Virginia Tech was blessed with two things this week. A standalone prime-time game against a historic program, and record-breaking performances by the offense and defense in the game.
Beishul Tuten had 253 rushing yards in a game against Maryland, breaking the Hokies’ single-game rushing record held by Darren Evans. Tuten broke that record with almost half of his carries, running for 266 yards on just 18 carries.
Antoine Powell-Ryland was also a beat. He broke the record for most sacks in a Virginia Tech player’s career with four and tied NFL legend Bruce Smith for his own single-game sack record.
So who did Virginia Tech select to play in the game? Were Tuten and Powell Ryland on the list?
The answer is yes. Beishul Tuten was the only Hokie chosen to represent the offense in “Players of the Game” honors.
Obviously, Antoine Powell-Ryland also made the list for his historic performance, but the other three Hokies on the list are all defensive backs, which may come as a shock to some. Maybe. Virginia Tech did not allow an interception on the day, but Boston College quarterback Tomas Castellanos completed over 65% of his passes.
However, the Hokies’ secondary had some important plays that didn’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet, such as pass deflections and interceptions.
Dante Lovett and Jonathan Penix both received Player of the Week honors and recorded one tackle against the Eagles.
Thomas Williams also earned ‘Player of the Week’ honors despite recording just one tackle on the day.
Additional links:
Virginia Tech football: Antoine Powell vs. Ryland ties Hokies single-game sack record
Virginia Tech football: Can Beishul Tuten catch Ashton Giunty as the nation’s leading rusher?
Virginia Tech football: The good, the bad, and the ugly after Tech’s 42-21 win over Boston College.