How Process and Focus Could Tip the Scales for Vanderbilt in Showdown With Virginia Tech

Despite a strong showing against Charleston Southern last Saturday, Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea wasn’t too fond of his team’s intensity leading up to its Week 1 matchup. 

“I haven’t loved our operational focus in the past few days,” Lea said last Thursday before the Charleston Southern game.  

If not for a good practice Friday and a walkthrough Saturday morning, Lea’s team might have come out of the gates slow last weekend. This Saturday in Blacksburg, Virginia, the Commodores can’t afford anything but a fast start in a hostile environment.  

It’s just Week 2, but the Hokies enter this showdown against Vanderbilt with everything on the line. It’s a revenge game for Brent Pry and his team, and after dropping its week 1 matchup to South Carolina, Virginia Tech will do anything it possibly can to avoid starting 0-2. It’s no secret that Pry’s seat is one of the hottest in the country right now, and he’s expected to pull out anything in his bag of tricks that help the Hokies come away with a victory. 

One could even describe the situation as desperate. After a players-only meeting that followed last week’s loss, all eyes will be on Virginia Tech in a sold-out Lane Stadium on Saturday night.  

But what does this mean for Vanderbilt? 

“We’re excited for the challenge,” Lea said Thursday. “I’ve always said we can put the ball down wherever we need to put the ball down, and once we’re there, we’re going to play our game.” 

Playing in a sold-out Lane Stadium is certainly not the easiest of environments, but being in the SEC, Vanderbilt is no stranger to the country’s most hostile atmospheres. The team has been blasting Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” – Virginia Tech’s notorious entrance song – all week at practice. Still, Lea is focused only on the Commodores’ internal processes.  

“It’s been a good week of prep,” Lea said. “I thought today we cleaned up our operational process from last week.” 

Lea is a coach who will outright tell you when he thinks his team is lacking in focus, as he did last week. So, it’s worth noting when he highlights the team’s intensity and process in a positive light, as he did unprompted on Thursday. Perhaps it means more coming from Lea than it would from another coach.  

Outside of the tough road conditions, weather could play a significant factor in Blacksburg this weekend. AccuWeather reports a 55% chance of rain in the area on Saturday afternoon and early evening, and while it doesn’t look to be a complete washout, a wet field could certainly impact the outcome. Just like he’s not worried about Lane Stadium, Lea isn’t too concerned with the weather either.  

“In some ways I hope it rains,” Lea said. “We embrace adversity and conditions [and] this team will be excited to go play in the rain.” 

It makes sense, after all.  Lea has built a culture of grittiness inside the Commodore locker room, and if it does rain, it’s something that his team could certainly use to its advantage.  

Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones spent much of last Sunday’s game looking uncomfortable and overwhelmed in the pocket. If the Hokies’ offensive line falters and it becomes difficult for Drones to throw the ball down the field in wet conditions, it might make Pry’s offense one-dimensional and more prone to turnovers.  

On the other side, Vanderbilt offensive coordinator Tim Beck might lean more on the option run game and quick passes outside the hash marks to move the ball methodically down the field. After Diego Pavia’s somewhat inconsistent deep-ball accuracy in Week 1, this strategy always appeared to be the most effective for the Commodores. Potential rain could only help.  

Regardless of how the weather forecast turns out, Vanderbilt Football seems to understand how big this matchup is, and Lea is confident his team is ready. 

“I want this team to be ready for [the moment] and feel like it’s meant for them.”