Virginia Tech spins an offensive record in rout of Virginia

CHARLOTTESVILLE — On Virginia Tech’s first possession of the second half Saturday at Scott Stadium, quarterback Kyron Drones collected a shotgun snap deep in his territory, surveyed the coverage and spotted wide receiver Da’Quan Felton a step ahead of several Virginia defenders.

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Drones’s pass found Felton in stride near the Virginia 40, and the redshirt senior did the rest, pulling away from diving safety Jonas Sanker for an 84-yard touchdown that was among a slew of big plays from the Hokies in a 55-17 Commonwealth Cup triumph.

Perhaps the only highlight that could have eclipsed Felton’s score came about four minutes later, when starting tailback Bhayshul Tuten broke free for a 94-yard kickoff return that pushed the Hokies’ lead to 38-3, setting off a rousing celebration as Virginia Tech (6-6, 5-3) secured bowl eligibility for the 29th time in 30 full seasons (the Hokies played a shortened season during the pandemic and did not go to a bowl).

“Sorry, guys, we were putting out cigar smoke in the locker room,” second-year Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry said, apologizing for the delay in arriving at his postgame news conference. “This group has really hung together. It wasn’t easy to get to this point, 6-6, a testament to a ton of people. It was a great week of preparation, and it paid off.”

The margin of victory in the annual showdown between Virginia’s two Power Five programs was the most lopsided since Virginia Tech’s 52-10 triumph in 2016. The game has been contested 104 times, with the Hokies winning 18 of the past 19; their offensive output Saturday was the most by either team in the history of the series.

The rout ended with Hokies fans storming the field after Virginia Tech produced 500 yards of total offense, including 252 rushing. Tuten ran for 117 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries, and Felton had 133 receiving yards with two touchdowns on three receptions.

Drones completed 10 of 22 passes for 244 yards and three touchdowns and added 50 rushing yards on seven attempts in front of an announced crowd of 42,976. By the end, most of the crowd that remained was clad in Virginia Tech gear and chanting, “Hokies, Hokies, Hokies.”

“Honestly, I think if we win this next one or when we win this next one [against Virginia Tech], I think it’s just going to say so much more about the heart of this team,” a somber Sanker said, “and I think people are going to really see that this team has no quit.”

The Cavaliers (3-9, 2-6) were held to 43 rushing yards and gave up six sacks, five coming against freshman quarterback Anthony Colandrea (29 for 46, 243 yards, two touchdowns, one interception), who promised a victory over Virginia Tech following an upset of Duke last weekend.

Instead, it was Drones, a transfer from Baylor, who put a virtual stranglehold on the outcome when he hit Felton early in the third quarter to push the Hokies’ lead to 31-0. When the Cavaliers answered with their first points — a 25-yard Will Bettridge field goal — Tuten took the ensuing kickoff 94 yards to slam the door.

Tuten also helped produce the final points of the half with a 32-yard run around left tackle and down the sideline in front of the Virginia bench. One snap earlier, the Hokies converted on fourth and two when Drones completed a 15-yard pass in the right flat to Felton.

Flawless execution on a play-action pass led to the first touchdown of the game and a 10-0 lead. The sequence unfolded late in the first quarter on fourth and two when Drones froze the defense with a fake handoff to Tuten, pulled the ball back and glimpsed Stephen Gosnell running free behind the secondary.

The senior wide receiver collected the pass from Drones near the right boundary and outran Sanker and safety Dave Herard to the end zone for a 44-yard touchdown with 3:21 to play in the first quarter. The drive covered 64 yards in six plays in 2:24 after a second straight three-and-out for Virginia.

“Any time you can start fast, you get a sense of how you’re going to play,” Pry said. “I thought we made plays when we needed to make plays. When you can play good defense and earn a lot of three and outs, it makes it hard on the other group’s defense. Everybody giving great effort. I thought our strain and finish was better than it has been all season.”