dream start for matheny helps tech's depleted secondary in durham

Chris Hirons

October 4, 2020

The term zero to hero is seldomly used in college football.

However, the term accurately described walk-on defensive back Tyler Matheny’s first start on Saturday afternoon in Virginia Tech’s 38-31 win over the Duke Blue Devils.

“All [Matheny] does is work his tail off,” head coach Justin Fuente said. “When his time came, he met the challenge. What a great story.”

Recording a crucial interception on a batted ball from freshman defensive back Keonta Jenkins midway through the first quarter and a sack in the second quarter, Mathney was up to the task as he was the third-leading tackler on the defense.

“It was a little nerve wracking,” Mathney said of the first drive. “After that, the nerves were calmed and I just leaned on the coaching staff.”

The Hokies were hit hard at defensive back this week by injuries and COVID-19. Losing scholarship starters Jermaine Waller, Armani Chatman, Brion Murray, Divine Deablo and Devin Taylor certainly hurt. Additionally, Tech lost both of its defensive backs coaches to the virus as cornerbacks coach Ryan Smith and defensive coordinator and safeties coach Justin Hamilton sat at home during the week.

Speaking with the media after the game, looking drained from both the game and the toll the virus has taken on his team, Fuente said that he didn’t find out that his defensive back room was going to be as thin as it was until late in the week.

Most of Saturday afternoon’s secondary didn’t find out that it would start until Thursday when Wednesday’s test results revealed the positive tests and contract tracing searches had been completed.

“I found out I was starting on Thursday,” Mathney said. “From that point, I got as many reps as I could to get ready for today.”

After the contract tracing results revealed which players were sitting out Saturday's contest, the Hokies listed Dorian Strong and Nadir Thompson as the only cornerbacks that were healthy for Saturday’s matchup on a scholarship.

When the secondary inactives were announced, most expected the Hokies’ secondary to be burned by Duke quarterback Chase Brice. To the secondary’s credit, it limited Brice to 271 passing yards and held the Duke offense to a 29.4% third down conversion rate.

“What scares you the most about the virus is on defense,” Fuente said. “You can’t escape it. It’s not like on offense where you can punt the ball away and get off the field. You can’t hide it.”

A graduate of Lake Braddock High School in Burke, Virginia, Mathney wasn’t heavily recruited on the gridiron and didn’t receive a single offer from a Division-I football team. Instead, in-state rival Virginia recruited and offered the 6-foot-1 high school tight end a wrestling scholarship.

As a senior, Mathney was honored as a first team All-State 6A player and was named the NOVA Football Hall of Fame Player of the Year in 2018.

The redshirt sophomore said that choosing between the wrestling scholarship and taking a chance as a walk-on wasn’t easy and that it sat on the forefront of his mind for a month before he made his decision.

“It was always my dream to play Power-5 football,” Mathney said. “I haven’t really thought too much about going back on that decision.”

It seems as if, or at least for the time being, Mathney made the right choice.