5 Takeaways From Virginia Tech's Loss vs No. 7 Miami
1. The Run Game
In the first half, the Virginia Tech Hokies rushed for 138 yards and had 2 rushing touchdowns. Tuten ended the first half with 10 carries, for 90 yards, and a touchdown in the first half with a long run of 55 yards. Bhayshul Tuten finished the game with 141 rushing yards on 19 attempts and quarterback Kyron Drones had 9 rushing attempts for 52 rushing yards. This is something to be happy about for the Hokies as Miami gives up an average of 64.8 rushing yards a game this season against other teams.
2. Took Advantage Of Turnovers
The Hokies scored 14 points off turnovers and gave the Hurricanes their first trailing game all season going into halftime. The Hokies forced Cam Ward into a fumble on his first drive of the game and two interceptions with one in the 2nd quarter and one in the 3rd quarter, this opened up easier scoring opportunities. Points scored off these turnovers for the Hokies were a Kyron Drones passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown from Bhayshul Tuten in the first and second quarters.
3. Converted On 3rd Down
The Hokies converted on over 50% of their third down attempts tonight, the most they've converted on 3rd down all season and this is coming against the 7th-ranked team in the nation. Kyron Drones stepped up and had some big-time runs and throws on third down for the Hokies which kept them within scoring distance and the Hokies being able to score the most points they have all season.
4. Bhayshul Tuten Produced In Big Moments
Bhayshul Tuten had 141 yards on the ground and multiple plays where he broke away from the defense and made big plays for the Hokies. Tuten averaged 7.4 yards a carry this game and this game was his best game this season, he added in a rushing touchdown and proved why this team is so reliant on running the football.
5. The Hokies Looked Like Team They Were Hyped To Be
Coming into this season, many people looked at the Hokies as a potential Playoff team and tonight was the night they showed it. Putting up 34 points in a heartbreaking finish against a top-10-ranked team shows potential in what could be a dominant Hokie team if consistent enough. The Hokies offense converted a season-high 64% on third down attempts in this game and held Miami under 40 points for the first time this season. Even though the Hokies lost it still shows a bit of optimism about the rest of the season by coming as close as they did to knocking off a top-ranked conference rival.
Kahlil McCuller joined the Sports Illustrated team in summer 2024 and is a Sports Media major at Virginia Tech. Covering College Baseball, College Basketball, and College Football for the Virginia Tech Hokies. Prior to this Kahlil worked pregame radio shows for Virginia Tech Basketball teams on 105.3 The Bear and started his own basketball podcast on Spotify called "Fleeky Hoops Podcast" and covered March Madness for the Hokies Women's Basketball team back in March 2024. My favorite sports teams are: Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Chargers, Virginia Tech Hokies and PSG for Soccer