Without Gallo, Hokies young tight end corp is expected to step up Saturday.

"Being comfortable is just being around guys who push you everyday," Pickett said.

"It’s not that we weren’t working super hard every week but the wins just weren’t coming."

The Hokies fell into a 20 point deficit in Morgantown in 2021 only to have their comeback attempt stopped with an incomplete pass at the goal line.

Virginia Tech renews its rivalry with West Virginia for the first time since 2017 when the two played in their season opener on a Sunday night at FedEx Field.

The Liberty Flames defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies by a score of 38-35. The Flames started the game off scoring in the first quarter with a Malik Willis 32-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver CJ Yarbrough. In the second quarter, Liberty scored again with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Willis to tight end Jerome Jackson. In response to the Liberty touchdown, Virginia Tech quarterback Hendon Hooker completed a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Nick Gallo. Then in the fourth quarter, Willis extended the Liberty lead to eight points with a 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Johnny Huntley.

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Resiliency after a loss is something the Hokies are good at. “I just feel like it comes from who has heart,” wide receiver Tre Turner said. “They’re a really good defense, great personnel, very talented, they also play really hard so we have to go out and play really hard and execute the game plan,” tight end Nick Gallo said. But just like Virginia Tech has an explosive offensive weapon in Khalil Herbert, the Cardinals do too in wide receiver Tutu Atwell, who has racked up 450 yards and five touchdowns this season. “He’s a very good receiver, very explosive,” defensive back Brion Murray said.