Kyron Drones threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Takye Heath in the second overtime, then ran for a two-point conversion, and Virginia Tech held on for a 42-34 victory over Cal in an Atlantic Coast Conference thriller in Blacksburg, Va., on Friday.
Drones finished with three TD passes on a night when he had more rushing (137) than passing yards (119). Marcellous Hawkins ran for 167 yards to pace the Hokies (3-5, 2-2 ACC), who scored on both of their overtime possessions.
Kendrick Raphael rushed for three scores and Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele threw for 286 yards and a TD for the Golden Bears (5-3, 2-2), who could have become bowl-eligible with a win.
Drones’ difference-making efforts came on a five-play drive in the second OT. He ran twice for a total of 9 yards on the possession. Sagapolutele threw four incompletions on the Golden Bears’ subsequent possession.
Both teams wasted no time scoring on their first overtime possessions. Cal got a 25-yard pass from Sagapolutele to Mason Mini on its first play of the extra session, a score the Hokies matched on a 17-yard run by Drones just two plays later.
Each team had a chance to take a three-point lead late in regulation with the score tied at 27-all. However, Virginia Tech’s John Love missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt with 1:12 remaining, and Cal’s Chase Meyer couldn’t connect from 49 yards out with one second left.
In a game of streaks, Virginia Tech scored the first 17 points of the second half to turn a 20-10 deficit into a 27-20 lead. Drones gave the Hokies the lead with 6:57 to play on a 14-yard run, after a 52-yard field goal by Love and a 44-yard strike from Drones to Heath had tied the game in the third quarter.
Cal countered with the final points of regulation on a 2-yard plunge by Raphael, his third TD of the game, creating the 27-27 tie with 2:34 remaining.
Getting 357 yards on the ground, the Hokies outgained the Golden Bears 476-325. Cal’s Jacob De Jesus was the game’s leading receiver with eight catches for 86 yards.
