A dominant first half nearly turned disastrous during a sloppy third quarter for the Hokies, who watched their four-score lead nearly evaporate against Boston College on Thursday night.
Never fear. Bhayshul Tuten put things away with a record-breaking performance.
Tuten ran for a single-game program record 266 yards and scored four touchdowns, getting into the end zone twice in an exhale-inducing fourth quarter as Virginia Tech (4-3, 2-1 ACC) started the second half of the season on a positive note.With a 17-yard run in the fourth quarter, the last of his 18 carries on the night, he broke Darren Evans’ single-game school mark of 253 set on a Thursday nighter in 2008 against Maryland.
It came in a game when the Hokies put up 532 total yards and ran for 368 yards against a Boston College rushing defense that came into the night ranked 25th nationally. It was the most rushing yards Tech’s had in the Brent Pry era.
Tech raced to a 28-0 halftime lead behind a big effort from Tuten and quarterback Kyron Drones, who was nearly perfect before the break, completing 12-of-13 passes for 144 yards and accounting for three touchdowns, scoring twice on the ground himself.
Boston College (4-3, 1-2) came roaring back with 21 straight points in the third quarter, however, taking advantage of two turnovers deep in Virginia Tech territory. Thomas Castellanos threw touchdowns to Treshaun Ward and Jeremiah Franklin before Kye Robichaux scored on a 5-yard run up the gut to get the Eagles within 28-21.
The Eagles had a prime opportunity early in the fourth quarter to tie the game, faced with a fourth-and-1 at their own 49. Tech linebacker Jaden Keller shot through the line to stuff Robichaux in the backfield, however, a critical turnover on downs.
Tech punched it into the end zone three plays later, getting an 18-yard Tuten run, a 26-yard run by Ayden Greene on a reverse and a 6-yarder into the end zone by Tuten.
The Eagles botched a field goal attempt on the ensuing drive, giving the ball back to the Hokies. Tuten raced 61 yards down the sideline on the next play, making it a 42-21 game.
Pry improved to 3-0 against Boston College with the win.
The Hokies looked like they’d run away for a comfortable victory from the start, racing to a 28-0 first-half lead while averaging 11.1 yards per play.
Six different players touched the ball on Tech’s opening possession, an 11-play, 88-yard drive that took 5:45, ending when Drones powered his way into the end zone on an 11-yard touchdown run off the left side to make it 7-0.
Tech defensive tackle Kelvin Gilliam forced a fumble on a third-down run by Castellanos on the next drive, with end Keyshawn Burgos jumping on the ball. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty gave the Hokies possession at the BC 19.
It didn’t take long for them to capitalize. Drones hit Stephen Gosnell for a 15-yard pass on third-and-7 to the BC 1, then got tush pushed across the goal line for his second rushing score of the day, making it 14-0 before the end of the first quarter.
Boston College put together a solid drive in response, but Castellanos put the ball on the ground for a second time, mishandling an exchange with a running back. Tech’s Antwaun Powell-Ryland pounced on the ball at the Hokies’ 6. It was the fifth turnover Tech’s forced inside its own 6-yard line in the last four games.
Powell-Ryland finished with four sacks in the game, putting him in the national lead with 11. It’s the first time a Hokies defender has reached double digits in sacks since Darryl Tapp in 2005.
The next drive was all Tuten. The back nearly broke free on an 11-yard run on first down. But he did just that on his next carry, bursting up the middle and running away from the BC defense for a career-long 83-yard touchdown run to put the Hokies up 21-0. It was his ninth straight game with a touchdown.
Tech made it 28-0 just before halftime when it capped a six-play, 85-yard drive with a 20-yard pass from Drones to Tuten, when the quarterback stepped up in the pocket and hit the running back streaking up the sideline.
Boston College got on the board at the 8:48 mark of the third quarter when Castellanos found Ward for a 26-yard touchdown that cut the lead to 28-7.
Drones made his first bad passing decision on the next drive, overshooting Benji Gosnell on the run while under pressure and getting intercepted by BC’s Cameron Martinez to give the Eagles possession at the Hokies’ 29.
Four plays later, Castellanos found Franklin for an 11-yard touchdown that cut Tech’s lead to 28-14 with 6:07 left in the third.
Tech turned it right back over on the next drive when Tuten fumbled at the end of a 10-yard run on the first play. BC recovered at the Hokies’ 18 and scored six plays later, getting a 5-yard run up the middle by Robichaux to make it 28-21.
Keller’s stop and Tuten’s heroics saved the day, however. Tuten had 108 yards on six carries in the fourth quarter.
Box Score: Virginia Tech 42, Boston College 21
