The State
CLEMSON, S.C. – Virginia Tech waited 19 years for this one. Ethan Grunkemeyer threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Luke Reynolds on fourth-and-1 with 1:44 left, and the Hokies beat Clemson 20-16 on Saturday night in Death Valley for their first win over the Tigers since 2007.
The Hokies (6-2, 3-2 ACC) became bowl-eligible in coach James Franklin’s first season, a year after winning three games. Clemson (4-3, 2-2) saw its seven-game winning streak in the series end, even though its defense played one of its best games of the season.
A defensive fight from the start
The game was a slugfest in front of 80,510. Virginia Tech took the first lead on John Love’s 37-yard field goal after a 13-play, 6:23 drive that stalled at the Clemson 7-yard line. Nolan Hauser answered with a 34-yard field goal to tie it at 3-3.
Then Virginia Tech took a gamble that nearly backfired. Facing fourth-and-12 from its own 23, the Hokies ran a fake punt, and punter Nathan Totten caught a pass from Luke Reynolds and ran for eight yards, four short of the first down. Clemson took over at the Virginia Tech 31, but the defense erased the opportunity. A tackle for loss and back-to-back sacks forced a punt.
The Hokies made the stop count. They drove 87 yards in about seven minutes, and Grunkemeyer found Luke Reynolds, who was uncovered after a pre-snap motion, for a 6-yard touchdown with 1:29 left in the half. Virginia Tech led 10-3 at halftime.
Clemson’s third-quarter surge
Clemson came out of the break with a different look. The Tigers outgained Virginia Tech 146-13 in the third quarter and scored on three straight possessions. Hauser kicked a 49-yard field goal, and Tait Reynolds scored his first career rushing touchdown on a 16-yard run to cap a six-play, 65-yard drive and put Clemson up 13-10. Hauser’s 36-yard field goal as the quarter ended made it 16-10.
Defensive end Will Heldt, who had two sacks in the game, was a big part of it. He and the line kept Grunkemeyer on the run, and the Hokies went backward on two straight third-quarter possessions.
The Hokies’ answer
Virginia Tech found a way back. Love’s 47-yard field goal with 11:52 left made it 16-13, and the Hokies got the ball back with 6:29 to play. They drove 74 yards on 11 plays, helped by three Clemson penalties, two for pass interference and one for a late hit. At the Clemson 5-yard line, Franklin passed on a tying field goal and went for it on fourth-and-1. Grunkemeyer, under pressure, hit Luke Reynolds in the back of the end zone for the winning score.
Clemson had one last chance, starting at its own 16 with 1:41 left. The Tigers got to midfield, but Jaquez White sacked Tait Reynolds on first down. On third-and-9, Bryant Wesco Jr. appeared to make a 26-yard catch, but replay overturned it. Mylachi Williams sacked Reynolds on fourth down to end it.
“I thought our defense played really, really well tonight,” Franklin said.
By the numbers
Virginia Tech
Total yards: 234
Rushing yards: 70 (37 carries)
Passing yards: 164
First downs: 19
Third downs: 5 of 15
Fourth downs: 2 of 3
Penalties: 5 for 40 yards
Sacks by defense: 4
Tackles for loss by defense: 13
Turnovers: 0
Clemson
Total yards: 288
Rushing yards: 135 (36 carries)
Passing yards: 153
First downs: 15
Third downs: 3 of 14
Fourth downs: 1 of 3
Penalties: 7 for 65 yards
Sacks by defense: 6
Tackles for loss by defense: 10
Turnovers: 0
Clemson held Virginia Tech to a season-low 234 yards. The Hokies had entered the week averaging 449.7 yards per game and ranked 11th nationally in passing offense at 301.6 yards per game, but they managed just 164 through the air. Clemson’s six sacks were a season high, and neither team turned the ball over.
Two teams, two sets of questions
Clemson: what worked
The defense. The Tigers held a high-powered offense to its lowest yardage of the year and had back-to-back games with double-digit tackles for loss. They also have held consecutive opponents under 250 yards for the first time since 2024.
Tait Reynolds. He was 20 of 26 for 153 yards, with 13 straight completions, and ran 18 times for 63 yards and a touchdown. He led Clemson in both rushing and passing, the first Clemson quarterback to do that since Cade Klubnik in 2022.
Nolan Hauser. He made all three of his field goals, from 34, 49 and 36 yards.
Clemson: what has to improve
Finishing drives. Clemson settled for three field goals and scored one touchdown, and went 3 of 14 on third down. The Associated Press noted the Tigers still lack explosiveness and get little down the field, with receivers T.J. Moore and Wesco combining for eight catches and 63 yards.
Discipline. Seven penalties for 65 yards hurt, especially the three on Virginia Tech’s winning drive that gave the Hokies three first downs.
Closing games. Clemson led after three quarters and lost, only the eighth time since 2011 it has done so, against 154 wins.
Virginia Tech: what worked
Late-game poise. The Hokies scored the winning touchdown on fourth-and-1 and then got two sacks on Clemson’s last drive.
The defense. It entered the game leading the FBS in tackles for loss and finished with 13 against Clemson, plus four sacks.
Ethan Grunkemeyer. He was 20 of 32 for 156 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Luke Reynolds had seven catches for 44 yards and both scores.
Virginia Tech: what has to improve
The run game. The Hokies ran 37 times for 70 yards, 1.9 yards per carry, which left Grunkemeyer in long third-down situations all night.
The offensive line. Franklin said afterward the Hokies need to get some linemen back from injury, and the bye week should help.
Third quarters. Virginia Tech was outgained 146-13 after halftime, and its offense went backward on two straight possessions.
History and context
Clemson leads the all-time series 24-13-1 and is 9-7-1 against the Hokies at home. The loss dropped Dabo Swinney to 7-1 against Virginia Tech. Franklin was the 100th different head coach Swinney has faced, and the game was Clemson’s fifth night game of 2026, tying the most through seven games in school history.
What’s next
Clemson is at Florida State at 7 p.m. next Saturday, Oct. 31. The Tigers still have Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Duke and South Carolina after that. They need two more wins to become bowl-eligible, and AP called the loss a serious blow to their ACC championship hopes, with No. 1 Miami unbeaten in conference play.
Virginia Tech is off next week, and the bye should help an injured offensive line. The Hokies are at SMU on Friday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Related: Full box score on ESPN | Clemson’s 2026 schedule | Texas A&M vs. Citadel recap
