Back in Lane Stadium for a regular season game for the first time since Nov. 13, 2021, the Virginia Tech football team got its first win of the season and was backed by a dominant defensive performance and offensive firepower.
On the defensive side of the ball, cornerback Armani Chatman, defensive end TyJuan Garbutt and linebacker Dax Hollifield led the charge.
Chatman made his presence felt early, with an interception on the second play of the game, which eventually led to Tech's first score of the game. Along with the takeaway, Chatman had three tackles to his name.
For Garbutt, his experience shined, as he seemed to be in the backfield on every play. He had three tackles on the night, with all three of them being tackles for losses, to tie his career high. Garbutt also recorded his first sack of the season, along with a forced fumble and a pass breakup.
Then Hollifield had another solid outing in 2022, continuing from his stellar play in Norfolk (PFF's No. 2 highest-graded linebacker) and finishing with a team-high eight tackles, 1.5 TFLs and a sack that went for a loss of 13 yards. He leads the team with 19 tackles this season.
For the offense, wide receiver Kaleb Smith picked up where he left off the last time he was in Lane Stadium, when he caught two touchdowns in Tech's spring game this past April.
Smith had a team-high 50 receiving yards and one touchdown off three receptions versus the Eagles Saturday, including Tech's final touchdown of the game, a two-yard reception to put the Hokies up 24-10. That touchdown wouldn't have happened without Smith's pivotal 43-yard toe-tap reception down the right sideline earlier in the drive to flip the field and give the Hokies the momentum back.
Tech continues its homestand this Saturday, Sept. 17, as it welcomes Wofford to Lane Stadium for the first matchup between the two schools. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. ET and tickets are still available for as little as $50.
