Virginia Tech Postgame Quotes That Matter From James Franklin After 35-33 Loss to Pitt

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Virginia Tech football turned the ball over four times, and fifth-year kicker John Love's 36-yard try to win the game was ruled no good in Friday's 35-33 loss to Pitt. After the two-point loss to the Panthers, head coach James Franklin spoke to the media. Here are the most notable bits from what he had to say:

What did Franklin think of the John Love kick?

In his opinion, Franklin didn't know whether the kick went in or not from his angle.

"From my angle, I couldn't tell you one way or another," Franklin said.

The head coach said he believes Love, a fifth-year kicker who was 61-of-71 on field goals prior to the final kick, is the best kicker in the country and that he had "so much confidence that that thing was going to go through." Love's preferred spot for the kick was somewhere on the right-hand side, hence why Virginia Tech opted for several dashes to the right to set up for Love's try for the win.

Franklin also made it clear that he didn't place the loss on Love. He approached the kicker immediately afterward and reiterated his confidence in him.

"I told him I love him, and he's the best kicker in the country," Franklin said. "I got John's back. So did all of his teammates."

Franklin pointed to four turnovers as the biggest issue

While the final field goal will naturally receive much of the attention, Franklin repeatedly pointed elsewhere when discussing why Virginia Tech lost.

The Hokies turned the ball over four times, continuing an issue Franklin acknowledged has been lingering throughout the season.

"Can't turn the ball over four times," Franklin said. "That's really the issue in the game."

Franklin felt Virginia Tech otherwise moved the ball effectively against an experienced Pitt defense. The Hokies still scored 33 points, but their inability to consistently protect the football eventually caught up with them.

"We've been flirting with this turnover thing really all year long," Franklin said. "We've been turning the ball over a few times. We haven't been getting turnovers on defense, and because we didn't get it fixed, it came back to bite us."

Virginia Tech's defense continually faced difficult circumstances

Four offensive turnovers also made life considerably more difficult for Virginia Tech's defense.

Despite repeatedly being forced back onto the field in unfavorable situations, Franklin was pleased with how his defense responded. Pitt scored only 14 points off Virginia Tech's four turnovers.

"Our defense was put in a ton of tough spots, and they battled and did a really good job," Franklin said. "Turned the ball over four times and only gave up 14 points off the turnovers. That's a pretty respectable performance."

The Hokies also had to adjust after Pitt turned to its backup quarterback. Franklin admitted Virginia Tech's first defensive series against the backup wasn't its best, but he thought the Hokies settled in afterward and forced the Panthers to earn their points.

Franklin was pleased with Virginia Tech's final drive

For all that went wrong Friday, Virginia Tech still gave itself an opportunity to win the game in the final seconds. Franklin praised the Hokies' execution on their two-minute drive, which moved the offense into Love's field-goal range. Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer made several important throws during the possession and ended with a career-high 434 yards, while tight end Luke Reynolds made a 23-yard snag in tight coverage to keep it going.

"It was gutsy," Franklin said. "We made some big plays in big moments. Grunk made some big throws."

Virginia Tech also entered the final possession with all three of its timeouts available, something Franklin emphasized as important to the Hokies' late-game management.

"We work two-minute drive every single week, and we gave ourselves a chance to win the game," Franklin said. "Field goal wins it."

Penalties remain a concern for Franklin

Turnovers weren't Virginia Tech's only self-inflicted problem.

Franklin also pointed to penalties, particularly those occurring before the snap or after the whistle. Several came at critical moments and helped Pitt extend possessions or escape difficult situations. Virginia Tech finished with eight penalties that cost them 82 yards.

"We've been talking about the penalties, specifically the pre-snap penalties and the post-whistle penalties," Franklin said. "Too many penalties, specifically at critical moments in the game where we let them off the hook."

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