The Virginia Tech Hokies (5-5) are set to face the Duke Blue Devils (7-3) in Wallace Wade Stadium at 8 p.m. on Saturday November 23 after a much needed bye week following tough losses to Syracuse and then Clemson. Part of the focus of the bye week is on getting guys healthy including star QB Kyron Drones, star RB Bhayshul Tuten, and backup RB Malachi Thomas.
“The week was good, obviously,” head coach Brent Pry said in regards to the progress of quarterback Kyron Drones and running backs Bhayshul Tuten and Malachi Thomas. “All of them got to back off and get extra treatment.”
Unfortunately, even a week off wasn’t enough to keep them off the injury report.
“They’re all questionable,” Pry remarked. “We’ll have to go out there and see how things go the next two days. None of them are to the point right now where I can stand here and say they’re going to play, but I’m hopeful.”
If last week’s stagnant offensive performance was any indication, the Hokies not only need their injured stars on the field, but as healthy as possible
Kyron Drones struggled throwing the ball, completing nine of his 20 passes for 115 yards and a pick. Even more uncharacteristic was his 11 rushing attempts for just 13 yards. After averaging nearly five yards per carry a season ago, Drones has only managed even two and half yards per attempt or more in one of his last four games. After less than three quarters of subpar football, Brent Pry opted for backup Collin Schlee at QB.
The running back room was somehow even more concerning against Clemson, as Malachi Thomas was out, while Bhayshul Tuten was described as "limited" postgame. Tuten was a complete non-factor, getting four carries for zero yards before leaving early in the second half due to injury. This kind of play from the running back position is completely unrecognizable to Hokie fans, who just one month ago, witnessed Tuten torch Boston College for a franchise record 266 rushing yards and four all-purpose touchdowns, and was a clear sign of how far he was from being healthy.
Without virtually any running backs available (or at least the choice to not use Jeremiah Coney despite having almost 100 yards the week prior against Syracuse), Virginia Tech was forced to resort to an injured Kyron Drones to make plays through the air to defeat a Clemson defense that had been stronger defending the pass this season. This method unsurprisingly didn’t work then, and it most likely won’t work now.
The Hokies, who are one win shy of bowl eligibility, better hope their players can get healthy very fast to try and rectify what has been a disappointing season in Blacksburg.
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