A View from the Sidelines: Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Syracuse Orange

It was Thursday night lights in Lane Stadium. It officially wasn’t full, some folks have to work, but it was mostly full, and rocking. Of course, the Hokies managed to curb stomp the Orange so there’s that, too. GO HOKIES!!!

By John Schneider Oct 28, 2023, 7:00am EDT

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Pre-Game Sideline Activties

It was an absolutely beautiful evening for a football game. There was almost no breeze. It wasn’t too warm, and it wasn’t too cool either. The field, an hour and 15 minutes before kickoff looks like a placid pot of water with the heat just turned on. You can sort of hear it making an increasing amount of that boiling noise, but it’s still a ways off before it’s hot enough for coffee.

The student section is filling and the band is arriving.

If you get to the northwest side of the stadium, between the benches and the tunnel, and look back you can see the play clock and the southwest tunnel where the media folks come in to get started.

A pre-game look down the west sideline, south.

The Skipper Crew sets up in the southwest corner to make a quick getaway right after they fire the gun for the nation anthem salute. It’s not really “The Skipper”, though. The original 6-pound brass Napoleon developed a crack and had to be retired to a museum display. The Skipper II is a replica (it’s actually real folks, you could put real shells in it) 6-pound cast iron field piece from the Civil War era. They sound different. The old Skipper was a rounder, fuller report with a definite ring to it.

Mansoor Delane and Bhayshul Tuten had superior games. The defense was shutdown, except for one referee aided 3-point drive, and a single ‘Cuse TD drive that Tech played loose and took some pressure off the gas.

Starters Delane and Tuten head to the field for warm-ups

The offensive line was a notch better in the Syracuse game. It still needs work inside, but the 1s and 2s are playing better together, and there hasn’t been the position swapping going on to confuse and roil the process of learning how you fit into the play process.

The future linemen, Brody Meadows and Johnny Garrett take the field for pre-game activities.

This is important to say. For the people carping about the defense and how turning over the DC’s position to a coach new to that position, reel it in and sit back for a bit. Chris Marve has a brain, a winning attitude, and is steadily teaching this defense to find itself and be successful. He was probably the unsung hero of the Syracuse game, because his defense was pumped, prepared, and punishing. Hat’s off to Coach Marve. I noticed. I hope many other folks did, too.

Coach Marve working the Linebackers - This was his game more than anyone’s on Thursday.

This is a shot that looks like some sort of movie poster.

The parachutists arrived, and the show began.

The Pre-game festivities included parachute dropped flags

Josh Fuga and Kaden Moore fascinated by the marshmallow roasters

Coach Pry looks right into the camera... well it looks like it, anyway.

The Game, and We’ll Just Let It Flow

When you start off with a sack and a grounding penalty and then punt on a three and out, you might be having a bad day.

Intentional grounding and the first sack of the game. APR is doing his “thing”.

Just in case you didn’t remember the first sack of the game

And when every play from scrimmage for the offense looks like this. It absolutely is going to be one of THOSE long days.

Syracuse’s quarterback saw this on every play. You could count the number of times that he wasn’t heavily pressured on your hand. Every sack in this game came from a defensive lineman. Marve didn’t have to dial up any fancy blitzes to get to the QB. Schrader was running for his life from defensive linemen.

‘Cuse’s punter was a very busy young man on Thursday.

Things start happening pretty fast after the snap.

Keli Lawson is coming into his own, and we can only hope that he sticks around until his eligibility is exhausted. He’s developing into a player we’ll see at the next level.

Keli Lawson... Flying in for a run stop.

That goes for Bhayshul Tuten. He was nearly unstoppable on Thursday.

Bhayshul Tuten had an evening for himself and the Hokies.

Malachi Thomas had a really good game, too.

Just to give y’all an idea of the struggle to get good shots from our allowed positions. There are often some newbies who don’t pay attention to where they are going and ruin a great shot.

DRAT!! DRAT!!! and DOUBLE DRAT!!! And this was a touchdown throw.

No one ruined this one, though. It looks like this was a missed tackle, but look at the right arm around the receiver’s leg.

Even when ‘Cuse tried to get somewhere they got not much else.

Mario Kendricks introduces himself to Mr. Schrader

Not many missed tackles against the Orange. Pheldarius Payne wraps up the running back.

22 and 21 in Chicago Maroon... I’d run, too.

It looks like Dorian Strong is going to miss this tackle.

Nope, great body control and he loops back into the sweet spot.

Another close in from a sweep run by Tuten.

Ali Jennings leads the 50-yard line family cheering section. No walking boot. YES!

Virginia Tech really hasn’t had a legitimate garbage time since... well, I really can’t remember. Pop Watson came in with an offense of 2s and 3s. Chance Black and Bryce Duke were grabbing yards and first downs. But eventually the clock ran out.

Garbage Time! Finally!!! The 2s and 3s take over. Pop Watson driving the boat.

HOKIES WIN!!!!

And we end the show with every Hokie’s favorite bird.

Next up, it’s the 2/3rds of the season completed review. Tech has four games left and three are very winnable, with Louisville being much more competitive next weekend than it was three weeks ago.

One more home game to cover. The season has gone so fast. If the Hokies play Louisville like they played Syracuse it’s going to be an interesting write-up.

A View from the Sidelines: Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Syracuse Orange

Pre-Game Sideline Activties

The Game, and We’ll Just Let It Flow

HOKIES WIN!!!!

GO HOKIES!!!!

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A View from the Sidelines: Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Syracuse Orange

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Pre-Game Sideline Activties

The Game, and We’ll Just Let It Flow

HOKIES WIN!!!!

GO HOKIES!!!!

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