California Golden Bears Beat Virginia Tech Hokies 25-20

California Golden Bears scored on back-to-back late possessions to beat Virginia Tech Hokies 25-20 in a game that flipped in the fourth quarter.

California improves to 3-3 while Virginia Tech falls to 4-2. The Golden Bears trailed most of the day before their offense found the end zone twice in the final minutes to pull it out at California Memorial Stadium.

Box score

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Final
Virginia Tech Hokies	0	14	0	6	20
California Golden Bears	0	10	3	12	25

See full player stats and game details

How it turned

Nothing happened in the first quarter, with the two teams knotted at 0-0. Virginia Tech blew the door open in the second, taking a 14-10 lead into the half behind touchdown runs and throws that outpaced a Cal field goal and a short Ashten Emory score.

The third quarter was quiet by comparison. Cal's Tristan McGough hit a 22-yard field goal with 28 seconds left in the period, trimming Virginia Tech's lead to 14-13 heading into the fourth.

Then the fourth quarter turned into a shootout. Jackson Brousseau found C. Perry-Smith for a 3-yard touchdown with 4:06 left, but the two-point try failed, keeping Cal ahead by just a point. Ethan Grunkemeyer answered with a 1-yard touchdown run for Virginia Tech at the 1:15 mark, but that conversion also failed. Cal got the last word: Emory punched in a 2-yard touchdown with 18 seconds on the clock, and that two-point attempt failed too, leaving the final at 25-20.

Scoring plays

Q2 12:44 VT: E. Grunkemeyer pass to A. Greene for 30 yds, for a TD (J. Love KICK)
Q2 5:54 CAL: A. Emory run for 5 yds, for a TD (T. McGough KICK)
Q2 2:21 VT: M. Hawkins Jr. run for 3 yds, for a TD (J. Love KICK)
Q2 0:03 CAL: T. McGough 35 yd FG GOOD
Q3 0:28 CAL: T. McGough 22 yd FG GOOD
Q4 4:06 CAL: J. Brousseau pass to C. Perry-Smith for 3 yds, for a TD (Two-Point Conversion failed)
Q4 1:15 VT: E. Grunkemeyer run for 1 yd, for a TD (Two-Point Conversion failed)
Q4 0:18 CAL: A. Emory run for 2 yds, for a TD (Two-Point Conversion failed)

Top performers

Grunkemeyer was sharp for Virginia Tech, going 21-for-31 for 288 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Ayden Greene did the damage through the air, hauling in two catches for 62 yards and a score, while Que'Sean Brown added seven catches for 63 yards. On the ground, Jeffrey Overton Jr. ran 12 times for 73 yards and Marcellous Hawkins Jr. added a rushing touchdown on 12 carries for 45 yards. Keon Wylie led the defense with nine tackles.

Brousseau matched him throw for throw, completing 29 of 43 passes for 321 yards and a touchdown. Chase Hendricks caught seven passes for 94 yards and Ian Strong added five catches for 97 yards. Emory was the closer, scoring twice on 19 carries for 46 yards, and Dorian Thomas chipped in a 29-yard run on his only carry. Isaiah Crosby topped Cal's defense with eight tackles.

Top performers

Virginia Tech Hokies

Ethan Grunkemeyer (QB) — 21/31, 288 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT
Jeffrey Overton Jr. (RB) — 12 car, 73 yds, 0 TD
Marcellous Hawkins Jr. (RB) — 12 car, 45 yds, 1 TD
Que'Sean Brown (WR) — 7 rec, 63 yds, 0 TD
Ayden Greene (WR) — 2 rec, 62 yds, 1 TD
Keon Wylie (LB) — 9 tkl, 0 sck, 0 INT