Virginia Tech had enough firepower Saturday to beat Georgia Tech 34-24 at Lane Stadium, but the Hokies left the game with a familiar question hanging over them: how long can they keep winning if the second half keeps slipping away?
The victory pushed Virginia Tech to 5-2 in James Franklin's inaugural season, snapped a two-game losing streak and moved the Hokies within one win of bowl eligibility. They burst out to a 24-3 halftime lead and looked in full control early, only to watch the Yellow Jackets chip the margin down to seven in the third quarter before Virginia Tech finally steadied itself.
That early cushion was built in large part by Que'Sean Brown, who put together the kind of game that changes how defenses have to play you. He finished with six catches for a career-high 182 yards and a touchdown, and his biggest blow came on Virginia Tech’s opening possession when he turned a 60-yard scoring grab into an immediate statement. Brown added another jolt later with a 63-yard punt return that helped set up a fourth-quarter field goal.
Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer also did his part in the first half. The Penn State transfer completed 15 of 22 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns, giving Virginia Tech the kind of passing punch that made the offense look nearly unstoppable before halftime.
He also took care of the ball, something the Hokies badly needed after turnovers hurt them in previous losses. This season, Grunkemeyer has thrown for 15 touchdowns, with 20 total scores when his five rushing touchdowns are included, against only two interceptions.
Then came the drop-off. After piling up 215 passing yards before the break, Grunkemeyer managed just 35 through the final two quarters.
Virginia Tech’s rushing efficiency also faded, especially in the third quarter, and Georgia Tech used that opening to get back into the game. The Hokies have now been outscored in the second half in three straight contests, a pattern that has to be a concern with tougher opponents ahead.
The defense had its own rough stretches. Virginia Tech’s secondary gave up a season-high 335 passing yards to Georgia Tech quarterback Alberto Mendoza, who went 29 of 38 for two touchdowns.
The Yellow Jackets finished with 428 total yards and actually outgained the Hokies, even though Virginia Tech held a 309-149 edge in yardage after one half. That second-half surge from Georgia Tech made the final score look a lot tighter than the opening 30 minutes suggested.
Special teams also played a real role in the win. Brown’s punt return flipped field position, and fifth-year kicker John Love added a 24-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to stretch the lead. After the controversial missed field goal against Pitt two weeks earlier, Love’s kick was an important answer.
So Virginia Tech gets the win, and it counts. But the film will show a team that played one strong half and one shaky one.
The Hokies were able to survive that against Georgia Tech. With Clemson coming next, and with SMU or Miami among the heavier hitters still on the schedule, that kind of second-half wobble could cost them.
At 5-2, Virginia Tech has reasons to feel good. The bigger test is whether it can string together four clean quarters before the season reaches its final five games.
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Virginia Tech Just Set Up A Much Bigger Test At Clemson
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The challenge now is turning that into something more lasting, because the next trip to Clemson will say a lot more about where this team stands than one solid afternoon did. Virginia Tech has some encouraging signs to carry with it, including the kind of production from quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer and QueSean Brown that can change the feel of a game, but the Tigers are the sort of opponent that quickly exposes whether a breakthrough was a step forward or just a brief spike. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Still Has One Problem Clemson Could Expose
Virginia Tech is trying to clean up the kind of issues that have cost it after halftime, and James Franklin spent part of the week acknowledging the problem while offering a practical fix. The Hokies coach said the team has been adjusting its practice schedule to better mirror game conditions, a sign that the staff knows the recent performance dip is not something it can ignore as the schedule tightens.
There is also some upside inside the roster, with Franklin pointing to the growth of Stevens along with freshmen Terry Wiggins and Benjamin Eziuka. Still, Clemson is the next test, and Virginia Tech will have to sort through a familiar defensive challenge with Tom Allen calling the Tigers' defense, a coach Franklin knows well. [Read more 🡒]