Tag: Hokies

Oct 17, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones (1) throws a touchdown during the second quarter against the Boston College Eagles at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Bhayshul Tuten sets Virginia Tech rushing record in win over BC

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Bhayshul Tuten rushed for a school-record 266 yards on 18 carries and scored four touchdowns to lead Virginia Tech to a 42-21 ACC victory over Boston College on Thursday night in Blacksburg, Va.

The Hokies (4-3, 2-1 ACC) led 14-0 after one quarter and 28-0 at halftime, but BC scored three TDs in a 5:53 span in the third quarter to make it a 28-21 contest. BC’s second and third TDs followed Virginia Tech turnovers.

Tuten’s third touchdown came on a 6-yard run and helped the Hokies extend their lead to 35-21 with 11:02 remaining in the game. The touchdown came three plays after BC (4-3, 1-2) had failed to convert on a fourth-and-1 play from its 49-yard line with 12:33 remaining.

Tuten added a 61-yard TD run with 8:28 to play. He also scored on an 83-yard run and caught a 20-yard TD pass from quarterback Kyron Drones, who had TD runs of 11 yards and 1 yard.

Darren Evans held Virginia Tech’s previous record for yards rushing in a game (253 in 2008).

BC scored on a 25-yard TD pass from quarterback Thomas Castellanos to Treshaun Ward, an 11-yard pass from Castellanos to Jeremiah Franklin and a 5-yard run by Kye Robichaux. The latter touchdown came with 2:55 remaining in the third quarter and trimmed Virginia Tech’s lead to 28-21.

Castellanos completed 17 of 26 passes for 205 yards but was limited to 58 yards rushing on 20 attempts.

Drones opened the scoring with his 11-yard TD, which capped an 11-play, 88-yard drive with 6:15 remaining in the first quarter. His QB sneak helped make it 14-0 with 3:06 left the first. Drones completed 14 of 18 passes for 164 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

Tuten’s 83-yard TD run came with 12:40 left in the second quarter, and Virginia Tech led 28-0 after Tuten’s 20-yard TD reception and John Love’s PAT with 11 seconds to go in the first half.

The Eagles fumbled the ball away twice in the first half as the Hokies compiled 332 yards of offense. BC lost three fumbles in the game, leading to 21 points for Virginia Tech.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones (1) runs with the football against the Stanford Cardinal during the fourth quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech ‘excited’ for Thursday night fight with Boston College

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Following a mutual bye week, Atlantic Coast Conference rivals will clash when Virginia Tech hosts Boston College in a primetime Thursday game in Blacksburg, Va.

The Hokies (3-3, 1-1) return to action for the first time since defeating new ACC member Stanford 31-7 in their first-ever regular-season game in California on Oct. 5.

“Thursday night, a sold-out crowd, ESPN national television, Orange Effect — there’s a lot to be excited about,” Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry said.

Pry’s team will face the challenge of Boston College (4-2, 1-1), which last allowed 24 unanswered points in a 24-14 loss at Virginia and is seeking its first win in Blacksburg since 2018.

Kyron Drones had a three-touchdown game and Bhayshul Tuten ran for his league-leading ninth score of the season against Stanford, but Virginia Tech ran away thanks to a stout defensive effort that included five different players recording sacks.

Among them was first-year Kaleb Spencer, who has racked up eight tackles (four for loss), one sack, a forced fumble and an interception in the last two games.

“He hunts the ball, he’s got good instincts,” Pry said. “He hustles, he’s got a nose for it, he plays physical. I’ve got a lot of respect for the way he’s playing.”

Defense has also been a calling card of Boston College’s game.

Despite losing for only the third time in program history when leading by 14 or more points, the Eagles have still allowed the fewest points per game in the ACC (17.2) this season.

First-year coach Bill O’Brien knows his team will be ready to bounce back in a big-time game.

“You should embrace it. This is what college football is all about,” he said. “It’s a big, big challenge to go down there … but our guys should be very excited, and I believe they are.”

Defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku has led the Eagles’ defensive effort, entering the week with an ACC-best nine sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss.

Thomas Castellanos found two different receivers for first-half touchdowns at Virginia, but he turned the ball over three times and finished the game with negative rushing yards for the first time in his Eagles career.

“I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job of being a quarterback,” Castellanos said. “I do feel like I haven’t been as dangerous as last year, and explosive, but it comes with me trying to show … I can throw the ball.”

Castellanos will be the focus of a Virginia Tech defense that is tied for the ACC lead with 20 sacks.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) runs the ball during the second quarter against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech uses defense, special teams to top Marshall

Posted on | by Field Level Media

On a day when Virginia Tech celebrated its past, the Hokies relied on an old-school formula, using defense and special teams to down Marshall 31-14 in Blacksburg, Va., on Saturday.

Jaylin Lane returned a punt for a touchdown and Virginia Tech (1-1) held Marshall to 278 yards of total offense and 12 first downs while paying tribute to its 1999 team that played in the BCS National Championship Game.

Bhayshul Tuten had 22 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown and quarterback Kyron Drones ran for a touchdown and threw for another as Virginia Tech avenged last season’s 24-17 loss to the Thundering Herd.

Drones completed 14 of 21 passes for 130 yards.

Marshall (1-1) sputtered on offense throughout the contest. Stone Earle completed 13 of 36 passes for 129 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

The lone offensive spark for the Thundering Herd came from A.J. Turner, whose 69-yard run in the third quarter set up an 18-yard touchdown pass from Earle to Christian Fitzpatrick.

In a first half in which there were 13 punts, both teams scored a touchdown thanks to special teams.

Lane gave Virginia Tech a 7-0 lead on the final play of the first quarter when he caught a short punt on the run in heavy traffic, burst into the clear and then split a second wave of defenders on his way to a 58-yard touchdown.

After the Hokies took a 10-0 lead on a 42-yard field goal by John Love, Ahmere Foster gave Marshall a much-needed lift with a blocked punt that gave the Thundering Herd possession at the Hokies 5, leading to a 2-yard touchdown run by Ethan Payne with 3:19 left in the second quarter.

After leading 10-7 at the break, Virginia Tech thrived thanks to a run-heavy game plan, and it scored on its first three possessions of the second half.

Of his 21 passes on the day, Drones threw only five in the second half but completed them all for 88 yards.

Tuten scored on a 1-yard run with 8:02 remaining in the third quarter, putting the Hokies up 17-7.

Drones then helped set up his own 3-yard scoring run in the third quarter with a 49-yard completion to Stephen Gosnell, who made a diving, over-the-shoulder catch.

Drones completed the scoring early in the fourth quarter with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Da’Quan Felton. Mansoor Delane set up the score with an interception.

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2023; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies wide receiver Jaylin Lane (83) catches a pass against Syracuse Orange defensive back Jason Simmons Jr. (6) during the second quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Virginia Tech outrushes Syracuse 318-0 in blowout win

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Da’Quan Felton caught two touchdown passes to propel Virginia Tech to a 38-10 win over Syracuse on Thursday in Blacksburg, Va.

Kyron Drones (15 of 24, 194 yards) and running back Malachi Thomas (13 carries, 87 yards) each threw a scoring pass to Felton. Bhayshul Tuten ran for 118 yards and a score for the Hokies (4-4, 3-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), while John Love made all five of his field-goal attempts.

Virginia Tech was dominant in posting its third win in four games, outgaining the Orange 528-138 in total yards and outrushing the visitors 318-0.

Garrett Shrader went 12 of 18 for 138 yards with a touchdown for Syracuse (4-4, 0-4), although he was sacked eight times, including twice each by Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. and Mario Kendricks. The Orange were 0-for-9 on third-down conversions while losing their fourth straight game.

The contest was lopsided from the get-go, as Virginia Tech scored on its first six possessions while Syracuse punted on its first five drives.

The Hokies opened the scoring with a 43-yard field goal by Love and then extended their margin to 10-0 on a 22-yard pass from Thomas to Felton. Drones pitched to Thomas as Felton got behind the defense for the trick-play score.

Love added a 32-yard field goal late in the first quarter, punctuating a stanza in which the Hokies outgained the Orange 118 yards to 6.

The highlight of the second quarter was Drones’ well-thrown 62-yard touchdown pass to Felton, who streaked down the right sideline to make it 23-0 midway through the session.

The Orange finally got on the board on Brady Denaburg’s 43-yard field goal with 4:18 remaining in the half, but the hosts quickly responded as Drones’ 41-yard pass to Jaylin Lane set up Tuten’s 3-yard TD plunge.

The Hokies’ defense began the second half with a statement of its own, as Cole Nelson sacked Shrader in the end zone for a safety.

Shrader threw a 6-yard TD pass to Dan Villari midway through the third quarter, but the Orange never mounted a comeback down the stretch.

–Field Level Media

Oct 14, 2023; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones (1) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Virginia Tech aims to pick up where it left off vs. Syracuse

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Syracuse must’ve been happy to have a week off, while Virginia Tech hopes its bye didn’t slow the team’s positive momentum.

The Hokies aim for their third win in four games Thursday when they welcome the skidding Orange to Blacksburg, Va.

Virginia Tech (3-4, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) has recovered from a three-game slide to defeat Pitt and Wake Forest over its last three outings, with a loss at No. 4 Florida State in between. In their most recent contest, the Hokies handled the Demon Deacons 30-13 as Kyron Drones threw two touchdown passes as part of a career-high 321-yard performance.

Drones also ran for 59 yards and is just 16 yards behind Bhayshul Tuten (360) for the team lead. As a 6-foot-2 signal-caller with speed, Drones was compared to Syracuse’s 6-foot-4 Garrett Shrader this week by Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry.

“When he’s on, he’s one of the better ones in the league,” Pry said of Shrader, who has 358 rushing yards and six scores on the season, not to mention 1,371 passing yards and eight TDs. “He’s a good, strong athlete. He’s got good speed, a lot of confidence. When he’s playing his A-game, he’s an awful good quarterback.”

Shrader has not been at his best, however, during the Orange’s three-game losing streak. He has not thrown for more than 200 yards in any of the last three affairs and has been severely limited in the rushing game as Syracuse (4-3, 0-3) has been outscored 112-24 by Clemson, North Carolina and Florida State.

“We played three really good teams, but we have to play well against those types of teams, and we didn’t play our best games against them,” Syracuse coach Dino Babers said. “So the outcomes were the outcomes.”

The Orange will hope for an improved outcome against a Hokies team that they have defeated in each of the last two meetings. In the most recent matchup two years ago, Shrader threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Damien Alford with 19 seconds left to fuel Syracuse to a 41-36 win.

The Orange lead the all-time series 11-8.

–Field Level Media

Oct 14, 2023; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones (1) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Kyron Drones guides Virginia Tech past slumping Wake Forest

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kyron Drones threw for 321 yards and two touchdowns and Virginia Tech’s defense stood firm in a 30-13 victory against visiting Wake Forest on Saturday at Blacksburg, Va.

Virginia Tech (3-4, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) held Wake Forest to 262 yards of total offense to win for the second time in three weeks.

Drones, who completed 20 of 29 passes, was also the game’s top rusher with 59 yards. Both of his TD passes went to Jaylin Lane, who had 102 receiving yards.

Starting quarterback Mitch Griffis of Wake Forest was 6-for-11 for 27 yards with an interception before being replaced by Michael Kern, though Griffis returned late in the game. Griffis finished 8 of 17 for 77 yards and the pick.

The Demon Deacons (3-3, 0-3) have lost three games in a row despite Kern’s 166 passing yards on 14-for-22 accuracy.

After a dizzying second-quarter stretch of offense, there were no second-half touchdowns for either team until Drones threw for a 12-yard score to Lane with 2:47 remaining.

The Hokies held a 20-10 lead on John Love’s 26-yard field goal in the final minute of the third quarter.

Wake Forest countered on Matthew Dennis’ 34-yarder at the end of a 60-yard drive. Love’s 36-yarder re-established a 10-point cushion with 8:06 remaining in regulation.

Kerns lost a fumble when sacked before the Hokies drove 53 yards for the clinching touchdown.

The Demon Deacons had only 184 yards of total offense through three quarters. They finished with 19 rushing yards.

Neither team scored in the first quarter and then they combined for 27 points in the second quarter. That included 17 points in a 24-second span.

The Hokies went up on Bhayshul Tuten’s 3-yard run. It was 10-0 after Love’s 37-yard field goal.

Wake Forest responded right way on Demond Claiborne’s 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

Virginia Tech was just about as efficient because on the next snap, Drones threw to Jaylin Lane for a 75-yard touchdown play.

Wake Forest capped the first-half scoring on Dennis’ 28-yard field goal with 20 seconds left in the half.

–Field Level Media

Sep 16, 2023; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones (1) rolls out during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Virginia Tech out for answers vs. undefeated Marshall

Posted on | by Field Level Media

After playing each other four times between 2002 and 2011, Virginia Tech and Marshall have been growing distant.

The Hokies and Thundering Herd met in 2013, not again until 2018 and finally will clash Saturday, when Virginia Tech will visit Marshall in Huntington, W.Va. Call it the new five-year plan.

The latest installment will feature teams headed in opposite directions.

Virginia Tech (1-2) comes in reeling, having dropped consecutive games to Big Ten opponents Purdue and Rutgers.

Not much went right for Virginia Tech in a 35-16 loss at Rutgers last week, but the Hokies might have seen potential for the long term.

Sophomore quarterback Kyron Drones made his first career start in place of injured senior Grant Wells and provided a two-way threat, completing 19 of 32 passes for 190 yards and running for 74 yards on 22 carries in the loss.

Drones, a Baylor transfer, is expected to start again Saturday.

“I think there are some really good things,” Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry said. “(Drones) made it hard to defend him. He had some nice balls and did a really nice job running the ball. He did miss a few reads that I think left some plays on the field. His decision making was pretty good. First college start, I think there will be a lot to build from.”

Marshall (2-0) enters with momentum after winning its first two games of the season against Albany at home and on the road at East Carolina.

The Thundering Herd were off last week following a 31-13 win at East Carolina on Sept. 9. in their two games, quarterback Cam Fancher and running back Rasheen Ali have delivered as expected.

Fancher is 43-of-63 passing in two games for 446 yards, while Ali has rushed for 222 yards on 36 carries and five touchdowns.

“Now that we have got two games on guys, we can start to see some consistency in production, and we can start to see some inconsistency in production,” Marshall head coach Charles Huff said. “We got to be able to make adjustments. We got to be able to coach up the inconsistencies and retain the consistencies.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 19, 2022; Charlottesville, Virginia, US; A flyer is held up during the memorial service for three slain University of Virginia football players Lavel Davis Jr., D Sean Perry and Devin Chandler at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Erin Edgerton/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

Virginia vs. Virginia Tech football game canceled

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The football teams at the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech will not play this season.

Saturday’s game between the two rivals was canceled Monday, more than a week after three Virginia football players — Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry and Devin Chandler — were killed in a shooting aboard a charter bus in an on-campus parking garage. Students on the bus were returning from a class trip to see a play in Washington.

The decision was made to cancel the Commonwealth Cup game following discussions involving representatives from Virginia, Virginia Tech and the Atlantic Coast Conference. The game was set to be hosted by Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.

“The ACC and Virginia Tech continue to support UVA following the devastating tragedy,” a statement read.

Virginia also canceled its game this past weekend, in which it was scheduled to host Coastal Carolina in a nonconference matchup.

The cancellation likely ends the season for both schools, barring a surprise replacement game. Neither team is bowl-eligible.

Virginia went 3-7 under first-year coach Tony Elliott, while Virginia Tech is 3-8 under rookie coach Brent Pry.

Two other UVA students were wounded in the Nov. 13 shooting. One of them, Virginia running back Mike Hollins, was discharged from the hospital Monday. The suspect in the shooting remains in custody.

–Field Level Media

Oct 27, 2022; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Grant Wells (6) throws a pass during the first half against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

MJ Morris leads No. 24 NC State to comeback win vs. Virginia Tech

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Backup quarterback MJ Morris came to the rescue by throwing three second-half touchdown passes as No. 24 North Carolina State rallied to beat visiting Virginia Tech 22-21 on Thursday night in Raleigh, N.C.

The Wolfpack trailed by 18 points late in the third quarter before cranking up their offense. Two of the touchdown passes went to Thayer Thomas, including a go-ahead play with 7:38 remaining.

NC State (6-2, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) was in danger of losing its second game in a row.

Morris replaced Jack Chambers, who was making his second start since a season-ending injury to ACC Preseason Player of the Year Devin Leary. Morris went 20-for-29 for 265 yards.

Virginia Tech quarterback Grant Wells ran for two touchdowns and threw for another – all in the third quarter – as the Hokies (2-6, 1-4) bolted to a 21-3 lead.

Wells ran for a 4-yard touchdown and then threw to Kaleb Smith on an 85-yard touchdown play. The Hokies made it three touchdowns in less than nine minutes when Wells ran in from 20 yards out with 4:02 to play in the third quarter.

The Wolfpack punted to end its first three possessions of the second half before scoring touchdowns on its next three drives.

NC State’s comeback began with Morris’ 35-yard touchdown play to Thomas. Then Morris connected with Trent Pennix on a 7-yard touchdown pass play.

The winning points came when Morris flicked a short pass to Thomas, who found a crease between blockers in the middle of the field to complete an 18-yard play. Thomas finished with 10 catches for 118 yards.

Wells ended up 11-for-22 for 243 passing yards, with Smith making three receptions for 141 yards. The Hokies managed only 50 yards on the ground.
Virginia Tech was hurt by 13 penalties.

There was no scoring until Christopher Dunn’s 35-yard field goal with five seconds left in the first half put NC State on the board.

Wolfpack running back Demi Sumo-Karngbaye, who had been the team’s leading rusher in mid-October, missed his second game in a row with an injury.

–Field Level Media

Oct 15, 2022; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback Jack Chambers (14) runs for a first down against the Syracuse Orange in the fourth quarter at JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

No. 24 NC State eyes rebound against reeling Virginia Tech

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Some extra time is just what No. 24 North Carolina State needed, and now the Wolfpack will try to rebound Thursday night against struggling Virginia Tech in Raleigh, N.C.

“You have to kind of reassess each week,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said. “How can you achieve the greatest things that you can?”

The Wolfpack (5-2, 1-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) needed to recuperate after an Oct. 15 loss at Syracuse, which all but knocked NC State out of contention in the ACC’s Atlantic Division.

With Preseason Player of the Year Devin Leary out for the season with an injury, Jack Chambers was thrust into the starting quarterback role against Syracuse.

Now, he should be more prepared, with 12 days between games.

“You can’t change a lot in three days of practice,” Doeren said. “It was nice to study what we’ve done well and things we can do differently. We do have a quarterback who can do some things and we want to utilize that.”

Doeren said there’s confidence throughout the team in what Chambers can accomplish.

“I think Jack has a lot of poise,” Doeren said. “He’s calm. … You just do your job well and play fast, you usually come out on top.”

Virginia Tech (2-5, 1-3) also needed time to regroup, and enters the game on a four-game losing streak, matching its longest wrong-way run in three decades. The Hokies have failed to reach the 20-point mark in four of their seven games.

Virginia Tech’s offense requires a boost and Kaleb Smith is showing the ability to provide that. He gained 152 receiving yards on nine catches against Pittsburgh, becoming the first Hokie in a 10-game span to post more than 100 receiving yards in a game.

“There’s enough evidence there that we can do some things to score some points,” Pry said. “We just have to put it all together.”

One approach the Hokies might take is using running backs Keshawn King (259 yards on 44 carries, 2 TDs) and Malachi Thomas (125 yards on 28 carries, 1 TD) on the field together.

“They can certainly be productive with the ball, and the idea of them being on the field at the same time has certainly been talked about,” coach Brent Pry said.

Pry said receiver Stephen Gosnell, who has been injured, is likely to play. However, cornerback Dorian Strong might be out with a hand injury.

NC State will rely on a defense that’s giving up 16.9 points per game, second best in the ACC. The Wolfpack is expecting some new wrinkles from the Hokies.

“You can see that their schemes have advanced as the season has gone on,” Doeren said. “We know they’ll come down here excited to play us.”

Virginia Tech is 5-1 against NC State since joining the ACC, with four consecutive victories by double-digit margins. This is the Hokies’ first visit to Raleigh for a Thursday night game, though they’ve performed well with a 23-11 mark on Thursday nights since 1994.

–Field Level Media