There is not much mystery about Virginia Tech’s mission when it plays host to Rutgers on Saturday in Blacksburg, Va.
The Hokies (2-1) will be focused on stopping Kyle Monangai of the Scarlet Knights (2-0), who ranks No. 2 in FBS rushing this season while averaging 186.5 yards per game.
Virginia Tech knows Monangai all too well. In a matchup last season at Rutgers, he dashed for 143 yards and three touchdowns as the Scarlet Knights ended a 12-game losing streak against their former Big East Conference rival with a 35-16 victory.
“He’s a physical runner,” Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry said. “He does a great job keeping his feet and legs going. I think that first would-be tackler feels it.”
Facing an outside Heisman Trophy candidate in Monangai is a frightening prospect for a Virginia Tech defense that surrendered 243 yards on the ground in a 37-17 win Saturday night at winless Old Dominion.
“We’ve gotta beat them off the ball. We gotta play lower,” Pry said. “We gotta get on their side more often.”
Rutgers also has the advantage of coming off a bye week, following a 49-17 win over Akron on Sept. 7 when Monangai rushed for three touchdowns and a career-high 208 yards.
The Scarlet Knights aren’t a one-trick pony. Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis added 230 yards through the air and three touchdown passes against Akron.
The transfer, who started 17 games for the previous two years at Minnesota, beat out Rutgers’ two-year starter Gavin Wimsatt in the spring. Wimsatt is now at Kentucky. Kaliakmanis has upgraded a passing attack that completed a Big Ten-low 48.3 percent of its attempts last year.
Virginia Tech counters with dual-threat quarterback Kyron Drones, who passed for 176 yards and ran for 117 yards in the win over Old Dominion.
When the Scarlet Knights and Hokies met last year, Virginia Tech’s quarterback situation was in flux.
“He’s really big, athletic, strong arm,” Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said of Drones. “… their ascension as a program and as a team coincided with his development.”
The Hokies also received 115 yards rushing and two fourth-quarter touchdowns from Bhayshul Tuten at Old Dominion. Jaylin Lane contributed seven receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown.
“Wherever you look in the skill game, they are loaded,” Schiano said. “They probably have eight to 10 draft picks and another five to seven free agents. So they have a lot of NFL players on this team.”
– Field Level Media