Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Following its game Saturday against Wofford, Virginia Tech football met with the media for a press conference. Read below for what head coach Brent Pry and quarterback Grant Wells had to say.
Head coach Brent Pry
Opening statement:
"I'm really excited about the fan base showing up for an 11 o'clock kick. That's early for everybody. My wife even said so. She was dragging the family out of the house. But I thought the place had a lot of energy for an 11 o'clock kick. The students were great. I thought the corps was phenomenal for four quarters. No better way on Military Appreciation Day. Those guys were rocking and rolling until the end. It was good to see.
A lot of young guys were rolled into action today, which was good. We had 10 different guys catch passes, including Bryce Duke, a true freshman. We rolled a lot of guys defensively in the second half, as we're trying to build some depth there."
On if he saw the general improvement that he wanted coming into the game:
"I did. Obviously, there are going to be things we will have to emphasize going into the upcoming week, but I thought we were able to move the ball and stay on schedule better. That was certainly a point of contention. We converted better on third down. We had some long, extended drives. We weren't just as good in the red zone as maybe we wanted to be. We kicked the ball well, but I would like to score touchdowns there."
On if it pained him not getting the shutout:
"I'd be lying if I said it didn't. We rolled some guys through. But to me, like we talked in the locker room, the standard's the standard. When you go in that game, you're representing everybody. You got to preserve a shutout when you have a chance to do that. It's a learning opportunity. It was a scramble situation, and our guys are taught to plaster to their people in their zone, plaster to their man, and we didn't do that. So, that will be a good learning opportunity."
Quarterback Grant Wells
On Jadan Blue's long third-down catch and how he thought it helped the offense's momentum:
"That was one situation where it was third and long. Going into the week, third downs were a big emphasis and a lot of that stems from first and second downs. But anytime you convert a long third down, momentum seems to increase. That play was certainly not an exception."
On his confidence at this point in the season:
"We grade each other every Sunday. We take grading seriously here. We learn a lot each week, and we are going to continue to learn through the end of the season. I think we are doing great week to week."
On how he played today:
"I thought I played well. I thought I made some completions to start drives. We had some big third-down conversions that really helped the momentum of the offense. I think that when you have drive-starters like that, that gets the whole drive's mood started. I think it helps."
UP NEXT
The Hokies play host to West Virginia on Thursday. Tech's clash with the Mountaineers, as well as its matchup with Miami (Fla.) on Oct. 15, are sold out. Tickets for those contests are available on StubHub.
Limited tickets remain for the Hokies' final two home games against Georgia Tech (Saturday, Nov. 5) and Virginia (Saturday, Nov. 26). Additionally, new season tickets for Tech's 2023 campaign are available now for just 10% down.
PLEDGE PER TOUCHDOWN
The Hokie Club and Virginia Tech Football are challenging Hokie Nation to make a Pledge Per Touchdown during the 2022 season. All dollars received go directly to the program's operating budget in support of Tech's student-athletes.