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Published Dec 27, 2023
Hokies weather the storm and leave the Wave in the mud
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Connor Mardian  •  HokieHaven
Hokie Haven Staff
Twitter
@connormardian10

A once bleak one-win Hokies squad flipped a script that looked inevitably out of their favor as they capped off the season with a dominant 41-20 win over the Tulane Green Wave in the Hokies' first bowl win since 2016.

The Hokies ran for 362 yards, including 176 from quarterback Kyron Drones, more than making up for a mere 91-yard output through the air.

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Half number one was a battle dictated by whoever could hold onto the ball. It took just 10 plays for the first turnover to be committed. Hokies QB Kyron Drones lost control of the pigskin with his eyes down the field and his mistake landed straight into the outstretched palms of Tulane linebacker, Tyler Grubbs who notched the first TD of the night.

Drones, would not be shaken up by this as an authoritative Hokies drive was soon in coming. A nearly 6:30 drive ensued before one of the nation's best defenses in the Green Wave awoke from their groggy state and held the Hokies to a field goal, which shortened the Hokie deficit to three.

Two stalemate drives followed Love's field goal until the second turnover of the night flipped the momentum squarely in the Hokies favor as a muffed punt led Kyron Drones to waltz into the endzone and just like that the Blacksburg squad found the lead.

Quarter number two followed much of the same suit the first quarter presented. The Green Wave were moving the ball effortlessly to the Hokies red zone, yet a thundering Pheldarius Payne hit on Green Wave QB Kai Horton forced the ball out of his hands

The Hokies could not capitalize on their newfound wave of life, and it would end up being Tulane who would score next with a 49-yard kick to even the tally at 10.

As both sides looked to establish a firm grip on Wednesday's rainout, it would be coach Pry's sides who would strike next as Drones and Co. would move the ball with relative ease sharing the ball with Tuten and redshirt freshman Harrison St Germain who would be on the receiving end of the games third touchdown of the night.

A botched squib kick bizarrely flipped the possession arrow right back in favor of the Hokies, yet Drones found nothing as his long shot pass was fumbled out of bounds to send the Hokies into half up, 17-10.

Jaylin Lane would be responsible for the second half's first turnover, on a fumble that sat up the Green Wave in the red zone before QB Kai Horton evaded Jaylen Jones on his way to the paydirt to square the night at 17 all.

One thing that must be plauded is the Hokies unwavering determination to keep going. There were multiple times in the night that a previous Hokies squad would have lost faith and let their heads fall. Wednesday was the finale to a season that seemed to shudder away those ghosts previous as Drones and Tuten bossed their way to the endzone to once again sway the numbers in Tech's favor as the Maroon and Orange snagged a 24-17 lead that they would finally apply a firm clasp too.

The remaining quarter and a half would find the Hokies layering the Green Wave with a monsoon of grit and grind plays. Although their big plays number from midway through the third will not jump out at you, as Tech accumulated just two 15+ yard plays. There were two more touchdowns scored by the Hokies which is a testament to how far this team has come.

With that, the Hokies 2023 season is complete. A team that once sat at 1-3 and on the brink of repeating a dreadful year one, flipped the final nine games while winning six of them, all with relative ease. And an offense that looks reborn with a core of some of the ACC's best scattered around all 22, who are looking to chisel the Hokies to the once prominent world-beating sculpture that looked so distant a matter of months ago.


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