CLEMSON – Down three points and facing fourth-and-one from the Clemson five-yard line, Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin went for the win, not overtime.

His gamble paid off.

After failing to connect with tight end Luke Reynolds on third down, Ethan Grunkemeyer went right back to him on the deceive play, just getting the pass off before being hit by a Clemson pass rusher, as Reynolds easily caught the wide-open pass in the back of the end zone with 1:44 to play.

The touchdown pass lifted the Hokies to a 20-16 victory at Memorial Stadium. It was VT’s first win over Clemson since 2007, snapping a seven-game losing streak to the Tigers.

The loss dropped Clemson to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the ACC, all but ending any hopes of making it to the ACC Championship Game in December. The Hokies improved to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the ACC.  

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Grunkemeyer finished the game 20 of 32 for 156 yards and two touchdowns. Reynolds led Virginia Tech’s receivers with 7 catches for 44 yards and did not have a reception longer than 10 yards.
• The Tigers were flagged three times on the game-winning drive. One for a late out of bounds hit and two pass interference penalties. Washington was called for a late hit out of bounds on Grunkemeyer that negated a holding call on the Hokies. Safety Jerome Carter was then charged with a PI and Washington was also charged with a PI at the goal line on a deep pass that moved the ball to the Clemson 16.
• It was a disappointing ending for a defense that dominated the Hokies for most of the night. The Tigers held VT to 74 rushing yards and 234 yards overall. They also had six sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
• It appeared Clemson had a chance to win the game on third-and-10 from his own 48 with under a minute to play, as quarterback Tait Reynolds threw a dart to wide receiver Bryant Wesco, who appeared to have made a great catch at the VT 25. However, the ball popped out as he went to the ground and replay overturned the call on the field. Virginia Tech sacked Reynolds on fourth down to end Clemson’s chances.
• Reynolds played well in the second half, bringing the Clemson offense to life. He completed 20 of 26 passes for 153 yards and led the Tigers with 63 rushing yards on 18 carries, including a 16-yard TD run.
• The Tigers’ offensive line was still an issue though, as they allowed 13 tackles for loss, including four sacks. Clemson finished the game with 288 yards of offense.
• Clemson outscored the Hokies 13-0 in the third quarter and tailed 146 yards to VT’s 13. The Tigers had just 94 yards of offense in the first half and scored three points. The Hokies had scored 42 points in the third quarter this season prior to Saturday night.
• Tait Reynolds gave the Tigers a 13-10 lead with 6:14 to play in the third when he took a called QB run and rumbled 16-yards for his first career TD.
• Kicker Nolan Hauser added three more field goals on Saturday. He is 18-for-19 on the season. He made kicks of 34, 49 and 36 yards.
• The Hokies got a 6-yard TD pass from Grunkemeyer to Reynolds with 1:24 to play before halftime. That gave the Hokies a 10-3 lead at the break.

UP NEXT

Clemson heads to Tallahassee, Fla., next Saturday for a 7:30 p.m., meeting with Florida State.