Saturday afternoon will by no means go down in the annals of excellence in Tech football. Brent Pry’s team played phenomenal defense but struggled greatly on offense. But the little magic the Hokies showed on offense, their one-and-done touchdowns, mean the Hokies have rattled off three straight wins for the first time in the Pry era.

After an early Yellow Jackets field goal, Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones ripped through the Georgia Tech defense and easily found a wide-open Benji Gosnell, who sprinted down the gap to build a Hokie lead that seemed intact forever.

Both teams continued to throw loose jabs at each other without being able to land a knockout blow until Georgia Tech scored their second field goal in a back-to-back late in the first half and the maroon-clad Hokies delivered their version of The “Philly Special” leaves the Kyron Drones wide out and waits in the end zone for an easy touchdown pass from Jaylin Lane.

At the beginning of the third quarter, both Techs faltered due to erroneous drives from both teams, but the Drones finally scored the third and final touchdown of the game, closing the game 21-6.

“Confidence breeds confidence,” Hokie Nickels and STAR coach Shawn Quinn quoted after the game. “There have been some tough games and the guys in the locker room have done a great job of sticking together. It was a team effort to win the game.”

Although Tech allowed nearly 400 yards (356) on 81 plays, and when it mattered most, Chris Marve’s defense held the Atlanta team to four punts, one interception and four turnovers on downs in the second half. STAR Keonta Jenkins accounted for two tackles for loss, while linebacker Keli Lawson and wideout converted safety Jaylen Jones each had an interception on the night.

“Everyone was like, OK, we have to stop the run to win the game, so I’m going to give my brothers everything, and I think that’s everyone’s mentality,” quoted Hokie defensive tackle Wilfred Pene. Pene made five tackles on the night, along with the Hokies’ sole sack.

Of course, at the end of the day, the plaudits go to whatever Tech was able to stop on defense. What is worth mentioning, however, is the versatility of the Maroons and Oranges’ style of play, albeit rare at times.

Tech has had success with its ability to get guys moving and use its signature reverse end-around at least once per game, which Gosnell attributes to his teams’ dynamic ability to create threats from anywhere on the field.

“I just think it depends on who has the ball. They know that every defense we play knows that everyone on the field can be so dynamic with the ball.”

It’s worth noting that both Xavier Chaplin and star running back Bhayshul Tuten left the game with injuries; Pry hinted that both will receive much clearer reports on the pair tomorrow.

Next up for the Hokies is a trip north to Syracuse, where Virginia Tech will look to extend its winning streak to four.

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