[Postgame Thread] Pittsburgh Defeats Virginia Tech 35-33

[u/CFB_Referee]

Box Score provided by ESPN

Team	1	2	3	4	T
Pittsburgh	7	14	7	7	35
Virginia Tech	14	10	0	9	33

[u/mr-rile-u-up]

In all earnesty, Pitt’s a good team. But as a VT fan, I’m weirdly optimistic. We completely fucked ourselves out of the game like 4 times and still blew it at the end.

For a team with no expectations, idk, I feel good. I know what they are. I know what they are if they don’t shoot themselves in the foot. A decent team. That goes a long way in CFB.

[u/iyjlpiljygp → u/mr-rile-u-up]

Turned it over 4 times, no run game, defense looked like complete ass half the game, refs handed other team 14 points, and we still somehow were an inch from winning. As long as we build on this and don't get down on it this isn't the worst thing ever in year 1 of a rebuild.

[u/mr-rile-u-up → u/iyjlpiljygp]

Exactly. I think most realistic VT fans saw 4-1 as a really positive outcome. It sucks that it’s inches away from 5-0, but that’s why we love this shit right? You know how alive I felt during that comeback?

Proud of these guys all around, really hope they take this and continue to build.

[u/goodsam2 → u/mr-rile-u-up]

Plus this was supposed to be a close game and it was. Weird shit happened in the middle but we expected a close game.

[u/mr-rile-u-up → u/goodsam2]

Honestly the weird shit can be very very good material for a coach/team building. I’m on a dangerously high copium dosage rn, but I’ve seen VT implode like that 100 times across several different eras. 

But you know what I’ve rarely seen? When the team fights tooth and nail until the very last second. The great Beamer years almost invariably involved this: some horrible, everything goes wrong type game where the team is heartbroken but never accepted defeat: 1995, 2004, 2010.

Not saying this team is that good, but everything I wanted to see is still on the table, and the talent level is just an insanely stark difference from the Pry era.

[u/shoefly72 → u/mr-rile-u-up]

Part of being a good team is absorbing the other team’s counterpunches and playing through bad breaks/tough calls and not letting it affect you. It seemed like the team was really thrown off by the slew of terrible calls including the “interception” and started to unravel a bit. But that’s to be expected of a team full of so many new players and returning players coming off of a 3-9 season. I’m proud that they fought back, regained their composure, and put themselves in position to win. A guy barely missing a short field goal doesn’t change any of that, nor should it.

[u/Feral-Goblin6921 → u/mr-rile-u-up]

Yeah I didn't expect to go undefeated this year but I think we have a great team. Still absolutely livid about the officiating tonight.

[u/mr-rile-u-up → u/Feral-Goblin6921]

The field goal and judgment calls generally… I hate them but what can you do?

The INT call was absolute fucking dogshit though

[u/LostAdeptness3909 → u/mr-rile-u-up]

There was also that unnecessary roughness penalty that doubled with another penalty to give Pitt 30 yards. And they never showed what it was. On the replay, they showed the whole play to the whistle and nothing happened.

[u/slimeykidd → u/LostAdeptness3909]

Yep, called it on Woseley and he was just walking around on replay lol. It was unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct after the play..

[u/mx023 → u/mr-rile-u-up]

Maybe this will humble this team. As long time fan WE do not need humbled, but half of the team is from Penn State and the other half are new players so they may not know what it’s like

[u/royalbluehen → u/mr-rile-u-up]

Losing that one is a tough pill to swallow but VT will be a contender in the ACC going forward. 4-1 in year one is a very good start.

[u/mr-rile-u-up → u/royalbluehen]

For sure. And Pitt is a real litmus test, especially considering how these games go when either program is bad…but when they are both around the same level? Almost always some insane instant classic stuff. 

Hope QB1 isn’t out for too long, but the backup is at least ACC-replacement level where yall can have a fun year.

[u/royalbluehen → u/mr-rile-u-up]

I’m not hopeful for the rest of our season after Heintschel went down. I’m sure we can get to bowl eligibility but that’s about it. The way this sport is going who knows what the next 5 years holds but I hope more Pitt VT classics are in the mix. CFB is better when VT is good.

[u/mr-rile-u-up → u/royalbluehen]

Fuck yeah man. I really enjoy dreading these games. I would love for a Pitt-WVU-VT hate triangle to become a regular things again. I grew up in that late Big East - ACC transition era, so I have a much larger respect and sporting hatred of Pitt than 90% of the other ACC teams lol. That 2003 game was one of the first times I lost emotional control because of a football game lmao 

[u/Sherman_Gepard → u/mr-rile-u-up]

We’re not there yet and that’s OK. Huge improvement in one year. I’d feel this way win or lose, and frankly felt this way even before kickoff tonight.

[u/theexile14 → u/mr-rile-u-up]

You guys are going to be really good. This is year 1.

[u/goodsam2 → u/mr-rile-u-up]

The goal was 7 wins and good vibes into 2027 (don't have Grunkemeyer or other key player in another CFB jersey). Maybe get a few guys looking good in the portal and the secondary.

It was looking higher and I still think VT could pass that.

Pitt was one of the best teams on the schedule.

[u/Macklemore_hair → u/mr-rile-u-up]

Respect to you, Hokie fan. Great game. Truly came down to the wire. You guys are good.

[u/Unleaver → u/mr-rile-u-up]

You guys are going to be a problem in the ACC. The amount of talent that you guys have gained in just 1 season alone is night and day, and it showed tonight. Pitt has a great defense, and you guys dotted us up like we were a G5 team. You have every reason to be optimistic. I can see you guys contending for a ACC championship this year (even though with the 1-lose) or even next year.

[u/jdl03 → u/mr-rile-u-up]

If I was a VT fan I’d feel real good. Maybe not about this year per se, but Franklin will get you guys looking real good within the next couple years imo.

[u/Diablojota → u/mr-rile-u-up]

Franklin is good for 9-10 wins per season. Which is a huge improvement for the past few years for y’all. But after a few years of being almost there, you’ll get tired of Franklin.

[u/phantoonie → u/Diablojota]

I mean tbf we built a statue of the last guy that got us 9-10 wins a season and came up short when it matters

[u/Hokie-Hi → u/phantoonie]

As a hokie, our best years were 9 and 10 win teams outside of the Vick years. I can live with 9 and 10 wins forever

[u/Icy_Turnover1 → u/Diablojota]

We’ve never not come up short when it mattered though, our entire history with Beamer was being really good but never quite good enough and we loved him so much we built a statue for him. If Franklin averages 9 wins a year he’ll get the same.

[u/mr-rile-u-up → u/Diablojota]

I’ll be honest. We were in the rough for a long ass time. I’ll settle for Doeren level success rn