Ladies and gentlemen, strap in for this one—it was a regular season finale for the ages in Blacksburg!
The Virginia Tech Hokies delivered high drama under the lights at Lane Stadium, rallying late to snatch a thrilling 27-24 victory over the Duke Blue Devils. With this win, the Hokies closed out their regular season at 8-3 overall and an impressive 5-2 in ACC play.
The game had everything you could want—big plays, clutch moments, and a raucous home crowd that played a pivotal role in this classic battle.
Jaylin Lane stole the show offensively for Virginia Tech, torching Duke’s secondary for 175 receiving yards on eight receptions, including two electric touchdowns. The play of the night? A 68-yard bomb from Kyron Drones to Lane, followed by a gutsy two-point conversion to tie the game at 24-all with just under two minutes to play.
Then, as if scripted by the football gods, Mose Phillips III rose to the occasion. With Duke threatening to answer, Phillips baited the quarterback, snatched an interception, and swung momentum squarely back to the Hokies. From there, Bhayshul Tuten powered Virginia Tech into field goal range with a series of bruising runs, setting up the game-winning kick as time expired.
For Duke, it was a heartbreaking finish after a commendable effort, particularly on defense, but Virginia Tech’s balanced attack and relentless resolve were just too much.
Game Notes:
• Bhayshul Tuten racked up 165 all-purpose yards, showing once again why he’s the heart and soul of the Hokies’ ground game.
• The Hokies outgained Duke 381 to 247 in total offense, controlling the tempo with a 17:12 advantage in time of possession.
• Virginia Tech’s defense stepped up when it mattered most, forcing two Duke turnovers and locking things down late in the fourth quarter.
The Hokies now await their postseason fate, riding high on momentum after a season defined by grit, growth, and a flair for the dramatic. Fans, if you love football, you’ll want to keep your eyes on this team—they’ve got the makings of something special. This Hokies team should generate some CFP buzz off style points alone!
The Duke Blue Devils rode into Blacksburg with a load of confidence coming off a strong showing against NC State and looking to play spoiler again. Coach Shiesty and his team knew the task at hand and were ready to leave it all out there. They did just that but unfortunately, the Hokies made a couple of huge plays when it mattered most and came out with the W.
Dukes defense, for the majority of the game, and their running game were really the only two notable factors for them in this game. The Blue Devils started the game with a bang, getting a 54 yard pick 6 from safety Terry Moore. Slow to get anything going on offense, Duke looked to their defense early to keep them in this game. In a bend but dont break effort the Blue Devils were able to hold VT to two field goals in their first two offensive possessions. A failed 4th and 1 and a couple of big misses on open receivers down the field prevented Duke from from getting on the board again in the first half while the Hokies score on a risky toss in the endzone to take a 13-7 lead into the half.
The second half starts out rough for Duke as QB Maalik Murphy airs out a deep ball down the left sideline that gets picked off. A very defensive 3rd quarter lead to Duke cutting the lead to 13-10 going into the 4th. Duke RB Jaquez Moore starts the 4th qtr off with an electric 87 yard rushing td to give the Blue Devils their first lead since the first half. The last 2 minutes of this game were an absolute roller coaster. Duke takes an 8 pt lead with 2 minutes left, VT answers with insane catch and run from WR Jaylin Lane and followed that up with the game tying 2 pt conversion. Unfortunately, for Duke their hopes at driving down the field to attempt a game winning score would be snatched away as Maalik Murphy throws his second interception of the game and the Blue Devils would lose to a time expiring FG in heartbreaking fashion.
A gutsy effort from both teams tonight but there can only be one victor. The Blue Devils have seen their season ebb and flow like this all year and they will look to finish strong in a rivalry game against Wake Forrest next weekend.
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