ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Kyron Drones ran for 176 yards and a touchdown and also threw two touchdowns as Virginia Tech withstood a second-half downpour to beat No. 23 Tulane 41-20 in the Military Bowl on Wednesday.
The Drones failed three times in the slippery conditions, but the Hokies (7-6) only lost one of them. The second-year quarterback only passed for 91 yards, but he and Bhayshul Tuten were difficult to stop on the ground.
Tuten finished the game with 136 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, helping Virginia Tech snap a four-game bowl losing streak.
Tulane (11-3) had to do without star quarterback Michael Pratt. Both Kai Horton and Justin Ibieta played in his place, but Ibieta was forced off in the second quarter with an apparent leg injury. Makhi Hughes rushed for 88 yards.
An unforced fumble by the Drones gave the Green Wave an early lead as Tyler Grubbs picked up the ball and returned it 21 yards for a touchdown. After a botched punt gave Virginia Tech the ball at the Tulane 11, the Drones ran for a touchdown on the first play of the game to give the Hokies a 10-7 lead.
Drones also lost the ball on this run, but it was determined that he had reached the end zone first.
Tulane had the first goal from the first minute when Horton was hit by Pheldarius Payne as he attempted to pass the ball. The Hokies were able to make up for this mistake and save a great scoring opportunity.
Virginia Tech took a 17-10 lead on a 1-yard scoring pass from the Drones to Harrison Saint Germain with 8 seconds left in the half.
Then it actually seemed to rain harder, but that didn't have much of an impact on Virginia Tech's running game — as long as the Hokies kept the ball.
Jaylin Lane lost a fumble in the first minute of the second half, and Tulane took advantage of that short field and tied the game on a 6-yard scramble by Horton. But the Drones rallied for a 51-yard gain on the next drive, and Tuten's 9-yard scoring run gave the Hokies a 24-17 lead.
The Drones threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Benji Gosnell early in the fourth, and after Tulane lost its third fumble of the day, Tuten scored on a 12-yard run to make it 41-20.
THE TAKING AWAY
Virginia Tech: The Hokies lost three straight in September to Purdue, Rutgers and Marshall, but they did a good job putting together a winning season. Virginia Tech appears to be on a positive path under coach Brent Pry.
Tulane: The Green Wave have won 23 games over the last two seasons, but they lost coach Willie Fritz to Houston earlier this month, and interim coach Slade Nagle had a difficult task in this bowl.
NEXT
Virginia Tech: The Hokies are scheduled to open next season Aug. 31 at Vanderbilt.
Tulane: New coach Jon Sumrall now takes over the program as the Green Wave looks to build on their success of the last few seasons.
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AP College Football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football