Virginia Tech Wins First Game Of The Season (9-20-25)
By: Joey Raymond
Headline Photo Credit: Katie Raymond-LMS Network
Blacksburg, VA —The Hokies welcomed in the Wofford University Terriers on a warm fall afternoon in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Interim Head Coach Phillip Montgomery has asked for the support of Hokie Nation, but to be completely honest, in all my years coming to Lane Stadium, I’ve never seen it this empty outside of a spring game. This fan base has lost a lot of hope, but this matchup offered a chance to reset, restart, and—just as Coach Monty put it—“rewrite their story.” In my opinion, the Hokies needed to take Wofford to the woodshed to build back some confidence, both for the team and for the fans. Let’s dive into how this one started.
First Quarter
Wofford elected to receive first and opened from the 25 after a touchback. A quick tackle for loss pushed them back four yards, and after a short two-yard gain, they failed to convert on third down—going three-and-out right away. A shanked punt gave Virginia Tech excellent field position at the 41-yard line.
The Hokies came out running, starting with a solid 7-yard carry, then a huge 26-yard burst from Hawkins, followed by another 10-yard dash. Just as the drive looked promising, it stalled. Tech went for it on fourth down but was stuffed, handing the ball back to Wofford at their own 9-yard line.
The Terriers didn’t fare any better. Another three-and-out capped off with a big sack from the Hokies’ defense forced them to punt from their own 4. Tech set up with great field position again, but an illegal block in the back on the return set them back 10 yards. On the very first play of the drive, another penalty pushed them back to the 17.
That’s when the offense woke up. Kyron Drones hit P.J. Prioleau for 24 yards, and a targeting call on Elijah Washington tacked on 15 more—also ejecting him from the game. On the next play, Cameron Seldon picked up five yards through the air, with yet another penalty on Wofford adding 15 more. Seldon stayed hot, snagging a 21-yard reception on the following play, and from there Braydon Bennett finished the drive off with a short touchdown run. John Love’s PAT made it 7–0 Hokies.
After a touchback, Wofford tried to answer. They faced a 3rd and 2 and converted with a 23-yard completion to flip the field. A short gain and another third-down conversion brought them to the Hokies’ 34-yard line. But Tech’s defense tightened up, forcing a 3rd and 11. A sack shut the door, leading to a Wofford punt.
The Hokies took over at their own 25. Hawkins immediately ripped off a 15-yard run, then followed it with an incredible 6-yard effort where he slipped what should’ve been a loss into positive yards. That’s where the first quarter came to a close, with Tech holding momentum and a 7–0 lead.
Second Quarter
The Hokies picked up right where they left off. Cameron Seldon opened the frame with a five-yard grab to move the chains, and a couple of plays later Kyron Drones found P.J. Prioleau again for another first down. A handoff to Prioleau on the next snap pushed Tech deeper into Terrier territory, and before long they were in the red zone. Drones wasted no time, firing a 19-yard strike to Da’Quan Alves for a touchdown. With John Love’s extra point, the Hokies extended their lead to 14–0.
After a touchback, Wofford tried to respond from their own 25, but the Hokies’ defense came up big once again. A quick three-and-out, punctuated by a sack, forced the Terriers to punt it away.
Virginia Tech set up shop at its own 27, but momentum swung for a moment. On the second play of the drive, Drones fumbled, and Wofford pounced on it at the 32-yard line—already in striking distance. Their window of opportunity didn’t last long, though. On the very first play, the Hokies’ defense struck back as Kemari Copeland tipped a pass and hauled it in for the interception, giving Tech the ball right back.
The Hokies made them pay. After a slow start to the drive, Drones connected with Chance Hairston for 23 yards, then drew Wofford offsides on the next play. With the free shot, he found Stephen Gosnell for 18 yards, declining the penalty. Bhayshul Tuten followed with a 7-yard run, and then the Hokies dialed up a perfectly executed play-action pass. Drones dropped a dart to Ayden Greene for an 18-yard touchdown. Love’s PAT made it 21–0, Hokies.
Wofford, again starting from the 25, was quickly behind the sticks after a false start turned a 3rd and 5 into 3rd and 10. An incompletion forced another punt, and the Hokies gave it right back with a quick three-and-out of their own.
The Terriers took over at their own 40 with just over two minutes to go in the half. Out of the two-minute timeout, they hit a 17-yard completion, but Tech’s pass rush responded with another sack. A penalty bailed Wofford out with a fresh set of downs, only for the Hokies to notch yet another coverage sack. Wofford kept pushing, converting a 7-yard gain to set up 3rd and manageable, but an incompletion forced them to settle. Kicker Maddox Cowart drilled a 43-yarder right down the middle to finally put Wofford on the board, cutting it to 21–3.
The Hokies got the ball back at their 34 with just 43 seconds left in the half. Drones went right back to Prioleau, hitting him three times in a row to move the chains and set up a last-second scoring chance. After a spike and a penalty, Tech attempted a long 59-yard field goal. Love had the distance but missed it just wide, sending the teams into the locker room with Virginia Tech firmly in control, 21–3.
Third Quarter
The Hokies received the ball to open the second half and set up at their own 35 after a strong return. Malachi Hawkins quickly got involved, picking up back-to-back first downs to move the chains. The drive looked like it might stall, but an illegal substitution on Wofford turned what would’ve been 4th and 1 into a free first down.
On the very next snap, Drones fired a dart to Da’Quan Alves, who made an incredible one-handed grab for 13 yards. Lane may not have been full, but that catch still drew a reaction. Hawkins followed it up with a 19-yard reception, and Drones added a four-yard scramble to set the Hokies up at the 3. After an incompletion on third down, Tech settled for a short John Love field goal to extend the lead to 24–3.
Wofford started their next possession from the 16 and moved the chains once in two plays, but the Hokies’ defense clamped down and forced a punt. Virginia Tech took over near midfield at the 46.
The offense wasted little time. A 9-yard run opened the drive, followed by a 16-yard strike to Ayden Greene. Two plays later, Drones tucked it and scrambled for 12 yards, pushing the Hokies deep into Terrier territory. Greene made another grab shortly after, setting up 1st and goal from the 7. Bryce Coney handled back-to-back carries down to the 1-yard line, and Drones capped it off himself with a quarterback sneak across the goal line. The Hokies were rolling, 31–3.
The Terriers tried to respond from their own 25. They hit a 20-yard completion on the opening play of the drive, then added a 7-yard pass after an incompletion, but the quarter came to a close with Wofford still facing 3rd down and Tech firmly in command.
Fourth Quarter
Wofford opened the final frame with a crisp 9-yard completion to move the sticks, but their momentum ended there. They settled for a 42-yard field goal, which Maddox Cowart nailed to trim the deficit to 31–6.
The ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, setting up the Hokies at their own 35. After a run for no gain, Drones connected with Tucker Holloway for 14 yards, with an additional 15 tacked on after a facemask penalty against Wofford. Drones went right back to Holloway on the next play for a 20-yard pickup, and two snaps later, a defensive pass interference call moved the ball to the 2-yard line. From there, Drones strolled into the end zone on a keeper, stretching the Hokies’ lead to 38–6.
With the game firmly in hand, Tech emptied the bench, pulling its defensive starters. Wofford went three-and-out against the backups and punted the ball away. The Hokies’ reserves took over at their own 10 after an illegal block on the return.
Backup quarterback Pop Watson got his first action and quickly showed off his legs, scrambling to set up a manageable 2nd and 2. After a short run and a Braydon Bennett conversion, the drive stalled, and Tech punted it back.
Wofford once again went nowhere, punting after another three-and-out. The Hokies took over at the 29, went into victory formation, and knelt the clock out to seal the win.
Final Score: Virginia Tech 38, Wofford 6.
