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One huge positive from Virginia Tech football's loss to Rutgers

There was one positive from the Hokies loss to Rutgers Saturday that they can hand their hat on.

By Scott Roche

Sep 21, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights running back Kyle Monangai (5) runs the ball during the second quarter against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images
Sep 21, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights running back Kyle Monangai (5) runs the ball during the second quarter against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images
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For the second time this season, the Virginia Tech football team entered a non-conference game against a power conference school as a favorite. For the second time this season, the Hokies underperformed and left the left with a frustrating loss.

Labor Day Weekend, Virginia Tech went to Nashville and fell behind 17-3 at halftime before battling back to take a 27-20 lead late in the fourth quarter only to have the Commodores tie the game late and win it in overtime. Saturday, Rutgers jumped out to a 23-7 lead and withstood a Hokies fourth-quarter rally to win the game on a late game-winning field goal after Virginia Tech battled back to tie the game at 23 with 4:35 left in the fourth quarter.

The loss dropped the Hokies to 2-2 with ACC play beginning Friday night at Miami, the No. 7 team in the country in the latest Associated Press Top 25. There were some positives to take away from the loss to the Scarlet Knights, with one of the more under-the-radar stats that could be considered a big positive.

One big Virginia Tech positive from Rutgers loss

Going into the game, all the talk about how were the Hokies going to defend the run against Rutgers, mainly star running back Kyle Monangai, who carved up Virginia Tech for 143 yards and three touchdowns in 2023. They held him to 84 yards on 26 carries and a touchdown. Samuel Brown had 60 yards on 14 carries and a pair of touchdowns while quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis scrambled for 16 yards. All in all, the Scarlet Knights had a combined total of 153 yards on 52 carries. For Virginia Tech, that’s progress.

Now, they will be up against it again this Friday night when they go up against a powerful Hurricanes offense in South Florida. Oregon State transfer Damien Martinez will be one of the best, if not the best, backs the Hokies will see this season. Quarterback Cam Ward, a Washington State transfer will also test the Virginia Tech run defense.

It feels like Virginia Tech is a team that is reeling right now, but heading on the road against a Top 10 team, one thing they can hang their hat on after the loss to Rutgers is the way they defended the better, something will need to be necessary if they want to be competitive against Miami.

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