BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Diego Pavia threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns to lift Vanderbilt to a 44-20 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday.
Pavia completed 12 of 18 and threw touchdown passes of 54 yards to Brycen Coleman and 26 yards to Tre Richardson for the Commodores (2-0), who rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit.
“I think we are a really good team when we play well,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said. “That’s how I feel. We have to play the game the right way. We were good enough tonight to hang in there. Part of that is talent, but I think it’s also resilience. … We’re good enough to win games. We’re going to need to play better to do that in our league, but tonight, our resilience and our fight kept us within fighting distance.”
The Commodores used a powerful rushing attack to dominate the second half. They scored touchdowns on their first five second-half possessions, with Richardson’s terrific one-hand touchdown grab with 24 seconds left in the third quarter giving Vanderbilt its first lead.
The Commodores had 262 yards rushing and put the game away in the fourth quarter with three touchdowns, including two on runs by Sedrick Alexander.
“Coming out of half, we had a plan to get the ball, score, get a stop, and score again,” Richardson said. “Once we did those two things, I got my touchdown, and that’s when the momentum really started to shift. Fans started leaving, and we just executed more and more.”
Virginia Tech (0-2) was outgained 307-21 total yards in the second half. Kyron Drones threw for 134 yards and a score and rushed for a touchdown to lead the Hokies.
“We need to find the team that trotted out there for the first half,” Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry said. “That’s who we need to be. The team that battled in Atlanta for four quarters (in a loss to South Carolina). It’s there. … There’s way too much season left. Stick together. Make sure you look at this tape before you come over here tomorrow. It’s a gut check for everybody.”
The takeaway
Vanderbilt: The Commodores were sloppy, committing 11 penalties, turning the ball over twice that led to touchdowns, and missing an extra point. But they overcame their mistakes with a dominating run game and a defense that shut out the Hokies in the second half.
Virginia Tech: The Hokies, who fell apart in the second half, have lost 15 consecutive non-conference games against Power 4 opponents dating to 2017.
Feeling the heat
Pry is now 16-23 in his four seasons with the Hokies, and there are grumblings in Blacksburg, Virginia. Lane Stadium was sold out, but quiet in the second half with Virginia Tech getting outscored 34-0.
“The expectations are to win,” Pry said about his job status. “I get that. That’s why I wanted to be here. I’m not happy with where we’re at right now. Not from a wins standpoint. But I like this team, and we’ll regroup. There’s a lot of season left, and I’m still excited about what we can do.”
Up next
Vanderbilt travels to play No. 10 South Carolina on Saturday.
Virginia Tech hosts Old Dominion on Saturday.
