It had been six years since Virginia Tech played Virginia in front of a Lane Stadium full of fans. The Hokies sent them home happy.
Tech rolled past Virginia 37-17 on Saturday night, getting its requisite sixth win to gain bowl eligibility for the second time in three years under Brent Pry.
The Hokies (6-6, 4-4 ACC) won for the 19th time in the last 20 games in the battle for the Commonwealth Cup. They haven’t lost to the Cavaliers at home in 26 years.
Virginia (5-7, 3-5) failed to qualify for a bowl for the third straight year under Tony Elliott, fading after a 4-1 start. The Cavaliers trailed by at least 24 in five games this year, including Saturday.
With Kyron Drones and Collin Schlee not dressing out due to injuries, Pop Watson got the nod at quarterback for the Hokies, shining in his first career start. The redshirt freshman, who played admirably in relief against Duke last week, accounted for 302 yards and two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing) to help Tech snap a three-game losing streak.
Bhayshul Tuten went over the 100-yard mark for the sixth time this year, churning out 124 yards on 18 carries. He put the game away with a 58-yard touchdown burst up the middle midway through the fourth quarter. His 17 touchdowns this year 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 history with Bruce Smith’s effort in 1984. Only Smith (22 in 1983) and Corey Moore (17 in 1999) had more.
Quarterback Tony Muskett, who was a surprise starter for Anthony Colandrea, threw for 178 yards in defeat for the Cavaliers, running for 62 yards and two touchdowns.
It was all Virginia Tech from the start, a common theme the last two years. The Hokies marched down the field on the opening drive, going 90 yards in 11 plays. Watson hit Da’Quan Felton for a 42-yard gain 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 field goal range, with John Love connecting on a 44-yarder to make it 10-0 with 1:16 left in the first quarter.
Virginia got on the board with a 37-yard field goal by Will Betteridge with 2:46 remaining in the first half.
It didn’t take long for the Hokies to strike back. Just after the two-minute warning, Watson hit Jaylin Lane in stride over the middle of the field for a 66-yard touchdown that gave Tech a 17-3 lead.
Jaylen Jones notched his third interception of the year on UVa’s ensuing drive, returning it 27 yards to the Cavaliers’ 46 with 56 seconds to play before the break and giving the Hokies a chance to extend their cushion.
On the fourth play of the next drive, Watson rolled left and hit Ayden Greene for an 11-yard gain with seven seconds left on a ticking clock, though UVa tacked on 15 yards for an illegal-use-of-hands penalty. Tech brought the field goal team on and snapped it with one second left. Love drilled the 31-yarder to give the Hokies a 20-3 lead at the break.
UVa got the ball to start the second half and went for it on a fourth-and-1 from its own 45. Chris Tyree got stuffed for no gain, however. It took the Hokies just five plays to score from there, with Watson keeping it on what looked like a busted play, scoring on a 5-yard run to make it 27-3.
The Cavaliers found the end zone on their next drive, going 75 yards in 10 plays before Muskett plunged in on a 2-yard run. Muskett’s two-point conversion pass to tight end Tyler Neville was good, pulling UVa within 27-11 with 5:23 left in the third quarter.
Watson hit Jennings for a 40-yard pass up the sideline on Tech’s next drive, setting up a 28-yard field goal by Love to push the Hokies’ lead back to three scores at 30-11.
Muskett scored on the ground for a second time with a 5-yard run with 13:12 left. UVa’s two-point conversion fell incomplete, keeping the Cavaliers down 30-17.
UVa punted it away after facing a fourth-and-6 from its own 23-yard line with 8:53 left. Tech put the game away shortly after, with Tuten pinballing off a tackle at the line on a third-down run and breaking free for a 58-yard touchdown run that put the Hokies up 37-17.
Box Score: Virginia Tech 37, Virginia 17
