Virginia Tech Beat Writer Answers Five Question About Cal's Next Opponent

Each week we ask someone who covers Cal’s next opponent five questions about that opponent.

This week we posed five questions about Virginia Tech to Andy Bitter of Tech Sideline, because the Bears (5-2, 2-1 ACC) play a road game against Virginia Tech (2-5, 1-2 ACC) on Friday (4:30 p.m. Pacific time, ESPN).

We provide excerpts of Bitter’s answers, but you may want to watch each entire video to get the full story:

---1. How surprising was it that Brent Pry was fired after three games, including the loss to Old Dominion?

“I think it was pretty surprising that it happened so suddenly. I don’t think anyone came into this season under the illusion that this was a do-or-die season,” said Bitter.

“He had to have results this year. He had to be making progress with this program. And you get three games into the season and they’re 0-3, and not only are they 0-3, they’re an uncompetitive 0-3.”

Bitter notes there was a stretch of a little over four quarters in the second and third games that Virginia Tech got outscored 65-0.

“So you could tell at that point, I don’t want to say the players quit on Brent Pry, but whatever he was trying to preach to this team, the message was not being received. He was not getting through to these guys. They were not competing for him to a level that you did. And if that’s the case, you really have no choice but to make a change.”

---2. How has Virginia Tech performed under interim head coach Philip Montgomery?

“I think that they have responded,” said Bitter. “I don’t think that suddenly makes them a good football team. Virginia Tech has holes on this roster, and those have only been exacerbated by some of these departures in the transfer portal since Brent Pry’s firing.”

Five players are no longer on the team, some of whom were starters, Bitter says.

“But they won their first two games under Philip Montgomery. One was against Wofford . . . but then they went on the road and beat an NC State team that is OK.”

The Hokies have competed well at the end of games under Montgomery.

“I think you can kind of tell Montgomery has been a head coach before,” Bitter said. “He brings that stern but not overbearing mentality to the team, and I think that’s what this team needed is a voice like that at the top of the program. I’m not under any illusion that he’s gonna have some movie-like finish to this whole thing.”

Bitter notes Virginia Tech’s schedule over the final four games is challenging, but if Montgomery can get three more wins from a team that was 0-3 when he took over, “It’s not a bad job.”

---3. Two years ago, Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones threw 17 touchdown passes with three interceptions and rushed for 818 yards. He has not matched that the past two seasons, so how would you evaluate his progress or lack of progress since then?

“It’s been tough lately. He had injuries galore last season, and I think that was the reason for him dropping off so much. Didn’t even play much of the second half of the season.”

“I think the hope this year with a new coordinator in Philip Montgomery . . . that they could find a little more to the passing side of his game. That’s always been Montgomery’s expertise, throwing the ball more, and that’s always been Drones shortcoming was as a passer. The early returns so far the first half of the season he’s sort of been the same passer he's always been. He’s not a highly efficient passer, not too accurate. He can make some throws now and then, but not consistently.”

“He’s playing under a tremendous amount of pressure because the offensive line has been so bad, opposing teams are sending the house at him. He doesn’t perform that well under pressure either.”

Bitter concludes that Drones can still impact the game as a runner.

---4. Who might be Virginia Tech’s head coach next season?

Bitter couldn’t even hazard a guess at this point, partly because the pool of available coaches keeps changing with all the firings in recent weeks.

He notes that South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer, the son of former Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer, is a name that comes up for obvious reasons.

Bitter throws out the names of several other possible candidates, but he doesn’t think the search for the next Virginia Tech head coach is very far along yet.

---5. What are Virginia Tech’s strengths and weaknesses and who are their best players, including kicker John Love, who kicked a 60-yard field goal in last season’s bowl game?

“I think defensively really up the middle,” Bitter said of a Hokies strength. “These defensive tackles Kemari Copeland and Kelvin Gilliam Jr., very active guys on the interior. They have a very promising youngster behind them at linebacker, [true freshman] Noah Chambers.”

On offense Bitters points our running backs Terion Stewart and Marcellous Hawkins. “They have run the ball very well lately,” Bitter said.

“If they could ever get the lead and run the ball, I think this offense could be pretty effective.”

Ayden Greene “is their most impressive receiver,” Bitter said.