Virginia Tech Overcomes Weather, Boston College in 21-14 Comeback Win

With a nor’easter bearing down on eastern Massachusetts on Saturday afternoon, the Virginia Tech Hokies (4-0, 1-0 ACC) and the Boston College Eagles (2-2, 0-1 ACC) had two opponents to deal with: each other and the weather. In the end, the Hokies overcame both, scoring touchdowns on their final two drives to secure a gritty 21-14 road victory.

The first half was a battle of wills, as wind and rain wreaked havoc on both offenses. Virginia Tech won the toss and elected to receive, hoping to jump out to an early lead, but the weather dictated otherwise. Conditions made life miserable for both units, resulting in a defensive stalemate. The only scoring of the half came on the final drive of the second quarter, when Virginia Tech kicker John Love connected on a 45-yard field goal to give the Hokies a 3-0 halftime lead.

Offense was at a premium in the first 30 minutes, with both teams managing exactly 117 total yards. Converting on third down was just as difficult as one might imagine; the two teams combined to go 1-for-15. Both Boston College and Virginia Tech attempted to spark their offenses with fourth-down conversion attempts, but those failed as well. Despite entering the game as home underdogs, the Eagles were in good shape going into the locker room down by only three points. The 3-0 score marked the fewest combined points in the first half of a Power Four game this season, a statistic undoubtedly influenced by the conditions. Surprisingly, neither team committed a turnover in the treacherous weather.

Boston College received the ball to start the second half but went three-and-out. Special teams then produced the game’s first major spark. Virginia Tech punt returner Que’Sean Brown—who also finished with eight catches for 51 yards—returned an Eagles punt 50 yards to set up the Hokies in plus territory. The Boston College defense held firm, forcing a 22-yard field goal by Love to extend Virginia Tech’s lead to 6-0 with 11:58 remaining in the third quarter.

Mason takes it himself once again

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The Eagles’ offense finally came alive on the ensuing drive, sparked by the legs of quarterback Mason McKenzie, who finished the day with 111 passing yards and a career-high 138 rushing yards and two touchdowns. McKenzie gashed the defense with a 45-yard run off the right side, setting up Boston College at the 5-yard line. On the next snap, he kept the ball on a read-option around the left edge for a touchdown, putting Boston College ahead 7-6 with 9:52 left in the third.

The score remained 7-6 into the fourth quarter until Boston College extended its lead. McKenzie orchestrated a nine-play, 67-yard drive that chewed 5:04 off the clock, capping it with a 2-yard touchdown run to put the Eagles up 14-6. McKenzie went 4-of-4 for 52 yards through the air on the drive, highlighted by a 20-yard completion to Dawson Pough that moved the offense into the red zone. With 11:09 remaining, the Eagles were in prime position to pull off the upset.

However, the Hokies took complete control over the final half of the fourth quarter. Virginia Tech tied the game at 14-14 when quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer—who finished 22-of-35 for 147 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions—connected with Marlion Jackson on a 14-yard back-shoulder touchdown pass. The Hokies opted to go for two and converted on a rush by running back Jeffrey Overton Jr., tying the game with 8:03 left.

Boston College did itself no favors by going three-and-out on its next possession. After forcing a punt, it took Virginia Tech just one play to take the lead for good. Overton Jr. took a handoff, found a seam up the right sideline, and sprinted untouched for a 76-yard touchdown, putting Virginia Tech ahead 21-14 with 4:58 left to play. Boston College’s offense stalled again on the ensuing drive, punting the ball back with three timeouts remaining in hopes of getting one last chance. However, Virginia Tech leaned on Overton Jr. to move the chains, forcing the Eagles to burn their timeouts and allowing the Hokies to run out the clock. Overton Jr. finished with a career-high 209 rushing yards on 25 carries.

Despite the terrible weather, Virginia Tech outgained Boston College 356-261.

Boston College finishes its three-game homestand with a 2-1 record and will head on the road to face SMU next week. Virginia Tech, now 4-0, returns home to host Pittsburgh in a Friday night matchup.