Time to empty all the links relating to the VT game and all the other stuff of the week.

This is cool.

Helmet stickers as history.

With Pitt joining the ACC next year one of the VT beat writers, David Teel, has a couple articles to reacquaint Hokies with Pitt. A little depressing when one of the selling points of Pitt at the moment are the history of Pitt football rather than the present.

This bit looks at Coach Jamie Dixon and Coach Paul Chryst in terms of both being long-time assistants getting their shot. Chryst appeared to have left a positive impression on the VT beat writer. That said, this quote from Chryst has me agreeing and disagreeing.

“The enjoyable part of this is getting to know who we are,” he said. “Each game we find out more. … You disrespect the game if you say we should win. How arrogant is it to say we should win? Respect the game, play the game and the game reveals the truth.

“The truth is, two Saturdays ago and a Thursday ago, we weren’t the best team, period. There’s no BS. That’s what’s great about sports. It’s the only reality today that’s real. … We get to live the truth and you have to acknowledge the truth when it’s not what you want.”

Chryst’s voice halts when he recalls all the players, coaches and staff who contributed to Wisconsin’s success and helped prepare him for this job. The Badgers averaged 10 wins per season during his time there.

“We can do that here,” Chryst said. “I truly believe that.”

Big on truth at the moment. And at the moment, Chryst and this team have not been anywhere close to what they should be.

“This is not trying to make it (sound like), ‘Hang in there. We’re getting better,’ ” he said. “That’s not the message that we’re sending.”

Chryst wants everyone to know that “making strides” is not good enough for his 0-2 team.

Pitt, which has started 0-3 only twice in the past 40 seasons (1984 and 2005), needs to take giant steps against the Hokies, who have one of the nation’s most striking quarterbacks, 6-foot-6, 260-pound junior Logan Thomas, and an active defensive line.

It probably will be Pitt’s toughest test of the season.

“You want to see guys rise to the occasion of playing against a good team and a traditionally great program,” Chryst said. “Game day is great because it’s the truth.”

Gameday is being brought to you today by the word, “truth.”

If you feel like reminiscing, here’s a story talking about wins over VT in 2001 and 2003. Ah, the bubble screen, it almost seems like Walt Harris was as shocked to see it keep working as the rest of us.

For some actual football stuff.

Aaron Donald keeps facing double teams, if the rest of the D-line can’t take advantage of it nothing will change.

Brian from the Key Play mentioned that the Hokies offense is struggling to be more than just Logan Thomas. One area they will look to improve when facing Pitt is the running game.

Tech is 74th in the nation (fifth in the ACC) in rushing offense, averaging 141.5 yards per game. The number of plays that have gone the wrong direction are most concerning right now.

“I think we’ve been so good in the running game in the past that when you look up and you actually look at the stats …(Tech tailbacks are) averaging 4 to 4 1/2 yards per carry themselves,” offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring said. “We’ve just had too many negative yardage plays that have skewed our stats and make it look a little worse than what it actually is.”

If you take away four sacks, one kneel-down, one botched punt and six goal-line carries from the 2-yard line and in, Tech has picked up fewer than three yards on 21 of its 61 remaining carries (34.4 percent). Eight carries have gone for negative yards, excluding the aforementioned sacks, kneel-down and punt.

Based on the first two games, if you can’t get the running game in gear against Pitt, you have reason to worry.