C.J. Brown stretched out to touch the ball to the pylon on a 3-yard run in overtime to lift Maryland to a shocking 27-24 overtime win at Virginia Tech on Saturday.
Maryland (6-4, 2-4 ACC) came in on a three-game losing streak with key injuries at wide receiver and on the offensive line, and starting quarterback Brown had not accounted for a touchdown since September.
He accounted for three on Saturday in Lane Stadium, two on the ground (Brown ran for 122 yards on 23 carries) and one through the air (where he was 12-for-25 for 135 yards and an interception).
The Terps also got a huge day out of kick returner William Likely, who had 179 yards on kickoff and punt returns, including a 63-yard return TD in the second quarter that put Maryland’s first points on the board.
A Brown-to-Nigel King 16-yard touchdown pass 2:02 into the third quarter gave Maryland a 21-7 lead, but Virginia Tech (7-4, 4-3 ACC) responded 2:55 later on a D.J. Coles 1-yard TD reception.
Logan Thomas connected with Willie Byrn on a 5-yard TD pass with 9:32 to go in the fourth to tie the game at 21.
Neither team threatened thereafter in regulation. Virginia Tech, in its offensive series in the overtime period, got the ball inside the Terrapin 5 before a third-down sack of Thomas forced a field-goal attempt.
Eric Kristensen’s kick gave Tech a 24-21 lead. Brown’s 3-yard run on a second-and-goal play ended it.
The loss puts a serious dent in Virginia Tech’s ACC title hopes. Georgia Tech has finished its ACC schedule with a 5-3 record, but Virginia Tech, with a win at Virginia in its season finale in two weeks, would hold the tie-breaker over the Yellow Jackets by virtue of its 17-10 win in Atlanta in September.
Virginia Tech also holds the tie-breaker over Miami after its 42-24 win over the ‘Canes last week. Duke has the tie-breaker over the Hokies due to its 14-10 win in Lane Stadium last month.
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