led by herbert, three hokies earn acc player of the week honors

Chris Hirons

October 6, 2020

BLACKSBURG — It might be too early to write Khalil Herbert’s on a Heisman Trophy voting card. However, it’s not too early to notice that the Virginia Tech running back is the spark plug the Hokies offense needed this season.

Averaging 8.9 yards-per-carry in four games with Kansas last season before transferring, bizarrely, Herbert has steadily improved his yards-per-carry mark this season to an even 12 while leading the nation in rushing yards-per-game with 156.

Not only does Herbert run the ball with both power and speed, but the 5-foot-9 running back also possesses a unique kick returning skillset. Herbert returned three kicks for 150 yards in Virginia Tech’s 38-31 win over Duke on Saturday afternoon. He almost returned one for a touchdown, too. Normally, that stat alone would be impressive enough, but Herbert added 207 yards on 19 touches, breaking free for two touchdowns.

Herbert’s 357 all-purpose yards became a new single-game record for Tech and earned him the honors of ACC running back and specialist of the week. The achievement also placed him in sole possession of the all-purpose yards-per-game category in the nation with 276.

Without Herbert’s Herculean efforts, it’s fair to say that the Hokies wouldn’t have beaten Duke last week, nor would the team sit atop the ACC standings with Clemson, UNC, Miami or Notre Dame.

“Winning the game, or helping the team win is probably the best part about this,” Herbert said after Saturday’s game. “Making a big play to help the team win is really the big thing about it all.”

It was obvious the team gelled together during the Duke win. The Hokies could be seen jumping up and down on the sidelines during a big play at any point in the game, while Duke’s sideline looked somewhat mute, throughout.

In a game as close as it was between the Blue Devils and the Hokies, substantial performances were needed and showcased by Virginia Tech. Both offensive lineman Christian Darrisaw and defensive end Emmanuel Belmar stepped up in an immense way and were named to the ACC Team of the Week, alongside Herbert.

Darrisaw, the 6-foot-5, 314 pound offensive tackle, earned a second straight ACC offensive lineman of the week honors for the Hokies. Center Brock Hoffman earned the title last week against NC State. Darrisaw started his 24^th consecutive game at left tackle for the Hokies, who went over 300 yards on the ground in consecutive games for the first time since the 2002 season.

Tech also registered 324 yards and four rushing TDs against the Blue Devils. The Hokies gained 6.5 yards per attempt on 50 rushes in the game and gained 16 first downs via the run game.

Belmar registered a career-best three sacks against Duke, totaling a loss of 17 yards for the Blue Devils. The Georgia native was a part of a defensive front that held Duke to just 139 yards on the ground and 3.8 yards per attempt. On the season, the redshirt senior has recorded seven tackles and one QB hurry.

Virginia Tech will look to add to its already stellar ACC Player of the Week lineup in week five against UNC on Saturday.