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.