Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech quarterback Josh Jackson rushed for a touchdown and threw a touchdown pass, and the Hokies’ defense kept Duke out of the end zone to headline Tech’s 24-3 victory over the Blue Devils in an ACC game played in the pouring rain Saturday evening at Lane Stadium.
The Hokies, ranked No. 13 nationally, won their third straight game and moved to 7-1 overall, 3-1 in the ACC. Duke lost its fifth straight and fell to 4-5 overall, 1-5 in league play.
Deshawn McClease’s 4-yard touchdown run in the first quarter capped a nine-play, 71-yard drive and gave Tech a lead it would not relinquish. The Hokies added a Joey Slye field goal in the second quarter and then delivered a crushing blow right before halftime when Jackson found Sean Savoy for a 26-yard touchdown with 15 seconds remaining in the half. That score gave the Hokies a 17-3 lead.
The Hokies’ lone second-half score came late in the third quarter on Jackson’s 6-yard run. Jackson completed just 12 of 26 for 160 yards and a score, and he rushed for 12 yards and a touchdown.
Duke’s lone score came on a 31-yard field goal by Austin Parker in the second quarter. The Blue Devils finished with just 183 yards of offense, while Tech ended with 387 yards.
GAME NOTES
• For the fourth time this season at Lane Stadium, Tech’s defense held an opponent to seven points or less. The last that happened occurred in 2007.
• Cam Phillips caught four passes for 35 yards against the Blue Devils, and he extended his school record of catching at least one pass in a game in 35 consecutive games.
• McClease, getting extended playing time because of an injury to Steven Peoples, registered career highs in both carries (15) and yards (75). His previous career high in both came in the Hokies’ 64-17 win over East Carolina – a game in which he carried the ball 11 times for 55 yards.
• Tech moved to 15-2 against unranked opponents under head coach Justin Fuente.
• The Hokies beat Duke for the 12th time in 14 meetings since joining the ACC.
UP NEXT
The Hokies hit the road for their next two games, starting with Saturday’s Coastal Division showdown against Miami in Miami Gardens, Florida. Tech lost 30-20 to the ’Canes on its last visit there in 2015, but has won four times there since joining the ACC for the 2004-05 season. The kickoff time is at 8 p.m. and the game will be on ABC.