Blacksburg, VA (WOAY) – Miscues on both sides of the ball were a problem for Virginia Tech on Saturday, as the Hokies fell 31-17 to Clemson at Lane Stadium.
The Hokies were seeking their first win over the Tigers since 2007, and their first win ever against a defending national champion.
Clemson jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, before Virginia Tech (4-1, 0-1 ACC) responded with a Joey Slye field goal. The Tigers quickly went downfield to add a second touchdown, while a Slye miss from 45 yards kept the visitors in front 17-3 at halftime.
Turnovers were an issue in the third quarter for the Hokie offense, though Clemson only scored one touchdown that quarter off the three takeaways. Virginia Tech opened the fourth with a Sean Savoy touchdown run to bring the deficit to 24-10. A Clemson punt gave the Hokies hope for a comeback, but Dorian O’Daniel returned a Josh Jackson interception 22 yards for a touchdown to put the game beyond doubt.
For the Hokies, Jackson threw for 251 yards and one touchdown, while Cam Phillips led receivers with 74 yards. Clemson’s Kelly Bryant threw for 186 yards and a touchdown, while adding 94 more yards on the ground.
Virginia Tech heads to Boston College next week; the Hokies have won the last two meetings and lead the all-time series 17-8.
