Kyron Drones flashes, Hokies run defense struggles again in loss at Rutgers

Raza Umerani

Staff Writer

September 17, 2023

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The story of Saturday afternoon’s defense was one that has already become all too familiar for Virginia Tech in 2023. 

Rutgers (3-0, 1-0 Big Ten) gashed the Hokies (1-2) for 256 yards on the ground, including 116 in the fourth quarter, in a 35-16 drubbing for its first win over former Big East rival Tech since 1992 — snapping a 12-game losing streak in the series. 

Scarlet Knights star running back Kyle Monangai racked up 143 yards and a hat trick of touchdowns on 16 carries, punctuated by a 55-yard sprint early in the fourth quarter to give Rutgers a two-score lead. Quarterback Gavin Wimsatt had 87 yards and a score on 11 rushes — a stark contrast to his mere 46 yards on just seven completions.

“I don't think the numbers looked like that at the beginning of the fourth,” Tech head coach Brent Pry said to reporters after the game. “I think the short-yardage run was a backbreaker. I think the quarterback hurt us running the ball for three quarters. We got to do a better job there. We had defensive breakdowns. Third-and-one, it was 21-16, and we don't have the edge of the defense, and he gets out. You can't do that on any back, let alone a good back. And then not being able to finish. I thought they pinned their ears back, came off the ball and were able to close out running the ball.”

The Hokies have now given up 636 rushing yards this season, an alarming average of 212 yards per game to put them in the bottom 10 run defenses in the FBS.

“We did our very best,” Hokies defensive tackle Josh Fuga told the media after the game. “We left things out that we wish we could have back. But I would say that we went out there and gave it our all.”

On the other side of the ball, all eyes were on whoever would line up under center for the Hokies after starting quarterback Grant Wells sustained an ankle injury late in the first half against Purdue and didn’t practice much throughout the course of the week. When Tech took the field, Baylor transfer Kyron Drones was its starting signal-caller. 

“Grant helped me all week,” Drones said. “Before the game he just told me to be myself and do what I need to do.”

Drones, who offers a vastly different skill set than Wells thanks to his rushing ability, looked like someone making his first collegiate start, finishing 19-of-32 passing for 190 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He added 74 yards on the ground.

“I would say [he was] inconsistent,” Pry said. “But, I think there's some really good things. You know, he made it hard to defend him. I think he had some nice balls today. He did a really nice job running the ball. He did miss a few reads that I think left some plays on the field. His decision making was pretty good. First college start, I think there'll be a lot to build from. So certainly some good things but I think he would be the first to say there's a bunch of things we need to be better.”

The backup flashed in moments for the Hokies offense, but left some meat on the bone. Still, he came away from the game feeling good about his performance.

“I feel like, for my first start, I played well,” Drones told reporters after the game. “The offense shot ourselves in the foot in the first half and then we tried to bounce back in the second. That's a good job by the Rutgers defense. They played a good game and that's on us.”

Drones’ teammates felt good about his outing as well. 

“He came in with a mindset of, whenever he gets his opportunity he would put his best foot forward,” Fuga said. From preseason, game one from fall camp, from last week, to this week. He's on the same block as me in the locker room, and I challenged him to be the best version of [himself]. When you are you, that's all you can give. Kyron Drones did his best job and gave it his all. When you are you, you're great. He was himself. He stood behind the mindset that he came in with. He gave us a chance.”

The Rutgers defense certainly did a good job in the first half, allowing just three points while the Scarlet Knights offense marched up and down the field to the tune of three touchdowns and an 18-point halftime lead — a near mirror image to the Hokies’ 17-0 halftime deficit to Purdue a week ago.

“We've got to figure that out,” Pry said. “We've got to start better than that. That's two weeks in a row where we don't we don't play to our potential early in the game. As a head coach, I've got to do better.”

The game couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start for the Hokies, as a mishap on an exchange between Drones and running back Bhayshul Tuten left the ball on the turf, which the Rutgers defense fell on top of. On their first offensive play of the game, the Scarlet Knights cashed in with a 19-yard touchdown run from Monangai. 

“Just got stuck,” Drones said of the early turnover. “Tried to pull the ball and it just got stuck. Something we got to learn from. Can't let it happen again.”

The Hokies defense tightened up a bit from there on out, forcing three consecutive three-and-outs. Rutgers’ defense was able to match suit, and its offense took advantage with two touchdown drives to end the half, punctuated by a 34-yard spring by Wimsatt — who wasn’t touched on his way to the endzone. A buzzer-beating touchdown catch from wide receiver Christian Dremel with seven seconds left in the second quarter gave Rutgers a three score lead to end the first half.

“I think we've got self-inflicted wounds,” Pry said. “The fumble, and we miss a tackle, or we go out defensively after the fumble in the first series and we got a free hitter behind the line of scrimmage and missed the tackle. You know, again plays that need to be made. We have to start better. I don't know if it's a confidence thing. Maybe the way we start practice. We're gonna look at it as coaches and certainly talk about it with players. We know the team that we can be. There's signs of it in both of these losses. There's signs of it in moments. You know, we have to be the team that we're capable of being more consistently throughout four quarters.”

The third quarter saw Tech finally reach paydirt as Drones’ lone touchdown toss came on a 39-yard pass to wide receiver Da’Quan Felton — the Norfolk State transfer’s first trip to the endzone with the Hokies.

“It was a good feeling,” Felton said. “Just gotta act like you've been there before. But it was a better feeling just to be able to bring energy to the team with that touchdown.”

A one-yard touchdown plunge early in the fourth quarter from Tuten brought the Hokies back within a possession, but Tech couldn’t get the defensive stop it needed as Rutgers responded with Monangai’s game-icing score. Monangai added a third touchdown later in the quarter after a Tech turnover on downs to cement the game for Rutgers.

The injury bug continued to bite the Hokies on Saturday, primarily on defense. Safety Nasir Peoples and mike linebacker Alan Tisdale — two veteran leaders on the defense — didn’t suit up. Safety Jalen Stroman exited the game in the first half and didn’t return.

“We've got to build depth,” Pry said. “You guys have heard me talk about that. … I think you know, at safety obviously with Nasir [Peoples] out, [Jalen] Stroman didn't play the second half, Mose [Phillips] and Jaylen Jones … we’ve got to keep bringing them along.”

The Hokies will look to continue moving players around the secondary to fill the plethora of holes that exist in the defensive backfield.

“We've got Mansoor [Delane] playing some safety,” Pry said. “We've got [Derrick] Canteen trained to play there a little bit. … Dante Lovett got some work and Braylon Johnson got some work not just in their units but also on special teams.”

The young group is rather inexperienced with Lovett and Johnson being freshmen and Jones transitioning to wide receiver. They’ll need to mature quickly for the Hokies defense to remain competitive.

“Those young guys they fought, they were ready,” Fuga said. They gave us a chance. Like coach says, you could be at the bottom of the depth chart, but it takes one play for you to be in the two-deep.”

Wide receiver Jaylin Lane, the top receiver on the depth chart with Ali Jennings out,  was a game-time decision due to a hamstring issue. He didn’t record a snap despite looking smooth in warm ups.

“He was a pregame decision,” Pry said. “He didn't look quite well enough. Ran around in pregame, kind of saw him flinch. He's a tough kid. Believe me he wanted to go. He's a pretty good player at 85 or 90%. We've got to get him well. He's too important to us. We've got to get him well and healthy to help us.”

The loss drops the Hokies below .500 for the first time this season.

“It's just hurtful for everybody in that locker room,” Pry said. “You work so hard to claw back in it. We just put ourselves just too much in a hole to overcome. We're just not that type of team. The margin of error for us is very small. We can't afford to make those kinds of mistakes early in the game, and then just bounce right back. That's not going to happen often enough for sure. I'm encouraged by the positive things. There is good fight. There's guys that stepped up and made plays. Quan Felton, Kyron, Tuten, there's guys that are doing good things. We just got to put it together a little bit better.”

Fuga, a team captain, closed out his press conference with a passionate speech on resilience: something the Hokies will need to have in bunches if they are to rebound from back-to-back tough losses.

“Resilience is very different than being numb,” he said. “Resilience means you experience, you feel, you fail and you hurt. You fall, but you keep going. That’s what this team is. This hurt. We’re 1-2. We failed. We failed at points in the game and we fought, but I’m going to tell you this: You put that team out, we’re going to keep going. That’s a fact. We’re going to keep going. We’re not going to stop. And I’m trying to tell you, I’m going to do my best to lead those guys and I’m going to try my best to give it my all for this team, for this program, for [Lunch Pail Defense], for whatever you want to think about Virginia Tech. I’m going to give it my all and I’m going to do it for those guys that are in the locker room behind me.”

Tech travels to Huntington, West Virginia on Saturday for its second consecutive road game when it takes on Marshall (2-0) at noon (ESPN2). Rutgers will look to get to 4-0 when it takes on No. 2 Michigan at the Big House on Saturday at noon.