Keshawn King and Hokies begin Brent Pry era with four straight games in Virginia ahead of back-to-back ACC Coastal Road races
Virginia Tech kicks off the Brent Pry era on September 2nd and what follows is a somewhat unusual schedule. Three of the Hokies 2022 games will be played on Thursday or Friday, starting with the season opener at the Old Dominion. Interestingly enough, Virginia Tech is one of two ACC teams that will play two games on the road against a Group of 5 competition, a rarity in Power 5.
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The schedule falls in the middle as the Hokies arguably play their toughest four ACC tournaments in October with the toughest non-conference game like the one presented at the end of September. While Virginia Tech doesn’t have much power on the non-conference roster and eschews Clemson in the crossover games, the Hokies have very few reps in the 2022 schedule.
Goodbye: week eight
Week 1 – 2 September at Old Dominion (Norfolk, Virginia)
In Ricky’s first year as head coach, the Kings went to the Myrtle Beach Bowl in 2021, which was the second post-season appearance in the briefing program’s history. ODU got a massive surprise in 2018 when Virginia Tech made its only trip to Norfolk.
Week 2 – September 10 vs Boston College (Blacksburg, VA)
The Hokies’ ACC season begins in week two when Boston College visits Lane Stadium. The Eagles will see attacking high with midfielder Phil Gorkovic, full-back Pat Garrow and future Zy Flowers, but the offensive line and a lot of defense need to be restocked.
Week 3 – Sept 17 vs Wofford (Blacksburg, VA)
From 2016 through 2019, the Terriers went 37-15 and qualified for the FCS playoffs every season. But Wofford came out of the pandemic with a completely different team, going 1-10 and 0-8 in the Southern Conference in 2021.
Week 4 – September 22 vs West Virginia (Blacksburg, VA)
The Hokies’ signature game comes without conferences when the Mountaineers invade Blacksburg on Thursday night to open their fourth week. The transfer gate has hit Neil Brown hard as quarterback Jarrett Dougie and leading receiver Winston Wright moved in alongside three of the team’s top five players.
Week 5 – October 1st in North Carolina (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
There is still a lot of excitement surrounding the Carolina program despite the disappointing 2021 results and the departure of quarterback Sam Howell. But this is a series that Virginia Tech has owned since joining ACC, winning 14 while losing only four.
Week 6 – 8 October in Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA)
In the middle of the most challenging period of the season, the Hokies head to Pittsburgh to play the defending Coastal Division champions. The Panthers may have lost star quarterback Kenny Beckett, but Kedon Sloves arrives from USC, and Pelletnikov Award winner Jordan Addison is still there for the assists.
Week 7 – 15 October vs Miami (Blacksburg, VA)
New Look Miami under head coach Mario Cristobal is hoping to return to being old-school Hurricanes in no time. One thing they have that resemble the dominant teams of the ’80s and ’90s is Tyler Van Dyck’s real squad maker in quarterback.
Week 9 – October 27 in NC (Raleigh, NC)
After an open date, the Hokies return to it with a Thursday road game in NC State. While Wolfpack will have to replace some key talent in the offensive skill position, the return of quarterback Devin Leary and a significant part of the nation’s No. 19 defense makes Dave Doeren’s side a tough crossover.
Week 10 – November 5 vs Georgia Tech (Blacksburg, VA)
Jeff Collins had to completely change the Jackets Company’s offensive system, and doing so in the middle of a pandemic didn’t help. But this is the fourth year and Jackito has won only three games in each of Collins’ first three seasons.
Week 11 – 12 November at Duke (Durham, NC)
After 14 seasons, David Ktcliffe is no longer Duke’s head coach. Mike Elko has had plenty of success as defensive coordinator at Wake Forest, Notre Dame and Texas A&M, and he will be looking to improve on the Blue Devils defense that allowed in more than seven yards per game last fall.
Week 12 – 19 November in Liberty (Lynchburg, Va.)
Five years ago, Liberty did not have an FBS soccer team. But in 2022, the ACC’s Hokies will play a game in Lynchburg. The Flames’ rise under Hugh Freeze has been astonishing and even without quarterback Malik Willis, Liberty would provide an intense challenge to Virginia Tech.
Week 13 – November 26 vs Virginia (Blacksburg, VA)
After losing to the Cavaliers in 2019, the Hokies started a new streak with a last-two win over their in-state rival. Since 1999, Virginia Tech 21-2 has gone in this series. At Brennan Armstrong, UVA has one of the nation’s elite quarterbacks and will throw into an experienced group of receivers led by all-American candidate Dontayvion Wicks.
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– Written by John Kane, who has been part of the Athlon contributor network for three years, covering ACC and Notre Dame. Follow him on Twitter Tweet embed.