Story of the Statlines: VT vs BC
The Story
The Hokies bounced back after a tough loss last week and are only looking forward. Virginia Tech's defense stepped up for the second week in a row and a couple of key plays on both sides of the ball helped them secure a 27-10 win in Lane Stadium.
The Statlines
1. Boston College was held to 4 yards rushing, the lowest amount allowed by VT since 2012
It’s no secret that the beginning of the Brent Pry era at Virginia Tech has been a rollercoaster of emotions for fans. But since the first snap of Week 1 to the end of Week 2, the Hokies defense has been nothing but spectacular. For a while, Boston College had negative yardage until they pulled off a touchdown drive later in the 4th quarter. We know that BC is known for having an air raid offense but if you factor in the field conditions and 27:30 of time possession, you’d imagine the Eagles could get something going in their running game.
A huge part of their only 4 yards rushing was thanks to a standout performance from Tyjuan Garbutt. He totaled for 4 out of the 5 QB hurries by VT, 3 solo tackles all for losses, a pass deflection, and a sack. That’s good for a 92.6 PFF player grade as well as being named ACC defensive linemen of the week.
2. 10 out of Boston College's 14 possessions were three plays or less
As stated earlier, unless you're living under a rock, you’ll know that the defense of Virginia Tech is off to one of its best starts in the last decade. A little more than 70% of the drives for Boston College ended in a 3 and out or less. This is also a testament to Brent Pry’s defensive scheme as well as some great play from players like Dax Hollifield, Chamarri Conner, and Armani Chatman. Dax Hollifield was once again a ballhawk on the field totaling 8 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for losses, and a sack, leading the Hokies in total tackles for the second week in a row. Chamarri Conner had 5 total tackles, and Armani Chatman had an interception on the first drive against Boston College.
3. Keshawn King goes for a 65 yard TD
In the first two games for Virginia Tech, an unlikely running back has stepped up, going by the name of Keshawn King. King hasn’t been a main piece of the Hokie offense the last couple of years but has always stayed ready for his opportunity which he is taking advantage of. With Malachi Thomas unavailable for the second game in a row, it’s been up to him to give the Hokies big plays on offense. His 65 yard rushing TD is the longest in his career and it came at a great time during the beginning of the second quarter. He is “day to day” with an injury but expect him to play against Wofford on Saturday.
