Hokies drop residence opener to Vanderbilt 44-20

BLACKSBURG – Despite jumping out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, the Virginia Tech football team fell to SEC foe Vanderbilt 44-20 Saturday night at Lane Stadium. The loss drops Tech to 0-2 ahead of next week’s meeting with Old Dominion. 

The Hokies received the opening kickoff and marched down the field, with a 15-play scoring drive to take the lead and followed that up with a touchdown pass from Kyron Drones to Ja’Ricous Hairston in the corner of the end zone.

From there, the Commodores (2-0) would start to find a foothold in the game as quarterback Diego Pavia found Bryce Coleman with a 54-yard pass to get on the board early in the second quarter.

Buouyed by the defense that forced two turnovers, Tech and John Love who once again hit a field goal as time expired took a lead into the locker room, 20-10.

In the second half, the Hokies’ offense stalled, struggling to find a rhythm against a stout Vanderbilt defense. 

The Commodores were able to push the ball down the field with Pavia recording 193 yards and two scores in the air and he was responsible for 63 of the squad’s 270 rushing yards.

The Hokies are back on Worsham Field at Lane Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13 to take on Old Dominion. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and can be seen on ACC Network.

Game Notes:
• Tech’s opening drive constituted 15 plays resulting in a 28-yard field goal and ate up 7 minutes and 49 seconds
• The first quarter interception by sophomore Quentin Reddish was the first of his career 
•Ja’Ricous Hairston’s two-yard touchdown reception was also the first catch of his young career
•Drones’ rushing score in the second quarter was the 14th rushing touchdown of his career, first of 2025
•Tech held Vanderbilt scoreless for the first quarter, the third consecutive game that the Hokies’ defense had kept an opponent off the board through the opening 15 minutes at Lane Stadium
•Immanuel Hickman forced the second sack of his career and Thomas Williams registered his first recovery