Virginia
Virginia Tech vs Vanderbilt: Game Preview, Matchup Breakdown, and Final Score Prediction
The Virginia Tech Hokies are in Nashville and ready for kickoff against the Vanderbilt Commodores. The start of the season is finally here, and plenty of new additions, and lifelong Hokies are set to make their 2024 debut against Vanderbilt.
Virginia Tech is seemingly the big favorite for this game, but Vanderbilt has an equal level of confidence. The Commodores team will look abundantly difference than last year’s team. There’s new coaches, transfer additions, and even entirely new schemes for the Commodores team to learn and adapt with over time. This season also marks Kyron Drones’ first full season as the starting quarterback, and there was a full offseason to game-plan with many of the same players from last year.
Being in the SEC, Vanderbilt inherently has a harder schedule than the Hokies. So, Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt could not be in more opposite positions as a franchise. One franchise is on an extremely hard schedule in what feels like a never ending downfall, and the other is trying to bring their program back to glory days with one of the easiest schedules in the ACC.
The Hokies have beat the Commodores in recent history, and all-time, holding an all-time record of 6-3 vs Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt has not won a game in this series since Vanderbilt’s win during the 1982 season.
So how do these two teams stack up? Here’s my official preview and prediction.
Virginia Tech Offense vs Vanderbilt Defense
Virginia Tech’s returning production on offense is one of the main storylines heading into the season. The Hokies return most of their starters, losing starting tight end Dae’Quan Wright in the process. Notably, Virginia Tech returns starters Kyron Drones at quarterback, Bhayshul Tuten at running back, and all of the week one starters at wide receiver and offensive line.
Not everything was perfect for this Virginia Tech offense however. There are definitely areas for improvement, especially when it comes to closing out games. Virginia Tech ranked 88th in FBS in points per fourth quarter, averaging just 6.2 in the quarter. This makes sense due to the nature of the Tech offense, which obviously is not fully focused on the passing side of the ball, which can cause problems late in games when the Hokies are trailing.
Before Kyron Drones fully took over for Grant Wells at quarterback, Virginia Tech’s offense was in even more of a stalemate. Averaging 3.0 4th quarter points through two games. Since Kyron Drones has taken over, it’s felt like a breath of fresh air. In 13 games (11 starts), Drones passed for 2,085 yards on 17 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions. Arguably Drones biggest impact was his rushing ability. Drones rushed for 818 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground.
The Vanderbilt Defense has frankly struggled against the run, it has not been pretty. Vanderbilt has the 108th ranked rush defense, giving up an average of 179 rush yards per game. The Vandy defense has struggled in many ways, it has definitely not just been the run. Vandy ranks 130th in opp. points per game, 132nd in opp. yards per game, and 129th in opp. points per play.
The Vandy Defense doesn’t have many true stars, but linebacker Langston Patterson fits that description most accurately. Vanderbilt has tried to bolster their defense in the transfer portal this offseason, signing many players in the secondary. Randon Fontenette (TCU), Kolbey Taylor (Wyoming), Mark Davis Jr. (Southern Illinois), Maurice Hampton (Memphis), and Micah Bell (Notre Dame) highlight the new additions in the secondary.
There are so many places for development in this Vanderbilt defense, which has been destroyed on both pass plays and rush plays. The secondary and the pass rush are going to have to take a big step for this Vandy defense to make a big impact in this game.
Vanderbilt Offense vs Virginia Tech Defense
Despite its struggles, the Vandy offense is probably Vanderbilt’s strongest unit on this team. The offense might look entirely different than years past. Head coach Clark Lea cleaned house, firing offensive coordinator Joey Lynch, and hired Tim Beck from New Mexico State.
Diego Pavia is likely going to lead the offense at quarterback, in what will be an option-heavy offense. Vanderbilt is planning to rotate tackles and guards in such a way that there is a weak-side, and a strong-side, which is early seen at the FBS level, let alone by a SEC team.
Vanderbilt’s offense will frankly be trickier than it is good. This unit wasn’t great last year either. The Commodores averaged 20.6 points per game, 307.5 yards per game, and struggled to convert on third and fourth down plays.
This Virginia Tech defense is no weak unit. Virginia Tech’s defense ranked 15th in the nation in opp. yards per game and has only added on to their already stellar defense. Most notably, Duke transfer Aeneas Peebles could make a humongous impact in this game. Peebles is a 290-pound All-ACC defensive tackle who led Duke in TFLs last season.
Stopping Vanderbilt at the line-of-scrimmage will be crucial if Virginia Tech wants to dominate against the unique Vanderbilt offense.
How Does Virginia Tech Win?
The key to this game will be not to fall in Vanderbilt’s trap. As I said earlier, this Vanderbilt offense will have to shock Chris Marve to be able to move the ball in a consistent manner. In college football, that’s really how most big upsets happen. A Vanderbilt team running a traditional offense would never win this game, but if they run plays that look like they’re straight out of College Football 25–they give themselves a better chance.
The way Virginia Tech will win this game, and ultimately try to win by multiple possessions, will be to dominate defensively–especially early in the game. Everybody knows that Virginia Tech will score against the Vanderbilt defense, so if the defense can play its’ role, this game could get ugly fast. It won’t be easy, but this is the game where we will see how dominant this defense can be led by Aeneas Peebles, Dorian Strong, and Antwaun Powell-Ryland.
Prediction
I’ve said that Vanderbilt certainly has a chance to win this game, but I don’t think that’s likely. Virginia Tech outweighs Vanderbilt in all three of the major categories: talent, coaching, and success. The Hokies have certainly seen more recent success than Vanderbilt has, Virginia Tech has the more physical and athletically gifted team, and Virginia Tech has a longer list of coaches with a long tenure.
I don’t think this Vanderbilt team can find success against this Virginia Tech team in any aspect of the game.
Brent Pry has shown that he knows how to draw plays up and take care of opponents in which they are heavy favorites. I think Pry will get up early in this game, similar to the Virginia game last year, and it should be smooth sailing from there.
This is not the Vanderbilt that used to be when James Franklin was the head coach, the Commodores are a long way away from success, and I don’t think this game will be any different.
Final Score: Virginia Tech 39, Vanderbilt 14
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is monitoring a Virginia traveler after they returned from a cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak.
The outbreak is tied to the MV Hondius, which is traveling from Argentina to the Canary Islands. Eight cases were reported this week, resulting in three deaths and several other sicknesses. Multiple passengers are now considered at risk, including one Virginian.
A local doctor said the risk to the public remains low. The traveler in question is not currently showing signs of infection, but is being monitored as a precaution.
“Typically in this country, [hantavirus is] transmitted when people are cleaning up around their rodents and they aerosolize the rodent droppings and they breathe those in,” said former Virginia Health Commissioner Dr. Randy Gordon.
Gordon said the virus has existed since the 1990s and often presents with flu-like symptoms.
“Until 2023, we only had 890 cases worldwide,” he said.
Despite the minimal risk this outbreak currently poses to those on land, Virginia health officials are still taking things seriously, Gordon said.
“The state health department is very aware of it and the district health department is very aware of it,” he said. “They’re monitoring this person and they’re seeing if any symptoms develop. However, it’s notable they’re not isolating this person.”
He emphasized that hantavirus has a very low transmission rate, despite its higher death rate of about 35%, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“It’s very rare, number one, and one’s likelihood of encountering it is almost zero, especially if you take precautions,” Gordon said. “You’re more likely to get it right now from cleaning up rodent excrement.”
He added that this appears to be a small cluster of cases and is likely to remain limited.
Gordon said there is no specific treatment for hantavirus and doctors instead treat symptoms. The best protection is basic hygiene and avoiding exposure to rodent droppings.
(VIRGINIA MERCURY) – “We needed this rain,” farmer and entrepreneur Graham Redfern said from his front porch in Caroline County Wednesday as U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman, who represents Virginia’s 7th District in Congress, approached.
The lawmaker was there to learn about the crops and products at Redfern Hemp Co., one of the state’s small businesses whose future hangs in the balance between soon-to-start federal restrictions on hemp THC products and Virginia’s not-yet-finalized retail cannabis market.
The rain was one certainty for Redfern, and a welcome one at the start of his planting season. But another, he said, is that most of his products will become illegal later this year, when the federal hemp crackdown kicks in.
“It’s scary,” Redfern said of thinking six months forward. He added that some of his staff members are thinking about looking for other jobs.
Redfern’s company, which employs 14 full-time staff and 5 part-time staff, makes body creams, dog treats, chocolates and gummies from hemp. His products offer calming and pain management effects for customers, while other parts of the hemp plant help create oils, birdseed and fibers.
Tamra Herndon, a longtime customer of Redfern, said the products have been helpful for her mental and physical health.
As an amputee, she experiences “phantom pain” where her left leg used to be, along with joint pain from walking on her prosthetic leg. The combination of THC and CBD in Redfern’s products helps both ease aches and calm anxiety.
Read more on virginiamercury.com
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Atlantic Avenue Association hopes to attract locals with “Own the Beach”
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — People living in or near cities like Washington D.C., Charlotte, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh could soon be seeing a fresh batch of advertisements promoting the Oceanfront resort.
Tuesday, City Council voted unanimously to spend $1 million to fund the SURGE campaign. It’s an immediate ad blitz designed to combat any negative sentiments potential visitors may have garnered by recent events, according to Deputy City Manager Amanda Jarratt.
Saturday night shootings in March and April left total of 14 people injured at the resort. As a result, City Council instituted an all-ages curfew at 9:30 p.m. for weekends — later overturned — that business owners said effectively turned off the city’s economic engine and communicated an unwelcoming message.
Jarratt said the campaign looks to leave all that in the past.
“Over the last few weeks, unfortunately, we’ve experienced several issues that have potentially have negative impact on our perception and reputation,” Jarratt said. “And so this is a concerted effort to actively reinforce our family-friendly brand and maintain focus on increased visitor tourism for this 2026 resort season.”
The city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau will focus on “the drive and fly markets” in proximity to Virginia Beach, with digital media placements with streaming services and online travel platforms.
The city hasn’t tracked an overwhelming negative reaction to events this spring, Jarratt said, but “felt it best to be proactive.”
“While there may be some concern over gas prices, certainly airline prices have increased as well, … we feel like more individuals are going to be traveling domestically, and we want to ensure that they are visiting the city of Virginia Beach,” Jarratt said.
The money for the ads comes from the Tourism Advertising Program Special Revenue Fund. Traditionally $11.4 million each year is spent on marketing, according to Jarratt. She points to the $2.6 billion in 2024 visitor spending as return on investment.
“I think it’s terrific,” said George Kotarides, owner of Dough Boy’s Pizza. “I applaud them for doing that. But we’re hoping that we can move into a more localized campaign in conjunction.”
Saturday, the Atlantic Avenue Association has organized “Own the Beach.” Kotarides, who founded the association, helped to organize the effort out of concern for the resort’s reputation in the region following the last two months.
“It’s quiet, you know? It’s not as active as it normally is,” Kotarides said. “So we’re hoping that this creates a little bit of energy.”
Own The Beach is a campaign where, so far, nearly 60 businesses have agreed to offer $10 deals on Saturday.
“We got amusements, attractions, dessert and sweets, restaurants, bars, parking, there’s a couple parking lots offering $10 all day parking, so there’s a lot of different businesses that are participating,” Kotarides said.
He called it a pilot program, of sorts, to see if it attracts locals for a day.
“We just need to take this as an opportunity, really, to start fresh and do something new and different and try to make a little lemonade out of lemons, if you will, and get people together, get the community together,” Kotarides said.
To read a complete list of deals from participating businesses click here.
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