Virginia Tech didn’t just stop the skid Saturday night - it did it with fireworks, then weathered the mess that followed.
Behind a huge day from Que’Sean Brown and a fast start from quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, the Hokies beat Georgia Tech 34-24 in front of a sold-out Lane Stadium crowd on a chilly fall Saturday. Virginia Tech improved to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the ACC after dropping two straight, while the Yellow Jackets fell to 2-4 and 1-2.
Brown was the engine from the opening snap. He finished with 251 all-purpose yards, the eighth-most by a Hokies player in a single game since 1987, and turned the game’s first touch into a 60-yard touchdown after catching a seam route, making two defenders miss and sprinting to the end zone. He also added six receptions for 182 yards and a score, one 12-yard jet sweep and two punt returns for 57 yards.
Grunkemeyer was sharp early and efficient all night, going 15-for-22 for 250 yards and three touchdowns, with 215 of those yards coming before halftime. He also scored once on the ground. Virginia Tech built a 24-3 lead by halftime and leaned on that cushion the rest of the way.
The Hokies’ second touchdown came after Georgia Tech running back Trelain Maddox lost the ball out of the end zone for a touchback, with cornerback Thomas Williams forcing the play. Virginia Tech then stretched the lead when Grunkemeyer tucked the ball and ripped off a 20-yard scoring run, with Davion Brown’s 12-yard grab on third down setting it up.
Georgia Tech got its best first-half chance after Que’Sean Brown muffed a punt, and the Yellow Jackets recovered at the 19. But Virginia Tech held them to a 31-yard field goal from Aidan Birr, keeping the margin at 14-3 with 10:43 left in the second quarter.
From there, the Hokies hit another big play through Brown, who caught a 66-yard pass up the seam to set up a red-zone trip. On fourth-and-3 from the 5, Virginia Tech rolled the dice and Grunkemeyer connected with tight end Ja’Ricous Hairston on a mesh concept for a touchdown, similar to the short-yardage score he had at Maryland.
Then came the game’s first turnover from Georgia Tech quarterback Alberto Mendoza, who threw an interception directly to Virginia Tech safety Quentin Reddish. It was the Hokies’ first pick against a Power Four opponent this year, and it handed them the ball at the Yellow Jackets’ 34.
Even after the offense stalled, John Love cashed in a 39-yard field goal from the left hash. Love had entered the game after missing his previous three kicks, and this one pushed Virginia Tech’s lead to 24-3.
At halftime, the Hokies had outgained Georgia Tech 307 to 189. But the Yellow Jackets came out swinging after the break and made things uncomfortable almost immediately.
Maddox broke loose for a 42-yard touchdown on the third play of the third quarter, and after Virginia Tech went three-and-out on a possession that included two sacks and a false start before a fourth-and-31 punt, Mendoza found a wide-open Dalen Penson for a 33-yard touchdown in the corner of the end zone. In a matter of three minutes, a 24-3 lead had become 24-17 with 12:01 left in the third.
Virginia Tech settled down from there and answered two drives later. Starting at its own 46, Grunkemeyer hit Jeffrey Overton Jr. on a screen, and Overton used a block from right tackle Aidan Lynch before cutting back across the field and weaving 26 yards for a touchdown to make it 31-17.
The Hokies added another Love field goal after Brown ripped off a 63-yard punt return to the Georgia Tech 17, though the drive stalled. It was the third time this season Virginia Tech had settled for a field goal after Brown gave it a punt return of at least 50 yards into the red zone.
Georgia Tech kept pressing. Birr missed a 32-yard field goal wide right after a quick drive built on completions of 13, 16 and 18 yards from Mendoza, who finished 29-for-38 for 335 yards and two touchdowns. He opened the second half by completing his first 14 passes and was 18-for-20 for 217 yards after the break.
The Yellow Jackets finally found the end zone again when Mendoza hit Jaiven Plummer for a 6-yard touchdown with 5:20 left, trimming the deficit to 10. But Virginia Tech handled the clock from there and closed it out.
The Hokies finished with five tackles for loss and three sacks, while Georgia Tech posted eight TFLs and five sacks. Three of those sacks on Grunkemeyer came on three of Virginia Tech’s first six plays of the second half.
Virginia Tech heads to Clemson next Saturday for a 7 or 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN or ESPN2. It will be the Hokies’ first trip to Death Valley since 2012.
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A fast start gave Virginia Tech enough cushion to beat Georgia Tech 34-24, and the Hokies leaned on a big night from QueSean Brown to make sure it held up. Brown piled up a career-high 180 receiving yards, helping fuel an offense that looked sharp early and got a boost from Jeffrey Overtons 26-yard rushing touchdown as the Hokies controlled the opening half.
The second half looked different, though, as Georgia Tech found its rhythm behind quarterback Alberto Mendozas 335 passing yards and two touchdowns. Virginia Techs early lead proved to be the difference, but the way the game swung after halftime is the kind of finish fans are likely to remember, especially with Brown turning in the sort of breakout performance that can change the tone of a season. [Read more 🡒]
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