Kyron Drones threw two touchdown passes and Terion Stewart rushed for 174 yards as Virginia Tech upended North Carolina State 23-21 on Saturday night at Raleigh, N.C.
John Love kicked a 49-yard field goal with 6:31 remaining for the go-ahead points.
The Hokies (2-3, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) have won two in a row since Brent Pry was fired and Philip Montgomery was installed as the interim coach.
Drones was 20-for-34 for 177 yards. Marcellous Hawkins and Cameron Seldon caught the touchdown passes.
CJ Bailey threw two touchdown passes, completing 26 of 34 throws for 240 yards for the Wolfpack (3-2, 1-2).
Love’s go-ahead boot came on a redo after he initially drilled a field goal only to have that wiped out by a delay-of-game penalty that pushed his next attempt back 5 yards.
After Virginia Tech made a defensive stop, the Hokies regained possession with 4:16 to play with a chance to clinch the outcome. Facing fourth-and-1 from their own 40-yard line, they opted to punt, with the Wolfpack taking over at the 18-yard line with 1:36 to play.
NC State was halted on an incomplete fourth-and-1 pass from its own 44.
Love kicked three field goals for the Hokies, who were in their first true road game of the season.
Stewart ran 85 yards to set up Drones’ 4-yard toss to Seldon on the next play with 20 seconds left in the third quarter.
NC State retook the lead on the first possession of the second half on Bailey’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Jackson.
Virginia Tech led 13-7 at halftime, holding a 230-121 advantage in total offense.
Bailey threw 4 yards to tight end Dante Daniels to put NC State up 7-3 late in the first quarter, completing a 12-play, 75-yard drive.
Drones beat a third-down blitz, throwing to Hawkins for an 11-yard touchdown to cap a 10-play drive that regained the lead for Virginia Tech.
The Hokies used 10 plays before Love’s second field goal of the half, a 32-yarder for a 13-7 lead
NC State has trailed at halftime in four consecutive games.
