BLACKSBURG, Va. — Georgia Tech dug itself a 21-point hole by halftime Saturday and could not climb all the way out, dropping a 34-24 Atlantic Coast Conference decision to Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium.
The Hokies needed only three plays to strike, as Ethan Grunkemeyer hit Que’Sean Brown on a 60-yard scoring pass. Virginia Tech found the end zone on each of its first two drives and owned a 24-3 edge at the break.
The Yellow Jackets came out of the locker room with a different look. Two touchdowns in the first three minutes of the third quarter, the second a 33-yard throw from Alberto Mendoza to Dalen Penson, trimmed the margin to 24-17. The defense then forced back-to-back three-and-outs and finished with a season-high five sacks.
Georgia Tech never got even. A 26-yard touchdown pass from Grunkemeyer to Jeffrey Overton Jr. late in the third quarter restored a two-score lead, and a 24-yard field goal by John Love early in the fourth made it 34-17.
Mistakes piled up for the visitors. Trelain Maddox lost a fumble at the goal line on the opening drive that went for a touchback, a punt was muffed, a short field goal try missed, and a long completion that would have set up first-and-goal at the 3 was wiped out by a penalty. Brown added to the pain with a 63-yard runback on a punt, setting up a Hokies field goal.
Mendoza had the best passing day of his career, connecting on 29 of 38 throws for 335 yards with two scores. Jordan Allen caught 10 balls for 120 yards and became the first Georgia Tech player to post at least 10 receptions in back-to-back games, while Maddox ran for a career-best 96 yards. Georgia Tech actually outgained the Hokies 428-409.
Coming off a win over previously unbeaten Duke, Georgia Tech slips to 2-4 and 1-2 in league play. Virginia Tech improved to 5-2 and 2-2. The Yellow Jackets return to Bobby Dodd Stadium next Saturday to host Boston College for homecoming, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m.
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