Virginia Tech's defense had one of their best performances of the season for at least three quarters of this game, shutting the Eagles out in three of four quarters while forcing three turnovers on their way to a 42-21 victory. So with that said, let's jump right into my three defensive takeaways from the Hokies' victory over the Eagles.
1. Antwaun Powell-Ryland Enters the All-American Hunt
Bhayshul Tuten drew the headlines, but Antwaun Powell-Ryland made more history that has put him right in the hunt for some of the highest honors a defensive lineman can earn in college football.
Powell-Ryland had four sacks for the third time in his VT career, surpassing the previous 4+ sack game record of two held by Bruce Smith. It wasn't just his pass rushing either that made this a standout performance, as Powell-Ryland finished this game with seven total tackles and a fumble recovery, making plays as a pass rusher and in run defense.
Part of what is so impressive about Powell-Ryland is that once he gets going, he can string together a stretch of sacks and pressures that completely blow up an offensive drive on his own. It's rare when you see players who can not only make one play but string together a stretch of plays that individually shut down a drive like we've seen from Powell-Ryland multiple times this year.
After this game, Brent Pry had high praise for Powell-Ryland's performance while sharing insights on why Powell-Ryland was able to elevate in this game.
"Tremendous effort. He’s been a little bit banged up and I think he had a chance to feel a little bit better going into this one with the extra time. He’s got a real knack for rushing the quarterback. Again, you’ve got to get guys off schedule and we were able to do that. Get them in some situations where APR can pin his ears back and go. He’s a good one, now. He’s got a knack for it," Pry said.
