What a Rush! Hokies find their Road Warrior Spirit in Boston

Virginia Tech dined on danger and snacked on death in a dominating 48-22 win over Boston College. Offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen hammered the defense with a beautiful balance of his most effective offensive concepts to stretch the Eagles defense to the breaking point. And break they did. Kyron Drones threw passes into tight spaces, and the trio of Drones, Bhayshul Tuten, and Malachi Thomas repeatedly slipped unblocked second-level defenders to spearhead a grinding rushing attack. Two interceptions by corner Dorian Strong offset a shaky early start defensively, and with the offense chewing up time of possession, Boston College's strong running game was marginalized. The Hokies stand one win away from bowl eligibility, something deemed a longshot after early season losses to Purdue, Rutgers, and Marshall.

Showcasing all the options on Split Zone Read

Bowen was pulling aces throughout the game. The toss-quarterback counter was working. Drones moved the sticks following his tailbacks on inside zone fakes. The waggle and bootleg concepts found holes in the secondary. In the rare case the Hokies had to throw the ball down the field, Drones delivered it into tight spots and his receivers made plays running after the catch. But while he churned yards running other concepts, nothing opened up room for the tailbacks more than a true triple option look on the split zone read.

Bowen and Drones forced the Eagles defense to account for dive, quarterback keep, and the quick throw to the tight end in the flat on every split zone read. The effect caused the defense to widen, creating more space for the dive. While the run action was very similar each time, the formation and pre-snap motion was specific to make sure that Bowen could create the best possible outcome for the intended ball carrier.