What Was the Plan? Virginia Tech's Offense Struggles in 24-14 Loss to Clemson

Virginia Tech led 7-0 at halftime on Saturday, but a puzzling offensive showing allowed the Tigers to roar in a second-half comeback.

Collin Schlee (center) entered the game in the second half, despite dealing with an undisclosed injury. (Photo by Izzy Ruhland)

Even in a game that few expected Virginia Tech to win, Brent Pry and his coaches found a new and interesting way to lose.

In all fairness, the coaching staff entered the week with the odds stacked against them. Both of their top quarterbacks were nursing injuries, as was their best offensive player. That player’s primary backup is also injured.

It’s hard to build an offensive gameplan when you’re dealing with those kinds of injuries. And yet somehow, Tyler Bowen’s strategy on Saturday left me wondering if Bowen had any strategy at all.

With Kyron Drones not a hundred percent and Collin Schlee supposedly knicked up, Bowen called a game that led to 37 combined pass attempts, as well as a number of called pass plays that turned into scrambles. Drones, clearly hobbled with a leg injury, led the team in rush attempts with 13.

Drones’ 13 attempts dwarfed everyone else on the roster. Bhayshul Tuten dressed and played, but rushed just four times. The only two healthy scholarship running backs on the roster, Jeremiah Coney and Tyler Mason, did not have a rush attempt.

Tech’s reliance on the pass, with two injured quarterbacks, is mind-boggling. The Hokies’ offense has been far better in the run game in 2024, and Clemson was just one week removed from allowing 210 yards on the ground to Louisville.

To recap — Bowen leaned heavily on his two injured quarterbacks, both through the air and on the ground. Tuten dressed, only to be sparingly used and eventually knocked out of the game. Pop Watson, the remaining scholarship quarterback not redshirting, didn’t play. Mason didn’t play, either. Coney played, but wasn’t featured.

How the hell was that supposed to work?

It should come as no surprise that Saturday was Virginia Tech’s worst offensive performance of the year. The Hokies’ only offensive touchdown came with the game already out of reach. The offense mustered a miniscule 228 total yards. They were 2-of-14 on third down attempts.

Sure, Clemson’s defense deserves credit for rebounding from a lackluster showing against the Cardinals last weekend, but Virginia Tech didn’t even give themselves a chance to win on Saturday. Not offensively, at least.

That is what is most frustrating. Pry, Bowen, and the offensive staff did not try and find a creative way to run the football. They did not incorporate some of the receivers to stretch the perimeter on jet sweeps. They did not try a bevy of screens to open up plays downfield. They did not give their younger players an opportunity to make an impact, all but deleting their confidence in the process.

Meanwhile, Virginia Tech’s defense was rebounding from their own poor showing last weekend against Syracuse. The Hokies kept the Tigers in check for most of the day, despite spending almost 37 minutes on the field. Clemson ran 80 plays and gained 378 yards, but scored just four times.

Once again, the Hokies were unable to play complementary football. Even though we’ve seen that before, Saturday was the first time where the Hokies’ coaching staff seemed unsure of how to prepare and gameplan.

The Hokies are now 5-5. Tech is yet again scratching and clawing their way towards bowl eligiblity. It’s a familiar result, even if the path to get there is different. This season has been an incredible cluster of inconsistency, with the Hokies unable to build upon any progress nor sustain it for more than a week or two.

I’ve long doubted this staff’s ability to grow and develop the roster. Once again, I’m questioning the staff’s ability to creatively gameplan and give their players chances to succeed. These are not good questions to have of any coaching staff, especially one in Year 3.