Virginia Tech Football: 5 Big Takeaways From Virginia Tech's Win vs Georgia Tech
1. The Hokie's offense did well
The Virginia Tech offense started slow again, failing to score points in the first quarter and struggling with third-down efficiency. However, after the sluggish start, the team picked up momentum both on the ground and through the air, with quarterback Kyron Drones and tight end Benji Gosnell each scoring a touchdown. Although most of the offense's plays were set up by the defense providing good field position, the offense was efficient enough to seal the game, unlike in previous games.
2. The Hokie defense were able to get stops when needed
The Hokie defense started with a bend-but-don't-break mentality, which was evident early on as they held Georgia Tech to just two field goals, allowing only six points in the first half. The defense forced five consecutive incomplete passes from Georgia Tech quarterback Zach Pyron and kept leading receiver Malik Rutherford in check, limiting him to just five receptions for under 50 yards. Additionally, the Hokie defense held Georgia Tech scoreless throughout the entire second half and got two interceptions.
3. Kyron Drones played well
Kyron Drones was effective today, completing 60% of his passes. He also scored a receiving touchdown on the famous "Philly Special" play and threw a touchdown pass to tight end Benji Gosnell. Additionally, Drones rushed for a touchdown late in the third quarter, setting up the score with a run-pass option pass to Stephen Gosnell.
4. 3rd Down was a major issue on offense
In this game, the Hokies struggled with third-down efficiency, completing less than 30% of their third-down attempts. For the season, they had been completing 43% of their third-down attempts, but today they just couldn’t get it going, partly due to the struggles in the run game.
5. Bhayshul Tuten's rushing touchdown streak ended
In this game, Bhayshul Tuten struggled against the Yellow Jackets' defense, failing to score a touchdown for the first time in nine games. Tuten was also held to under 100 rushing yards for the third time this season, with the first occurrence coming two weeks ago against Stanford, where he managed just 73 yards on the ground.
Additional Links:
Virginia Tech Football: Three Keys To Victory For The Hokies Against Georgia Tech
Virginia Tech Football: Hokies Reveal Uniform Combination For Matchup With Georgia Tech
Virginia Tech Football: Bhayshul Tuten Named Walter Camp National FBS Player of the Week
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