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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Jarret Doege threw two touchdown passes, Leddie Brown rushed for 106 yards and a score and West Virginia survived the furious Virginia Tech rally from a 20-point deficit to survive the Hokies 27-21 Saturday.
The Mountaineers (2-1) built a 27-7 point lead midway through the third quarter, but saw that lead evaporate mostly behind Braxton Burmeister of Virginia Tech.
Burmeister threw for two goals, including a 29-yard TD to Jalen Holston with 3:10 left. Virginia Tech recovered the ball with 2:11 remaining on Doege’s interception by Jermaine Waller at West Virginia 17, but Burmeister threw incomplete on the fourth and the goal of 3 and West Virginia ran out of time.
It was one of three Virginia Tech records that stalled inside the West Virginia 10, with the Hokies leaving with no points. Burmeister finished 18 of 30 for 207 yards.
Virginia Tech (2-1) had allowed just three touchdowns in its first two games but gave the Mountaineers two quick runs, who couldn’t keep the momentum going after halftime.
Even still, the quality victory over an ACC opponent in the Hokies will be cherished in and around the West Virginia program, especially after the Mountaineers opened the season by dropping a game against the Maryland of the Big Ten. .
West Virginia doesn’t have a reputation for being fast, but took the 14-0 lead less than 6 minutes into the game.
Brown, who had five touchdowns early in the game but was limited to 104 rushing yards, ran 80 yards down center for a score on West Virginia’s second play in scrum.
The Mountaineers only needed three games in their next practice, which was helped by a direct call to Virginia Tech linebacker Keshon Artis. In the next game, Doege found Bryce Ford-Wheaton in the end zone with double coverage at 29 yards.
After West Virginia extended the lead to 24-7 in the second quarter on a 16-yard throw from Doege to Sam James and a short field goal from Casey Legg, Raheem Blackshear returned a 78-yard kickoff to the 22 from West Virginia. But John Parker Romo missed a short try for a basket just before half-time.
Burmeister overcame a sack to throw three straight passes at the end of the third quarter, and his 25-yard run on the third down gave Blackshear 20 yards late in the third quarter to close the lead to 27-14.
Doege finished 15 of 26 for 193 yards and West Virginia edged the Hokies 318-308.
Virginia Tech, in her first game on the road, seemed bewildered by the sold-out crowd, especially at first, and couldn’t capitalize on the many chances she had to score.
The Hokies, among the most talked about schedules after a Week 1 upheaval in North Carolina, are sure to fall when the Associated Press poll comes out on Sunday.
For West Virginia, the victory will certainly boost confidence as they prepare for Oklahoma’s No.3 next Saturday in their first Big 12 game. The Mountaineers have never beaten the Sooners since entering. in the league in 2012.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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