AND ONE HOKIE PLAYER STILL THINKS 'WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM'

 College Football, Week One (not to be confused with Week 0 … whatever that means) ...

OK, if you’re so smart, tell us: what did a crowd of 

55,000-plus, which watched in person plus a large TV 

audience, do to deserve Saturday’s game between 

No. 13 South Carolina and Virginia Tech’s Hokies?

Or, for that matter, BOB WISCHUSEN and LOUIS 

RIDDICK, in the ESPN booth?

Come to think about it, a bad game deserves deserves bad 

announcing … and this was B-A-D. I mean, for starters, 

how to explain South Carolina riddling Tech with quick, 

short passes to roll 75 yards for a 7-0 lead after 2:51 then, 

for reasons never explained much less questioned by the 

network, tried to establish a running game … and didn’t 

make a first down during its next four series?

This was supposed to be a matchup of All-American-type 

quarterbacks. At least the Gamecocks’ LaNORRIS 

SELLERS looked the part for a series, capping it with a 

15-yard run that included several missed tackles … a hint 

of things to come.

In fairness to Tech’s KYRON DRONES, he was 

victimized by a couple of untimely drops but … his 

receivers made several big-time catches, too. Drones also 

was intercepted twice, the first on a third-and-10 rollout 

from the USC 20 … that he tried forcing into the end 

zone to a teammate surrounded by three defenders … and 

led to a safety when LB FRED JOHNSON, making the 

interception, then made a poor choice.

He left the end zone and was tackled at the two yard line. 

Sellers went back to pass, failed to see a wide-open 

wideout short to his left and, despite having enough time 

to throw the ball away, went down for two Hokie points.

It was 10-8, South Carolina, at halftime when Wischusen 

apparently thought we hadn’t been watching. Both QBs 

have been living up to the hype, he said, “making 

spectacular play after spectacular play.” In other words, 

don’t believe your lying eyes.

Tech didn’t score a touchdown in 10 series … punting 

five times. The Hokies had a first down at the South 

Carolina 11 early in the second quarter … but had to 

settle for the first of three field goals by specialist JOHN 

LOVE … who converted from 29, 56 (to end the first 

half) and 39 yards, the latter coming with nine minutes to 

go ,,,making the score 17-11 after Wischusen noted coach

 BRENT PRY had a choice on fourth and two.

“Do you try a field goal … and cut the [Gamecocks’] lead 

back down to eight [points] … or do you go for it?” 

Wischusen asked.

Think about it.

Meanwhile, South Carolina was playing Beamer Ball 

against the team Shane’s father, coach FRANK 

BEAMER, made the term familiar with game-winning 

special-teams’ play (1986-2015).

Although Wischusen and friends never bothered to fully 

explain, or offer a replay … a Tech punt that went out of 

bounds at the USC 26, left S. Beamer with a decision. 

The Hokies were called for having five players in the 

backfield – the kicker, three-man protective wall in front 

of him … plus DANTE LOVETT, who lined to the far 

right … but forgot to move up to the line of scrimmage.

Beamer didn’t hesitate. Kick it again.

So, while we heard Wischusen suggest the Gamecocks, 

who led the SEC by a wide margin in blocked kicks a 

year ago, would try it again … we saw the coach 

emphatically telling his players to stay back and not risk a 

roughing penalty.

VICARI SWAIN took the punt at his 20 and zigged and 

zagged around and by the slower Hokies for 80 yards and 

six points.

With 7:41 to go, Sellers finally got into the act again, 

catching Tech’s safety out of position to go long to speedy

 NYCK HARBOR for 64 yards and the clinching TD.

IN HIS fifth season at Tech, Pry now stands 1-5 against top 25 opponents … “There are no pats on the back. Too 

many self-inflicted errors,” he said at his post-game press 

conference. “Untimely penalties … dropped balls at the 

wrong time … not good enough in the red zone. (You’ve 

got to get touchdowns down there.) … To go to the fourth 

quarter down by two points, and then give up those two 

[long TD] plays? … We don’t have our gunner [Lovett] at 

the line of scrimmage and have to re-kick it? ...We’ve got 

some things to clean up, and we will.”

Said DT KEMARI COPELAND, “No one wanted a pat 

on the back,” adding, “We have a great team.”

With Tech in South Carolina territory, Drones completed 

one of 13 passes for nine yards and two interceptions. He 

was sacked once.

Of his quarterback’s ill-conceived throw into the end zone 

that was intercepted, Pry said, “We’ve got to be smarter 

than that.”

ALSO ...

Virginia romped 48-7 over Coastal Carolina. Anything 

less would have been an upset … Cavaliers are at North 

Carolina State Saturday (noon). Tech meets Vanderbilt 

Saturday night (7:30) in Blacksburg.

Wischusen is in his 24^th season as radio voice of the New 

York Jets.

Until next time ...