Here are three things to remember from the road victory over the Monarchs, which the Hokies easily won.
When it came to playing at Old Dominion, the Virginia Tech football team found that the third time worked out nicely. The Hokies ensured that it wouldn’t happen a third time in a row after suffering defeats in their first two exhibitions in Norfolk.
Virginia Tech defeated the Monarchs 37–17 to improve to 2-1 thanks to a solid second-half performance from both their defense and offense. These three lessons from the Hokies’ 20-point triumph away from home will help them as they prepare to face Rutgers next Saturday when they return to Blacksburg.
Kyron Drones and Bhayshul Tuten combine for over 200 rushing yards
Head coach Brent Pry stated earlier this week that Kyron Drones performing to the best of his abilities is the key to the Hokies’ offensive success. On Saturday night, Drones and Bhayshul Tuten once again proved to be too much for the Monarchs. The Hokies surged away in the second half, outscoring ODU 23-7, thanks to their combined running total of over 200 yards and three touchdowns.
Drones scored on a fourth down in the first quarter, and Tuten added two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Tuten finished with 115 rush yards while Drones finished with 117. Once more, offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen has an entire playbook to work with if Drones and Tuten can run the ball.
Virginia Tech’s defense dominated
Really, the Hokies controlled that side of the ball with the exception of two drives in the second quarter and a late-quarter drive against Virginia Tech’s twos. In the end, Antwaun Powell-Ryland recorded two forced fumbles, one recovery, and four sacks. In the third quarter, they thwarted every move Old Dominion made, allowing their attack to gradually gain momentum and take the lead.
The linebackers performed admirably at the second level, Mansoor Delane had another interception, and Oklahoma transfer Kelvin Gilliam had some crucial tackles. They totaled seven tackles for losses and five sacks in the end. Once more, Chris Marve’s team put on a strong performance.
Virginia Tech is a Top 15 team…….. in the second half of games
If the Associated Press Top 25 were based solely on second-half performances, Virginia Tech would undoubtedly be a Top 15 team. Seriously. Although they couldn’t quite complete the comeback against Vanderbilt in Week 1, they dominated the second half against both Marshall and Old Dominion, pulling away in both games with strong final 30-minute performances.
In these games, the offense controlled the tempo in the second half, and the defense clamped down, giving Old Dominion very little room to operate — their only score coming against Virginia Tech’s backups. If head coach Brent Pry and his staff can figure out how to extend this level of play across the full 60 minutes, the Hokies could finally look like the team fans were hoping for at the start of the season.
For now, Virginia Tech secured the win, and it’s on to Rutgers.
Leave a Reply