Virginia Tech allowed 34 unanswered points in the second half and collapsed in its 44-20 loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday night in Lane Stadium.
The Hokies (0-2) scored first, had a solid first half and led 20-10 at intermission, but the Commodores (2-0) owned them in every fashion from that point on. After the break, Vanderbilt outgained Tech 307-21 in total offense.
The ‘Dores got the ball first in the second half and scored touchdowns on their first five drives, controlling the time of possession and the line of scrimmage.
Their near seven-minute touchdown drive to open the third quarter was capped off by a 1-yard rushing touchdown from running back Makhilyn Young. After Tech went three-and-out, they found the end zone in seven plays on 26-yard strike from quarterback Diego Pavia to wideout Tre Richardson, who made a spectacular catch. That gave them their first lead at 23-20 with 27 seconds left in the third.
The Hokies went three-and-out again after shooting themselves in the foot with a false start penalty and a sack, netting -13 yards, and Vandy put the nail in the coffin on the next possession with an 18-yard score up the middle from running back Sedrick Alexander, who was untouched.
Tech stalled again and the Commodores put the icing on the cake when Alexander found paydirt on a 6-yard run, making it 37-20. The Hokies couldn’t get them off the field in the second half.
To top it off, Vanderbilt backup quarterback Blaze Berlowitz threw a touchdown pass to tight end Eli Stowers on fourth-and-9 with 2:13 remaining in regulation to make it 44-20, the game’s final score.
The Commodores did not punt against the Hokies. The last time an opponent accomplished such a feat against Tech is not on record. The school’s statistical database dates back to 1987.
That disastrous 30-minute stretch of football overshadowed a first half that saw Tech jump in front on a 15-play, 64-yard opening drive that ate 7:49 and culminated with a 28-yard field goal by John Love.
The Hokies also got the Commodores off balance on their first drive and pressured Pavia into throwing an interception on their fifth offensive snap. Hurried by Ben Bell and Kody Huisman, he heaved a pass deep into double coverage, where Quentin Reddish picked it off.
That set up the Hokies at their own 15, and a 33-yard connection between Kyron Drones and Tucker Holloway quickly moved the ball to midfield. Two chunk plays on keepers from Drones — gains of 27 and 17 — put Tech inside the 5-yard line, and Drones hit tight end Ja’Ricous Hairston in the end zone for the team’s first touchdown of the year.
Vanderbilt responded swiftly. After Pavia found wideout Junior Sherrill for a 21-yard pickup, he hit tight end Brycen Coleman on a wheel route down the sideline for a 54-yard score to make it 10-7.
Tech’s only offensive blemish in the first half, a three-and-out, came on the next series. But its defense stepped up and forced Commodores running back Sedrick Alexander to fumble soon after, which Hokies cornerback Thomas Williams hopped on at the Vandy 27-yard line. Bell and Kelvin Gilliam were in on the stop while Immanuel Hickman forced the fumble.
Tech turned that into points as Drones kept it himself on three consecutive plays and gained 18 yards, including punching it in from the 1-yard line. It was the 12th rushing score of Drones’ career and made it 17-7.
Vanderbilt followed that up with its most efficient drive of the first half — a 12-play, 64-yard possession that ended in Brock Taylor’s 29-yard field goal. The Commodores got to the red zone but Tech held them there.
The Hokies ran out the clock in the first half after that. They got the ball back with 4:19 and methodically moved down the field. Helped out by a defensive holding penalty on third-and-5 with 1:04 remaining, they settled for a 27-yard chip shot from Love to head to the locker room with a 20-10 cushion.
It all unraveled in the second half in decisive fashion, though. It’s Tech’s first 0-2 start to a season since 2010. The Hokies are also 1-6 in their last seven games and Brent Pry’s record is now 16-23 (.410).
Tech’s drought against non-conference Power 4 teams continues. Saturday marked its 15th straight loss in such a contest, which dates back to the 2017 win over West Virginia in Landover, Md. It’s also its seventh straight defeat to a non-conference Power 4 foe in Lane Stadium, dating back to the 2009 victory against Nebraska.
Box Score: Vanderbilt 44, Virginia Tech 20
