BLACKSBURG, Va. — Jai Patel connected on a 24-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining to lift Rutgers to a 26-23 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday.
Patel’s field goal capped a 68-yard drive after Rutgers (3-0) squandered a 16-point lead entering the fourth quarter, but hung on to register its first road win of the season and its 10th consecutive nonconference victory.
Virginia Tech (2-2) took over at its 25-yard line after Patel’s field goal, but on the third play of the drive, quarterback Kyron Drones’ pass was intercepted by Rutgers’ Robert Longerbeam to seal the win for the Scarlet Knights.
The Hokies had tied the game at 23 after scoring touchdowns and converting two-point conversions on back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter. Bhayshul Tuten scored both of the Hokies’ touchdowns on runs of 14 and 2 yards.
Kyle Monangai and Samuel Brown V combined for 144 rushing yards and three touchdowns for Rutgers, which finished with 187 yards rushing.
Tuten rushed for 122 yards to lead the Hokies.
Takeaways
Rutgers: Greg Schiano made a curious decision in the third quarter, electing to throw the ball on fourth-and-goal from the 1 with a 23-7 lead and failing to convert.
That was one of many scoring opportunities — the Scarlet Knights missed two field goals and lost a fumble inside the Virginia Tech 5 — that Rutgers wasted in a game it should have won easily.
But the Scarlet Knights survived and head into their Big Ten opener undefeated.
Virginia Tech: The Hokies waited too late to get going in this one and it cost them.
They turned the ball over three times and couldn’t get a stop in losing the time of possession battle badly (39:20-20:40).
It all added up to yet another nonconference loss to a Power 4 opponent.
Virginia Tech has lost 12 straight nonconference games to Power 4 opponents and Notre Dame.
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