HUGHES: Virginia Tech's Loss to Pitt Hurt. The Fact That It Did Says Plenty

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Fifth-year placekicker John Love geared up for the game-winning field goal, with the Hokies facing a 35-33 deficit to Pitt.

It was a dark and packed night in Blacksburg, one where the Lane Stadium crowd hit, and perhaps exceeded, the stadium capacity of 65,632. Even despite Virginia Tech conceding a 28-7 run that had it down by as many as 11 to Pitt on Friday, it was in it. Even after a six-drive stretch that totaled only seven yards, the Hokies were still in it.

It shouldn't have had to come down to that, though. Virginia Tech outgained Pitt 499-295 Friday — including a 318-140 margin in the first half. But Ethan Grunkemeyer's three turnovers — he fumbled twice (one lost) and threw two picks, though he threw for a career-high 434 yards — for a team total of four giveaways placed the team in a precarious position. The Hokies, handing the ball back to the Panthers time and again, mostly ceded control to Pitt. Except for Love's leg. That had a chance.

Virginia Tech executed three consecutive rushes to line up Love's kick just the way he wanted it. Whether the kick sailed directly over the uprights or veered to the left (no good) or to the right (good) depends on your verdict on which videos you choose to watch. It's a hard call to make.

The Hokies suffered a "death by a thousand cuts" Friday. That much is clear. Virginia Tech didn't lose because of one catastrophic mistake, but rather an accumulation of them — turnovers, penalties, poor field position and missed opportunities that eventually became too much to overcome.

What is also clear, though, is that Friday represented something Virginia Tech hasn't experienced much in recent years: a game with legitimate stakes attached to it.

This wasn't simply another Friday night under the lights at Lane Stadium (see: Cal last season) or another early-season measuring stick. Pitt left Blacksburg in a three-way tie atop the ACC standings, while Virginia Tech entered the night with an opportunity to remain unbeaten and further establish itself as a legitimate factor in the conference race.

The Hokies ultimately didn't capitalize on that opportunity. There are no moral victories to take from a 35-33 loss, especially one in which Virginia Tech had multiple chances to change the outcome.

But the fact that the Hokies were playing meaningful football with conference implications again matters. The next step for James Franklin's program is learning how to win those games — and, perhaps more importantly after Friday, learning how to avoid beating itself in them.

That served as the frustrating part of Friday for Virginia Tech. It wasn't a game where the Hokies were clearly outclassed or one where they needed everything to break their way just to have a chance in the fourth quarter. For significant stretches, Virginia Tech looked like the better football team.

The Hokies moved the ball more effectively, generated more explosive plays, and their defense held Pitt under 300 total yards. And when Virginia Tech stopped stepping on its own toes late in the fourth quarter, it quickly cut an 11-point deficit to two and put itself in position to win the game with one kick.

For much of the past several years, Virginia Tech's biggest games have too often served as reminders of the distance between the Hokies and the programs they wanted to compete with. Friday didn't feel like that. Virginia Tech didn't walk off Worsham Field wondering whether it belonged in that type of game. It walked off wondering how it managed to lose it.

Franklin wasn't brought to Blacksburg simply to make Virginia Tech competitive again. The expectation, eventually, is for the Hokies to contend for ACC championships and return to the national relevance that became commonplace under Frank Beamer. Five games into Franklin's first season isn't nearly enough time to determine whether Virginia Tech will reach that destination, but it is a glimpse at what games along that path might look like.

The Hokies had an opportunity to leave Lane Stadium unbeaten, sitting at 5-0 and firmly in the ACC conversation. Instead, four turnovers, costly penalties, and a collection of smaller mistakes left Virginia Tech staring at a two-point loss that will be difficult to forget.

That's what meaningful football looks like. The wins carry more weight, and the losses linger longer.

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