Virginia Tech Loses 35-33 To Pitt After Third-Quarter Struggles, Missed Field Goal

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Virginia Tech’s contest against Pitt Friday evening featured a dramatic reversal of fortunes.

Final: Pitt 35, Hokies 33
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) October 3, 2026

The Hokies (4-1, 1-1 ACC) held a 10-point lead after a John Love field goal, but were outscored by three touchdowns in under 30 minutes of game time, eventually falling to the Panthers (5-0, 2-0 ACC), 35-33. Love missed the potential game-winning 36-yard kick, one that appeared ambiguous as to whether it was in or not.

Despite Virginia Tech quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer throwing for 400-plus yards — the first such output of his career — and the Hokies outgaining Pitt 499-295, they were undone by a six-drive stretch where they fumbled the ball twice and Grunkemeyer threw two interceptions.

Virginia Tech’s do-or-die sequence culminated in a four-minute drill with the season on the line. Marching slowly up the field, the Hokies found themselves on their own 46, down to their final down and needing five yards to effectively keep the game going.

Grunkemeyer found Reynolds in tight coverage for a 23-yard gain, enabling Virginia Tech to push its way up to the 18-yard line. That set up a 35-yarder for Love to boot it, with Virginia Tech’s first 5-0 start since 2005 hanging in the balance.

He missed it. The 35-yard boot from the fifth-year senior — one who was a perfect 6-of-6 on field goals — was ruled no good, handing the Hokies their first loss of the 2026 season.

There were positives — and plenty of them — for Tech in its ACC home opener: Though Grunkemeyer threw two interceptions, he was also 30-of-41 for career-highs in passing yards (434) and passing touchdowns (three). Wide receiver Que’Sean Brown totaled 147 yards off seven catches, though he only tabbed five yards in the second half.

Tight end Luke Reynolds caught seven passes for 93 yards, nearly eclipsing the 100-yard mark for the third time at Virginia Tech, while wide receiver Ayden Greene logged four receptions for 88 yards.

But it wasn’t enough.

The undoing of Virginia Tech’s game against Pitt came back to several notes: the Hokies’ four turnovers, their penalties (eight penalties for 82 yards), Grunkemeyer’s two interceptions and three fumbles and the third quarter, among them.

Virginia Tech seemingly couldn’t get out of its way on the third quarter — a display where it coughed up the ball twice and Grunkemeyer threw an interception. The Hokies had conceded a touchdown to the Panthers right before halftime off a Grunkemeyer pick, setting the halftime margin at 24-21.

In those six drives, Virginia Tech compiled a combined seven yards. Here’’s a look at its six-drive span going from the end of the second quarter to its first drive of the fourth, disregarding the Hokies’ 31-second end to the half: interception, fumble, punt, fumble and interception. Meanwhile, from Pitt’s final drive of the first quarter to its first drive of the third, it scored four touchdowns in five drives.

The Panthers, though, didn’t fully capitalize off Virginia Tech’s six-drive malaise, however. While Pitt scored two touchdowns that gave it a 35-24 lead, it gave up the ball twice on Virginia Tech territory. In their last three drives prior to Virginia Tech’s four-minute drill for the win, the Panthers conceded a safety to linebacker Noah Chambers and punted twice.

It didn’t start that way, however.

Virginia Tech started its game against the Panthers in an exemplary manner, marching down the field in a four-play, 75-yard drive that took 1:16 off the clock. Grunkemeyer’s first pass was a 23-yard completion to Reynolds – one that was followed by a 14-yard gain from sophomore running back Jeffrey Overton.

On first-and-10 from Pitt’s 38, Grunkemeyer found Que’Sean Brown open on his left for a screen pass; the junior transfer from Duke knifed through several Pitt defenders en route to the end zone for a 38-yard house call.

Virginia Tech’s defense then stifled Pitt quarterback Mason Heintschel on the Panthers’ opening drive, forcing two near-interceptions on his first two throws and an unsuccessful scramble on third down to warrant a punt. Heintschel went 10-of-18 for 113 yards, one touchdown and one sack; the sophomore quarterback left midway through the game with a knee injury and did not return.

On the subsequent drive, Grunkemeyer, working with pressure bearing down upon him, fired the ball towards the left sideline – and Brown was there, catching the ball over the outstretched arms of a Pitt defender for a 43-yard gain. Four plays later, Virginia Tech reached the end zone off a Grunkemeyer 1-yard rushing touchdown.

Virginia Tech wasn’t done. After Love’s field goal, Grunkemeyer found wide receiver Ayden Greene wide open for a 22-yard score that elevated Virginia Tech’s lead to 24-14.

From there, however, the game petered out for Virginia Tech — and led to its demise for the first time this season. After Grunkemeyer’s first interception, Heintschel threw a 22-yard touchdown to Cataurus Hicks, and the Panthers seized the lead after a 15-yard Damon Ferguson rushing touchdown.

"We're people; he's not going to be perfect," Greene said of Grunkemeyer. "He's a hell of a quarterback, a hell of a leader and one of, if not the biggest piece to our offense. We can't operate without him. ... There's not much you need to say to a guy like him. All he needs to hear from us is that we're with him, we're behind him."

"There's nothing more to be said," Reynolds said. "Play happy, six-second mentality. Just go over there, give him a little slap on the helmet, let him know that we're still with them and all that kind of stuff. He already knows that."

Hicks scored again in the fourth quarter to extend Tech’s lead to 35-24. But Chambers’ safety and Grunkemeyer’s touchdown to wideout Davion “FatRat” Brown — the first of the freshman’s collegiate career — brought the Hokies to a two-point deficit and a chance to win the game. Virginia Tech mounted a heroic last-gasp rally, cashing in on fourth down, but it fell short.

Despite the Hokies putting up the most points all season on Pitt, the Panthers forced Grunkemeyer’s first interceptions of the year and weathered a first half where they trailed the Hokies 318-140 in yards. Virginia Tech made slightly too many mistakes and though thoughts on whether the kick went in may be divided, there's an argument to be made that Virginia Tech shouldn't have placed itself into that sort of situation. Greene thinks so, at least.

"Hard to swallow," Greene said. "But we should have never been in that situation. It shouldn't have came down to that."

The Hokies are on the road next, traveling to Berkeley, Calif., to play California on Saturday, Oct. 10. That contest starts at 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. ET) on either ESPN2 or the ACC Network.

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