Hokie ClubVirginia Tech football played stout defense against Georgia Tech, limiting the Yellow Jackets to only six points. The Hokies extended their win streak to three games and finished the Homecoming game with some notable stats.
Read below to dive deeper into the 21-6 victory, presented by Carter Bank & Trust.
Stats with Salas
Gimme Three Steps
Early in the second quarter against Georgia Tech, Kyron Drones threw his 10th touchdown pass of the season. Then after the two-minute time out, Drones handed the ball off to Bhayshul Tuten who then pitched it to Jaylin Lane. Lane then threw the ball to the endzone finding Drones in the endzone for a 6-yard score. Later in the third quarter, Drones called his own number with a 1-yard rush into the end zone giving him a receiving touchdown, a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown in the same game. He's the first player to ever accomplish the hat trick in Virginia Tech history. The last time a player scored a touchdown three different ways in a game was André Davis in 2000 against West Virginia. In that gaame Davis scored on a 30-yard rush, a 64-yard reception and a 76-yard punt return.
It Takes Two
Not only did Drones account for three touchdown's in the game, he also caught two passes - the touchdown and his own pass. In the fourth quarter, Drones' pass was blocked at the line by Georgia Tech's Trenilyas Tatum and back into his arms. He is now the first quarterback to have two receptions in the same game. He also ties Sean Glennon with two career passes to themselves. Drones caught his own pass last season in the Military Bowl against Tulane. Glennon caught his own pass in 2004 against Western Michigan and again in 2006 against North Carolina.
Defensive Stops
The Lunch Pail Defense stopped Georgia Tech on fourth down on their last four drives of the game. The Yellow Jackets turned the ball over on downs on three consecutive drives. The last time the Tech defense forced a team to turn the ball over on downs on three consecutive drives was in 2004 against Florida A&M. The four fourth down stops tie for the most by the Tech defense since 1987. The other times where against Boston College in 1996 (1-5) and North Carolina in 2014 (0-4) & 2016 (0-4).
Georgia Tech was also did not score any touchdowns in the game. It’s the first time since the Hokies shutout Pitt in 2019 that an opponent has not scored a touchdown in a game.
In His Lane
As mentioned earlier, Jaylin Lane threw for a touchdown in the game on Saturday. This now gives him a touchdown by passing, rushing, receiving and kick return this season. The four different touchdowns ties him with DeAngelo Hall and Tony Kennedy for most different ways of scoring a touchdown in a single season. DeAngelo Hall had a rushing, receiving, fumble return and three punt return touchdowns in 2003 while Tony Kennedy had a passing, receiving, kick return and three rushing touchdowns in 1992.
The Streak Continues
Saturday's game marked the 378th consecutive game during which Virginia Tech has scored. The Hokies are in 4th place in both the all-time and active streak lists. In that span, Tech has shutout their opponent 34 times.
Tech Playmakers
Growth of the TE
Tight end Benji Gosnell is a great example of Virginia Tech’s ability to develop its players. Stepping into his most significant role with the offense, Gosnell has shown tremendous growth as a pass catcher. The Pilot Mountain, North Carolina product caught his second touchdown in 2024 and recorded a career-high in receptions (5) on Saturday afternoon. The chemistry between Gosnell and quarterback Kyron Drones is continuing to grow as the young tight end has recorded at least four receptions the past two contests. The redshirt sophomore was wide open for a 20-yard catch and run for the Hokies’ first score and corralled the longest reception of his career for 31 yards. Gosnell’s versatility is very valuable for offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen and an asset in both the run and pass game.
Moore Opportunities
On an afternoon that totaled 17 punts between both programs, punter Peter Moore had one of his most active games of the season. Punters are a position group that doesn’t receive a ton of attention, yet they have a significant role on special teams. The ability to flip field position helps a defense and influence's momentum. Virginia Tech’s defense benefited from Moore’s production against the Yellow Jackets, as the Davidsonville, Maryland native amassed nearly 500 yards on 10 punts. Moore averaged 49.0 yards per punt and placed five punts inside the 20-yard line. The redshirt senior’s consistency in the third phase contributed significantly to a defensive performance that held Georgia Tech to only six points.
Moore's 490 yards punting is the second most punting yards in a game for a Tech player behind A.J. Hughes’ 586 yards against Alabama in 2013. The last time Tech punted 10 or more times in a game was when Hughes’ had 10 punts against Maryland in 2013. Saturday’s game marked just the second time Tech has had 10 or more punts in a game that they’ve won. The other win was in 2012 when Hughes punted 11 times in the 13-10 overtime win against Rutgers in the 2012 Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando.
