Huddle up! Here’s a look back at this weekend on the gridiron, with three key takeaways from the state’s football scene -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.
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Virginia gets much-needed first win
It might have been against an FCS opponent, but given all Virginia’s football team has been through in the last year, a victory on Saturday was something to finally feel good about.
Virginia earned a 27-13 win over William & Mary, the first time the Cavaliers won a game in 352 days and the first win since the tragic shooting that claimed the lives of three players last November.
Virginia entered on an 8-game losing streak.
With somewhat of a weight off their backs, the Cavaliers will now hit the road for the next two weeks against a pair of ranked opponents, North Carolina and Miami.
Quirky schedule for Liberty
Liberty is certainly getting a taste of what NFL teams have to go through scheduling-wise, all for the sake of TV.
It’s unusual for college teams to only get four days off between games, but that’s the obstacle Liberty will have to face.
The Flames earned a 21-16 win over Sam Houston on Thursday, and will have to turn around and play at Jacksonville State in the first of consecutive Tuesday night games.
It will be an important game between two of the three remaining unbeaten teams in Conference USA.
Hopefully for Liberty’s sake, there’s enough in the tank for a rare short turnaround.
Moral victory for the Hokies?
Virginia Tech suffered an expected loss at Florida State on Saturday, 39-17, but the way the Hokies lost might have been more unexpected, in a good way.
After falling behind 22-0, the Hokies stayed in the fight and actually made the unbeaten and No. 5 Seminoles sweat by scoring 17 unanswered points to make it a 22-17 game early in the third quarter.
Ultimately, Florida State had too much speed and strength and wore the Hokies down, but it might have been an encouraging sign going forward.
Quarterback Kyron Drones continued to show growth on the road against one of the nation’s best teams, especially by using his legs. While his passing numbers were pedestrian (14 of 27 for 104 yards), Drones rushed for 80 yards on 14 carries.
We’ll see if Virginia Tech can build on the game, starting at home on Saturday against Wake Forest.