Both teams are 5-6, so, the winner is bowl-eligible.
The weather forecast has real-feel temperatures in the teens tonight, so, bundle up at home, flip on the ACC Network, watch a game in between streams of commercials for oddball products that you didn’t know you needed, and actually don’t.
Pregame coverage
- What to watch for: Storylines in tonight’s UVA-Virginia Tech Commonwealth Clash
- UVA Football: Not as much with the offense needs to be fixed as we’re thinking
- Virginia Tech may have to go with freshman Pop Watson at QB for UVA game
- UVA Football Injury Report: Vaughn needs to step up at RB, good news with Trell Harris
- Virginia Tech fans are tired of beating UVA to get into a cold weather bowl game
Breaking news
The internet rumors about the UVA Football QB situation have it half-right: Tony Muskett, the backup all season, will start tonight’s regular-season finale at Virginia Tech.
The half the rumor mill has wrong: the interwebs have been abuzz this afternoon about Anthony Colandrea, who started the first 11 games at QB, to the effect that Colandrea had quit the team and had not made the trip to Blacksburg.
#TeamAFP staff writer Scott German confirmed with UVA Athletics that Colandrea is in Blacksburg, will be in uniform and will be the backup to Muskett for tonight’s game.
First quarter
Virginia Tech scores on its first possession: 11 plays, 90 yards, 6-yard TD run by Bhayshul Tuten.
I’m not entirely sure why Tony Elliott didn’t call a timeout to challenge the call on an apparent fumble by wideout Jaylin Lane. The TV replay made it look like the ball was out before his elbow hit.
Any case, Tech leads 7-0, 9:06/1st.
Virginia went three-and-out on its first possession. Key play: Trell Harris with a drop on a slant pass that would have gone for a first down.
Tech, on its second possession, went 12 plays, 44 yards, and finished with a 44-yard field goal from John Love.
VT 10, UVA 0, 1:16/1st.
Virginia has run three plays on offense.
Done with one quarter: Virginia Tech 10, UVA 0.
Virginia ran five plays from scrimmage in the first quarter.
Second quarter
Virginia finally got a couple of first downs, one on a screen pass on third down inside the UVA 10, the second on a busted play that wasn’t what the idiot ACC Network announcer said.
The idiot ACC Network announcer said Tony Muskett turned the wrong way, then created misdirection to get that first down.
The running back was wrong, and Muskett ran through the hole that had been there for the running back.
After the D got a stop, the offense got one first down, got out to the UVA 40, then stalled, and had to punt again.
There’s no discernible rhyme or reason to the offensive scheme.
After another three-and-out stop on D, the offense started just short of midfield, and finally got on the board, on a 34-yard field goal by Will Bettridge.
Virginia Tech 10, UVA 3, 2:46/2nd.
Didn’t take long. On a second-and-1, Pop Watson, on a play-action, went 66 yards to Jaylin Lane for the easy TD.
Virginia Tech 17, UVA 3, 1:50/2nd.
A Tony Muskett INT set up the Hokies with a short field. Then a hands-to-the-face penalty on the UVA D stopped the clock long enough to give John Love the chance to kick a 31-yard field goal on the final play.
Half: Virginia Tech 20, UVA 3
First half analysis
The staff is coaching like the bags are packed, and they’re done on Monday.
The D made a third-string QB look like Kyler Murray. Pop Watson is a cool 9-of-13 for 166 yards, and has 45 yards rushing.
The offense has 84 yards.
Tony Muskett is 7-of-15 for 54 yards and the INT.
UVA has 30 yards on the ground on 12 attempts.
The camera caught Tony Elliott a few times looking dejected.
There’s no comeback in this team. It’s done.
Third quarter
Virginia was stopped on fourth-and-1 near midfield. The play call: a run into the middle of the line.
Five plays later, Pop Watson scored on a 5-yard run on a busted play.
Story of the night.
Virginia Tech 27, UVA 3, 10:05/3rd.
Virginia finally hits paydirt. Muskett finishes off a 10-play, 75-yard drive with a 2-yard run.
Two-point try good on a pass from Muskett to Tyler Neville.
Virginia Tech 27, UVA 11, 5:23/3rd.
A big play – a 40-yard pass from Pop Watson to Ali Jennings – set up Tech just outside the red zone.
The drive would stall, but another John Love field goal extends the lead.
Virginia Tech 30, UVA 11, 3:08/3rd.
Virginia drives into the red zone as the third quarter ends.
The UVA offense put up 138 yards in the third quarter. All because of the will of Tony Muskett, who has strapped this program to his back.
End 3: Virginia Tech 30, UVA 11.
Fourth quarter
The offense is just, hey, Tony, do something.
Muskett caps an 11-play, 75-yard drive with a 5-yard TD run.
Dude is doing everything and more.
Virginia Tech 30, UVA 17, 13:12/4th.
The Virginia D got the ball back for the offense, which proceeded to do this:
- first down: drop on a short pass to Suderian Harrison that would have gained, at best, three yards anyway.
- second down: Muskett keeper for three yards.
- third down: for some reason, a pass to the deep left intended for Trell Harris, who was well-covered, incomplete.
A missed tackle on a third-and-5 run near midfield opened the door for a 58-yard Bhayshul Tuten TD run, and this one is over.
Virginia Tech 37, UVA 17, 6:12/4th.
In rhe final three games, Virginia fell behind 35-0, 26-0 and 27-3.
That’s a team quitting on itself.
Final: Virginia Tech 37, UVA 17.
Recap to come.
Share
Chris Graham
