On Saturday during its week of homecoming, Virginia Tech football took on Miami (Fla.) and came up short by one possession, but showed progress in certain areas and a variety of players stood out statistically at Lane Stadium.
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Welcome Back, Tizzy
Linebacker Alan Tisdale, whose nickname is Tizzy, made his debut this season on Saturday and did not disappoint. Coming off his best year yet (84 tackles, 7.5 TFLs), the Greensboro, North Carolina native tallied the second-most tackles on the team (9) versus the Hurricanes and also added a quarterback hurry.
Miscues Here and (Not) There
Penalties can really set back a team, with self-inflicting wounds hurting drives offensively or extending drives defensively. The Hokies, who have had two 15-penalty games earlier in the season, seem like they have turned the corner in that regard, amounting in just six Saturday and now have four games of recording six or less this year. On the other hand, the Hurricanes had the second-most penalties (17) by a Tech opponent since 1987. The other instance was in 1992, when it also was Miami (18).
Little on the Ground
With head coach Brent Pry having a defensive background as his prowess, the run defense has really shined this season outside a couple of contests, and that continued Saturday. Holding the Hurricanes to just 107 rushing yards on 28 attempts, it marked the fourth time an opponent has rushed for at least 24 times and amounted to less than 110 yards. Tech was able to hold Miami's five rushers to all under 30 yards individually, with no rush being over 20 yards.
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The Turnover Battle
Outside of their five-turnover game at Old Dominion to start the season, the Hokies have kept that column in check since. With only committing one Saturday, Tech now has not had more than one turnover in a contest in five games this year.
Punt It, Rack 'Em Up
Both Peter Moore and Jalen Stroman posted noteworthy statistics against the 'Canes, including a season high tally for both. For Moore, he looked like more of himself Saturday and owned a season-high three punts that were over 50 yards. He finished the day with a 42.9 average, including a long of 55 and three downed inside the 20-yard line. Racking up a career-high 11 tackles, Stroman also finished with one pass break up. Of his 11 stops, which was the most on the team, five were solo.
Lane Stadium Oddity
Despite playing 15 previous games on Oct. 15, Saturday's game was just the second game ever played in Lane Stadium on the 15th of October. The first was a 14-14 tie against Virginia in 1977.
Homecoming History
The Hokies celebrated Homecoming in Lane Stadium on Saturday. It was the 95th Homecoming celebration which started back in 1926. The Hokies are now 68-23-4 all-time in the annual event. While it's usually celebrated during a game in October, the earliest Homecoming was held on Sept. 23, 1989 vs. Temple. The latest Homecoming was on Nov. 17, 1934 vs. Virginia.