#22 West Virginia gained 592 yards, but #21 Virginia Tech got the red-zone stop when it counted to preserve a 31-24 win Sunday night.
The Hokies (1-0) got a huge game from redshirt freshman quarterback Josh Jackson in his first career start. Jackson threw for 235 yards and a touchdown and ran for 101 yards and added a TD on the ground.
And it was a run from Jackson that was the game’s key play. With the game tied at 24 in the fourth quarter, Jackson broke off a 46-yard run on a read-option play, taking the ball to the Mountaineer 2.
Travon McMillian scored three plays later to give Tech the lead at the 6:30 mark.
West Virginia (0-1) went three-and-out on its next series, and then the Hokies missed on an opportunity to ice the game when placekicker Joey Slye missed a 32-yard field goal at the 1:40 mark.
The ‘Neers drove to the Virginia Tech 15. Will Grier had David Sills open in the end zone, but Sills dropped the pass with two seconds left. The WVU offensive line committed three penalties on the game’s final play to end the proceedings.
Grier, a transfer from Florida in his first start for West Virginia, threw for 371 yards and three touchdowns, and had a pass intercepted.
Gary Jennings had 13 catches for 189 yards and a score for WVU. Sills had two TD catches for the Mountaineers.
Cam Phillips had 134 yards on seven catches and a touchdown for Virginia Tech, which gained 469 yards and did not turn the ball over, though Slye did miss two field-goal attempts.
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