ACC analyst: 'I don't think a person on this Earth' needs a win in Week 1 more than Brent Pry

Of all the massive Week 1 matchups in college football, the South Carolina–Virginia Tech one might be flying under the radar. A game with plenty of storylines coming in, mainly from the Beamer family. But for ACC Network’s Roddy Jones, he believes a lot of the heat is on Hokies head coach Brent Pry.

“I don’t think there’s a person on this Earth that needs or could use a win Week 1 more than Brent Pry,” Jones said via ACC Network. “He wins that game and I think there will be a collective deep breath, collective sigh for Virginia Tech. Because there’s a lot of consternation now around that program. Imagine the pressure on the Vanderbilt game if he loses to South Carolina Week 1.”

Pry is entering his fourth season in Blacksburg. The program has not yet fully taken off, finishing last year with a 6-7 record due to a bowl game loss. Opposite of the year prior where the regular season saw a 6-6 record but Virginia Tech won the Military Bowl.

South Carolina is a team getting a ton of love in the SEC. In the league’s preseason poll, the Gamecocks were voted to finish fifth. Between guys like LaNorris Sellers and Dylan Stewart, some out there believe UofSC will be right in the middle of College Football Playoff discussions in December. A lot of preseason conversation revolves around their SEC schedule and even the Clemson game, not the opener vs. Virginia Tech.

Taking down somebody with high preseason expectations would do a ton for Pry’s future, in Jones’ opinion. Especially with another SEC opponent staring them down the barrel in Vanderbilt. Virginia Tech did lose to the Commodores in 2024 in Nashville. Going 0-2 against those opponents could only add to the situation for Pry.

Jones also pointed out the kickoff time for the South Carolina game. Nationally televised on Sunday, Aug. 31. Mercedes-Benz Stadium will play host with the entire country watching, starting at 3:30 p.m. ET. Almost nothing else in the sports world will be going on as eyeballs will be on South Carolina-Virginia Tech.

Pry is 1-2 in season openers since taking the job ahead of the 2022 season. Vanderbilt got to them, as mentioned, but so did Old Dominion in the first game of Pry’s tenure. Getting back to .500 in that stat has Jones believing a massive weight would come off the VT head coach’s shoulders.