CHARLOTTESVILLE — Virginia Tech drew a blank in its 27-7 loss to No. 18 Virginia on a cold Saturday night in Scott Stadium.
The Hokies (3-9, 2-6 ACC) struggled to move the ball on offense, and though their defense forced the Cavaliers (10-2, 7-1) to punt three times in the first half, they were worn down over four quarters.
They went three-and-out on seven consecutive possessions, the first time that’s happened since 1987, and only completed four passes, the third-fewest since 1987.
Moreover, Tech’s 395-game scoring streak was in jeopardy until quarterback Kyron Drones hit wide receiver Snook Peterkin on a slant route on fourth-and-2, which he took 57 yards to the house with 4:21 left — the team’s longest touchdown of the season.
Outside of that, it was all Cavaliers, who compiled 380 yards of offense behind quarterback Chandler Morris. The fifth-year senior was 21-for-35 for 182 yards through the air and added 25 yards and a score on the ground.
Both teams’ first drives set the tone for the remainder of the game. Tech moved the ball 40 yards on eight plays before Drones’ third-down pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage by Fisher Camac and intercepted by linebacker Maddox Marcellus.
UVa quickly turned that into points. Morris hit wideout Trell Harris over the middle for a 26-yard gain that set up the offense in the red zone. After a defensive holding penalty on Tech’s Isaiah Cash, running back J’Mari Taylor gained eight yards on first-and-goal from the 9-yard line and punched it in from the 1.
Sparked by a 31-yard run from Jeffrey Overton Jr., the Hokies moved into Virginia territory on their next possession. Drones converted a fourth-and-1 on the ground, but they stalled soon after at the 28. They had to settle for a 45-yard field goal from John Love, but he pushed it wide right.
The Cavaliers tacked on another score in the second quarter to cap off a possession that started on its own 20-yard line. An 11-play drive that featured a 31-yard screen to Kameron Courtney culminated in a 1-yard pass from Taylor to tight end Sage Ennis to go up 14-0.
UVa added a 27-yard field goal from Will Bettridge in the third quarter to make it 17-0 after an 11-play, 39-yard drive that started at the Tech 49-yard line but stalled in the red zone.
The dagger came towards the end of the third quarter when Virginia methodically moved down the field in 12 plays and Morris made the Tech defense look silly. He easily carved them up on an 8-yard keeper for a score, pushing the lead to 24-0.
To add insult to injury, Drones threw a fourth-quarter interception to Antonio Clary, which the Cavaliers converted into three more points when Bettridge converted a 32-yard field goal.
All the Hokies could muster was the play to Peterkin at the end of the game, which accounted for a large chunk of their total of offense — 57 of 197 yards — and salvaged the scoring streak, which dates back to Sept. 16, 1995, vs. Cincinnati.
It’s Virginia’s first win in the series since 2019. Tech entered having won 19 of the last 20 meetings. The Cavaliers advance to the ACC championship game with the victory and will play Duke.
Box Score: No. 18 Virginia 27, Virginia Tech 7
