Reserve running back Ashten Emory sealed Cal’s 25-20 victory over Virginia Tech with a 2-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds remaining, capping a six-play, 75-yard drive that overturned a near-constant deficit. Emory carried the ball 19 times for 46 yards in relief of injured starter Adam Mohammed, whose foot injury kept him sidelined.
Cal’s quarterback situation shifted dramatically before kickoff when Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele was ruled out with a concussion sustained the previous week against UNLV. Jackson Brousseau, a transfer from Colorado State, made his first start for the Golden Bears and threw for 321 yards and one touchdown, stepping up under pressure.
The game started slowly, with both teams combining for only 81 yards of total offense in the first quarter. Virginia Tech broke the deadlock early in the second quarter when Ethan Grunkemeyer found Ayden Greene on a 30-yard touchdown pass. Cal responded with a swift, five-play, 85-yard drive capped by Emory’s 5-yard touchdown run, tying the score.
Virginia Tech’s Marcellous Hawkins Jr. put the Hokies back ahead with a 3-yard touchdown late in the second quarter, making it 14-7. Cal managed a 35-yard field goal with 42 seconds left before halftime and added another field goal in the third quarter, narrowing the margin to one point.
Trailing 14-13 entering the fourth quarter, Brousseau led a drive that ended with a three-yard touchdown pass to Carson Perry-Smith, giving Cal a 19-14 lead. The Hokies answered with a nine-play, 73-yard drive to retake the lead 20-19. Cal’s final drive saw Emory break free off the edge for the winning touchdown.
Virginia Tech kicker John Love had a difficult night, missing two field goals, including a 55-yarder in the first quarter and a 39-yarder in the fourth. Love’s struggles followed a missed game-winning kick against Pittsburgh the previous week.
Virginia Tech dropped to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference with this loss, their second consecutive defeat by a single score. The Hokies’ offense struggled to find rhythm, and their defense failed to contain Cal’s passing attack and special teams.
Cal improved to 3-3 overall and 2-1 in the conference, relying heavily on their passing game with 321 yards through the air but only 82 on the ground. Despite being mostly one-dimensional, the Golden Bears managed to put together a late-game drive that secured their second conference win.
Virginia Tech will host Georgia Tech on Saturday, while Cal will welcome Wake Forest the same day.
According to Yahoo Sports.
