The Briefing: Powell-Ryland's massive day, Tutens 117 yards leads to 37-17 win over Old Dominion
Norfolk, Va. — Through hard-nosed defense, the Hokies moved to 2-1 on the season after a 37-17 win over the Monarchs.
Virginia Tech had a flair for the fancy from the get-go. On the Hokies' first drive, a trick play involving lineman Parker Clements lined up with the wideout core confused the Old Dominion secondary and allowed Hokie star Jaylin Lane, who was wearing the honorary No. 25, to waltz into the end zone untouched on a 25-yard pass.
"Unfortunately, I've had it run against me before, but it was a good job. I thought Parker's acting was really good, you know," said head coach Brent Pry.
For ODU, there was uncertainty over who would be under center. Starting quarterback Grant Wilson was ruled out before the first whistle, meaning backup Colton Joseph would marshall the Monarch offense.
Joseph found little luck with a six-play drive, resulting in the first of many punts on the night for either side.
Kyron Drones found Lane again for another breakout 46-yard pass after a muffed snap. Fortunately for the Maroon and Orange, they capped off that drive with a fourth-and-one Drones sneak, extending the Hokie lead to double digits.
"Honestly, he [Lane] was slow to go. We weren't even sure he was going to play against Vanderbilt. He wasn't 100%. I think he's finally greased up. He didn't get a lot of action in camp. He was injured. I think he's kind of hitting his stride right now, we're getting the "J Lane" back that we know and love," Said the former Penn State defensive coordinator
With the Hokies leading 14-0 and Antwuan Powell-Ryland Jr. collecting his first of many sacks on the day, things were looking good for Brent Pry's side. That was until their second fourth-down conversion of the game didn't go as planned, and rather than taking three points, ODU took over at their own 17.
Joseph exited the game with an injury of his own, and in stepped true freshman Quinn Henicle. Henicle was in for a rude awakening as Powell-Ryland marched through the line and brought down the freshman, leading to a punt for the Norfolk side.
A dull Tech drive followed before Henicle broke through on a 65-yard rush to halve the Monarch deficit with just over 13 minutes to go in the first half.
"Let me tell you that kid, we watched his high school film. He's fast, and he's an athlete. He reminds me of some other guys on our schedule. He's got a chance to be a good football player," quoted Pry about Henicle's game.
The Hokies managed to chew up the clock with a five-minute possession, yet a John Love blocked 33-yard field goal ensured Pry's lead stood at just seven.
ODU head coach Ricky Rahne's side breezed through defensive coordinator Chris Marve's defense, and an Ethan Sanchez field goal once again trimmed the Hokie lead to four.
The final five minutes of the first half were spent with each team trading punts before ODU ran out the clock.
Marve and his Hokie defense controlled the rest of the game. After a Love 21-yarder opened the second-half scoring, Powell-Ryland ambushed Henicle and forced and recovered a fumble, putting offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen's offense at the Monarch 18-yard line.
While Love was eventually forced out again to extend the lead to 10 points, two stout defensive drives ensured that even when Kyron Drones threw an interception into the end zone, Old Dominion's momentum was shut down thanks to a suffocating third quarter.
Bhayshul Tuten added two fourth-quarter Tech touchdowns along with another Love chip shot, negating a Tariq Sims garbage-time rushing touchdown and ultimately sealing another stellar second-half Hokie performance.
This was by no means a stellar Tech day, although individuals like Powell-Ryland (four sacks and a forced fumble), Tuten (117 yards, two TDs), and Lane (106 yards, one TD) stole the show. There were still missed opportunities, with Pry relying too much on Love to add points.
As the weeks pass, competition will only get tougher. For Pry, a homestand against Rutgers next Saturday at 3:30 p.m. will provide another barometer for the year.
CONNOR MARDIAN