The 2022 Virginia Tech football season kicks off on Friday as the Hokies travel to face Old Dominion. The Brent Pry era starts with an in-state road game that is pivotal to the team’s confidence with so much turnover. Not long to go now before this one kicks off, but the truth is that this game won’t make or break Tech’s season.
But how do you judge success in year one with Pry?
Here are three ways Tech can have a successful season.
Show heart
I’m not saying the guys didn’t give it their all last season, but you are a product of your environment, and it wasn’t a good one under Justin Fuente. These players seem to have bought it with Pry and his staff, and if you like your coach, you are going to want to play hard for him. I suspect we will see a Tech team that is full of positivity, that fights for one another and that shows the desire it lacked under Fuente. It’s not going to be fixed in one day, but that passion to represent the brand needs to come back, and I think it will.
Take care of the in-state teams
The Hokies face Old Dominion, Liberty and Virginia this season with a clear opportunity to prove their worth against strong programs. But beating them sends a message to recruits and earns those bragging rights. All of the games will be tricky, especially as Tech looks to find their footing. The Monarchs and Flames are on the road, but Tech knows that falling to either would be a wasted opportunity on many fronts.
Demonstrate clear progressions from the beginning till the end
Tech must show improvement throughout the season in every facet. That doesn’t mean that the numbers have to improve week by week, because we all know stats can be misleading. But that means come the end of the season, you want to see a team that is more positive, more united, and one that is clearly leaving everything it has on the field. At the end of the day, these are kids. They’ll make mistakes and learn from it, but by playing hard and to the whistle on every play, and seeing a team that believes and trusts in each other come season’s end, you’ll then be able to declare that true progress has been made.
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