BLACKSBURG, Va. –– Virginia Tech’s 2019 season got off to a rocky start on Saturday afternoon with a 35-28 loss to the Boston College Eagles.
The game, however, was seemingly not as close as the score would otherwise indicate. Quarterback Ryan Willis accounted for four turnovers (three interceptions and one fumble) and Hezekiah Grimsley muffed a punt. Several of those turnovers occurred deep in Virginia Tech territory, which allowed Boston College to take the lead in the 2nd quarter.
It’s always an arduous task to overcome losing the turnover battle, but when a team goes minus-four in the category against a well-coached and disciplined team, victory becomes virtually unattainable.
The defense struggled to pressure Boston College quarterback Anthony Brown who excelled with extra time in the pocket. Although the Hokies held All-ACC running back A.J. Dillon to 86 yards and one touchdown, he was able to rush the ball when he needed to. He fought to convert a vital 3rd and 9 with less than two minutes remaining to secure the win.
Although the loss is disappointing for Virginia Tech, there are some aspects of the performance to be optimistic about.
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True freshman Tayvion Robinson looked as good as advertised and led the team in receptions on the day. He also hauled in his first career touchdown.
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Hezekiah Grimsley, despite muffing the punt in the first half, had a solid performance receiving and caught a 55-yard touchdown pass from Willis early in the game. Which, in all likelihood, was the offenses’ play of the day.
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Robinson’s fellow true freshman Keshawn King looks extremely promising on the field. He has an explosive first step that figures to develop well going forward. Barring injury, we will likely see a lot of him going forward this year.
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Bud Foster, as we have heard time and again in his 24-year tenure as Hokies defensive coordinator, turned in a vintage performance in keeping the team in the game until the bitter end. Foster made adjustments and the defense, despite its youth, responded positively despite the loss.
Easily the most disappointing aspect of the game for Virginia Tech was decision-making on the part of the quarterback. Ryan Willis made three questionable reads which resulted in interceptions that severely hampered the Hokies’ chances of victory. Willis is a gunslinger quarterback, which can be both a blessing (win against UVa last season) or a curse (today’s loss to Boston College).
Virginia Tech’s offense has the potential to be a significantly improved unit going forward, however, Willis will have to be better than what he was today. Offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen will need to work with him to emphasize protecting the ball and making progressions better for this team to reach its maximum potential.
Even though the team should not have been in the game in the 4th quarter considering the multitude of turnovers, they were right there until the end. Which, admittedly, can be both encouraging and disappointing. However, there are no moral victories in Power 5 college football, especially for a fan base that craves success on the national stage once again.
The coaching staff and team will have to use these next few weeks to sort out some issues before conference play resumes on September 27th against Duke in Blacksburg.
In the meantime, the Hokies will look to avenge last season’s loss to Old Dominion on September 7th.
Written by Greg Atkins
