The Hokies, now 3-5 overall and 2-2 in the ACC, started strong with Drones connecting with Ayden Greene for a 27-yard touchdown on the opening drive, and kicker John Love adding a 46-yard field goal to put Virginia Tech up 10-3 after the first quarter. But California (5-3, 2-2 ACC), led by freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, stormed back with 20 unanswered points, including two short touchdown runs by Kendrick Raphael, to hold a 20-10 halftime advantage.
Virginia Tech rallied in the second half behind the powerful running of Marcellous Hawkins (21 carries, 167 yards) and Drones (21 carries, 137 yards). Love nailed a 52-yard field goal, and Drones found Takye Heath for a 44-yard touchdown to tie the game at 20. Drones then rushed for a 14-yard score in the fourth quarter, but Raphael responded with his third touchdown of the night to force overtime at 27-27.
The overtime periods were a showcase of resilience and big plays. In the first overtime, Sagapolutele hit Mason Mini for a 25-yard touchdown, only for Drones to answer with a 17-yard rushing score. The second overtime saw Drones deliver a clutch 7-yard touchdown pass to Heath, then power in the mandatory two-point conversion. Sagapolutele’s four straight incompletions on Cal’s final possession sealed the Hokies’ win.
Virginia Tech interim head coach Philip Montgomery praised his team’s effort, stating, “In the second half, our guys continued to battle, continued to fight, and they were resilient all game long. I just couldn’t be more proud of our football team and our coaching staff.” The Hokies put up a season-high 476 total yards, including a staggering 357 yards on the ground, while limiting their turnovers and making crucial defensive stops.
The Golden Bears, who came into the game ranked 34th nationally in total defense and 42nd in rush defense, allowed season highs in both categories. Head coach Justin Wilcox did not mince words afterward, saying, “We’re obviously doing a poor job of coaching it, and we’re not doing a great job on the field. Just really bad run defense. You’re not going to win when you play with poor leverage, when you play with poor eyes, and when the tackling was what that was.”
Notably, both teams missed potential game-winning field goals in the final 62 seconds of regulation, with John Love and Chase Meyer unable to convert, sending the game into overtime. For California, Sagapolutele finished with 24 completions on 39 attempts for 285 yards and a touchdown, while Kendrick Raphael tallied 71 rushing yards and three scores.
This was just the second meeting between the programs; the previous encounter was the 2003 Insight Bowl, where California edged Virginia Tech 52-49. Looking ahead, California will host No. 16 Virginia, and Virginia Tech faces No. 19 Louisville in their next matchups.
For more detailed stats and highlights from this double-overtime thriller, visit the official ESPN game summary or check out live analysis from Sports Illustrated.
From a betting and analytics perspective, Virginia Tech’s resilience and ground game dominance were key to overcoming a 10-point halftime deficit, while Cal’s defensive breakdowns in the second half highlight areas to watch for bettors and analysts moving forward. The Hokies’ improvement under Coach Montgomery, now 3-2 since Brent Pry’s departure, suggests they may be an intriguing play in upcoming ACC matchups.