Virginia Tech football exited Scott Stadium victorious after a 55-17 dominant performance over Virginia to retain the Commonwealth Cup, and the Hokies finished the game with some noteworthy stats.
For a deeper look at the numbers, view below.
Following the big win on Saturday, Tech gained one point in the Commonwealth Clash, presented by Smithfield. The score for the Commonwealth Clash currently is 5-1 in favor of Virginia. For more information, visit hokiesports.com/clash.
Stats with Salas
I Can't Drive 55
Tech's 55 points scored against the Cavaliers were the most points scored by either team in the 104-game series. Tech's previous high was 52 - twice, once in a 52-14 win in 2005 and again in a 52-10 win in 2016. The most points Virginia has scored is 45 back in 1950. The last time Tech scored 55 or more points was against William & Mary in 2018. The 55 points are also tied for the second most points scored by the Hokies in an ACC contest. Tech scored 55 in 2004, their first year in the ACC, against Maryland. The most points scored by Tech in an ACC game is 59 against North Carolina in 2017.
First Half Stats
The Tech defense held Virginia to a scoreless first half. The last time an ACC opponent was held scoreless in the first half was in the 2021 season opener against North Carolina. They also held the Cavs to -16 rushing yards. It's the second time this season they've held the opponent to zero or less rushing yards in the first half. The other was against Syracuse in the Thursday night game in Lane Stadium where the Orange had -3 yards on the ground.
The Longest Yards
The Hokies had two plays that chart in the top 10 of the longest plays in school history in their respective categories. Kyron Drones and Da'Quan Felton started the record setting night with an 84-yard pass on their first play from scrimmage in the third quarter. It's the seventh longest passing play and 6th longest passing touchdown since 1954. The previous longest passing play was an 85-yard touchdown from Grant Well to Kaleb Smith in last season's NC State game in Raleigh.
Following Virginia's next possession, Bhayshul Tuten returned the kickoff 94 yards for his second kickoff return touchdown of the season. It's the 10th longest kickoff return since 1954. Tuten now has the 5th and 10th longest kickoff returns in school history. The last time a Tech player returned two kickoff returns for touchdowns in the same season was Davifd Wilson. In the 2010 season, Wilson had returns of 90 yards against Georgia Tech and 92 yards against NC State.
Scorigami
The 55-17 final score was the third scorigami of the season, joining the 35-16 score against Rutgers and 39-17 score against Florida State. Scorigami is the art of building final scores that have never happened before. More on scorigami.
Tech Playmakers
Jonesing For Drones
To conclude his first regular season as Tech's lead signal caller, quarterback Kyron Drones commanded the offense in peak fashion. In an outing that fans saw the Hokies put up their largest point total of the year, Drones accounted for three touchdowns and nearly 300 yards of total offense. The Baylor transfer connected with his favorite downfield target, Da'Quan Felton, on two touchdown passes in the third quarter. Felton's first score was Tech's longest offensive play of the season, an 84-yard catch and run where he outpaced every Virginia defender to the endzone. Drones' second touchdown connection with Felton came on a simple hitch route, and the redshirt senior made the first player miss and dragged two Cavaliers into the endzone for a 34-yard score. This duo has been very dynamic for Tech's offense during the back half of the season, and another player whose chemistry has been strong with Drones in recent weeks is wide receiver Stephen Gosnell. The Pilot Mountain, North Carolina native has scored in each of the last three games and scored from 44 yards out after offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen went for it on 4th-and-2 late in the first quarter. Drones also finished with 50 rushing yards on seven attempts, adding to his 244 yards through the air.
Rootin' For Tuten
It seems on a weekly basis that running back Bhayshul Tuten has showcased his versatility and explosiveness as both a ball carrier and a kick returner. On the season, Tuten leads all Tech players in all-purpose yards, and he expanded that total on Saturday. The North Carolina A&T transfer delivered his third 100-yard rushing performance and second kickoff return touchdown in 2023. Tuten's vision and speed are incredible assets, and they were on full display during the 94-yard kickoff return, in which he eluded multiple defenders. His skill set as a tailback also shows up with tenacity and power to finish runs. The junior tailback finished with 117 yards on 16 totes, one of which was a 32-yard touchdown and another that went for 46 yards on his longest carry of the game.
Here Comes The Payne
Disrupting the quarterback and creating mayhem in the backfield were constantly on display from Tech's defensive front. While the Hokies racked up six sacks on the Cavaliers, defensive lineman Pheldarius Payne had himself a day in his largest snap count of the season. The Suffolk, Virginia native racked up seven tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack for Tech. Payne's performance resulted in second place for the team lead in tackles, and he earned an 87.2 defensive grade, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). As a redshirt senior along the interior, his impact didn't stop there as he registered a pass deflection and a quarterback hit, resulting in an 84.6 pass rush grade from PFF. Payne's contributions were the perfect complement to teammate Cole Nelson, who claimed two sacks of his own in the contest.