Hokies Hang, But Fall Short In 39-17 Loss To No. 5 Florida State
Carter Hill
Editor-in-Chief
October 7, 2023
Bhayshul Tuten's kick-off return for a touchdown kept this game tight, but Virginia Tech still eventually fell to No. 5 Florida State. (Virginia Tech Athletics)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Venturing down to the friendly confines of the Florida Panhandle to square up with Florida State, Virginia Tech knew it would have its hands full with one of the classes of college football so far this season.
And, oh, how quickly were the Hokies reminded.
Without hesitation, the fifth-ranked Seminoles took control from the start. A 22-0 lead at the end of the first quarter before Tech even picked up a first down dictated the pace, and though the Hokies were able to counter, Tech just couldn't overcome a disastrous first period of play, dooming the maroon and orange in a 39-17 loss at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
“[It’s] obviously disappointing to start the game that way,” Tech second-year head coach Brent Pry said. “We didn’t play well, and they’re good. All of a sudden it’s 22-0. [It] didn’t feel like us. [It] didn’t look like us. … We’ve got to be better. I’ve got to be better.”
The Seminoles (5-0, 3-0 ACC) outgained the Hokies (2-4, 1-1) in the first quarter by a spacious 198-9 margin, with Florida State limiting Tech to just six offensive plays over that period of time.
“We didn’t come out throwing the ball well,” Pry said. “We weren’t catching the ball well. We weren’t getting downhill in the run game. We were kind of waiting. Again, it starts with me. I thought we were ready to go. … It’s a heck of an environment. They do a great job.
“But we’ve got to be better than that.”
To Tech’s credit, though, it responded well.
The second period of play went as swimmingly as Pry and company could’ve hoped for, with the Hokies answering with a near-perfect frame to pull the contest to within 22-10.
It was a total flip of the script of what had just taken place. Tech had seized control, having outgained FSU 126-1 in the quarter, and had restricted the Seminoles to a measly seven offensive plays to help hold off the momentum.
For a while, it looked as if the Hokies were destined to get walloped. Instead, Tech began to move the ball. A 40-yard sprint from quarterback Kyron Drones set up the offense to get on the board, and though unable to find the end zone at the conclusion of the drive, it sparked a resurgence for the offensive side.
“That was big-time,” receiver Jaylin Lane said. “We just needed that first first down. Once we finally got that first down that’s when we kind of got it rolling and started to put points on the board.”
That they did.
In its final drive before the half, VT wilted away nearly seven minutes of game clock, converting on three fourth downs, and driving 70 yards down the field.
Eventually, running back Bhayshul Tuten would hurdle a defender into the end zone, scoring from five yards out to make it a two-score game at the break.
It was Tuten again who led off the half with a bang. The North Carolina A&T transfer took the opening kick-off back 99 yards for the touchdown, and Tech now just trailed 22-17.
It was a perfect storm for the Hokies to get back into the game. Limiting Florida State possessions, getting off the field and finding the end zone when Tech needed it most. Alas, what had bitten VT in the previous five weeks, had resurfaced again.
Any chance of getting over the hump ceased with the big play. A 62-yard sprint two plays later housed by the Seminoles’ Trey Benson served as the first of two demoralizing runs, with FSU countering each and every strike punch-for-punch the rest of the way.
“We just fight and claw to get back close and be right there and have a chance,” Pry said. “Then we shoot ourselves in the foot. We stub our toe. … We’ve got to make people earn it. You’ve got to keep the ball in front and inside.”
Benson gashed the Hokies on 11 carries for an even 200 yards on the ground, finding the end zone twice with an additional 85-yard scamper to help put the game away late in the fourth.
“We’ve got to stop saying the same stuff and just do it at this point,” cornerback Dorian Strong said. “There’s really no more talking that needs to be done. Every game that has happened up to this point, it’s been self-inflicted wounds.
“So we need to just do it and stop talking about it. [We need to] just play our brand of football and show up in big-time games. … We have to show up.”
Tech yielded an alarming 452 total yards of offense over the duration of the contest. That’s even with Florida State going over 17 minutes of game time without picking up a first down, too.
The Hokies held their own on the offensive side of the ball, rushing for a season-high 228 yards. And defensively, Tech had its moments. But spotting the No. 5 team in the country a three-score lead is a tall task for any to overcome, and Saturday afternoon served as no exception.
Now, at the halfway point in 2023, the Hokies are in a hole.
Coming into Pry’s second season at the helm, a bowl game appearance seemed to be a realistic goal. It’s still not entirely far-fetched. But to show true progress and to reach that coveted sixth win, a sense of urgency has got to be shown.
“I think there’s good and there’s bad,” Pry said on the season to date. “We’re not the team we can be, but we’re certainly improved. “We’re giving us a chance every week. … Am I happy with where we’re at? No. Is there a ton of disappointment right now? Yeah. But I’m encouraged by a lot of things that are happening in our program.
“And I think our players are, too.”