In an unexpected upset, Vanderbilt staved off a Virginia Tech comeback to start the season with a win. The Commodores came out on top in the first OT of the college football season to defeat the Hokies 34-27.
Though unranked, the Hokies were a popular dark horse to win the ACC and advance to the playoffs. The Commodores, meanwhile, are coming off of a series of lackluster seasons in the SEC, but started the season with a strong message to the rest of the conference.
Diego Pavia, a senior transfer from New Mexico, was electric for the Commodores, throwing for 182 yards and rushing for 95 to lead the team to a major win.
The game started off slow, with Vanderbilt taking a 3-0 lead in the first quarter before scoring two touchdowns in the second. The Commodores headed into the locker room with a 17-6 lead at halftime.
The Hokies, while initially shocked, came back in the second half, outscoring Vanderbilt 24-10. Virginia Tech took its first lead in the latter half of the fourth quarter, but Vanderbilt followed it up with a touchdown of its own to tie things up at 27-27.
With less than two minutes remaining, Virginia Tech’s poor effort on offense gave Vanderbilt back the ball. A last-second field goal could have given Vanderbilt the lead, but kicker Brock Taylor’s attempt went wide, sending the two teams into overtime.
Pavia was clinical during Vanderbilt’s overtime drive, getting the ball down the field and eventually running it in for the game-winning touchdown. The Commodores defense then did their thing, forcing Virginia Tech to a fourth-and-long that backup quarterback Collin Schlee missed.
