It had been six years since Virginia Tech performed Virginia in entrance of a Lane Stadium stuffed with followers. The Hokies despatched them house completely happy.
Tech rolled previous Virginia 37-17 on Saturday evening, getting its requisite sixth win to achieve bowl eligibility for the second time in three years beneath Brent Pry.
The Hokies (6-6, 4-4 ACC) gained for the nineteenth time within the final 20 video games within the battle for the Commonwealth Cup. They haven’t misplaced to the Cavaliers at house in 26 years.
Virginia (5-7, 3-5) did not qualify for a bowl for the third straight yr beneath Tony Elliott, fading after a 4-1 begin. The Cavaliers trailed by not less than 24 in 5 video games this yr, together with Saturday.
With Kyron Drones and Collin Schlee not dressing out because of accidents, Pop Watson bought the nod at quarterback for the Hokies, shining in his first profession begin. The redshirt freshman, who performed admirably in reduction towards Duke final week, accounted for 302 yards and two touchdowns (one passing, one speeding) to assist Tech snap a three-game shedding streak.
Bhayshul Tuten went over the 100-yard mark for the sixth time this yr, churning out 124 yards on 18 carries. He put the sport away with a 58-yard landing burst up the center halfway by the fourth quarter. His 17 touchdowns this yr are tied for the ACC lead with SMU’s Brashard Smith, UNC’s Omarion Hampton and Syracuse’s LeQuint Allen.
Antwaun Powell-Ryland had three sacks, giving him 16 on the season. That’s tied for the third-most in a single season in Hokies historical past with Bruce Smith’s effort in 1984. Only Smith (22 in 1983) and Corey Moore (17 in 1999) had extra.
Quarterback Tony Muskett, who was a shock starter for Anthony Colandrea, threw for 178 yards in defeat for the Cavaliers, working for 62 yards and two touchdowns.
It was all Virginia Tech from the beginning, a typical theme the final two years. The Hokies marched down the sector on the opening drive, going 90 yards in 11 performs. Watson hit Da’Quan Felton for a 42-yard achieve into UVa territory, with Tuten punching it in on a 6-yard run, giving the Hokies a 7-0 lead.
After a three-and-out, Tech moved into area objective vary, with John Love connecting on a 44-yarder to make it 10-0 with 1:16 left within the first quarter.
Virginia bought on the board with a 37-yard area objective by Will Betteridge with 2:46 remaining within the first half.
It didn’t take lengthy for the Hokies to strike again. Just after the two-minute warning, Watson hit Jaylin Lane in stride over the center of the sector for a 66-yard landing that gave Tech a 17-3 lead.
Jaylen Jones notched his third interception of the yr on UVa’s ensuing drive, returning it 27 yards to the Cavaliers’ 46 with 56 seconds to play earlier than the break and giving the Hokies an opportunity to increase their cushion.
On the fourth play of the following drive, Watson rolled left and hit Ayden Greene for an 11-yard achieve with seven seconds left on a ticking clock, although UVa tacked on 15 yards for an illegal-use-of-hands penalty. Tech introduced the sector objective group on and snapped it with one second left. Love drilled the 31-yarder to offer the Hokies a 20-3 lead on the break.
UVa bought the ball to begin the second half and went for it on a fourth-and-1 from its personal 45. Chris Tyree bought stuffed for no achieve, nonetheless. It took the Hokies simply 5 performs to attain from there, with Watson conserving it on what regarded like a busted play, scoring on a 5-yard run to make it 27-3.
The Cavaliers discovered the tip zone on their subsequent drive, going 75 yards in 10 performs earlier than Muskett plunged in on a 2-yard run. Muskett’s two-point conversion cross to tight finish Tyler Neville was good, pulling UVa inside 27-11 with 5:23 left within the third quarter.
Watson hit Jennings for a 40-yard cross up the sideline on Tech’s subsequent drive, establishing a 28-yard area objective by Love to push the Hokies’ lead again to 3 scores at 30-11.
Muskett scored on the bottom for a second time with a 5-yard run with 13:12 left. UVa’s two-point conversion fell incomplete, conserving the Cavaliers down 30-17.
UVa punted it away after dealing with a fourth-and-6 from its personal 23-yard line with 8:53 left. Tech put the sport away shortly after, with Tuten pinballing off a sort out on the line on a third-down run and breaking free for a 58-yard landing run that put the Hokies up 37-17.
Box Score: Virginia Tech 37, Virginia 17
