Tag: Bhayshul Tuten

Two big Virginia Tech football stars listed as questionable ahead of Saturday game vs Duke

Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry labeled his top two offensive weapons as questionable ahead of a Saturday game against Duke.

The Duke Blue Devils (7-3) host the Virginia Tech Hokies (5-5) for the final home football game of the season on Saturday, and the fans in Durham should keep a close eye on the status of two major stars on the opposing team.

Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry said on Tuesday that quarterback Kyron Drones and running back Bhayshul Tuten are both questionable for Saturday’s game, as is running back Malachi Thomas.

Drones has thrown for 1,562 yards this season, completing 60.7% of his passes and averaging 7.0 yards per attempt. He’s found the end zone 10 times through the air and six more times with his legs, adding 336 yards as a rushing threat.

Tuten would be the biggest loss for Virginia Tech if he can’t go at full strength. He picked up 951 yards and scored 12 touchdowns in the team’s first eight games, including a 266-yard performance against Boston College.

Tuten and Drones both missed the Hokies’ road game against Syracuse on November 2, and Virginia Tech lost 38-31 in overtime.

Thomas’s status becomes much more important if Tuten can’t carry a large percentage of the work. His 160 yards are the third-most on the team, and he picked up 73 yards and reached the end zone once against the Orange.

Duke run defense set for tough matchup against Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten in Week 12

Ahead of Duke’s matchup with Virginia Tech, get to know the Hokies’ biggest offensive threat: running back Bhayshul Tuten.

At 7-3, the Duke Blue Devils could build upon an already impressive 2024 football season over the final two games. The first of those chances comes on Saturday night when they face the Virginia Tech Hokies.

The Blue Devils’ defense has been their strength so far this season, specifically the secondary. However, their run defense hasn’t been the greatest, which could make for a poor matchup with the Hokies.

Duke has allowed 149.3 yards per game on the ground this season, 71st among FBS teams. The Blue Devils improve on a per-play basis, moving up to 44th at 3.83 yards allowed per carry, and they’ve only given up 10 rushing touchdowns in 10 games, but it’s a far cry from their pass defense (12th in yards per attempt).

On the flip side, the Virginia Tech rushing offense ranks 36th in the nation with 185.3 yards per game. The Hokies are one of five ACC teams averaging more than five yards per attempt, and that is mostly carried by running back Bhayshul Tuten.

On the season, Tuten amassed 951 yards and 12 touchdowns on 146 attempts, an average of 6.51 yards per tote. He’s eclipsed 100 yards five times, including a 266-yard performance against Boston College that included three trips to the end zone.

Quarterback Kyron Drones also deserves attention for the Hokies’ offense on the ground. The redshirt junior has added 336 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

Those two have more than 69% of the team’s rushing production in 2024. If Duke is to win this game, the key will be limiting Tuten and Drones.