Rallying late in the second half behind Kyron Drones' two rushing touchdowns, Virginia Tech football fell 24-17 to Marshall on Saturday but finished the game with some noteworthy stats.
For a deeper look at the numbers, view below.
Stats with Salas
Start Me Up
The Hokies scored a touchdown on the opening drive against Marshall thanks to a Kyron Drones 31-yard rush. It's the first time the Hokies have scored on the opening drive since last year's game at Duke. In that game, Grant Wells connected with Da'Wain Lofton on a 53 yard pass for the opening drive score.
The Streak Continues
The Hokies' 17 points scored against the Thundering Herd marks the 361st consecutive game during which Virginia Tech has scored, the fourth-longest active streak in the nation among FBS schools. The Hokies have now tied BYU in fifth place on the all-time list. The Cougars' 361 game scoring streak started in 1975 and ended in 2003 on the final game of the season, losing to Utah 3-0.
National Leaders
Through week 4 of the football season, the Tech defense is tied for first place in 4th down conversion pct. Georgia Southern (0-3), Michigan (0-7), UAB (0-3) and Virginia Tech (0-3) defenses have not allowed a fourth down conversion this season. The lunch pail defense also checks in at number two for passing yards allowed. Opponents are 59-for-102 and 554 yards through four games this season. That puts the yards per game at 138.5, just half a yard behind Penn State in first place.
Run It Back
Tucker Holloway currently has five punt returns for 122 yards and a 24.4 punt return average which puts him in second place nationally. Isaiah Sategna at Arkansas sits at the top of the list with six punt returns for 154 yards and a 25.7 average.
Tech Playmakers
Lay down the Lawson
For the third week in a row, linebacker Keli Lawson has registered double-digit tackles and led the team in tackles (12). The redshirt sophomore has been making plays all over the field and has quickly established himself as a cornerstone on Tech's defense. In his third season, Lawson has nearly doubled his total tackle production from 2022 in half the games played. The Stephens City, Virginia native also recorded the second interception of his career, making a leaping play on Marshall's opening drive. After being named to The Athletic Freaks List by Bruce Feldman, Lawson's athleticism has been on full display to start the season.
Bringing the Payne
After missing the entire 2022 season due to injury, defensive lineman Pheldarius Payne made a big impact in the maroon and orange on Saturday afternoon. The Suffolk, Virginia native claimed his first career sack as a Hokie late in the second quarter, which helped force a Marshall punt two plays later. Payne finished with his best outing of the season, amassing four total tackles and an additional half-sack following halftime, wrestling down the quarterback alongside teammate Mario Kendricks.
Brothers playing catch
One pair of three sets of brothers currently on Tech's roster, tight end Benji Gosnell and wide receiver Stephen Gosnell, accounted for more than half of the offense's receiving yardage. Benji recorded the Hokies' longest reception of the game with a 22-yard reception in the team's first possession of the second half. The younger of the two Gosnells, Benji, led the team with 52 receiving yards on four receptions. Looking at the senior wideout's production, Stephen hauled in three passes for 32 yards, highlighted by an impressive one-handed grab to start the second half. Combining their receiving yardage totals, the Gosnell brothers produced 84 of the 160 receiving yards on Saturday afternoon.