Three Second-Half Touchdowns Provide Virginia Tech an Offensive Blueprint in Win Over Marshall
Three Second-Half Touchdowns Provide Virginia Tech an Offensive Blueprint in Win Over Marshall
After a lackluster first half, Virginia Tech's offense found its stride with a heavy dose of Bhayshul Tuten and the running game.
For three drives, Virginia Tech looked like the best offense in the country.
The Hokies scored touchdowns on three consecutive possessions after halftime on Saturday, making up for an otherwise inept offensive performance in a 31-14 win over Marshall.
Fans will find a lot to like in those three scoring drives — a consistent ground game, big passing plays, and red zone efficiency.
“There’s a lot to build on in this second half of complete offense that we can lean into and grow from, “Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry told reporters after the game.
Virginia Tech rushed on 11 of their first 12 offensive plays in the second half, capping off a six-plus minute drive that ended in their first offensive touchdown of the night. The next drive featured a leaping grab by Stephen Gosnell for 49 yards, but still leaned on the ground game for another score.
Finally, Tech’s third possession of the second half went 56 yards in just six plays, finshing with a short touchdown pass to Da’Quan Felton. In just three drives, Virginia Tech had taken control of the game.
These three possessions provide Virginia Tech the blueprint for getting off to faster starts — run the frickin’ ball.
Through the first half, Bhayshul Tuten had amassed 77 yards on the ground. Alas, Virginia Tech did not press their advantage on the ground and the Hokies bungled their way to just one third-down conversion in nine first-half attempts.
“I just thought we were sluggish with the execution,” Pry said. “The guys were moving around and doing things, we just weren’t finishing in the execution piece… We just couldn’t get it going.”
Thankfully, the offensive staff renewed their commitment to the ground game. Not only did it keep Virginia Tech on schedule, but it opened up passing windows for Kyron Drones. Not only did Drones hit the 49-yarder to Gosnell, he hit each of his three remaining pass attempts after halftime.
Yes, you read that right — Kyron Drones had only four pass attempts in the second half, going 4-for-4 for 87 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Tuten finished the evening with 120 rushing yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Tuten’s battery mate, Malachi Thomas, added another 52 yards on nine rushes.
“I felt like as an offense, we played harder,” Tuten said of Tech’s second half. “We came out [playing] downhill, the O-line was very aggressive and I think that’s what we needed coming out of [halftime]. Coach [Tyler Bowen] put the ball in our bellies and let the RBs run.”
Based on what we’ve seen through two weeks, and all of last season, Virginia Tech’s offense is at it’s finest when they’re leaning on the ground game. It led the Hokies’ offensive resurgence in 2023 and on Saturday, it helped Tech distance itself from a clearly inferior opponent.
For all the throughbreds that Virginia Tech has at receiver, and all the confidence the Hokies have in their quarterback, this offense runs through the ground game. It’s easier on the offensive line, and it’s easier on a quarterback that is clearly still developing as a passer.
The good news is that next weekend’s opponent, Old Dominion, is the perfect opponent to try and wear down. The Hokies must expand on their second-half successes from Saturday and force teams to slow down the run, starting with the pesky Monarchs.
Virginia Tech’s offense doesn’t need to look as good as it did in those three drives every single time they take the field, but they do need to do it more often than they have in the Hokies’ first two games. Finding that consistency would bring the Hokies a lot closer to the version of themselves that everyone wants to see.