By : Sabri Haidar
(Photo/Sabri Haidar-The Mojo Network)
ATLANTA — Under the bright lights of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones had a chance to make a statement against No. 13 South Carolina. Instead, the junior signal-caller and the Hokies offense left Atlanta searching for answers after a frustrating 24–11 loss.
Drones, making his return as the Hokies’ starter after an injury-plagued 2024 season, struggled to find rhythm in the debut of new offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery’s system. The result: a stat line that reflected the night’s challenges — 15-of-35 passing (42.8%) for 221 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions, along with 26 rushing yards on 12 carries.
The offense repeatedly moved the ball between the 20s but failed to finish drives, settling for three field goals and never reaching the end zone. Costly drops, penalties, and missed opportunities plagued the Hokies from start to finish.
After the game, a visibly frustrated Drones faced reporters and didn’t shy away from accountability.
On what went wrong offensively:
“Just self-inflicted wounds,” Drones said. “We’re shooting ourselves in the foot. We moved the ball up and down the field, but you can’t keep doing that against a good opponent. We’ve got to be better — and next week, we will be.”
On his performance in Montgomery’s offense:
“It was probably okay,” Drones admitted. “But we lost, so it really doesn’t matter how good I did. It doesn’t matter.”
On what needs improvement moving forward:
“Can’t miss the easy throws,” he said. “We’re not good enough to shoot ourselves in the foot and overcome it. You’ll have a few misses here and there, but I can’t miss the easy ones.”
On the fade routes and one-on-one matchups:
“Yeah, that’s something you’ll see more of,” Drones explained. “Coach Mont preaches winning your one-on-ones. I trust my receivers in those situations — if it’s press man, you’re getting the ball.”
On facing an SEC defense compared to the ACC:
“No, it wasn’t faster,” Drones said confidently. “Defense is defense. Football is football. SEC, ACC — same thing. It prepared us to see what we need to clean up for next week. We play another SEC opponent, but defense is defense.”
On the first interception:
“It wasn’t a forced throw,” Drones said. “I saw Takye in the end zone. I just didn’t throw it high enough. I knew as soon as it left my hand I didn’t get enough on it.”
Despite the rocky opener, Drones’ leadership and self-awareness stood out postgame. The Hokies will look to regroup as they prepare for another tough SEC matchup next week — with their quarterback already focused on bouncing back.