So, yeah, it's good to hear that. I'd like to see a little bit more nasty on that offensive line. That's what I'm looking forward to seeing. And more consistent play. I know I've said it a lot, but I felt like last year Lyon was thinking too much.

16:38 Sometimes when you're thinking too much, your feet don't do what they need to do and not not trusting your eyes to get to your. Screen so peeks of people's nuts. I mean you and the wife. Talked about it last night, you know, y'all talked about it last night about playing line. You just should go go hit somebody. You got to be like Lincoln Hawk. You got to be able to take the hat and turn it around and it's got to be that switch and you become a fucking different person. That's what playing Offensive Line is about. All right, all right, well, we do got one from the chat. Let's throw that up there. Let's let these panelists decide what they feel about it, what worries you about each, about the team, what excites you the most. And I'm keeping it open for the field. So that's from my our buddy Delf out there. I'll throw it back to Grayson.

17:31 Grayson, what worries you? What makes you excited? What worries me about this team? I think it's just not knowing going into the season who's going to be the starting quarterback. I think that's number one. Just has Grant Wells shown stark improvement? You know, what's the deal with drones? Who's going to March out onto the field against Old Dominion at 8:00 PM Eastern on September 2nd? And then what excites me is just the fact that it's a clean slate and that, you know, last season is behind us and there really is a chance to make Stark improvements in 2023.

18:21 I would say that is. Definitely what I'm most excited about and I hope that we all see it so. What about you? The thing that excites me the most would probably be I really like that wide receiver Cord, the new additions, Fontel said on my Pod, Tales from the Terror Dome. Check me out. But he said that the guys that were there last year, like Gosnell, Tucker, Holloway, even Lofton, have Really. Elevated their game as well. Really been putting in that work this offseason, and I think what worries me the most is health.

19:02 Depth can't afford to take too much hits, especially on the low offensive line, at least where we're standing right now. I mean, we could have some hidden gems in the locker room and we don't know about because we haven't seen it. But what we're looking at right now is you don't really, you can't really afford to have anybody get truly banged up. What's exciting you? What's making you worried? Well, the thing I've been excited about, and this is just pretty much happened since the start of fall camp, a little bit in the spring is the defensive ends. Because as I said before, we have our pass rush has been, we have not been Sacksburg, we have not been the getting pressure on the QB, get the hurries, get the turnovers kind of team and that starts at the defensive end position.

19:45 But we've been hearing good stuff about Burgos, the McDonald that's on the D line. A little bit less about CJ McCray, but Cole Nelson's going to be fighting it out. A PR coming in, getting on the highlight reel in his first like week at camp, That's what excites me because that makes such a difference for the secondary, just for the team in general. To be able to put consistent pressure on the quarterback changes everything. And so I've been really excited about with that what I'm worried about offensive line, but everyone knows that the issues we have on a line, so I'll just say. In that secondary, which is so good up front, I do worry a little bit about how young we are behind the starters.

20:26 That would be one of my concerns. All right. Definitely, definitely Pete is Pete is kind of right on board with what I said as far as the the defensive line and having a just having a defensive end that you have to kind of plan for. You know, we haven't had that in a while. Was a team is game planning for one of our defensive environment. And I think that this year we may have the opportunity to do that. So I'm going to throw another question that y'all this is just for the panel. I guess we'll start with Grayson. You can answer this first, if Grant Wells walks out there as the starting quarterback the first game, does that change how you feel about the season? For me personally, I expect Grant Wells to start against Old Dominion.

21:11 That may not be the perspective that Virginia Tech fans enjoy, but I do believe it's going to be the one that you should anticipate. I imagine it's going to be the classic. You go with the guy who has the most snaps under his belt in maroon and orange. I do expect drones to see action in the Old Dominion game though, 150%. But I do think by game three, by the end of the Rutgers game, we're going to know who the guy is for the rest of the season, whether that's Wells or drones. It might take an LSU in 2007, in 2007, level of quarterback performance out of Wells for drones to take the job early on in the season, but he came to Virginia Tech from Baylor to play and that's what he's going to do.

21:56 Yeah, I would agree with Grayson that no, I'm doesn't change the way I feel about the season. Because ever since the spring game, that's what I've been thinking. And quarterbacks can get better, College quarterbacks can get better. We remember Brian Randall fondly because of what he did in 2004, but in 2003 he was far from a complete quarterback and everyone wanted Marcus Vic to play. And so IT guys can develop and get better and I'm hoping that that's what happens to Wells this year. Yeah, I mean, I said at the Spring Game Live Show Pregame that. Carly Jennings didn't come to Virginia Tech to play with Grant Wells, but that's exactly what's going to happen.

22:38 Week one, he's going to play with Grant Wells. I think we do see Kyron drones. Drones is still relatively new, you know, so I mean at quarterback and at Virginia Tech, obviously, but that might take him some time, right, to get used to it. But as long as we see him in packages that aren't predictable, like the Quincy Patterson ones. I think that we could have some Sean Glenn and Tyrod Taylor type of magic hopefully and if not, I mean we're going to, I hope one of them is the guy, right? Yeah, that's all we want, right? That is. Always. One of them is the guy I think we're going to be. Alright, hold. On. Hold on, I'm gonna say something real quick, and this is going to be coming from the lips of Tally. As long as nobody won the touchdown to 1 interception ratio at the end of the year, That's what we want. That's what we want.

23:28 I saw a really good question from Bryant Cobbs here and real quick boys, one name real quick Grayson tell Darius Payne. There you go. So Darius Payne, Dan One Guy, Juan Telton, Juan Felton. Pete, I'll go Tucker Holloway. I was going to say Felton. There we go. So wild outs are going to be the story of the year. I like that I'm all, say, those new cover. I will say most Phillips. I think most Phillips is going to pop somebody on a special team to play Tally Brown. What do y'all think? Yeah, you know, man, listen, the two took well, Dan said. Felton and Pete wanted Felton. And I watched Felton. Dude, I've never heard him talk.

24:09 I really didn't know what he looked like until I seen him at media day the other day. And he might be crazy. And I like crazy like he just, he was talking to him. He wasn't smiling. I mean, he started smiling one time when they asked him about somebody, I think they was like, are you and Allie Jenny friends? And he was like, yeah, we're friends. And he started smiling. But other than that, he was right back to what? Do you like to run? Give me a go route. They can't guard me like that's what I need, man. I need somebody. That is he the buyout. There is the Corey Moore. Is that what we're getting? That's what I need, that's what I need. So I got a game film. Bring up the clip from the Sugar Bowl. Man. Randy. You know, I tell you. I'm going to have to go a little different.

24:49 I'm going to go Lane. I think. I think he's going to kind of be the breakout player this year. I think Jennings is going to get a lot of attention and he's going to definitely be a dynamic player. But I think Lane is going to be the wideout. That kind of makes the offense hum because he's going to be a guy that can move the sticks for you but also have a game breaking play. So I think that's what we've been missing in the offense. We didn't have a lot of intermediate routes that were successful last year. We were. Sheldon's coming on the next segment. We can tell you in the intermediate area of the field, we were probably one of the bottom Power Five teams in the country last year. So a guy like Jalen Lane's going to help with that. 100%, So I mean, I like all the all the names here because A, it's not one room. We got a couple rooms, a couple of y'all wanted wide receivers, but we're seeing it all over.

25:36 We think defensive line, we're thinking secondary, we're thinking wide receivers. But let me ask y'all this because we're going to have to sit. We got to watch ODU. We going well, I know us three are going to be at Purdue and I think a couple of y'all going to be there as well. But by the end of September, we're we're we're leaving Marshall. Where do you think we need to be in terms of both overall record and I test beat overall record, I'll say 3:00 and 2:00 because that away game at Marshall just terrifies me so bad. And then we got PIT. And I'm not saying we'd lose those games back-to-back, but overall, the Purdue game's not going to be that easy. Say what you want about Rutgers.

26:17 It's on the road. It's their Scarlet Day. It would not be good to lose the game, but we could. Shiano has a tough defense up there. That game could be thirteen to 10 or something. And so I'm going to say 3:00 and 2:00, and if it is 3 and two, I will actually be all right with it because that leaves you seven games to potentially get three more wins to go to a bowl. And that's all I want this year. I'm going to go four and one through September. Hopefully. I think we'll drop pit, but I'm hoping the others are W As far as when it comes to the ODU, you know, pardon my French, but any other result besides beating their fucking ass is not acceptable. They deserve to get stomped out.

27:05 This is our State Flag flagship program. Hudson Card going to be great. Don't think it's going to be in week two and a new offense with a new coach and a new team and Rutgers? Definitely beatable. You know Piscataway, NJ not scaring anybody and Marshall? Very familiar. They just they don't have it. Ironically enough they had Grant Wells. They probably pretty good because they don't really have a quarterback that we know of. They got a good run game with Rashi and Ali and they got a Stefan Gilmore's brother on defense. But. I think we take that one and they prize able to mold his vision and get these kids angry, hungry and ready to prove something. And I think we're going to go out there and be smashed the first month of the season, Mr.

27:52 Wimbush 5 games in September, which is kind of ridiculous in theory. I imagine all of us would like to win, all five of them. But bottom line is, Pittsburgh's a better football team, better football program than we are right now. I don't anticipate winning that game at all. Would I love to be wrong? Oh, good Lord, yes. I would love to eat all the crow. But in my mind, in my head, we should beat ODU, we should beat Purdue, we should beat Rutgers and we should beat Marshall. We kind of talked about it before we got on here. I think we're going to drop one of those. I'm not sure which. I'm with Pete on this. I think we're going to be 3 and two. We should be three and two by the end of September. And I'm with Dan in the in the sense that good Lord, there will be hell to pay if you drop it to ODU at 8:00 PM EST in Lane Stadium.

28:47 Cannot happen. Curtis, you asked about. I test also in there. Let's talk about like the vibe test, because I think starting hot this this year because we have a couple winnable games, especially up front. If you can start the season 2 and O3 and O, maybe even dance four and oh like imagine what that would do for the fan base, the feeling the vibes around Blacksburg, the recruiting. Like it would be so important for this team to get off to a hot start. So that's something even if we drop two games in a row after that, starting off three and oh would be true. First of all, think about the vibe test on this. You go four and oh like Dan's thinking and it comes to that pit game. How many false starts is nor Dozi's offensive line going to have that he likes to talk shit about?

29:31 They aren't going to have a false start. Last time me and Mr. Siegler went laying today that he claimed that was going to happen, they had three. What about y'all kind of kind of like what? I really like what Pete said. When he talks about, you know, you get a hot start like that. We talked about on our on our podcast with With With Pride when we had him on talking about just the last game that we played, that Liberty game, which we're going to keep going back to. Hate to tell you we're going to keep going back to it. That that that liberty game, no matter what you think they are, no matter what people thought we were supposed to beat them. We're not supposed to beat them. I don't care. We've seen the team that had been losing games and probably should have lost the game, that fought and won a game.

30:14 And then not only that, they carried that momentum from that game to the offseason to what we've been seeing in winter workouts, summer workouts. Now fall camp is here. Like you've been seeing a positive recruiting, you've been seeing positive momentum in the program. If you get off to a a hot start, a three and no start, a four and no start. I mean what's the trajectory of that program next you know, but if you get off to a O and two start, God forbid or a one and three start, you know even a two and two start, it might get a little you know, you got some some some some Bluebirds coming around. So getting off to a hot start right here, like Pete said, I think with just. Turn it up a dodge.

30:57 Yeah, to that point, we we now have a young team. We no longer have like 7th, 8th year Fuente COVID guys. Still got a couple around, but mainly you know we're going to have some 2023 guys playing this year, right? Especially with the red shirt rule. Now you get four people or four games, You get four games you can play without burning it. Imagine, these guys already feel very confident. The vibes are crazy in Blacksburg right now. I felt it. I've seen it. I've talked to them. Give them some wins under the belt, a hot start, and they actually start to believe it. Bro, It's hard to tell what happened. You could talk seven or eight games, you know, just get, just get to a bowl, Get us a bowl.

31:37 Get us that extra game. Recruits are going to stay. More recruits are going to come. And then you just keep building. Elevate the ceiling or elevate the floor. Elevate the ceiling, right? And I'm with that and I want to piggyback on Pete's point with the vibes like. If we can get out there and get three and one of those first four, I feel like that would really build the confidence of, as Dan just pointed out, a younger team, but a more talented team than we've seen in the last, you know, two to three years in terms of top to bottom talent. I feel like the roster is finally starting to get rebuilt in a way that makes sense. I feel like that was probably the biggest weakness of the Fuente era was roster management and roster building. We recruited, we over recruited too many positions we didn't backfill.

32:24 We ran players off for one reason or another. Wait, you don't need 10 running? 14 It was 14 one point 14. It was a running piece. Oh my. God go. OK, Grayson, real quick, let's get you on this, the vibes. And then Brian's got one more to close this out here. Yeah, I mean September's going to set the tone. It's going to set the precedent for the rest of the season. We got, we got a, you know, a decent ACC schedule this year. But to to Pete's point, it's September is the temperature that's that's going to gauge the entire rest of the season. So we shall see BODU eat the shit out of them. There we go, Yeah.

33:08 We we got to go out there and and make a statement that first game, because if you don't, that's when you know we talk about vibes. If you go out there and you're in a hell game with ODU. Jesus Christ. That's not good vibes, All right. So before we close out this segment, there's lots of talk about Virginia Tech being back, right? Fuga even said it at a CC media day. I don't think this is the season that we see that as kind of a a a factor. But what do you expect to see this season that will show you glimpses or signs that were on the right track to being back? And I'll let I'll let Grayson leave this one off. Sure.

33:49 I want to see stark improvement at the quarterback position and I want to see stark improvement in the defensive performances as a collective. Grant completed 196 passes on 332 attempts last year with a 59% completion rate and came in with a 97th ranked QBR in the country. Respectfully, that has to improve. I also want to see that our defenders are wrapping up, tackling below the waist, finishing plays and swarming to the football. I want to see that our quarterback look, he looks past his first read and make smart decisions. I want to see those elements contribute to us finishing and finishing and winning football games. Those factors to Fuga that will let me know that we are headed in the in the right direction as a football program. I would say discipline, especially from the offensive line defensively.

34:54 No offense to Keyshawn artist, but last year when Dax wasn't on the field. The defense was really lost. So I think that we're going to see multiple leaders on defense this year, multiple voices that can keep everybody crowd and focused on the goal, quarterback play, don't turn the ball over, make smart decisions, receivers separation. I think we'll see that. I think we're going to see a crisper, more aggressive, more focused, hokey team regardless of if the record shows it. I think that. A couple of those games last year that really came down to this player that play. I think they're gonna finish a few of those differently this year and I think that they're gonna look a lot different. We're gonna be able to be proud of them regardless of the record at the end of the year.

35:42 Hey, Pete. Yeah, I'll finish it off. Yeah, I need to see the toughness come back. And I don't just mean physically. I mean to be able to take a punch in a game, whether it's a fourth down conversion or a touchdown, A turnover, and then be able to bounce back and that tally mentioned it with the Liberty game, people want to knock the Liberty win. I was with friends that weekend. Everyone thought we were losing that game and we battled and we battled, we battled, overcame adversity, we won the game. That's what I want to see. Overcoming adversity is something that this team, you can go back several years and it's something we haven't dealt with well in game. So that's one thing. The toughness mentally and physically and then defensively, I want to see aggression, some more blitzing and turnovers.

36:25 We have not been able to generate the turnovers and so that's what lunch be, lunch pail defense is all about, Fuga said. The lunch pail's back. It's not back until we get some more turnovers going. All right. I agree with that, Pete. And before we close out this segment, this is just going to be a yes or no. This is a Vibe check. We've already talked about Vibe Check a lot here. Bob Check. Is this Virginia Tech football team making a bowl this year? Pete. Yes, Dan. Yes. Yes. Grayson, what you got? Yes, I'm saying yes for everybody, for my sanity. Yes.

37:06 Well, I'll say, you know, just to finish off with what you asked the question now, I mean, Pete pretty much hit the nail on the head talking about the toughness, talking about just seeing. Virginia Tech. Getting back to Virginia Tech and Virginia Tech is what I think about vintage Virginia Tech. It's not. And you know, everybody talks about the lunch pill to talk about this. Like the game where Tyrod scored in the corner. He put his hand behind the head. Like, I want to see that Virginia Tech back, you know what I'm saying? I want to see Virginia Tech get that swag back. You know what I'm saying? Have some fun on the field. D, haul, pick and run off. Take it to the house. Hit him with a little shimmy. Do something, you know what I'm saying? We we ain't West Virginia. We ain't. Fucking UVA like we Virginia Tech, Go out there, swag it out, throw them orange jersey zone.

37:50 Let's keep it. Moving y'all by the way, when when when we were talking about going to the game, Tally kept talking about Purdue, Purdue, Purdue. And we agreed to it. I look, it's orange effect. What a shock that has to gain. He's pushing us to, but they really just keep the orange dust out of it. But. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We don't need. We don't need Smoke Gate Lord but. I like what all y'all said, but Tally, you make a good point. It's to Swagger. It's DBU. It is a lunch fail defense. It's popping some quarterback down and standing over him and saying you ain't doing shit in our house. And when we go to Rutgers, when we go to Rutgers, when we go to Marshall Fuga, taking it out to the center of the field, opening it up, ripping out a massive piece of turf and throwing it back in like the old days. Right, Right.

38:34 That's what we want. Dan Grayson, Pete. Fellows, I really appreciate y'all joining us tonight for the first segment here. Check them out. Check Grayson out on Twitter. Always some good content there. Check down out on Tales from the Terror Dome where you just dropped an interview with somebody, right? Yeah, Marcellus Barnes Jr. Marcellus Barnes Jr. the recent commit from Tennessee, and PB. You dropped one today too. Tell everybody who you got on the program, man. Yeah, it was every day, should be Saturday. Spencer Hall himself was kind enough to spend just about 50 minutes or an hour with me and Robbie and it was a great interview. We kind of went over everything. ACCY state of the program. He had some good perspective on pride from a national scale. So check it out.

39:18 But yeah, it was. It was a great interview. Well boys, again, we appreciate Y'all joining us. Hopefully we run into all of Y'all at some point in Blacksburg this season. And with that being said. We are going to take a quick pause, not only from our digital partner, but our primary sponsor, Main Street Pharmacy in Blacksburg. I can probably save you a lot of money and I can take a lot better care of you. That's pretty much it. My name is Jeremy Counts and I'm a pharmacist. I want to operate Main Street Pharmacy here in downtown Blacksburg. My brother's A pharmacist. I'm a pharmacist. My uncle's A pharmacist. My dad's a pharmacist. I remember he would give me M&M's to count in little pill counters. This is something I've always done and I'm just lucky that. What I know so well is something that I can do and feel good about it and get back to people.

40:02 Pharmacies are your frontline defense. Pharmacy's job is to make sure you're getting optimal care. For the lowest price possible. Also, we take the pressure off of emergency rooms. I'll tell people immediately when they need to go to the doctor, or I'll tell them if they just need a cream over the counter. If there's something that isn't commercially available, if it's something that's not available in a certain strength or a certain form or anything like that, we'll make it tailor made medications. Some of those options save people a lot of money. What motivates me? I get to take care of people in limit Blacksburg, I thought. Neat. As we take a quick break, we'd like to tell you about getting your free website report from our digital partner, Grassroots Digital Marketing Studio. They'll tell you how your website ranks on Google onsite, SEO and social media. No commitment to buy anything.

40:47 You can get your free report by visiting grassroots digitalstudio.com/free Dash website Dash Report. Now back to the episode. And we are back. What? Man, that was a fun segment with those guys. Boys. That was a fun segment. Tally, you won't mute, man. What are you laughing at? That's am I off from you yet? You all you don't do. Hey man, I hope everybody's without a commercial with Jeremy. I was a commercial with our response. Jeremy said if we don't got the medicine, we'll make it. He making creams, man. Jeremy, keep it up man. I'll be up there. We're. Going to be up there soon, we're going to be. Up there September What is September the 9th for the Purdue game? September 9th baby.

41:28 Hey, we down Sir. Well, you know, by the way, y'all y'all just go in. Just swallow it. He's gonna make us take Jamison shots. At. Least at least three. At least three. Long as you get me, long as I get pickle juice behind it, I'm good. There you go. Well, again, I know, I know. He likes to stay away from the Tots rail though, so you might be off the hook there. You might be off the hook there. Well, that was again fun. Again, appreciate Dan, Pete and Grayson for joining us. But now we got another segment and we're going to bring in some more of the Hokies finest out there, Brian, who we got up first here. Yeah, this next panelist needs no introduction, but I'll give him one anyways. So he's the managing editor and holds down one of the three chairs on the Tech Sideline podcast. Give it up for the real David Cunningham. How's it going, guys?

42:20 Great to see you. How you doing? What's up? I'm doing well. It's great to be with you guys. I really enjoyed listening to that last segment. Those guys have really great perspective and I'm excited to chop it up. With y'all, glad to have you. Always a good time when you come on here with us. Big to be back on the on the panel this year. This is the second time around in the panel chair. Little bit different format this time, but it should be a blast. Yup. Glad to have David on, man. He's got the orange on. He ready to go? He's looking good. Combed his hair, good for us. He ready my my tech sideline. Yeah, man, shot the merch out, man. Get it? That's what I was talking about.

43:02 Tech sideline. If y'all ain't going to check out tech sideline, y'all go check it out. By the way, where can you, where can you buy that? Because Tally will purchase one because it's orange and it says tech. On as long as you got a full edge Sally, if you send me, if you send me your size, I will personally go to the office and pick one up. I'm doing it. I'm doing it before you get off here today. I definitely will be sending it to you. It's a 4X but I'm sending it to you and then next, well, I'll do my best. Hey, you got to you might have to piece two of them together. Just take 22 X's and put the mugs together. We'll be we'll make it work. You know what I'm saying? Take on one side, sideline on the other. Whatever we got to do. All right, next on the panel, man. He don't need no introduction. Y'all, go ahead and bring him in, man.

43:43 He's 1/4 of our Boundary Corner podcast host Shelton. He's our analytics guy. Anytime I don't know nothing about what we talking about, I'd look at Shelton and guess what? He's got the stat for me. Shelton Moss. Bring him in for me. Where you at? What's up guys? How's it going? There he is. There he is. What's going on with Shelton? How we living? I'm sure I'm just in a hotel ballroom ready to get going. I'm the I'm the newest resident in Charlotte, NC. I'm pretty excited about that and have to be happy on it. Have a good session. Well, congratulations. Big Congrats on that, man. We know that was a big step for you last week. You were, you were, you were sitting here in Richmond and you've made your way down to Charlotte. Great for you, man.

44:25 All right. Last man. He has been on with us numerous times. He has a lot of titles and I mean a lot of titles. He is the news writer for SI now. He is the BC Podcast ACC host. He hosts the Hungy Hokey Hangover, the hoop spot for Sons of Saturday Vt Also check out his new page CFB Films, which got me reminiscing numerous times about things. And also I think the last time he was on here he was not a father yet. So he's a new father. Not as new as he was a few months ago, but welcome back Mike McDaniel, Mikey. How you been, man? Quite the introduction guys.

45:06 I appreciate it. Well, you only do. Everything in Hokie Nation. I always say when Mike comes on with us, he is the busiest man in Hokie Nation. He is. I I keep myself busy, that's for sure. How's the baby man? Last time me and you texted probably three or four months ago was keeping you up. Is it better? Now sleeping now, Yes. Love to hear that once Once they get to that sleeping mode it your dad duty gets a whole lot easier. Yeah, he's he's a good kid. We love him. He's having smear infection issues, but he's doing a lot better now, so hold. On hold on, Mike said. Mike said he's a good kid. We love him. If he was a bad kid, you wouldn't love him. Still love him?

45:48 Would. Still love him? That's fair. That's fair. I love that. All right, so I'm gonna leave this one off. I'm gonna pitch this one to David Cunningham first. You've had some chances to get a close up view of fall camp. We got Jesse Hanson's medical retirement that came out kind of the beginning of the of the camp there, throwing a little intrigue into the potential starting five for the for the Hokies offensive line. What we want to know who has been the most consistent first team offensive line unit that you and and others at Tech Sideline have have gotten a witness at practice so far? Yeah, I think it really hasn't changed since since fall camp started. We're now entering the, what, third week of fall camp? Tex had probably 10 to 12 practices by now, maybe probably around 10:00, and it's pretty much stayed the same again. It's a very young group, so that shouldn't be a big surprise. Xavier Chaplain's been at left tackle, Braylon Moore's been at left guard, Kaden Moore's at center. Bob Schick has been the guy at right guard so far, and Parker Clemens is at right tackle.

46:58 And Clayton Frey, I feel like it's kind of a sixth guy right now. He's been working at at right guard, but he's also been working a little bit of left guard with that second team. I think the biggest surprise recently has been Brody Meadows, who was working at right guard with the second team after working at tackle. He's kind of a guy that that's versatile according to Brent Pride. Besides that, again, it's a really, really young group life. Gamma True Freshman was in there at left tackle with the twos the other day, so it's going to be a lot of mixing and matching, I think. But but Chris Coleman, my colleague at Tex Island, just wrote a really great preview when he talked with some guys at media day. You get the sense that this offensive line blocking scheme is just easier to pick up from Ron Cook. It's it's less detail oriented, more just straightforward. You know, let's do our job.

47:52 And I don't know if that's necessarily a shot at Joe Rudolph, but I think they just have two different ways of looking at it. And Ron Crook has done a lot of great things, a lot of the great programs. I'm very curious to see when we come out, when when when I'm sitting there in the press box on September 2nd watching Virginia Tech, Old Dominion, how the offensive line looks because it looked okay in the spring game even without Xavier chaplain in there. But again that was against Tech's second string defense for the most part. So the Okies are going to have to to have a a big year on the offensive line for for there to be much success at all. And I think Mike and Shelton were both agree with me.

48:32 That's the biggest question right now. Do you get a sense that Freddy's pushing Bob Chick for that right guard spot, or is it more like he's going to be? Kind of that swing interior guy, that kind of first interior offensive lineman off the bench for us this year. I think it's too early to tell to be honest, Sir, at least today's Tuesday. We get to talk to Brent Pride tomorrow and Wednesday. So that like the last couple times it's. I feel like it's been too early to tell. And I think part of it is phrase coming from the FCS level. Not that it's a huge jump, but it is a little bit of a change and he has to kind of integrate himself when all of these other guys have kind of been in the program. So I think it's it might take him a little bit longer to to adjust than even some of the freshmen, but I do think it's something to keep an eye on.

49:22 I think that's my kind of biggest question down the stretch as we get closer to September 2nd is, is this offensive line kind of set in stone or are the young guys are the Brody Meadows, the Clayton Freddy's, are those guys pushing and and I do think I think Bob Shook has improved. Crook was pretty high on him. Brent Prize as mentioned his improvement. I'm very interested to see when that team, you know that group rolls out on September 2nd again. So do you what it looks like and how they hold up? Yeah, definitely. Looking at, you know, kind of last year what we had, what we did, what we didn't do, things like that, you know, was always.

50:05 Frustrating to say the least. So to hear you talk about, you know, people pushing for time, the offensive line being better is always a good thing. We'll pivot a little bit to to Shelton as well. Shelton, we talked to you a lot of times about the, you know, various metrics that may have hurt the Hokies last year. Some they could control or couldn't control a little bit more than others. Give us 2 matrices, 2 matrix on offense and one on defense. That the Hokies must improve on this year to put themselves in bold contention. Yeah. So it's definitely want to think of the offensive metrics because there's so many to choose from. But the first one I'll start with was passing success rate. So success rate is basically garbage gain based on down. It's based on measures how how much double the stick so to speak.

50:52 So last year Tech finished 118th nationally in passing. Success rate for that was because of Wells. Also because their viewers cannot separate and that was evident in Tech's passing trees. So they very rarely threw down the field with a 10 to 19 yard range, 20 plus yards. They didn't like take those deep shots except for occasionally one that killed Smith and Navy and also because of the lack of the running game that Tech had. Teams could just rush for and and drop 8 and put a lot of same coverage. So Tech was in a lot more obvious passing downs and we were in a more obvious passing down. Obviously the play pawns can be more, so they need more successful plays in the pass game obviously. And then the second set for the offense is SAC rate.

51:33 I had Tech finishing at 108th last year in SAC rate. Again part of the function of how many passing downs they had, but also communication between, you know the offensive line and quarterback was spotty at times. So then the last one you mentioned were defense. The one thing I noticed, I think they need to do a better job of limiting the explosive brush in place. So I have a I have a metric I made which basically looks at when when an opposing, when an offense has a successful play, how successful is it? So according my metric tech was 103rd and explosive weapon plays allowed. So they were good most of the time in terms of preventing successful plays.

52:14 When they got burned, they got burned really bad and I think a lot of that gets back to one better play. I know Keisha artists and Jane McDonald plan of struggled last year but the good news is the views of line should be better. You've got returners and Kendrickson Pollard Wilfred Penne and at the safe position Sir people's count the Jenkins and then linebackers Allen Tisdale and and Kyle Lawson. I think you know part of the part of the reason for you know launching me close run place obviously was the linebacker fits. If you get, if you get better linebacker play and see more discipline, you're going to limit those, those big Russian place. Yeah. And and you said a couple things there. First of all, that explosive rush plays, I think, if not everybody in this panel went back to Pitt. Him breaking that off about that explosive plays that immediately maybe go back to that game and all the big plays because the big plays won them that game.

53:02 We were competitive. The big plays from Izzy won them that game. But some else. I'm going to go back to what David said into what you're saying about that SAC rate. Brent Pratt has been preaching competition competition, competition, right. Compete when you, David when you just say Bob chicks getting better. Brody Meadows is now being moved. Lake Canim is improving. It feels like and then the thing we've heard about crook system, it's easier to understand is not as difficult. I think you're right with that SAC rate. The first one, I think that's going to be tough whether it's Wells or it's drones to see if we can do drastic improvement in 10 to 19. But I think we can at least stop the SAC rate and definitely with more athletic linebackers.

53:45 Yet we need our run fits, but sometimes just getting faster to the whole will screw things up. These guys to my left and right played there. They can tell you from being on the line and being a tight end. Sometimes just linebackers getting there too quick will screw up the blocking assignments. Right now. Now I'm going to pivot here and let's talk to Mike because we ain't had him on them forever and I'm glad to have him back. Mike, you have been notating all over Twitter about all the improvement that the hoaxes have made in the Portal this offseason, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. How important do you think it is that this group of portal pickups, everybody? I'm just the offense, but everybody in general has success on the field in 2023 for Coach Pride to continue to make it an attractive spot for the highly.

54:33 Ranked transfers. The biggest story on offense is the quarterback position, right? Like, that's the question about the offseason and how is that position going to improve? Let's go through the transfers just in general. The Quan Felton, right? Jalen, Wayne, Ally Jennings, BAE, Shell 2. And that's before you even get to the quarterback position, right? That's all around whoever the quarterback's going to be. I think what's really important about the transfers that came in to the program for Virginia Tech is that no matter who the quarterback is going to be, the position groups on offense around whoever it is. Is going to be much better than last year. The the floor has been raised right. The quarterbacks can only be so bad in comparison to last year, right?

55:24 I I think everybody expects a step forward from if it's Grant Wells, they expect to step forward. I think that's fair just because the skill talent around him is. It's just night and day this year compared to what it was last year. I think with Wells the thing we have to caution is that. We're not totally sure what his floor is at Virginia Tech, right? We know what his floor was at Marshall. I hope to God his floor was what we saw last year, considering the skill position. Town around. Him on the flip side, you know what could his ceiling be, right? It's the ACC.

56:05 He's going up against tougher competition. I'm not sure we're necessarily going to see the Marshall version of Grant Wells that was really good at times, right? I'm not sure we're ever going to see like that peak for a consistent period of time. But if we get OK quarterback play out of Wells, you know, this offense just needs to be like in the 70s or 80s nationally. That would be a substantial step forward in total offense, right? Back to the question just in general about the transfers, like it's important for Pride, I think just to kind of establish a culture, have transfers that hit because the portal is just such an important part of college football Now you got to hit on your on your recruits, right, the high school players coming in, but you also have to hit on some of the transfer portal guys that impact positions.

56:55 The fact that tech's got so many of them at the skill positions I think makes it all the more important that at least a few of these guys hit and have a big year. Ally Jennings, I think it's going to be really good because he has an established track record of being really good. I think the other guys will be good too. But the spotlights on Jennings, like Tech, was lacking a true #1 receiver last year. Kayla Smith's a good player. He's not a #1 receiver in the ACCI think we can all agree, and that's not not to take away from anything he did. He was very reliable for Tech last year, but the ceiling's been raised on offense just because of the skilled guys that were brought in around whoever the quarterback is. And if Kyron Drones is a contributor or quarterback, right, it let's say things go kind of sideways. Grant Wells. You know, maybe it doesn't win the starting quarterback job. Maybe it's going to be Kyron drones. Like, what's drones going to look like as an impact transfer? That could just make this whole thing all the more important, right?

57:47 That, you know, prize not only hitting on receivers and running backs in these deeper skill positions where you can rotate guys in on a regular basis, but now he's hitting on transfer portal quarterbacks too. I think that would send a really, really good message going not only throughout this season but year three and beyond. Yeah, I think you're right. I think the big thing with with attracting talent, you know we've, you know this offseason it's been great and and probably selling a vision but at some point we got to see some of the vision start to come together if we want to continue pulling in those highly ranked transfers, those guys that we need to fill some of the holes we had. From you know a roster management situation that kind of got a little sideways towards the end of the Fuente era, right. So you know I think that's important as we kind of move forward.

58:37 So we've kind of hit that, that's the individual questions. We know we we've hit those with you. We want to pivot over to some, some folks from the the listers here. We're going to start with this one from our good buddy Jason Long. He actually does the music for the program here. Our music man's got a question. Let's throw it out there. Let's pretend Virginia was cool with betting on in state teams. What are some Virginia Tech football prop bets Y'all could get behind? As Mike chuckles. Mike. Go ahead, Mike is the last one let's. Go for it. Let's go for it. I don't sports bet do I done that before. I'm only the guy who puts the pics out on Twitter every week. Virginia Tech specific prop bets. It's tough to make him out to to make them up on the fly. I think one would be in terms of games that starting quarterbacks play, right?

59:35 So like if you can get Grant Wells at like in over under 5 1/2 in terms of games he starts, I think that could be a very attractive one. There we go. I think a grant wells with like. A2 to 1 touchdown interception ratio would be a good one like what can what kind of odds can you get on that. And then I mean I I think the typical ones right like one would be what I mean this is a prop bet but the win totals like I'm looking at the Virginia Tech win totals right right around 5/5 and 1/2 like man I that sounds about right. I I know people are optimistic Tech will make a ball game and I'm right there with you if if everything goes right. I think Tech does make a ball game. But man, the the over unders on tech win totals this year are pretty close to what it what I think is what I think is possible.

1:00:25 And that's why that's why you bet, right? Oh yeah, you better put your money. You better put your money on that. Over this year it's over 5. And hey. Tally's Tally's feeling strong, Sheldon. What? You got One prop bet, 1-2 prop bets, you'd say. How about Grant Wells having a 300 year passing game? Cuz he only had one last year and that was looking to offer. Okay. So I feel like, I mean, they're gonna, they're gonna get more passive rights. I don't know if they're gonna necessarily, you know, run all this, but that'd be an interesting one all. Right, David. Yeah. Well, I was about to look up what Grant Wells season high against an FBS team was last year, just to give that context. So yeah, Shelton's right.

1:01:08 He threw for 314. He threw for 277 against Pitt. So with better with better options that that that might be in place. Shelton, I think it'd be interesting how many, how many sacks does Antoine Power Island have? If you look at at that, at that DB room, Virginia Tech has to force the turnover issue this year. Virginia Tech has two force teams to turn the ball over. I mean, Tech was. Second to last or to last in the FBS last year in just turnover margin that has to get better. I I'm very interested to see how you know with the group I'm most excited to watch this year is the defensive backroom. You got Mansour, Dwayne, Dorian Strong and Derek Canteen, who in my mind, I think Derek Canteen might be the second most important transfer portal pickup. Behind Antoine Power Island, because I think those two guys are going to impact Virginia Tech in incredible capacity. Now, I do think Ollie Jennings is going to have a great year, but it also helps that Doki's also brought in two other transportal wide receivers.

1:02:20 But I'm Throw a prop bet on who leads Virginia Tech in interceptions, because you've got three really good candidates, I also think. Just for for all the Colbeck fans out there, you can say, yeah, how many, how many punts does Colbeck down or something? Something like I'm I'm thinking about. I'm thinking about like false starts. You know false starts was obviously a big thing last year. How many games with multiple false start penalties does Virginia Tech have, right. I mean that's obviously. Kind of a downer of the prop bet, but there I think, I think you could get behind it.

1:03:02 I think there are a multitude of of those that would be really, really interesting for people. All righty. Well, Jason, we hope you heard Jason lives in Roanoke, so he could at this technically drive to West Virginia and make the bet there and drive back. So if you take any of the bets, Mikey, Shelton or David throughout here, throw them a little cash because they're going to be down your way. Brian, what you got next, man? Let's see here, let's see, let's let's go with with this question here from the audience who are some nonstarters at the beginning of the season that you think are kind of established starters by year's end.

1:03:47 And let's let's start with with David. We'll go back across the aisle this time. So I think this is interesting. I I won't. I can't. I can't pinpoint it, but I I would be tempted to bet that there will be an offensive lineman that did not start the season that will be a guaranteed starter at the end of the year. That's just the way it played out. And I think unfortunately when you look at it, Virginia Tech got really, really lucky with the injury bug last year. No injuries on the offensive line and the offensive line was still that poor. I'm not saying something's going to happen, knock on wood, obviously. And Virginia Tech. Again escaped pretty well as far as injuries were concerned with that specific group last year. But I think some one of the young guys whether it be Lathe Gannon or Brody Meadows or Johnny Garrett or Johnny Dixon. I think one of those guys on the offensive line, one of those true freshmen or retro freshman and that's that's another great question from Sam I right now I.

1:04:54 I think Schick is is the current guy, but that's what I'm that's kind of what I'm interested in right is could Brody Meadows become the guy at right guard be interesting or Clayton Freddy is obviously the guy who had the FCS all American experience. But I think one of those guys on the offmensive line, one of those true freshmen, retro freshmen is going to. Solidify themself as a starter at the end of the season. I don't know who it's going to be, and obviously you got a guy like Parker Clements who's experienced. But what happens if something happens is Xavier Chaplin and Virginia Tech has to have somebody fill in it. Left tackle, right? What if Brody Meadows moves the left tackle and all of a sudden he becomes a really good player there? I'm very interested to see how this whole offensive line group shakes out, because that's where they're the most question marks. The questions asked by William, who are the nonstarters that you think will be starters by year's end? When you look at a lot of these other positions, like you look at Mike linebacker, which I'd love to talk about more later, It's kind of a toss up between two guys right now. So you know, sure, one of those guys might be the starter at the end of the year, but that's not as big of a big of a competition.

1:06:09 The DB room is pretty well set. I could say Keyshawn Burgos and I do think Keyshawn Burgos is a name that might surprise some people this year he he's gotten a lot of rave from from Brett Pride and JC Price at defensive end. I think he's another name that could potentially solidify himself as a starter but I don't know if there are there are too many of those guys because I think across the board for teen techies set OK for the most part as far as starters are concerned. I'm very interested to see how a lot of those those battles for the two two deep good work out and I know we'll talk about that more later. So what about you? I'm. Going to go CJ McRae. I'm assuming he's. Oh yeah. See I I I'm assuming obviously Paul Rowland's going to start there.

1:06:53 Yeah. McRae actually grayed out really well last year. I think behind Garber. He was Tech's second best grading lineman, especially with the pass rush. So yeah, that's also a spot where you're not quite as much as offensive line, but he's the lineman get definitely get beat up a lot. So I could see, you know, maybe if the guys get, you know, beat up all that, you can put them in there. I keep stole yours. So you got to come up with something. You all man you you guys just kept talking and kept stealing my pics is what happened. I I was going to go with Burgos and I was like maybe maybe McCray and then McCray got taken. And then I think all of David's points on the offensive line are really well taken because I agree with David in terms of like, I think the starters, you know, for the most part, I think Tech is pretty set kind of across the board.

1:07:38 I mean, there's some positional competition. Obviously quarterback, Mike, linebacker seems like offensive line is pretty much set, but there's going to be injuries up front. I mean, there always are injuries up front. The point where like if chaplain gets hurt and Clements needs to swing around to left tackle because all of a sudden Clements is the most experienced tackle on the offensive line because you know he's playing right tackle. That's where he's comfortable. But now he's got to play left tackle, like who kind of emerges there at that position. And David listed a whole list of guys, you know could Meadows seems like a swing guy, guard could kick out to tackle. He's versatile, prize raving about him. It's going to be either an offensive lineman or it's going to be somebody, a defensive end.

1:08:20 It's going to have to be out, you know across from a PR. And I I think that's really the two, the two position groups on the on the field right now on both sides of the football that I think have you know some guys set and and there are you know some guys who I think are established starters. But I think at the same time, there's also enough questions where, you know, we could see some of the younger guys get some action that, you know, a lot of tech fans maybe aren't anticipating. All right. Let me ask this because I think all those names or names we're hearing and you're reading about David, obviously great work, Mike stuff you've been doing as well. But I'm going to go to actually end game. So at the beginning of the ACC play this year, we got PIT, we got FSU, we got Wake Forest, we got Syracuse, which one of the games Mike McDaniel. So they can't steal from you this time. Do you consider those as a must win in the middle stretch of the season?

1:09:15 Where? Three of those four are at Lane Stadium. Yeah, the answer is pit. The reason why the answer is Pitt is because #1 Virginia Tech's going to be in a lot of recruiting battles with Pittsburgh as long as Brett Prize head coach. That's just a fact. Like they're in the footprint prize already trying to reach for recruits in that area. Pitt historically has gone after similar guys to Virginia Tech, even before Pry got here. Pittsburgh is always a team that gives Virginia Tech a lot of trouble, especially at Heinz Field. But getting him at home, it's been a little bit more friendly to Virginia Tech over the last decade. I know, you know recently it hasn't been great. You kind of have to go back a little bit to like 2019. That was a pretty big win there when Pitt came to Blacksburg. But, like, in my opinion, this Pittsburgh team is flying under the radar in the ACC.

1:10:10 There are three, you know that there are the two established teams at the top of the conference, right in Clemson and Florida State on paper. Then there's a whole slew of teams kind of fighting for that third spot in the ACC. Pittsburgh's a really attractive pick to me because Norduzi's just established a really high floor with that football team. Like, they're always right around seven wins. They've had backtoback 9 win seasons. It's the only two they've had in the last two decades. They have a really good program. They're under in our doozy now and he's raised the profile of the program over the last couple seasons and I and now they have a quarterback. You know when Phil Dracovic, who you know hasn't been healthy and we've seen both a good version of him and a bad version of him.

1:10:55 But you know he he's reuniting with an old offensive coordinator. He's from the Pittsburgh area. They have talent around him. They're replacing some talent at running back. They do have some good young receivers. They're going to have a really good defense. That's going to be a really tough game in Blacksburg and one that Virginia Tech I think may need to win to make a bowl game like. I think it could come down to that because this September stretch there are winnable games there. There are certainly questions around a lot of those teams the month of September in the first four games. But there are two Big 10 teams on the schedule, too, that Virginia Tech doesn't see very often. One of them's on the road in Piscataway, and that's going to be a weird environment that Tech's going to go into with a bunch of, you know, a bunch of young players, weird game, Marshall's inexperienced team with a good coach and Charles Huff. That's not going to be this, like, pushover game. Produce a year one situation.

1:11:50 You get that in Blacksburg. I just think that this Pittsburgh game could be gigantic because I don't know how Tech looks in the first four games of the year. And I think if you know how Tech comes out of September is going to be really important. It's going to dictate whether or not they make a bowl game. And that Pittsburgh game is is kind of the last one there where tech's really going to need a good springboard in the conference play, I think to kind of, you know, accomplish what they want to accomplish this year as a team. I just think it's a really important game for a lot of reasons and recruiting is at the top of that list. I shown what about you? I'm also going to say Pitt. The reality is they have been the second best program in ACC over the last three years behind Clemson. And I think winning that game would first of all kind of snap the monkey off their back because Pitt has had their number a lot over the past few seasons. And also because it would kind of show it like tags a little bit back.

1:12:38 You know, being a program like that, kind of like Mike was saying, I don't know what's going to impact recruiting, but it would definitely make me feel a lot more confident about the the longterm trajectory of the program getting that one. Yeah, well, since they both said that, I'll take a different approach. I think Syracuse could be really, really interesting now. This is not a great program up in Syracuse. It's a it's a program that could go to a bowl game and and had some success at times last year. We don't really know what it's going to look like. But think about the stakes, right? It's a Thursday night game on ESPN. This is the time to pitch your program.

1:13:19 And I think the I think as far as recruiting stakes in terms of the The Pit rivalry are concerned, the Pit game is huge and just showing that you are back in terms of the ACC, right. We don't know how the first four games, like Mike said, are going to play out, but that pit game is a a big a big way to we're going to find out in that Pit game. That's Syracuse game. I'm really interested to see this because it's a Thursday night prime time game on ESPN. You can pitch your program. That is a selling point for recruiting, right? It's just like the West Virginia game last year that is the perfect opportunity to sell your program. Now that is down towards the bottom of that four-game stretch, so the Okies only have, what, four or five games after that?

1:14:14 But that is a game that I think if Virginia Tech wins, I mean, off the top of your head, can any of you guys tell me the last time Virginia Tech won a Thursday night game? Was it Miami 16? Yeah, it was Miami in 2016. So Virginia has played in a couple of these. Virginia Tech has played in a couple of these moments in the last couple years. Georgia Tech a couple years ago had had a lead and blew it. You even even the non Thursday night games playing Notre Dame and prime time. Something like that, right? Virginia Tech has had these moments and not taking advantage of them. You think back to West Virginia last year, the Hokies had an opportunity and they got outplayed if Virginia Tech.

1:14:58 Even though it's not a great Syracuse team, if the Hokies can come out and play well on a national stage, I think that does wonders. As far as the eyeballs going to Virginia Tech, and it doesn't matter. Virginia Tech could have three wins at that point. But if you can win on a Thursday night and and show that you are growing and you guys all know it, pitch the home environment, pitch the Lane Stadium atmosphere, that is only going to drive up the program and. I think again, Pitt was my first choice. I think Pitt is the logical answer, but I think Syracuse is another pretty interesting one that that could have some big benefits if the Hokies can get that win. Before I let Tally ask this last question, I'm gonna just officially announce here that this podcast is a Pitt hate podcast.

1:15:48 So I a lot of respect for what Nor Doozy has done from a developmental standpoint, but. I I can't do, I can't do it. I can't do it. So I will say though, just a couple weeks ago, Brett Ciancy was on here with us and said that Pat Narduzzi told him that he was the inventor of the attacking 4/3. BK Allie, fire away your last question man. Yeah man. So part of my question was just talking about marquee games for this year and I pretty much you guys kind of hit on what I was going to ask. With talking about the Syracuse game on a Thursday night, talking about the pick game, talking about a little bit about the Purdue game which BCP will be at the beach at the at the Purdue game.

1:16:38 So everybody needs to get yourself together get on down to Blacksburg for the Purdue game so we can party. But a question that I'll ask ask all of you guys is looking at all of us here. We we pretty much studied Virginia Tech and and and fantasize about. What games we're going to? I asked you guys for future games. What do you guys have circled? What games are you guys kind of wanting to get to just future games that the Hokies will be playing in? Sheldon, you lead man. Yeah, I'll go NC State. I think they are going to be the best team that Tech plays at home this year. I think I'll have a really good defense. They've got Brennan Armstrong. I think we'll bounce back. I don't know what happened last year. Well, we do know what happened last year. You gave.

1:17:20 Yeah, he obviously had a terrible off the blind. I think he kind of got the gifts, but they've got him. They've got an A, their new OC Syracuse. I think your offense might take a little bit to collect the bill, but they'll get it going soon. So I think NC State's probably going to be the marketing matchup that Tech tends to see in lane stadiums. David. I think NC State is the pick. I mean, NC State again, I think is NC State or Pitt. They're the two best teams that Virginia Tech is going to play at home this year. I think that that September 9th game versus Purdue, man, that is sneaky like I think that is a good chance for Virginia Tech. It's it's noon on ESPN too.

1:18:02 That is another that's another good chance for Virginia Tech to come out and and obviously the program is hopefully trending in the right direction. But I think that is a good opportunity to to kind of surprise some folks and kind of say, hey. You know we're we're we're we're not back but we are getting there and I think if you can do that again on the national stage early in the season, we don't need to talk about all Dominion because that's a game for Gene Tech should win. I think that Purdue game kind of like what Mike said earlier this is a brand new team with a new head coach. It's it's going to be really interesting and you're playing in Elaine Stadium that is probably going to be sold out because.

1:18:49 It's a pretty marquee matchup with Purdue. I think Purdue will probably travel pretty well. I think it'll be a really great crowd. It's an early September game. The weather is going to be nice now that I said that it's going to rain. But thanks David, but it. Jigs, I'll knock on wood. But yeah, I think, I think that is a good opportunity again to sell the program and I think that could do wonders if you have a great performance against Purdue in week two and you're two and oh. That I'll leave it at. That, yeah, Tech fans always talk about when we're tired of playing at 12:00, we're tired of playing it, you know, in the middle of the day on the cooking network. We'll fucking meet the people at that time and get the prime time matchup. Mike, we'll go to you, the Cooking Network, Purdue. It produced my pick.

1:19:40 It's a national TV game. Purdue's got it produced a name brand. The average college football fan that's excited for football to be back is going to be like Virginia Tech. Purdue. That's an interesting game with a rebuilding tech program in year two and a first year head coach. Like a college football fan, An educated college football fan is going to take a look at that game at noon. It's going to be on one of the screens, right? Produce an interesting program. Hudson Card is a quarterback. It's been around a little bit. I I think that Purdue has potential to be pretty good eventually. I don't know if it'll be in year one. I think that's a winnable game for Virginia Tech. I think if you're looking for a game or two on the schedule for the Hokies to win to really kind of start to you know, see signs of life, I think Purdue's one you have to win to really be like all right this rebuild is finally getting a little bit of traction. You got to start winning some of the games that maybe you're not supposed to win, but like not only those, but maybe somebody's like toss up 5050 games.

1:20:46 Purdue's going to be one of the several toss up 5050 games on the schedule. It's an early season game. I think Purdue's the pick. NC State. Point well taken. They're going to be pretty good. Brennan Armstrong reuniting with an eye November. It's at home senior day. The Hokies could be battling for a bowl game. That could be a gigantic game. Let me just about one point last year. One point, yeah, And a game that the game that Tech controlled for should have had it 2 1/2, three quarters like. We saw a little bit of adversity and we crumbled. Didn't know how to win yet. One more of those and we finally learned how to win. Brian, you got one more to throw out. Yeah, yeah.

1:21:28 Before we close at this segment, we're just gonna keep this simple. This is gonna be a yes or no, Yes or no. Will the Hokies make a bowl in 2023? Mike. What you got? I'm smiling because I know, I know David's answer already. No, I I think Virginia Tech goes five and seven. Too many questions. Quarterback, offensive line, Mike, linebacker, defensive end. Like a couple of those positions aren't going to hit. And I just think, I think there will be improvement. I think Tech will have a shot. Bowl game is definitely within within the realm of possibility for sure. But five wins would be a huge. That would be a huge jump.

1:22:09 The fans may not love that answer, but like that would be a huge jump compared to what we saw last year. One FBS win like one. One Power Five win. Sorry. Like get to 5, get to six wins show signs of life. I'm going to go no, though, Five and seven all. Right, he says. No, Shelton. If I was the betting man, which I'm not, I would take the over 5.5 wins technical, make a ball game. And. I'm with Mike. It's funny. Mike's like, I knew what David was going to say. Mike had me on his podcast and talked about this. And look, I'll say this, the potential is there. This team has the potential in my mind to win at least seven games. I if Virginia Tech went out on that field and won seven games this year, it would not shock me in the slightest because there is talent there.

1:23:00 But you also have to think, and it's somebody who covers this program day in, day out. There is a lot of work that still needs to be done and Virginia Tech is on the up but not there yet. I think 5 and seven, I think six wins in a bowl game is very realistic. I think that's what everybody should be shooting for. I don't. Until I see it, I don't want to. I I cannot see it happening And that that might sound bad, but there were too many games last year like the NC State game. Like the Miami game games were in Virginia Tech's hands. And the Hokies, It just went away. And if Virginia Tech wins those games this year, or even half of them, Virginia Tech's in a bowl game, no question about it.

1:23:48 It's going to come down to the turnovers. It's going to come down to the little tiny place. It's going to come down to clock management. It's going to come down to Bret Pride being a better head coach now that he doesn't have the responsibility of calling the defense. I don't know how that plays out. I'm going to have to lean 5:00 and 7:00, but I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility. And I think this will be a much better team this year with a lot of talent. And I think Tech is going to surprise some people. And again, it would not shock me if this is a six or seven win team. But until the Hokies go out there and and prove it, especially with the offensive line questions and a quarterback that we don't know how how good he's going to be because we don't know who it's going to be.

1:24:30 Everybody else around them and maybe every other position might be better. I just, I just cannot say Virginia Tech is going to win six games unless I actually see the result on the field. All right. So so Sean's optimistic. Mike and David have to see it next week. Shelton's going to get more in depth with us because we are going to be doing a season preview. So Shelton, thanks for coming on. Get back. Get away from the vacuum cleaning person packed in. Mike and David. Boys, as always great having you guys come on with us, we really appreciate it. Check out Mike over hang hokey hangover amongst the other 10,000 things he does and always check out David Cunningham along with Andy and Chris over at Tech Sideline.

1:25:16 You guys are doing a bang up job this fall man. Appreciate it boys. And we're going to go to a little clip of what's been going on on the Boundary Corner Podcast up to today. Let let me ask this because it it's already clear how much you love Virginia Tech, just what you're doing. Why? Why was it Virginia Tech? Because, man, I'm looking at your offer list here. You could have went anywhere you wanted. First, what really caught my eyes. Coach Brooks. So Coach Brooks. From Maryland.

1:25:58 We always had that close relationship and you know, we use a family friend and. He was actually my first offer. Stuff like that so. When he told me he was making a move to Virginia. Tech It automatically made my list. You know, so I went up there for spring. Practice and I'm like, hold on, I actually. Like it, you know, sitting down with Coach Bar, with Coach Queen and Coach. And you know them just having a vision. For me, being in the face of the defense. And, you know, just doing everything in the defense. That really caught my eye. So I knew it was a place for me. I just came back on the official to make sure. The first thing he's looking for is that is there a free access throw, Is there an alert throw where you can just get it out there and get some free yardage? That's what you're looking for first. So if if if the answer to that is yes, then you're going to throw that.

1:26:38 If not, you're going to move to the next step. Next step do is there box or presser issues? Is the box overloaded? Is there some somebody showing blitz presnap that could create some some issues for you if the answer is yes. You're going to go ahead and make a check to pass protection and you're going to throw the pass in that RPO call. If the answer is no, you're going to move to the next step. Then you're going to ID the redefender presnap and determine if they can make the tackle on the ball carrier at or near the line of scrimmage. So if the guy that you're reading typically in in like a four, three defense that we're looking at here, that's going to be the outside linebacker to the the throw side.

1:27:20 If that guy can come up and make a plate near or at the line of scrimmage, then you're not going to, you're going to go with the pass. So if the answer is yes, you're going to make a perimeter throw or a pitch, whichever the play call is. And if he's kind of outside the box, he's playing that pass leverage, then you're going to go with that middle run or dive. And I said it's my job as the head coach to make this most, the most competitive roster in the country. That's my job. If I'm not. Doing that, I'm failing everybody in here. We all want to win a championship, the. Fans, the administration, the staff, the families, the players that the Letterman.

1:28:01 So to do that, the roster has to be as competitive as we can be. I tell him, I told him that I'm bringing somebody in to take your job. That's what I'm doing, so you better be on your toes. That's as real as it gets. And we are back to the 2023 Hokies preview panel with the Boundary Corner podcast. That last one man for all y'all that. Haven't checked that out. We did that about two months ago with Coach Pratt. Check that out. He gave three fans off the street 45 minutes of his time to talk about the program and it was unbelievable. And now we going to get in the trenches. Everybody knows that this is a lineman podcast. Definitely.

1:28:49 Yes, Sir. Carefully. So let's start bringing a gentleman on the We're going to be talking about some more fun hokey stuff with Brian Lead us off. Yes Sir. Yes Sir. This next panelist. He is a former Virginia Tech offensive lineman and maybe one of the most well known members of the Hokey podcast community. He is a Sons of Saturday founder, podcaster and content creator. Ladies and gentlemen, Billy Ray Mitchell. 10:30. Can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing than this right now. Appreciate you guys having me on. And this is quite a production you guys put together, so hats off to you guys. This is this is awesome. I'm happy to be here. Yeah, thanks for coming man. We appreciate it. I know good to link up with the with the Suns of Saturday, do a little collab here with the a lot of the podcast community bringing everyone together in the in the Virginia Tech Twittersphere and everything else. So appreciate you coming on with us. No doubt.

1:29:40 Appreciate it. Billy Wood. Hallie, good to see you, my man. Hey, we got to retire That we got to we got to we got to. I don't want to see you in Blacksburg and that that gobble till you wobble explicitive tshirt. This year I'm very anti anti that tshirt. Come on, man, where you at right now, man? You be all over the place. Where are you right now? I am in Osterville on the Cape. And I fly tomorrow to Charlotte for our hot wings and hotter take segment. So I'm looking forward to that, looking forward to seeing Pat smiling face tomorrow and we'll be doing that. So that's where I am now. Billy used to be a little bit bigger last time I seen you, man, you look like you lost some weight.

1:30:24 So if you need a bodyguard, me and Brian are available. We got. You we. Got you. I'm down some pounds, but I still, I still got some pops. So I think, I think I'll be all right. But we're going to hook you up. We're going to hook you up with some row back for this, for this football season. So you give me, you give me an address and we'll get you. We'll get you some threads all. Right, man, Sounds good. But next man, we appreciate Billy being on. Next, we want to bring on Mr. Luther Mattie. He needs no introduction. He's a little bit younger than us. So all you young people who are on the show, I don't want to hear you talking about. You don't know this person, I mean. He he was there in about what 20/12/2013. I know he was all ACC performer on the defensive line that he was an iron hokey Mr. Everything Luther magic. Bring him in for me.

1:31:12 Luther, how we doing tonight? What's going on, boys? How y'all doing? How to take me a little energy drink, man? Sleep there for a second. Oh man, We're saving the best for last, man. Saving the best. That's for last. I'm making notes over here. We are happy to have you here. I know you didn't mad assist earlier this year. I looked over that a little while ago. Great thing you do down the city because you're in the Hill City, right? You're in Lynchburg still, correct? Yeah, I'm a good old Lynchburg, man. About two hours, Two hours. Blacksburg yeah, Yeah. About an hour N where me and Brian grew up, man. So it's good to see you still doing that and you know it's great to have you on because I go back. I mean all, all of us here.

1:31:59 I mean you and Billy Ray about the same time in school. I know he's a little younger than you, but I remember watching you play at Lane Stadium on the washing field when I was a little bit younger. So it's awesome to have you on, man, and we appreciate you taking the time tonight. Yeah and tell you say that cuz I feel old as hell, especially when I get up in the morning. I'm about 55. You know what I'm talking about, right Billy? Like those knees. But yeah, I'm gonna be here and talk to you guys tonight. Football years go a lot longer than the regular years, so it's a little bit more off of you. Got your agent and doggie is? Agent and doggie is Lord have mercy All right well the the the last gentleman we are bringing on tonight. He has been with us numerous times and last night we got to join on him on his podcast.

1:32:47 He is a graduate of Virginia Tech University. He was an all conference. He was a team captain on the offensive line. He is the founder of Victory Life LLC, Offensive guard Mr. Dwight Vic. Brother, good to have you on again. Good to see you again. Yo, what's up man? Didn't I just see you guys last night? Yeah, we were at the bottom of the screen last night. Now you're at the bottom of. The night, Yeah, You're at the bottom of the. Night. I'll take that. I'll take that, man. Yo, you got us on this T&T. Lakers versus Spurs schedule 10:30, the 10:30 joint, man. My wife was like, who are you talking to upstairs? I said my guys from last night.

1:33:30 You know. We made you run. We made you run late last night. We held you up tonight. I mean we just we just costing you some sleep. It's all good, man. I I didn't even realize, you know, because we weren't that big chat. You guys got my man Billy up here. And Luther, this is going to be great, man. What's up fellas? Hey chilling man, you don't get in, Don't get in trouble now, do I? Why is that? You talking to a? Little don't don't. Get in. Trouble man. I'm hey, I'm a veteran. I'm the OG man. Hey I know and not how to get in trouble I know. What is you? I'm I can I can school. Y'all. I can school y'all on that. I. Believe that, I believe that. Well fellows, we got a lot of good questions to ask. Y'all, we've got some stuff coming in from the comments. We're definitely going to drag for y'all to answer, but Brian, you fired off first, man.

1:34:16 Yeah, I mean we already talked about it. We're we're aligning podcasts here. Let's speak specifically about the offensive line and Billy, this is for you. This line struggled mightily in all phases most of last year from discipline to assignments, everything in between. Heading into 2023, what, if anything, has changed for this group that kind of gives you optimism to see some significant improvement? So. We're going to talk a little bit about the group and then I'm going to do a little bit of a frequency hot, but but bear with me, I'm going to tie it back. So 2023, it's looking like Brody Meadows, Braylon Moore, Kaden Moore, Bob Schlick and Parker Clements. Every single person backing up that group is a freshman or a sophomore with the exception of Clayton Freighty, who's likely going to be the 6th man. You look at Kaden Moore, he's two years removed from being a freshman allamerican for me.

1:35:09 What changed about the team? That gives me optimism is our running back room. You guys mentioned it on the, I believe it was one or two segments ago how we used to have 14 or 16 running backs on the team. But the room was primarily filled with guys who you weren't going to see playing running back. You're going to see him running down the field on punt. You're going to see him running down the field on kick return, running down the field on kickoff. And outside of the team that we had with Raheem Blackshare and Khalil Herbert. I can't remember a time that we've seen a room so deep. If you go ahead and you look at kind of the four that I think you're going to get the most carries, you got. Malachi Thomas, who went healthy, is a complete stud. He's averaging 4 1/2 yards per carry. He came in at 6 foot 180 when we were watching him in the Syracuse game and those throwback uniforms, and he looked super scrawny.

1:36:02 You're like, I don't know about this guy, but he sticks his face in there on blitz protection and he he played his tail off. He's listed at two O 6 now. Look at Basal Tooten. He was in 1000 yard rusher last year at NCANT. And look, I get it. It's a different division. Did that really matter for Brock Hoffman? Did that really matter for Justice Reed? And also Tooten went for 130 yards versus Duke and they're playing inferior competition. But he's also rushing behind inferior blocking as well at NCANT and then Chance Black. I'm just telling you, it's been a little bit of a weight if you're sleeping on Chance Black. You got to sleep with one eye open. I think this guy is going to be an absolute study. Super athletic, he hasn't really gotten the chance, but when he's got it on the field, super athletic, game breaking speed, I'm excited to see him.

1:36:51 And then you have Bryce Duke who's a youngster with great size, who only got better during the offseason. Last year we averaged 110 yards per game. I'm going to repeat that. We averaged 110 yards per game rushing to football and. There I I do not see that happening again. Bacial Tutin averaged more rushing yards as an individual than we averaged as a team. So you know David mentioned this in the previous segment. I think Coach Crook has really simplified the scheme, has simplified the responsibilities, is probably on a bit of the same wavelength from scheme as Coach Bowen is. So I think if we can be technically sound, we know what our responsibilities are. Cut out the pre snap penalties and understand what we need to do and give the running backs a chance. I really think this unit can be okay. I really think that we have enough talented backs where if we can get him to the second level, there's enough talent there that this unit can be a lot better than they were last year.

1:37:53 Yeah, I definitely agree with that. Definitely agree with what you're saying when you talk about the running back room, when you talk about the line, I mean 110 yards last year as a team, Pitiful. That's all I can say. You ain't going to win a lot of games. Can't do that. Can't do it and win. No, you can do it, but you ain't going to do it and. You're not going to win a lot of games, but we're going to kind of pivot a little bit and this, this question is going to be for for Luther. Just talking about the defensive line a little bit and the defensive line this year is a little, you know, it's a little bit different. We got a good mix or odd mix, I'll say, of veterans and up and comers as well as transfers, Coach Prize identified. No getting after the passer as a emphasis, a point of emphasis that he's had this offseason.

1:38:37 How do you think this mix of talent will handle the the task of getting after the passer in 2023? Yeah, you know, it's funny, right? It's been quite a while since tech has had like a real, I thought elite Russia. I mean, Garber was my guy. He was a pretty good Russia lashing on. Get me wrong. I'm talking about guy that you just, you know, he just fears 38. Right before the half, two-minute jail, somebody just fears to get after the quarterback. So I think it's been a while since we have somebody quite like that to rush the quarterback. But this is the top three guys is probably going to be CJ Cole Nelson and then the transfer Antwon Car Island and as far as who the better player and all that good stuff.

1:39:20 They're all fairly similar size, you know about 6 threeish between 2240 and 2:50, but I think that. Ryland has a bit more twitch in that group right? Like he knows how to bend the corner, turn that toe and and and get to the court and actually finished. He has more arsenal as far as moves. He could do it inside and now he could do a nice spin move. You know things that Billy probably practice every now and again. So I think you know he he probably has the most potential out of that group but also don't support the gos and interior. You know, I might be a little nice being that I played the. But I do think that Kendricks, he does, he does know how to get to the port.

1:40:01 If he cannot in his motor a little bit more, I think he could have a big time here this year. And hopefully him and other guys in the interior, they might open up for the guys on the outside to get to the quarterback if they could kind of punish that a gap and cause some havoc inside. So I just want to let y'all know I ain't negated anything to look to say it. But for the listeners who are on here who are listening to this man talk, this is a all ACC perform. He knows what he's talking about when he looks at the defensive line. So I get it man. We all passionate fans and we think and not think we may know what we're talking about, but when this man is talking defensive line, he knows what he's talking about. Did you hear what he said? Talking about bending, getting that.

1:40:42 Hey, I'm just saying man, go back and listen to it. Y'all going to catch it tomorrow. I got a I got a I got a quick. A quick question for you guys. Can anybody tell me who the last player was at Virginia Tech to get double digit sacks? Was it? Was it? Ken. It was Ken sophomore year. He had 10 1/2 sacks his sophomore year and he had 7 1/2 his senior year. It's been a while since we've had a since we've had a 10 sack guy. You know, I'm hoping. I'm hoping that we can get back to that. Pressure in the quarterback is monumentally important. But Kenny Cannon is one of those guys, man, Kenny Cannon go back and watch some film and see how disruptive he truly was.

1:41:29 And he benefited a lot as well with playing with Daddy Nicholas too. So we got to get, got to get back to getting to the quarterback and disrupting up. Yeah, when you talk about Kenny Cannon. When you talk about Kenny Cannon, go watch that Notre Dame game. He was pissed at Notre Dame. Yes, he was. I can't remember what he it was, but he was pissed at Notre Dame. And that's also. The thing about Ken. Yeah. Yeah, go ahead. No. I was just going to say, man, that's also, that's actually a great stat, great hokey trivia. Billy, too, because he's also one of those guys that you hear me always saying you see me tweeted by. He's a Virginia Tech guy like Luther. Maddie is like Jonathan McLachlan. Those guys, especially Ken, he was on that Centerville State championship team that beat Oscar Smith at UVA. They destroyed Oscar Smith.

1:42:11 That Oscar Smith team featured JC Coleman. The receiver that was a four-star. They also had Andrew Brown who was a national Gatorade player of the year. And they had another great player they they were loaded with Josh Sweat who went to Florida State and Kenya and Cannon that day was the best player on the field and to the to the national leader. He was unknown but he goes to Virginia Tech and does what Billy said. So shout out to Ken. That was a great stat look at Ben coming on. Y'all show. Billy I like what Luther saying though about the interior because. This is my view when I see it. We talk about a PO, we talk about that bend, right. I think there is going to be so much focused attention to him. The other guys have to eat.

1:42:53 There's going to be those opportunities one-on-one. There's going to be some opportunities on the A gap like you talking about Kendricks there, Luther. So there are going to the focus is going to be on them so that we're expecting we won't. We'd love to have somebody, but he's going to get the focus now if he's dominating the Double S watch out. Because the rest of the line will leak. Mr. Vick, I got to ask you a question next, my friend. This staff, obviously we've got numerous hokey alumni on board. You know, you got your Veil Winslow as an analyst, we got ex as an analyst. But they're two of your brothers especially that are sitting in the coaching chairs right now, and that'd be, you know, Kirsten Prelude, JC Price, and looking at coach prize interviews.

1:43:40 If there's one thing he is emphasizing to the fan base and outsiders as much as reestabine the relationship, it's rebuilding the Virginia Tech culture and identity. How important is it? And, and you asked Mr. Vic talk to y'all can all come in because you guys all wore that jersey and played on that field. How is important is it to have in these alumni on the staff to set that tone and identity and culture from the standpoint of what it means to be a hokey? Well, you know, I feel like, I feel like when it comes to like Virginia Tech football alumni or even other alumni's, when you look at Miami or Tech C&M or other universities, I feel like alumni. The older you get, the more you really want to see the program stay, you know, stay relevant and and and do well because you know you were part of something special. And you the older you get to realize you big that it was bigger than you.

1:44:34 You realized, like, Dang Virginia Tech, I was part of something really special. At the same time, I've always been empathetic to the coaches because the coaches have to coach and recruit and keep the staff and and and now with the transport portal and I L there's so many things they have to do. They're CEOI think that's more you know sometimes the coaches get blamed for it or they get too much criticism. I think it's a collective effort from your AD with with Babcock to Sam and all the people that play a development and engagement. People that make sure that we're we're taking care of when we come back. I feel like, you know, a lot of times we talked about the previous regime with Fuente. I feel like, no, I know. I don't feel like I know this. I think the ball was kind of dropped before Fuente got there. And I've said this before, you know, God rest his soul. Jim Weaver, he came when I was a rising senior. He was a great AD.

1:45:24 He helped get Tech to the national championship and he said he was going to do that. He came from Penn State and Florida. He had a vision. Him and Beamer had a great relationship. But at the same time when Tech went into the ACC and after the emergence. With my cousin, you had guys like Kevin Jones come in Tyrod, the program got big and I think, you know the program was going at a faster rate than the university was prepared for because you had so many iconic players. You went into a a conference that made more sense demographically as far as, you know, proximity to other schools and you had the Beamer Ball website. But everything just got really big and lost in that was the player connections, the alumni, and all the sudden you got guys like myself and DJ Parker and.

1:46:08 Devon Morgan and all these guys that you can just name from walk ONS to everybody that had an opinion about what tech should be doing. But there was no place to to voice that opinion that you had. You know Kevin Jones, my guy connect with Fuente and and wit. He was more so with wit excuse me, not Fuente. And he was supposed to kind of bring us together. And Chad Beasley put together a panel I was part of and it seemed to be going well, but then there was no traction. Since Pride's come in because Pride was there when I was there. We were together for three years. I was there when he was a Gai think him understanding the relationships and I think what helped him is going away.

1:46:48 I think when you go away sometimes at a school like Penn State, you get to kind of see how it's done at other places and him coming back, he has perspective. And I think him knowing what how it was done in 95 in those years, he was there and understanding what was, you know, needed to help get the program. Built. He understands the importance of having guys be welcome back and it's just tough though on on a side note because a lot of times play alumni, everybody has an opinion, man. Everybody. You got guys saying we shouldn't run the spread and everybody's got an opinion. I think when it comes down to it, you just got to do the simple things right. There's got to be a systematic approach in place for guys to be able to come back, talk to players, be on the sideline, connect with the fans. You know, just stay relevant.

1:47:35 I think sometimes When I spoke about this about several years ago, fans thought we wanted like a rack of hotel rooms and limousines and Cadillac trucks and and abundance of tickets. It wasn't about all of that. It was just more so about like, what is the system? If I'm coming in town and I who do I talk to about getting tickets? Where do we all go if we want to get together and hang out? You know, where do we tailgate at? Is there, you know, because we were hearing and singing about other universities. That were inferior to Virginia Tech that had a better system in place when it came to player alumni. Now there seems to be Sam and all the people that know and there's you know there's communication with the monogram club.

1:48:16 And I just think to kind of put a ball on my point projects understands and you can text them. You know when you come you can come talk to him. It's not like you're talking to a celebrity. You can come up to him and talk to him and he knows what's going on. You know, he he he asked you about what's going on, I think. The players that have played the Tech, no matter what era, you got to make sure that they still stay connected because a lot of times, you know on those Twitter spaces that tallies hosted and other things, we are the voice in times of dark periods. You know that one space when we lost last year to ODU, myself, Lauren Johnson and and a handful of guys that played the Tech were on that and we kind of rioted the ship that night and kept the fan base afloat and made sure that everybody didn't panic.

1:49:00 And you need guys like that because, you know, Billy knows this, Luca knows this. We were all in that lock when we know how it feels to face adversity. And I think Prague gets it, man. And you know, I know every time I go back I get treated like, like like with royalty. I mean, I was just there in the spring game, man. And I saw a lot of familiar faces, man. And it was, it was, it was just great to go back and and know where I can hang out and see people. And The Sun's The Saturday. They do a great job of having parties. And. It's just a lot of guys are coming back, man. Still work to do to get everybody back, but more guys are wanting to come back. I know the NC State game, I believe that's the weekend Corey Moore goes into the Hall of Fame. So you're going to see a lot of us back in town for that. We've already been planning to talking about that's going to be, that's going to be, that's going to be a great weekend. Yeah, that's going to be a big one. And you talk about it like you know, in the locker room, you know on Twitter, you know people always are looking for. For leaders and how leaders are reacting when things aren't going well, right.

1:50:01 So you talked about the space after the ODU game. You know having guys like you and LJ and some others that were in there not just talking folks off the ledge but kind of speaking some knowledge about having experienced that adversity on the field and and having come from that and and built something and and and built it in something bigger than yourself. So I think that's big. We're going to pivot a little bit here. We got a got a question that was actually put on. Before we kind of hit hit the record tonight, Glenn with one in at GJPV TO9 on Twitter. He he he reached out to us. I thought this was a perfect one for this segment since, you know, we got we got guys in here that have played, but sometimes fans also have these as well. What are some of your game day or pregame rituals that you had to do either before you played or before you watch a football game, whether it's live or on TV? And let's kick it to let's kick it to Luther first. What you got, Luther?

1:51:02 I'm trying to thank pre Grams. I had a I had a couple of days of. I used to be a big lifesaver there, so I had to eat a couple packs of lifesavers the night before the game. So I used to tear those down that before the game and be going. And in my first couple of years, I used to always make fairly high, like when he was an Allamerican. Player between him and Marcus, where I just love the way they rushed the pass. So like the highlights every single game right before we go out to go extract. But yeah, that's what I can so I can fix everything and just watch those guys highlights before we got out. Nice. Billy, what you got?

1:51:44 Yeah, I mean, usually, usually what I was trying to do is get myself ready to handle Corey Marshall and Luther Maddie, that's what I was trying to. Primarily getting ready to do which is. I'd say is about as challenging as as anything but two weird things that I would do before high school games. I would walk down and I would I'd walk like 2 miles to go watch Westwood High School play and I would always whether it be before games and honestly before practice the. I'm a little weird. I'll listen to movie soundtracks. So I I was big on listening to like the Friday Night Lights soundtracks and Braveheart. Those are the couple things that I do now and then I guess as a as a as a fan or as somebody going to watch. I got the same route every time I leave the German club. I go on down, see Rob Sipulla and the guys in Lot 2 and and get on over to get on over to Section 5. So that was kind of my kind of my routine. So Billy, was the any Given Sunday soundtrack in that rotation?

1:52:41 Was Al Pacino hyping you up before you went out? There. Honestly, I gotta tell you, that movie didn't really do it for me. I wasn't. I wasn't. Really big. I wasn't really big. On that movie. I love, I love Friday Night Lights. I loved Miracle. I just I, you know, being from New Jersey. And seeing all the other Al Pacino movies, I'm like, look, Al Pacino. You don't want to claw with the fingernails for the edge, though. Al Pacino is supposed to be a mobster. He's not supposed to be a. No. In high school at Paramus Catholic, they always used to play this like Eminem matchup of the of the. And then at the very beginning, they had the Al Pacino speech and it was always, you know, I'd throw my headphones on until. Until that part, Yeah, you ain't watching any given Sunday for Al Pacino. You watch any any Given Sunday for Willie Beeman? That's what Jamie fuck.

1:53:31 It's hard to get football movies right, man. Not a lot of, not a lot of people. Get that, get that one. 100% what about you, The white? You know, I'm a movie guy, man. So I'm looking at Billy, man. I'm just tripping. I saw somebody comment about Varsity Blues but. You know man you got to you got to take me back man. I tell you guys how much I love being in Blacksburg in Southwest Virginia man. Thursday nights my last couple of years at tech. You know I read short of my first year we would Derrick Smith myself a lot of us alignment we would go to this is before a really Christiansburg and Blacksburg really blew up. We would go to Outback Steakhouse and just have a dinner and just talk especially no home more world games. We would do it before we travel and we would just go have dinner together, man. First, first string and second string, just talk, hang out, fellowship, just talk about everything, man. We were so close.

1:54:19 We're still close now. And that was just something I did. And then I would just, you know, a lot of times I kept it simple, man. I loved you guys that really know me. See me on Twitter or even the IG or Facebook. I love to laugh. So I would kind of take my mind away from the game and find a movie. I'm a movie guy. I would watch movies, especially funny movies or just something. Listen to music. I'm still a music guy. And then? I'm spiritual. I'm not overly religious, but like I would always just meditate and and and read scripture. I would pray for hell and and and I did that every every week before a game. That was my ritual. And the last thing I did, especially the last two years, you know, you guys were talking about, you know, the other night, you know, just just now being married, my girlfriend, now my wife, been married 22 years, been together 26 and I met at tech.

1:55:08 So like every night when I got to the hotel, whether we played at home or on the road, she would write me a letter. Like a motivational letter would be in my black travel bag. So I, you know, we checked in whether we had Boston College or whatever, Like you know, you have your black bag. I have that I kept and I would get in my hotel and get settled. You know, we had meeting and stuff. And before I went to bed the night before the game, I always read a letter that she wrote me and it would just she she just. She just knew what to say and what to write. And I, you know, I would read that letter and I would be good And you know and and Luther and Billy know this man when you and when you're coached well and you and you're ready to play. I was never nervous. I'm out.

1:55:49 I'll be anxious. But I was never nervous even against some tough competition because I played against some dogs. So those are my rituals, man. Donna, you know, laughing, hanging out with the boys and and just getting my, my mental, my spiritual right man because. You know, I think the play old line, you got to be locked in, you could be aggressive but gotta got to be locked in too so. Dwight I think that taps into something that I think is going to be a huge difference for this team this year is when you're not having to worry about what your responsibilities are, what exactly you're having to do on every single play, where you line up what your responsibility is. That is going to remove if if we're getting into that point where in year two of this system and if we've simplified some of this stuff up front and all they need to worry about is going out and playing and beating the guy in front of them. I think that'll make a huge difference for this group because last year, from from from the top down, it just looked.

1:56:49 It looks like people were still learning exactly where to be, where to line up, how to, how to handle end of clock situations, and. You know, Coach Pride's been very transparent and I really appreciate that about him about just being like, look like we're learning here. A couple things that I can get better at. Here are a couple things that I have changed for, you know, myself to handle this better. And if that happens from the top down and everyone just worried about going out there and doing the best they possibly can without having to worry about if the guy next to him is going to go the right way. I think, I think that'll go. I think that'll go a long way. Billy that that, that's. Leading into one of the questions we actually have for y'all group, so I'm going to just roll right into it. We talked about this a lot and you guys playing line, it definitely is probably going to hit here, but we've got, you know we wore them maroon and orange glasses we do. But our assessment last year, the offense was almost it was, from a schemes perspective, too many coach. You effectively had three offensive coordinators in the room right when it ran it.

1:57:49 Joe Rudolph and ran his Boeing first time but had been an offensive coordinator for a few games down at Penn State and now you've got the two guys who are the offensive coordinators are gone and so two parter. Do y'all agree with the assessment? There were probably too many cooks in the kitchen last year when it comes to the offense. And what type of benefits do you think we'll see? Now? They're just all it's all Boeing show. Yeah, I I I definitely think so 100% agree it's the average only what, 19 points a game, a little bit over 300 yards per game, both, you know the lowest and the ACC last year. I think a part of that is because they had so many cooks in the kitchen.

1:58:32 Also, to Billy's point, guys just didn't know what one of the dearness out there, right for Born to be able to talk to Wells like on a daily basis and he there's no middleman in between the communications. I think these guys improve drastically. In connection to, you know, the guys that came out of receiver, obviously we'll touch on that a little bit later. I think with all that coming together, you should offense this ship when you have most talking and you know you got, we all played a tough one game when we're younger. You know, once it gets from point to point, I get it. It's just kind of swirled down a little bit. So to kind of get from, you know, him talking straight to Wells on a daytoday basis, I think that'd be big for this offense.

1:59:12 Look, it's not. I'm not. I'm not comparing Coach Bowen and Coach Glenn and and Coach Rudolph to Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and. James Harden. But. At the end of the day at the end of the day, they're only you know, you can only have so many opinions. There are only so many basketballs and there are only so many microphones on the sideline to to have guys analyzing stuff and and what really bothers me because because people do this all the time and and there's no way that I'm going to get on a podcast without talking about some of the ridiculous things that that that that hokey fans do. Is the offensive line is poor last year and then the conversation shifts to Will coach Rudolph sucks. Will coach Rudolph has coach 9 Allamericans. He's produced 9 draft picks. He was an offensive coordinator Pittsburgh during James Connors 2014 campaign.

1:59:57 I think it's really simple. Too many cooks in the kitchen, too many different philosophies trying to fit them all together at once and then everybody. If it wasn't coach Rudolph's fault, it was coach Bowen's fault. Or is Grant Wells fault? It isn't one person's fault at all. It's just understanding what we need to do and understand the guy next to you is going to get the job done. And I'm the quarterback thing. Everybody wants to guess who it is. Look, if it's Grant Wells, he's going to be better than he was last year. Go ahead and watch some of his Marshall film. He's going to be better. If it's going to be Kieran Jones, he's going to be the most athletic quarterback we've had in a long time. If it's both, then it's both. But I do think that we're going to take a step in the right there.

2:00:43 That's fair. There's no, there's no way you can go backwards. So I think we're, I think we're going to take, I think we're going to take a step at the. That's fair. Dwight, what do you got? I I just felt, I mean Billy and and Luther make great points. You know, Billy's point is well taken. I just feel like when I watched the offense last year, I don't know, always do it, but I do it a lot during games. I live tweet and I would tweet sometimes. Like I remember we were playing the game. I don't know who it was. Might have been Georgia Tech or somebody. And I was like that's a great call but the backside offensive a guard tackle and tight and missed their blocks and people you know on Twitter like that's a terrible when you call that I'm like if you go back I saw it live because my son and my kids and my friends laugh at me because when I watch the game I watch the old line and D live and then I look at the offense the receivers and all of that. And I would always tweet like, you know gosh our interior got killed in C state game we were getting destroyed in the in the interior when it came to blitz pick up.

2:01:30 But people, to Billy's point, were blaming Wales. So when I came on Twitter space, I kept saying guys, you got to look at the whole picture, but it's not natural for the average to casual fan to watch the offensive line. And they it's just quick to blame them on you know, when it's a holding call. But we don't look at the whole thing. Yes, there were too many people, too many cooks in the kitchen, and on top of it, you know, similar to, you know what I've been saying for from day one, the two things that stood out with me with tech over the last handful of years is. No identity and not knowing how to win and make game when in place. And you know, we can talk about all these coaches, the winning the press conferences and kissing babies and and going to tournaments and you know, doing the electric slide at the fish fries. But players got to make plays.

2:02:17 Listen, you talk about Luther, Maddie, Luther, Maddie and Corey Marshall. I remember shout out to Corey Marshall. They were dogs, Daddy Nicholas, all those guys. We can go down the list on the old line and D line. You know Jonathan McLaughlin he was, you know, people talk about that Trey. Trey Edmonds run against Alabama when he ran for 70 yards. Go look at the kick out block. Jonathan McLaughlin had that sprung Trey and and Jonathan was a freshman playing against Alabama. So those are small things. I look at that, people look at Trey Edmonds now and he was a great bat during those times attack, but. The old line was good. You know when you got guys like Jonathan and Wyatt Teller it makes a play called easier because you have players that know what they're doing and and sometimes in many cases football players got to be plays.

2:03:03 I look at the West Virginia game, we had West Virginia, the defense was playing great. On Thursday night, the first quarter into the second we were, we were West Virginia, that powerful offense, they were sputtering. We had momentum. We had three non routes drop passes including one of them hit the receiver in the helmet. Helmet. OK, so if you get those 3 touchdowns, you're up 21. Nothing. It changes. So you can criticize and whatever. I'm not giving the the, the coaches, the past. I'm saying that Billy and and Luther are right. But I also feel like the players have to make plays, You know, it's just the way it is. And you know, I think to to this point, we'll have a better understanding of what the identity is when the season starts because this is Year 2. And you know and and you said last night on my show Curtis that 40% of roster from last year's been turned over. You have more guys coming in even though it's year two that actually it will have a better idea. And I said I said this on many platforms I was on. I felt like the newer guys, the young guys were more confident than the guys have been there the last three or four years when it came to making plays on both sides of the ball. To that point, Dwight, it the entire season there was one game that was kind of the defense had. The problem that the offense had all season was the defense is not getting enough credit for how well they played last year for the fact that they were on the field for 65 to 75% of the game in every.

2:04:33 Field. A lot like the only game, really, that the Defense didn't hold up their end of the bargain was Pittsburgh. Because Israel, the Band of Canada did whatever he wanted. But, and it was only about four players that game. Exactly. At the end of the day, like, I I really think that what Virginia Tech can hang their hat on is kind of what made them great in the 2000s and into the, you know, the around 2010 was find a way where the offense can stay on the field long enough, put up enough points and rely on your defense, which has a lot of talent. And I thought I'm on record for saying I think Coach Marvin is going to be a star just based upon his the way that he carries himself. He look, he did a great job in the Liberty game.

2:05:15 If the offense can avoid three and out, three and out, three and out and give the defense a chance to catch their breath, that's going to make a tremendous difference next year if they can just find a way to do that. Facts. Definitely, man. It's it's great man, to have this panel, to have so many like, educated analysis coming in, man, it's it's awesome. I'm sitting here. Giddy you know what I'm saying? Just listening to that listening to that what Charles is saying, we're going to go to something a little different, what we want to talk about, you know I think Dwight said talking about year 2, how we need to look in year two, closing out winning plays things like that the month of November.

2:05:56 So the end of the season looks like we got Rd. trips to Louisville, Chestnut Hill and Lane Stadium N you know we we go play those games at the end of the year and. We're not favored to win right now on some of those games, but they look like pretty winnable games if you look at it on paper, not teams that we should be scared of. I want to say, how do y'all feel about Coach Pryor closing out on on winnable games wrapping up this year, which will be his year too. You know I I. I I I every year he even when I played but especially now that I'm doing all this stuff in the media and and and you know running my mouth and tweeting and doing all different things.

2:06:43 I do always I'm not and this is not you Charlie. I just laugh at some of my followers and fans that tagged and they said oh these in this schedule this is easy. I I have never there was probably a couple of games in my 5 years at tag even as a red shirt when I was just backing up people not going to play when I was okay. Yeah, this will be a blowout. But it was very few. There is, you know, until Virginia Tech, this team, this era and and I love pride. But until they understand and learn how to win there is no such thing as a game that that they should walk in and be like, yes, a Gimme. I think one thing I remember when Virginia Tech went into the ACC in 2004 and 2003, they had a loaded team.

2:07:29 This is a team that featured Jake Grove, Ernest Wilford. Brian Randall, I mean. Vegas Robinson, that team. Yeah. KJ, Kevin Jones, One of them. Just arguably, and we can. I'm not going to argue with you guys, but you can argue the most talented team on paper in Virginia Tech history. They started off the year amazing. They went at Texas A and M back when you did not win that text A and M okay. They beat LSU. They were loaded. And then that year they crumbled, losing to Boston College at home. They did beat UVA, but they crumbled down the season. Losing to pit losing to West Virginia they went into the ACC in 2004 picked the finish near the bottom and Beamer every game and even to the season said we're going to attack the scratch and claw to win every game and he said it even when they won a winning streak he kept saying it when it you know after they they they scared USC and they were two and two after losing the NC State at home he kept saying we got a crashing scratching scratching claw and.

2:08:26 I get it now and I got it then, but I get it even more now. What? He was saying that yes, we have talent but we have not proven anything because they were coming off that disappointing O3 season and this is a team in O four that had talent at receivers. I mean you talk, you talk about Eddie Royal playing as a true freshman, talking about what's my guy, man that played everything, a utility guy, man. He coached. He was a DC Gifts accordion before he left Hamilton, you know what I'm saying? Justin Hamilton. They had so many guys, right? The point I'm getting at and you know let the rest of the panel talk on this is that I, you know tally, I feel like Tech you know can definitely finish strong. But the one thing I've always said is that you need leaders and you need guys to exemplify, be an extension of what coach pry, coach Mark JC Price and those guys want them to do you You need guys to take control of this team and and to learn how to win. I think we will know more on how they will finish given how they start.

2:09:26 And I I, I think, you know, if they take an approach every game like they're being disrespected or no one believes in them and they have to prove themselves every week, you're going to see a very, very hungry football team. You know, Because what I did, you know, was a result of what JC Price and them taught me how to do J Haygood and those guys. And then I took that torch and I ran with it. And then years later. You know, Luther and those guys and all those guys that came after me, they continued that because they knew it was expected and they carried the toys. Even if we did each other till later in their career, they understood what it meant. I think these guys are learning what it means to wear that helmet, understand what it means to walk to that tunnel.

2:10:07 There's a lot of great things at Virginia Tech in that locker room and around that stadium, around that campus that these young men are benefiting from but did not know what it meant to do. You know what I'm saying to put on, I think. The benefit of having the guys on that staff even got like Xavier DB and those guys teaching them and they understand, I think, you know, you understand what it means to go up to Boston College and take care of business and go down the UVA and be the UVA team that, you know we typically beat, but they got to go do it. So if I look at it right now, ask me that same question out there the first four games of the season, you know? Taking you. Talk about.

2:10:47 Yeah, no, I was going to say I think it's absolutely, it's very important. I mean, obviously you've got look at what happened last year, right? There's just so many, at least three, maybe four games in which Tech literally had to back their hands to win that football game. They just slip out. Rather was Miami, NC State, Georgia Tech, even like Tech that won the football games. But again, they don't know the win. You know, it's a younger team, but I think it's going to be a combination of the coaches and some leads up. I think back to my freshman year when I went to the ACC Championship, went to the Sugar Bowl, we had leaders like Eddie Whitley. I think it's really no, people don't really realize how important Eddie Willy was to that football. He was a fiery guy.

2:11:31 Every single practice, he's all out, like he's just, I can't speak how enough of Eddie Whitley, Eddie Willy, Bruce Taylor. But then you also have guys as the players that were on staff, like Cornell Brown that can plead to the side. And when you're fucking up, you can't kind of have a chat with you. And make sure you get back on on point. So I think all that stuff's important and I still that finds a way to kind of add those pieces together. You know that's it's going to take a while when I put the football program back on pace, but it comes to then one of the football games, I mean Boston College, three and eight season. I think they have a pretty solid quarterback back in Louisville. I think they're going to actually be pretty good this year with the transfer that they brought in. So although tech's not favored in those football games, I think they are. And tech and find a way to Windows football games and you know be above 500 if you step one in the right direction. Yeah.

2:12:22 I think. I think it's in crucially important for every fan to not everybody does this exercise the the schedule comes out and you do the W, you do the L, you do the L, you go down the whole schedule. What I'm really looking for out of this football team is yes, I think we're going to a bowl game is going to be. It would be monumental for this group. I think, you know, I'm going to at some point I'm sure on this podcast and later on in the year give a give a schedule prediction and predict about we're going to win such and such game or whatever. But at the end of the day, what I'm more interested in is just organization and less chaos. And again, Coach, Coach Prize done a phenomenal job of owning some of the things that he can do better and owning some of the things that his staff can do better.

2:13:08 The the staff that we saw from the television broadcast of the Old Dominion game, which was chaos. It was unorganized. It was kind of all over the place. You saw it get better to the Liberty game. And again, we talked about some of those games that, you know, we're in a position to win and didn't win. Did some of that come down to execution? Yes. Coach Price said that he's really focused on having more competitive competitive periods and practice, making sure that that's extremely important. But we were in position to win those games against teams who were monumentally more talented than Virginia Tech. And look, Virginia Tech has has beaten more talented teams in them. But the disparity that there was last year was so wide and they were still in positions to be fighting and clawing.

2:13:51 And that was one of the things I was most proud of of this team last year is there wasn't really a game that you looked at and you're like our team quit this game. They may have lost, they may have gotten out skiing, they may have ran out of gas towards the end because we're you know 1 deep at basically every single position. But I never saw us come in and just completely quit and let go of the rope. So you know, one play goes another way, one play goes another way, your records probably a little bit different, but that's what I'm looking for. Eliminate pre snap penalties, look more organized and and finish the job and I'm more concerned with that than I am. We better win this amount of games. Yeah Billy, I'm I'm I'm with you on that because it's all the little things. Go back to the NC State game everybody go back 10 pre snap penalties.

2:14:39 I got three offensive lineman on here. How many gasters with jar ran? If you had did 10 pre snap penalties, it's still we still be running them. We still be running them we think about. That game how many pre snap penalties and cut them in half I'll. Probably win. NC State. You think about the Georgia Tech game with the fumble issues and I. Humbles happen, Luther. You were. You've been. You play defense your whole life. Defensive players make plays. But think about when Keyshawn fumble that ball. Like, we're we're there. We're up points. If we kick a field goal, it's out of reach. If we punch it in, they have absolutely no shot, but we fumble. It's those little things. And like you said, Billy, I love what you just said there about the chaos. Who do you look chaotic?

2:15:24 And every week it was a little bit better, a little bit better. And every week we started being more competitive. It didn't look as chaotic. Guess we won a couple games. So I I loved hearing it from all you guys, knowing that you guys again played on that field. Now I'm going to pivot to something real quick just because I I like this question this gentleman brought up and I'm wondering if it's Anthony Harris we all know of. But in y'all's opinion, Billy, I'll let you let you start out the gate with this one. What true freshman are you expecting to get some PT this year? Offense or defense. I know, I know you guys are going to hate me for doing this. I'm going to say I'm going to say I'm going to say most Phillips because he's who's everybody's talking about and I'm not I'm not a practice so I'm I'm not see I'm not seeing him. I'm going to answer this question with with saying this and I was asked this a ton by national by national media coming up and saying Pop Watson, man is is pop Watson is pop Watson going to play quarterback. I think pop Watson is tremendously talented. I really do.

2:16:25 I think he's going to have an opportunity to play. I think he's going to play in the future. But the idea that he should get thrown in there this year at his size with no time getting familiar with the playbook. I'd I'd I'd encourage everybody to pump the brakes a little bit on that. I think he's going to be a good player moving into the future. He's got some weight to gain. He's got some understanding to get down with the playbook so I'll give you a non answer and I'm really excited for Pop Watson, but I don't think his time is quite yet. Got it, Luther. Luther, what you got? Yeah. So I mean, honestly, I haven't seen a whole lot of these guys, so I can't really give you guys a great answer. But I know that there's been some talk about one of those young safeties maybe kind of getting some PT here, maybe not start, but again, like playing time, maybe guys like most. Supposedly he's been looking pretty decent out there, so I think he kind of just on the outside looking in, but I'm the player, you know, that really stands out as a as a freshman being making a big contribution this year. All right, Mr. Vick.

2:17:31 I think I know. I think I know what he going to say. I think he going to say #12. Woodson, Kayla Woodson. I've been on the man. Listen. I'm not even going to go into it because I said it last night. But for the respect to your show, man, I mean he's I, you know, I saw him in high school, his last junior, senior year. He was, you know, already, you know looking at stuff, the scheme and and talking to coaches. I mean he if you see him, you know, physically he passed the odd test. But I just, I just love his mindset and he's a worker. I I I I can see him. Kind of midway through the season, man, forcing himself into the lineup, barring something crazy, I just, I'm excited for him, man.

2:18:16 And he looks like, you know, one of those Virginia Tech guys like, you know, looks like Devon Morgan, you know, Cam Chancellor. You know one thing about, like Virginia Tech defensive guys, they always had that look. Certain DV's that came down in the box can also cover, but he's also more of a linebacker. Bill too. But that's my guy. But I mean, I'm like Luther too, man, I think. You know there's always a player too. Like the kid you guys were talking about last night. Curtis. He was a red shirt freshman last year. The linebacker that came on strong the Georgia Tech game. He had a tip pass exception such yeah, those are the guys that you know will come kind of week three-week 4 that'll surprise you. But right now my my surprise that people going to be talking about I stand by.

2:19:02 I said the same thing you know about Stroman. And Eddie Royal when they came to Tech, so I got a little bit of a good track record. I say, I say, I think that they pay attention to the white because I've been seeing Caleb Wilson on all types of media stuff lately. I think I got on Facebook and he was like, it was a picture, big picture of him like kissing his mom or something like that at media day or Family Day. And then just a clip came out today where he was absolutely annihilated like a tight end or something. So. I'm like, damn, is they listening to Dwight. They're trying to get him. They're trying to get him on camera but but he he looks, he does look the part. He looks the part, man. He. Looks the part. I seen him when I went to the spring game, not to cut you off, but when I went to the spring game and they were announcing like all the freshmen and stuff, he was on the field just like plain clothes.

2:19:51 And I was like, God damn, who was that? And when they called his name, like, he was big, like he was a big, a big dude. And I'm thinking, I looked at Brian and I was like, he's supposed to be at prom like. He's supposed to be thinking about, like, you know what I'm saying? I'm gonna get too explicit, but I'm like, he's supposed to be at prom, man. He's supposed to be thinking about like playing football in college. And he just, man, he just looks like a college football player already. And just that the the, you know, kind of the pivot a little bit with that question that we put up. Who who gave us that question? You said Anthony, Anthony, Anthony. Good, great question, man. But I'll say I wouldn't be surprised to see, you know some of those young DB's, man. You know, even Brendan Johnson, you know all of those guys. When you start talking about just football players, when you talk about offensive line, it's hard to get into. It's hard to get on the field as a freshman defensive line, yet you ain't you too lighting the ass to come in as a freshman. You got to be real good to get in and just have natural ability to play in the trenches that early. But you see a lot of times while receiver or cornerback, like they can get put in the fire sometimes just because a lot of times that position just relies on your natural ability. You know you're going to go, you're going to go through some growing pains.

2:21:12 I think we kind of seen that with Delaine last year. He he was in the right position. A lot of times he just wasn't quite strong enough to maybe wrestle a ball from somebody or maybe to get somebody down with a tackle. But his technique was there. That's why everybody's so excited about it. I think we'll see another one of our young DB's that maybe have to step up, you know, when somebody needs a breather to just get in and get some PT. So I wouldn't be surprised to see somebody like a Brailer Networks or, you know, Fleming or one of those guys get in. Dante Lovett say Yeah, don't tell the bigger crew. And Lovett's already you already kind of look too, and you make the point about that tally. It's also the build and I think all you guys who played y'all can y'all know what y'all like.

2:21:54 Some of these. Corners come in and you kind of look and you compare them to your teammates and say hey he's he's like already there. He's not he's not that far off. Making the comparisons like you just did to the offensive line like that. Like those those safeties and those, you know, corners and stuff. Not that far off compared to the other stuff where you have to gain mass. And I'm sure I got three guys below me here I'm sure and and Mr. Siegel up when he was at Hampton Sydney. All right. Y'all need to eat. They just need to eat because you all ain't got enough weight on you, you. Need to eat. But you need to eat the right stuff too. I mean that that that's just that's just a. Big That nutrition center is doing it, too. Yep. Down there. Yeah. I mean, not everybody can be a, you know, John McLaughlin and get a starting role on the offensive line right at the gate. So sometimes you got to come in there. Jonathan had the size Brian, but he also and Billy knows this man and I I don't you know I know your listeners and viewers may disagree but.

2:22:52 People give a lot of credit to the quarterback and the safety, but imagine having the block, JC Price, Cornell Brown, Corey Moore, John Engelberger or even Corey Marshall. And they're moving and the scheme's changing and they're talking and the quarterback's talking. He's doing, check with me and you got the crowd cheering and I got to make sure there's three techniques that moves to A1. Now I got to help the center and get to the next level. So Jonathan had a high IQ. I remember I met him, I was there, might have been for a game. And I talked to him on the sidelines when we introduced ourselves to each other. And I was a fan because I was like to play at Tech at that time as a true freshman special bro. You know what I'm saying?

2:23:34 Like, because I can tell you right now, I called my dad and said, dad, I want to red shirt. I was like, I want to red shirt, yeah. I mean. I used to call John Quick feed. The thing that for me his first couple of years he had that, you know and Billy knows that he started practicing, you know his Craftsman section was all ended with an attitude like you know, I'm not laughing, I'm just do what I got to do. Like he was non salon but also smart, like he didn't really get too too steer, played moves and I think that helped them a big time freshman year. Yeah, guys that can play with the even kill but still have that dog in them, that's a that's a special trait. That's a special trait to have. Let's We're going to wrap this up here. We've got two generations of hokey football alumni on this segment right now.

2:24:23 One was a leader when the program rose to prominence. One was a leader as Coach Beamer's career wrapped up. The other saw firsthand regime change in 2016. With that experience in mind, I'd like to give each of you let me hear one thing about this team or staff that gives you optimism for 2023. And maybe one thing that concerns you at this point still going into the season. And Billy, I'll let you lead on this one. Positives are easy. Coach prize tremendous. He's easy to root for. One of the things that he did this year that I wanted to see him do in year two, that we missed out on. Year one was was attacked the Portal and he did a phenomenal job of attacking the Portal this offseason. Another year of building relationships with fans, coaches, alumni.

2:25:10 And for what the staff lacks and experience at some spots they make up in recruiting. Get it. Miss if if we want to throw that term around and personality and the level of talent at Virginia Tech has has elevated. At the end of the day, who you're going against in practice, one-on-one ones on twos if you're not getting a good look. And the best look that you see every single week is the guy that you're lining up against. That's not a recipe for success. So I think that that moves the needle a lot. My biggest fear and concern, I mean, number one is is conference realignment. It's it's hard not to talk about that.

2:25:51 That's not something that the coaches can control. It's not something that the players can control. But that's kind of the one pressing thing, I guess, that everyone's thinking about. But what I'm looking at this season is. The stretch of Marshall, Pittsburgh, Florida State, Wake Forest, back-to-back to back-to-back in the moment, How do they handle that? Those are four really good teams for a lot of people. We're going to play Marshall and people are going to wake up and look at the schedule and be like, oh, we're playing Marshall, whatever. Marshall has great defense. Marshall has a really good program. They are very talented. That's going to be no cupcake. Pittsburgh, they're well to. I know you guys said in the last segment, you're not Nardozzi guys. Nardozzi is doing a phenomenal job at Pittsburgh.

2:26:33 He's recruiting well. He's like Marcus, smart man. He's the guy that you you hate when he's on the other team, but if he's your guy, you love that dude. Florida State, obviously, Playoff contention. Everybody's on Florida State and then Wake Forest. How are they going to handle that in the moment? And if you come out of it with being 500, fantastic. But if you struggle through that, how do you come out the other end from the bye week against Syracuse? Are you going to be able to handle adversity and get back on the tracks? Because you saw it last year. There was a tremendous stretch of just flailing and trying to get it together. Are they going to be able to get through that stretch admirably? And then keep it going after that bye week, can we see some sort of consistency?

2:27:19 Because I think that's the biggest challenge stretch that we're going to face is those four games you get the bye week and then you're right back into it with ACC play. So I wouldn't say it's fear, I just think that window of games is going to teach us a lot about where this program is headed. Luther, what you got? Yeah, so. So for me, I feel whole about the offensive side, I mean. Just watching that play last year, it's just just miserable, right. It's a guy and I end all, but just watching off, I could barely finish watching the football game. I hate to say it like that but it's. I'm just being honest. So you know I think for me I feel a whole lot better about what the Billy kind of touched on a little bit earlier is the addition with the transfer portal.

2:28:00 So I'm really big on Allie Jennings. I think he's going to be an all conference type of player, that receiver. Then you add felt and then you also add lane at receiver. So. I think comparing this year, it's election office that's going to be a big step forward and I think them just finding identity as far as whether it's on blocking or you know getting the ball down the field more vertically. I think them actually trying to identify those things and actually focusing on what they are as an offense that makes it feel a whole lot better pull to this scrambling and trying to figure things out. So that being said, a little bit about the offense, I'm a bit concerned with the Mike linebacker situation. I know we have two really good guys. Battling out, I think will be, you know, a good fit, but that they're not kind of solidified that they think Mike's a very important position to kind of have in that type of defense. Then with those guy hearings and the lack of death, I should say. But between Mike and Will, I'm kind of concerned there just because that tech defense did struggle part of the open field tackling once you got to that second level, I think they'll be better.

2:29:09 But I don't feel great about linebacker. I know Sisdale's been there for quite a while. I liked him earlier in his career, kind of took a step back linebacker. I'm a bit concerned and I'm hoping they can kind of, you know, pick up and do a little bit better than what they did last. Year. Yeah, definitely a spot that, you know, there's some question marks especially, you know, you know for for for all that he did during the time there. You know, that's definitely a leader back there and everybody where they need to be so. Losing that leadership is going to be interesting to see who steps up there, Dwight, what you got for this one, you know? The first part of the question about what I'm excited for, you know, right. Is that the first part? Yeah. Yeah, especially, man. I'm excited man, because from day one, you know, I knew Pry. Pry was the right guy.

2:29:54 I knew it. I I just knew it. You know, for the record, I said this on you guys. I've been on Y'all Show a lot. I've said it on other shows, including the Suns The Saturday, I was rooting for Fuente. I wanted Fuente and his staff to win because I'm a hokey first. I think now I look back on it, it's tough to replace a legend. It just is. But I I just feel like pride gets it, you know? It's tough because I know a lot of former coaches and guys wanted to to be on that staff with him, including to my brother, Todd Washington, Jane Graham. I know Stein Spring made it known he wanted to come back. So that shows you how much guys love pride, that coach with him and against him. I think the fact that he went away as I mentioned earlier in y'all show and went to Penn State and and saw how it was done there in the in the probably arguably the best conference helps Tech tremendously because it was similar to when Weaver got to tech as an A Ed.

2:30:46 He had been at Florida and Penn State. So he saw what it took to take tech to the next level as we entered into the 2000s. I just think you know it's I'm very optimistic. I knew he was going to recruit well. I knew he was going to get guys. Not just the 757 guys, but you know, Virginia and New Jersey and DC, Maryland, that Mid-Atlantic in the South. You know, I think we're only getting started there when I'm afraid or what worries me is not the exes and nose. He's got a very competent staff. I love Billy's point about Ma being a star. I completely agree. Pierson Prelo is the one of the best football minds I've ever been around, along with Tony and Gray. You know, he's no longer coaching with us.

2:31:27 He's down in South Carolina. I remember the great defensive, according to Greg Williams called Pierson Frelo when he coached with the Washington Redskins. Now commanders, he said Pierson Frelo was his smartest player. This is a pro NFL defensive court. That shows you what kind of pedigree Pierson Frelo has. I don't worry about our staff. I don't worry about recruiting. My concern Billy touched on this is not the future of a Gene Tech, but just making sure we have the best fan base. And I know people say this, but we have a top five, top three fan base. The fan base is so good it got us a Sugar Bowl berth in 2011. We were 11 and two we finished behind Clemson. We were. We earned the right based on the credibility in the record, but our fan base travels so well. Our fan base deserves a championship. But we have a very sometimes impatient and irrational fan base and my fear is that people aren't patient. Because we're in stage now with the NIL the portal, I I don't want us to become so impatient and if if this takes longer than expected what do we do because you know people look at look what Duke did last year.

2:32:39 It's almost like you know you're expected to win. I'm just because I I look at, I know it's it's tough but I look at UVA and even Pit. Billy I'm with you. I'm, I'm. I know. Y'all don't like pit. I respect pit. I got a lot of heat lash because I tweeted about Narduzi what what tech should be doing right. But here's the thing they were patient with Narduzi. Look what he's doing now since it's not fashionable in in our generation now, this era of sports and life in general. But I think patience is something we got to have. And on the flip side, mention UVA. You know, I played during the Golden era, the UVA Tech rivalry, but since then, and I'm not taking shots at them, but other than the Perkins year, they've been irrelevant for a very, very, very long time.

2:33:30 And last year, like Luther, Maddie said, for the first time in my life affiliate with Tech. When I watched Tech play, I was praying for the game to be over. I. Was and that it was. It was tough to watch. And and I realized how irrelevant we were despite having that fan base. So my fear is that this doesn't get done. All this work prides doing that we don't turn the corner and get back to what we and exceed what we used to be. I don't, I don't want to be irrelevant. I live in the DMV. My dad and fatherinlaw die hard Washington Commanders fans. And they live more on the glory days and trying to beat the Cowboys and actually winning games.

2:34:12 I'm like, y'all are so bad that y'all y'all y'all look forward to beating the Cowboys and the Eagles and not actually being relevant. That's how bad y'all become. I do not want Tech to be like we're going to beat UVA this year. That's not the. Goal. I'm from the era where we were both ranked, we were both good and we were going to go to a big time bowl and have a chance to maybe play for a championship. So it's a long answer, but that's what I I secretly worry about that Sometimes I do not. Want us to if we lose Labor Day night, bro, stay, stay where you are, man. As far as where you at mindset wise, I just want to I'm I'm going to go to something a little different.

2:34:56 I was just sitting here looking at a couple things, but I think we talked about it on one of the other segments, Josh Fuller said. I don't know the direct quote, but he said Virginia Tech is back, the lunch pill is back, we're back. Something like that at at a CC. Media Day, Media day. So again, I'll tell you kind of my answer and I want to just hear from from y'all what you think. I don't think that we're back, you know what I'm saying, as far as back to what Virginia Tech is. But I was sitting here looking at, looking at D'Angelo Hall, Just highlights. You know, you can type in D'Angelo Hall highlights from Virginia Tech. And the reason that I did is because Delaine is wearing a mansoor.

2:35:41 Delaine is wearing #4 this year. And I don't know if nobody's prepped the young man or what number 4 means in that backfield. But like I watched the play, we was playing Miami. When D Hall comes up and he strips that, he comes up to make a form tackle, give it. He strips the ball and takes it and goes and scores. And not only does he take it in score, it's like it was swag when he did it. Like once he got to the when he got to the when he got to the end zone, he knew what to do. Like he knew how to put on the show. You know, I look at another it was another pick out. It may have been West Virginia. He takes the pick and he's pointing people out, hey, you block him. You block him like he knew what to do with the ball.

2:36:23 And it's been so long since we've seen Virginia Tech just be dominant like that on the back end. And then you have the the Luther Maddies on the line that's making eight again. I'm going back to it. A CCACC defensive line. You know what I'm saying? Like all ACC defensive line, to get back to that lunch Bell defense would be great. What do y'all need to see to to say we back? I think to your it's that confidence, right? Like I think. Like those guys have been in the program probably 2 weeks and they're making plays and they're just out there having fun, right. And I don't really see this early in the in the on the show. Like a lot of times guys are kind of just timid you know like when I I know when I was playing it was 11 hats to the full football.

2:37:11 I'm not gonna late hit every now and again too. I just want to jump on the paw and just touch the running bat. I just want to put my hand on you right. Like, that was my goal. And I kind of got that from guys like Bruce Taylor and and James Gay. Like he always want to finish and you know, get to the. Get to the ball carrier. So I think it's more of that guys just being more confident, their ability being loser, right. I think playing, I talk about defense so much. I think you just win games. I'm just being a bit biased there. You got to be, you got to just be a dog. Well, I know it sounds like it's, you know, football, pep talk or whatever. It's true, like you got to got to live a hat to the football and you got to be out and you just want to lay your pants out. So I think they get to the point where they're feeling confident, they're playing loser and they trust their teammate. Then they can come back and they can actually, you know, be more confident with that lunch pay and do those type of things to be a dominant football team.

2:38:02 I don't mean to go to go yoga. I don't need to go like Yoda, Buddhist culture on you here. But at the end of the day, I think one of the things we got to realize is everybody's concerned with like, are we back at or are we not. It's not a it's not a it's not a yes or no thing. It's if you're lost in the forest and you don't know what direction you're going. You know what your next step is going to be? And I think Tech just needs to find a way each week, each year, each month to just get better as they go along. And if they can stay focused on that and stop having this thing over their head of like are we back, are we not, Are we supposed to be just just improve day-to-day? And I think that you can say confidently with the way that this offseason is gone, the way the recruiting has gone and the way that the conversation around Virginia Tech has been. That we are headed in the right direction and when Virginia Tech is back, everyone's going to know they're back. We don't have to.

2:38:54 We're not going to have to get on here and and talk about what percentage of back we are walking. In the right direction. Is this one of those things? If you have to ask, you're not, Like if you're if you're having to ask, are you back? You're not back yet. Like, just don't think about eating the whole whale, man. Take take a bite at a time, you know what I'm saying? It's, you know, you just got to go in the right direction, I think. I think we're doing that. Yeah, I yeah, I'm with Billy, I think. I think young dudes, I get it. I like the confidence and we're back lunch pill. That's cool. That's fun. You know I know I'm an OG. I'm. I'm fine with that that mindset. But again you will know tech is back when it's a close game and you have no doubt that the defense or the special teams, the office is going to make a play.

2:39:39 You'll know that you like when D Hall. Miami came into Blacksburg that night in 2003 on a 30 something 3738 game-winning streak. The airs are all set on Tuesday during the press. Come, this was my boy, that's my brother. He played after me. He said, Yo, I think Miami's beatable mind you, they just came. They're coming in there. They won national championship. They own a 30 something plus game-winning streak because Miami game team is that good. I don't think they're that strong. And he he said it and Bema got mad. He put a muzzle on him that week not figured Bema said stop. So the all went out there and showed you what he meant. He set the tone beginning the game.

2:40:19 Eric Green got to pick six. They made Brock Berliner like he should have been playing in the Lego League. Okay, you know what I'm saying. At the end of the day, they showed us. I remember watching games with my wife and it when we in 2007 after the Virginia Tech tragedy that affected us forever. We were in a dogfight with Chris Johnson in East Carolina. East Carolina has been a rival. It was a dogfight. We would have better team but we were flat because of all the emotion. First game, back league course, so game days there. She looks at me and says defense has got a score. The next series, Macho Harris gets a pick, takes it, you know we had to and takes it in for a touchdown. That's how you knew Virginia Tech was back even in 2015, 2014 I was looking this up just to make sure I was right. 2013, we went eight and five. Those were lean years, down years, and we were still 897 wins even after that debacle against Wake Forest. The three overtime game we're doing like this and we had to beat UVAUVA was was a solid team that year. They were trying to get to the bowl game. That's the game before the game.

2:41:24 We both in the midfield and it was about to do a fight, a lot of, a lot of talking. But Gene Tech won that game. Bucky Hodges had the game, went in touch and he also had the long catch. That's, you know, again, I can keep doing this. It's not really about so much, you know, the historical perspective. It's just knowing your program. Like right now, as much as I love and you guys know how much I love pride, I'm still wondering and waiting to see who we are right now under his regime. Because I don't really know our identity yet because everything I just described historically was the Beamer era and Bud Foster era. OK, I'm waiting to see this new era, you know what I'm saying?

2:42:06 So we will know when we back and when, you know, we're three and two or four and one and we know K, it's a close game, What should we expect? Because everything I was describing, we knew in a close game somebody was going to make a play defensively, offensively, on special teams. And that's kind of what it means to be back, because we knew that could happen. That can happen. I think what it is, is, and Billy, you kind of alluded to this. We're not going to know we're back. It's just going to be organic. We're going to walk out that force and it's going to feel like it did for me 15 years ago, 2007, 2008. And it's like, you know, my buddy from San Diego's calling me Billy's hit me up in the DM. Tally and Brian are Texan, The White's Texas Luthers is in on the DM, and you're going to just feel it. It's not going to be that moment now, now. It's not going to be like a moment, but I think it will be a moment.

2:43:01 When I say that because if you tell me we're 4:00 and 1:00 and we go down to Florida State and I'm just just hypothetically and it's late fourth quarter in 6 foot 6, Kalau lost and sneaks through on the special teams and get his hands out and flows the game. It's going to be that moment and we're not going to know it right in that moment we aren't. But in a couple years, you guys are going to be sitting across from us, maybe on Zoom, maybe we're at PK's, maybe we're. Somewhere downtown, maybe we're at Sharky's and one of y'all is going to say, Billy's going to say you remember that night, that play and we're all going to be like that was it. That's when we were back right there, gentlemen, Y'all do not know how much it means to us. Y'all joining us tonight.

2:43:50 You guys are pillars within the Virginia Tech community. You guys playing for the program, you know? We we started this thing up three years ago. Tally joined us this year and it has been a ride and it's been so much fun. I look forward to hopefully catching you all at the games. Billy, we're going to be at Purdue. I hope you're there. We're going to find you, buy you a drink, Luther, Dwight. If y'all come down, we're going to catch y'all as well. But we really appreciate it, guys. Man, thank you guys. I know you know it's 11:45. You guys have been on here for for three hours. Luther, it's great seeing you. Dwight, it's great seeing you and. Brian Curtis and Tally, you guys have done such a great job and I think one of the things that I learned early on was what makes this fan base so special.

2:44:33 While I may disagree with a lot of the people I love that people I love that everybody gives a damn and gives a shit. And that's what makes. So. Special and you know credit to you guys for for building what you guys have built and I'm I am looking forward to to sitting down and saying that is that is the moment that. That we do get it going. So great job by you guys. Seriously, this was, this was awesome. I second that, man. I second I told you guys last night. I tell you all the time, y'all are killing. And I love it. And I'll say this, man, look at all the people you got you had on. I know it's a lot of people that couldn't make the panel but between you know Jonathan and Luther's joint they do and y'all's and the things I do with Mike and the things I do with Danny Noakes we got all these different imagine when tech starts getting back to relevance all the all the and we didn't even mention the tech sidelines and there are so many people that cover this program that wanted to see it do well. Like Billy said, we might not always agree, but when they start doing well, it's going to be crazy man. Because you know, we when I played it was just Tech sideline and David till you know what I'm saying? Yeah.

2:45:45 Yeah, too. He gave it to you. MM Barber and those boys. Yeah. My yeah was that was them. Now you got all. But this is cool man. I appreciate. I I never take any love or a chance to sweep my mind for granted, man. I appreciate y'all. Man, Yep. And we. Appreciate you guys do a great job, man. I'm gonna hit a couple games. Let's figure out a way to. Get together as a tailgate or something like that. Yeah, drinks growing Curtis. I wrote that down so I'll remember. I'm the guy with three kids here, man. Bring the wallet, Curtis. Bring the wallet. Drinks on our sponsor. That's pretty good. Yeah, there we go. Jamison shots all around. Jamison shots all around. Well, listen, as we wrap up tonight, I want to thank Drayson, Wimbush. We'll take Dan, Pete B, Dwight, Vick, Luther, Maddie. Really.

2:46:33 Ray Mitchell from the Suns of Saturday? David Cunningham from Tech sideline. Mike McDaniel from, well, wherever? Mike McDaniel. Everywhere from because. He's from everywhere. And our own Shelton Moss for joining us tonight. That does wrap up this episode of the Boundary Corner podcast brought by Main Street Pharmacy in Blacksburg. I'm Curtis Wilson. I'm Brian Sigler. Visit our website boundarycornervt.com to listen to all of our episodes. We also have a merchandise shop. I shared that with Mr. Vic last night. Go in there, check it out with some of the things we are putting out why you're there at our website. Follow us Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, subscribe to our YouTube channel and your favorite podcast source. We're on all of them.

2:47:14 As always, we let our buddy down and rolling Jason long play us in. He plays us out every week. Check himoutjasonlawmusic.com. He's also on Spotify. And check his YouTube channel and his Facebook page is out. And as always, we thank you for listening. Let's go. Okay.