Virginia Tech football had a dominating victory over Boston College on Thursday night, and it was a heated game throughout prime time. The Hokies won back-to-back conference games and ended Thursday’s 30th anniversary of the game with some notable accomplishments.
Read below to learn more about the 42-21 win over the Eagles presented by Carter Bank & Trust.
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Oh what a night
They say Thursday night games at Lane Stadium are special, and last night proved to be no different. From “Enter Sandman” fireworks to Beischur Tuten’s on-field fireworks, Virginia Tech’s 30th anniversary on ESPN’s Thursday prime-time show was one to remember.
The senior from Paulsboro, N.J., found the end zone for the ninth straight game with 83 yards rushing in the second quarter. It was the second-longest rushing play by a Virginia Tech player in Lane Stadium history and the eighth-longest rushing play in school history. He ranks second in rushing touchdowns in consecutive games. Lee Suggs holds the record with 13 games, set in 2001. In the fourth quarter, Tuten found his way to the end zone for the fourth time in the game, this time for a 61-yard score. He became the first player since 1985 to have two touchdowns of 60 yards or more in the same game. He is also the first player to score four rushing touchdowns in a game since Trey Edmunds against Miami in 2013.
Tuten finished the game with a program record 266 rushing yards. The previous record was held by Darren Evans with 253 yards. Evans’ record came in 2008 against Maryland on Thursday night at Lane Stadium. Tuten’s 266 rushing yards are the most by an FBS player against a Power 4 team this season and tied for 15th in the ACC behind Florida State’s Dalvin Cook (2015).
More Thursday Night Magic
The Hokies are 25-12 in ESPN Thursday night games (14-7 at home). Tech’s most opponents Thursday night are tied with Boston College and Georgia Tech at seven games. Speaking of Georgia Tech, the Hokies scored touchdowns on their first three possessions against the Eagles. The last time this happened was in 2018 against Georgia Tech, also a Thursday night game at Lane Stadium.
Tech’s 88-yard drive to start the game was the first opening drive of 85 yards or more leading to a touchdown since 2014, when the Hokies drove 95 yards against Boston College at Worsham Field. As a team, Tech had 368 rushing yards, the most since 2000 when they had 420 against Boston College.
Sackman appears
Redshirt senior Antwon Powell-Ryland became the first player in Tech history to record four sacks in three games and the first to do so twice in the same season. The Portsmouth, Virginia, native had 11 sacks this season, tied for fourth in most sacks in a season behind Cornell Brown (1994) and Morgan Roane (1985). Bruce Smith (1983) holds the record with 22, Cornell Brown (1995) is second with 17, and Corey Moore (1998) is third with 14.5.
During his Tech career, his APR is tied for ninth all-time with Nathaniel Adibi’s 20.5 points. Ken Ekanem and Darryl Tapp are next at 21.5, James Gale and Chris Ellis are next at 22, and John Ingleberger is at 26.5. The top three sack leaders are Bruce Smith with 46, Cornell Brown with 36 and Corey Moore with 35.
halftime lead
At halftime Thursday night, the Hokies were up 28-0 against Boston College. Tech is 29-0 since 1985 when it led by 28 points or more. The Hokies are 52-0 when leading by 23 points or more.
uni watch
The Hokies unveiled new orange uniforms for the game, as well as new white helmets featuring the scripted Hokies logo. Tech is currently 13-6 when wearing orange jerseys and 3-1 when wearing white helmets, orange jerseys, and orange pants.
The winning streak continues
Thursday’s game marked the 377th consecutive game in which Virginia Tech has scored in a row. The Hokies are fourth in both career streaks and streaks. During that time, Tech shut out opponents 34 times.
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groove depth
Tech’s offensive line had a lot of road graders in prime time, creating a lot of holes for running back Beischl Tuten. Combined with a historic performance on the ground, the Hokies gained 368 rushing yards against Boston College. Starters along the trenches included Braylin and Kayden Moore, Parker Clements, Xavier Chaplin, and Bob Thicke. This collection of talented Hokies has been the main grouping all season, and something Coach Tuten likely appreciates is the rotation of additional linemen. During the 42-21 victory, offensive line coach Ron Kruk used seven linemen in his offensive scheme, giving Brody Meadows and Johnny Garrett extra chances. Chaplin finished with an impressive 84.7 grade on Pro Football Focus and will lead the team in run blocking rating. Tech has made a deliberate effort to use more offensive linemen, and the game against BC confirmed that intent. “Yeah, I like the way it’s going,” Crook said in the postgame press conference, adding, “Those guys deserve to play. That’s why they’re in the game. That’s why their game. You can see more of it,” he said. If Thursday night’s performance is a sign of things to come, Hokie Nation can expect to see more great games on the field.
heat-seeking missile
Caleb Woodson is racking up takedowns as defensive coordinator Chris Marve’s linebacker. The true sophomore has shown solid tackling ability since the second level, recording six or more total tackles in four contests. Against the Eagles, Woodson recorded the second-most tackles of the night (9 tackles) and 1.5 tackles for loss. The young linebacker from Haymarket, Virginia, has proven to be a quality addition to the front seven. Woodson, who played the second-most snaps of the season (51) and the first since the home game against Rutgers, showed that more chances mean more opportunities to generate stops on defense. According to PFF, he did just that against BC, with four plays qualifying as a “stop.”
