Drones, Powell-Ryland and Peoples Leading Resurgent Hokies Into Second-Half Stretch
Virginia Tech's developing quarterback, dynamic pass rusher and veteran safety are leading the charge as the Hokies pursue bowl eligibility.
There’s no denying that Virginia Tech enters Thursday’s contest vs. Syracuse feeling good about the progress they’ve made.
With two wins in their last three games, Virginia Tech has resurrected their chances to be bowl eligible for the first time under Brent Pry. Aside from the Hokies’ loss at Florida State, Tech easily dispatched Pittsburgh and Wake Forest, forcing prognosticators to reevaluate the remainder of the Hokies’ season.
Kyron Drones has been the leading factor in Virginia Tech cheating death and reviving their season. After a couple of lackluster starts vs. Rutgers and Marshall, Drones has looked far more comfortable in the offense and the numbers agree. In his last three games, Drones has completed 61 percent of his passes for 653 yards and five touchdowns, adding another 136 yards and two touchdowns as a runner.
Drones’ comfortability is evident, even outside the raw data. Your eyes will tell you that Drones is making quicker and better decisions, not throwing the football into coverage and relying on his checkdowns to keep the chains moving. Zone-beater Stephen Gosnell caught six passes vs. Pittsburgh, four of which went for first downs. Bhayshul Tuten has four receptions in each of Virginia Tech’s last three games, serving as a reliable weapon for Drones to utilize when his receivers are covered.
The advanced metrics tell the same story. Drones’ highest Pro Football Focus grade came vs. Pittsburgh (77.5) and his overall offensive grade of 71.6 is second-highest among those playing regularly.
Drones has done all of these despite a subpar supporting cast. Virginia Tech’s offense has been a mixed bag all season long. Pro Football Focus doesn’t paint the entire picture, but more often than not it’s a semi-accurate representation of what’s happening on the field.
Drones’ development is critical to the remainder of Virginia Tech’s season and the future of the program. Quarterback is still the most important position on the field, and finding one you can build around makes competing for wins a lot easier.
It helps when the defense doesn’t break. The Hokies' have broken a lot on that side of the ball this year, but strong performances against Pittsburgh and Wake Forest suggest the tide may be shifting.
Virginia Tech has bottled up opposing running backs in two of their last three games. Pittsburgh and Wake Forest combined to rush for just 73 yards in their Lane Stadium losses, falling into the one-dimensional trap Chris Marve set for them.
The Hokies would much rather force you to throw the football, and that makes sense when Antwaun Powell-Ryland is coming off the edge. He’s Virginia Tech’s highest-rated defender in the starting lineup and his team-high seven sacks have him on-pace to be the first Hokies defender with 10 or more sacks in a season since Ken Ekanem in 2014.
Joining Powell-Ryland has been Pheldarius Payne, a former Nebraska transfer who’s dealt with multiple injuries since joining the Hokies. Payne’s caught fire as a rotational lineman and is tied for second on the team in sacks, despite limited snaps.
Tech’s improving pass rush, combined with the return of Nasir Peoples, should allow the Hokies to put performances like Rutgers and Marshall behind them. Peoples’ presence in the secondary elevates a young core of players. Peoples manning one of the safety positions allows Mansoor Delane to play cornerback and Derrick Canteen to play more snaps at slot corner, as opposed to outside.
Looking Ahead to Syracuse
Three weeks ago, Syracuse looked like an upstart team with a chance to make noise within the ACC. Fast forward to now, and the picture looks quite different.
The Orange have lost three in a row, allowing 112 combined points in those contests. To be fair, Syracuse’s last three opponents have been Clemson, North Carolina and Florida State. But does that excuse scoring 24 points in three games? I don’t think so.
Garrett Shrader has cooled considerably and it doesn’t help that he’s lost multiple weapons to injury. That includes Oronde Gadsden, the Orange’s top receiver from last season. LeQuint Allen ran for 110 yards against Florida State, but has been otherwise inconsistent.
Pair that up with a reeling defense and Virginia Tech is favored by three points as of this writing. Each of Syracuse’s losses featured good performances by the opposing quarterback, meaning Drones and his offense should feel good about Thursday night.