ACC & Big 12 Week 8 Roundup: Hokies survive Tar Heels in wild six-overtime victory
Virginia Tech escaped Lane Stadium with a 43-41 victory over North Carolina on Saturday afternoon thanks to a successful two-point conversion run by Hokies backup quarterback Quincy Patterson in the sixth overtime of a game that spanned more than four hours.
This victory kept the Hokies (5-2, 2-2 ACC) in the running for the ACC’s Coastal Division crown and prevented the Tar Heels (3-4, 2-2 ACC) from moving to the top of the division.
“I’m just proud of those kids,” said Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente. “It goes back to a couple weeks ago (after a 45-10 loss to Duke), and we had to look ourselves in the mirror and talk about how we would handle tough situations. We were certainly in our fair share of them tonight.
“If they had made one more field goal or whatever, I would still feel the same way about our team,” Fuente continued. “If it had gone another way, I still would’ve been up here talking about how proud I am of our guys’ ability to battle.”
Both teams lost opportunities to win in earlier overtime periods due to kicking misfires, as Virginia Tech’s Brian Johnson missed game-winning attempts form 41 and 42 yards, while North Carolina’s Noah Ruggles missed from 35 yards and had a 44-yard attempt blocked.
The missed opportunities forced the game into a fifth overtime and marked the nationwide debut of the NCAA’s new overtime rules, which require teams to attempt alternating two-point conversions instead of offensive possessions starting at the 25-yard line once the game has reached 5 OT.
The Hokies’ first two-point try, in the fifth OT, was stopped by UNC defensive back Storm Duck, who broke up Patterson’s pass to wide receiver Damon Hazelton in the end zone. But North Carolina could not convert its own two-point attempt, as running back Michael Carter was tackled for a loss by Virginia Tech defensive back Khalil Ladler.
North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell – who completed 26 of 49 passes for 348 yards and five touchdowns on the day – was tackled for a loss on Carolina’s next try, which set up Patterson’s game-winning conversion.
“It hurts when you have to go in and talk to your team when they fought really hard,” North Carolina head coach Mack Brown said. “There is nothing really that you can say to them because of losing really stinks. You work way too hard to lose, and it’s not worth playing if you lose. When you lose, you have to take it and learn from it. That’s what we will do.”
Now let’s take a look at a few more highlights from an exciting Week 8 in the ACC and Big 12:
Pittsburgh 27, Syracuse 20: The Panthers held off a longtime foe with help from quarterback Kenny Pickett, who had 232 passing yards and two touchdowns. One of Pickett’s touchdowns came on a trick play, which was the go-ahead score to secure Pittsburgh’s fourth consecutive win.
Georgia Tech 28, Miami 21: The Yellow Jackets stunned the Hurricanes in Hard Rock Stadium as defensive lineman Antwan Owens blocked a Miami chip-shot field goal in the final seconds of regulation, and then Georgia Tech running back Jordan Mason quickly scored on a 1-yard rush on the first possession of overtime. One of the most notable plays of the game came at the end of the first quarter, a 41-yard pass by punter Pressley Harvin III on a fake.
Wake Forest 22, Florida State 20: Wake Forest kicker Nick Sciba made a 25-yard field goal – his school-record-tying fifth of the game – to give the Demon Deacons a two-point lead with 4:27 left in the game, and Florida State was unable to score again to retake the lead.
Texas 50, Kansas 48: After exchanging six touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the Longhorns barely survived an upset from the Jayhawks, as Texas kicker Cameron Dicker made a 33-yard field goal in the final seconds of the game.
Baylor 45, Oklahoma State 27: The Bears extended their school-record winning streak to nine games after quarterback Charlie Brewer completed 13 of 17 passes for 312 yards and a touchdown, and the Baylor defense locked in its first fumble return for a touchdown since 2015.
Iowa State 34, Texas Tech 24: The Cyclones took a big lead early in the game, and quarterback Brock Purdy finished with 378 passing yards and three touchdowns. Running back Breece Hall also ran for 183 yards and two touchdowns, including a 75-yard run capped with a score, as Iowa State accounted for 560 total yards of offense against the Red Raiders.