Jeffrey Overton Jr. turned a miserable weather day into Virginia Tech’s first big ACC statement of the season.
His 76-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter put the Hokies ahead for good and capped a 21-14 comeback win over Boston College on Saturday in Boston, where a nor’easter dumped rain, whipped winds and kept much of the stadium looking empty by the second half.
Virginia Tech improved to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, giving first-year coach James Franklin his best start with the program since 2017. Boston College dropped to 2-2 and 0-1.
Overton was the engine all afternoon, piling up 209 yards on 25 carries. Ethan Grunkemeyer did his part too, finishing 22 of 35 for 147 yards and a touchdown as Virginia Tech found enough balance to survive the storm and the Eagles.
Boston College had the early edge behind Mason McKenzie, who kept making plays with his legs. He ran for 138 yards and two touchdowns while completing 11 of 23 passes for 111 yards. The conditions made life ugly for both offenses, with rain bands and swirling wind gusts reaching 40 mph.
The Eagles were trying to win three straight for the first time since 2023, and for a while they looked positioned to do it. After Virginia Tech trimmed the deficit, the Hokies answered with Grunkemeyer’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Marlion Jackson. Overton then powered in the two-point conversion to tie the game midway through the fourth quarter.
That set the stage for the decisive snap. On the next drive, Overton broke loose down the right sideline and never gave Boston College a chance to recover.
McKenzie had already delivered a pair of big moments for the Eagles. One play after leaving favoring his right arm, he burst free for a 45-yard run to the Virginia Tech 5.
He then finished that drive by going around the left end for his first score. After a 20-yard completion to Dawson Pough, McKenzie punched in a 2-yard run to give Boston College a 14-6 lead early in the final quarter.
For Virginia Tech, the performance offered another sign that Grunkemeyer can still operate effectively even when the weather turns nasty. For Boston College, McKenzie’s running stood out again, but the offense is clearly leaning hard on him.
Virginia Tech hosts Pittsburgh on Friday night. Boston College goes to No. 22 SMU next Saturday at noon.
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Pitts Undefeated Start Faces A Real Test Against Virginia Tech
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Virginia Techs defense also adds another layer to the matchup, especially when stacked against Pitts numbers on that side of the ball. With unbeaten records on the line and betting interest already circling the game, this one feels like more than an early-season curiosity, it is the kind of game that can start sorting out which undefeated start is built to last. [Read more 🡒]