Hokie ClubPicking up its first road win of the season, Virginia Tech football defeated Liberty 23-22 Saturday at Williams Stadium, and did so with plenty of noteworthy stats.
For a deeper look at the numbers, view below.
Stats with Salas
Finishing Strong
TyJuan Garbutt had himself a day, totaling six tackles, three TFLs, two sacks and one forced fumble, becoming the first Tech player to accomplish the feat since 2014 (Ken Ekanem vs. North Carolina). Garbutt, who missed two games earlier this year due to injury, is turning in a fine senior season for the Hokies, with leading the team in TFLs (12) and sacks (6.5) despite not playing in every game.
Hat Trick
Running back Jalen Holston, who has waited his turn to be the primary ball carrier in the backfield since he arrived to Blacksburg in 2017, got his chance Saturday (career-high 26 carries) and made it count, racking up a career-best three touchdowns and career-high 99 rushing yards. It marked his first multi-touchdown performance since Nov. 14, 2020 versus then-No. 9 Miami (Fla.) in Blacksburg.
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Hill City Return
Saturday's game marked the first time the Hokies have played in Lynchburg since 1949. In that game, Tech and Washington & Lee battled to a 6-6 tie. The game also marked the first non-neutral site game played in Lynchburg for Tech (a true road game). Overall, the Hokies are now 14-11-2 all-time in the Hill City.
Not So Fast
Coming into the game, the key storyline was how would Tech hold up and protect quarterback Grant Wells, with the Flames ranking No. 5 nationally in sacks per game. However, the Hokies held their own in that category, turning in a season-high five sacks. The five sacks were tied for the most this season (Boston College, Sept. 10) and the most in a road/neutral game since Oct. 3, 2020 at Duke, spanning 15 games.
Other Notables
Cole Beck, who has primarily played on special teams this season, recorded the longest kick return of the season, earning a career-high 40 yards … Tight end Nick Gallo hauled in the longest catch of his career (35 yards) … Linebacker Keli Lawson tallied his first career sack, an eight-yard loss ... Tech tied its most turnovers forced this season, making Liberty cough up two fumbles … Keshawn King also shined at running back, racking up 78 yards on 11 carries to give Tech two running backs with over 75 yards on the ground for the first time since Nov. 13, 2021, when Raheem Blackshear (117) and King (90) did so against Duke.
One for the Road
Saturday's game marked the third one-point game of the season and the first time in school history the Hokies have had three one-point games in a season. Overall, Tech is now 22-24 in one-point games and 12-9 on the road. The 1930, 1969, 1974, 1987 and 1992 seasons each had two one-point games.
Scorigami
The 23-22 final score was the fifth scorigami of the season. Scorigami is the art of building final scores that have never happened before. More on scorigami.
Uniform Tracker
The Hokies wore white helmets, orange jerseys and orange pants in conjunction with Liberty wearing all navy blue as a tribute to Virginia. It was the first time this season and just the second time since 1987 the Hokies have worn that combination, with Tech being 2-0 in those outings.