Diego Pavia threw two touchdown passes and Sedrick Alexander ran for two scores as Vanderbilt overwhelmed Virginia Tech in the second half of a 44-20 victory Saturday night in Blacksburg, Va.
Pavia finished 12-of-18 passing for 193 yards with one interception and rushed for 61 yards on 11 carries as Vanderbilt (2-0) reeled off 34 straight points in the second half to rally from a 10-point deficit.
Alexander carried 10 times for 73 yards and Makhilyn Young added 95 yards and a touchdown on eight carries for the Commodores, who beat the Hokies for the second straight year.
In the 2024 season opener, Pavia’s 4-yard touchdown run in overtime gave Vanderbilt a 34-27 victory over Virginia Tech.
Kyron Drones threw one touchdown pass and ran for another score for the Hokies (0-2), who have dropped their first two games for the first time in 15 years. In that 2010 season, they went on to win their next 11.
Down 20-10 at the start of the third quarter, Vanderbilt answered with back-to-back 75-yard drives in the third quarter, sandwiched around a Virginia Tech 3-and-out.
Tre Richardson capped the second drive with a spectacular one-handed catch as he was tightly covered. The 26-yard pass from Pavia gave the Commodores their first lead of the game at 23-20 late in the third.
The next time Vanderbilt got the ball, it marched 56 yards, with the final 18 coming on a touchdown burst up the middle from Alexander which made it 30-20.
The Commodores’ domination continued as Young ripped off a 62-yard run straight through the middle of the Hokies’ defense. Two plays later, Alexander scored on a 6-yard dash.
The quick-strike drive demonstrated Vanderbilt’s superiority at the line of scrimmage. In the second half, the Commodores outgained the Hokies 321-21.
The Commodores’ final score came on a 9-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Blaze Berlowitz to Eli Stowers.
Vanderbilt’s first TD came on the first play of the second quarter when Pavia froze Virginia Tech with a play-action fake and threw a 54-yard pass to a wide open Brycen Coleman.
The touchdown came after Virginia Tech scored on its two possessions in the first quarter to build a 10-0 advantage. Following a field goal halfway through the opening period, Drones hit Ja’Ricous Hairston on a 2-yard scoring toss with six seconds left in the quarter.
