Ashten Emory scored on a 2-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds left as injury-riddled California rallied past Virginia Tech for a 25-20 victory, Saturday in Berkeley, Calif.
In his first start for Cal, Jackson Brousseau threw for 321 yards and tossed a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter as Cal (3-3, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) snapped a two-game losing streak.
Brousseau, who completed 29 of 43 passes without an interception, got the start in place of Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who had concussion symptoms. Brousseau went 1-7 last year as a starter for Colorado State.
Ethan Grunkemeyer completed 21 of 31 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown without an interception for Virginia Tech (4-2, 1-2), which lost in heartbreaking fashion for the second straight week.
Jeffrey Overton Jr. carried 12 times for 73 yards and Marcellous Hawkins Jr. added 45 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries for the Hokies.
After Virginia Tech led for most of the afternoon, Cal won it with touchdown drives of 79 and 75 yards in the fourth quarter.
Brousseau finished the first march with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Carson Perry-Smith, who made a leaping over-the-shoulder catch with 4:06 remaining to give Cal a 19-14 lead.
But Grunkemeyer responded, directing a 73-yard march which he finished with a 1-yard quarterback sneak touchdown with 1:15 left to give the Hokies a 20-19 lead.
But Cal had the final answer in a drive that was fueled by back-to-back 15-yard penalties by Virginia Tech.
After Ian Strong hauled in a 31-yard reception, Emory scored the winning touchdown after taking a direct snap.
Grunkemeyer drove Virginia Tech to the Cal 7, but his final pass of the game was broken up by Ashten Emory in the back of the end zone.
After a scoreless first quarter, Virginia Tech took the lead as Grunkemeyer threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Ayden Greene, who finished the play with a one-handed stretch of the ball to the goal-line pylon as he was knocked out of bounds.
After an exchange of possessions, Cal responded with a five-play, 85-yard drive, which Brousseau triggered with a 42-yard completion to Chase Hendricks. Four plays later, Emory scored on a 5-yard run to tie it, 7-7.
Virginia Tech answered on the ensuing possession, as Hawkins scored on a 3-yard burst.
Brousseau responded by directing a quick-strike drive over the final 42 seconds of the half which produced a 35-yard field goal by Towns McGough, which cut the deficit to 14-10.
McGough added a 22-yard field goal with 28 seconds left in the third quarter to draw Cal closer 14-13.
Cal was also without top rusher Adam Mohammed, who was sidelined for the second straight week, and Kingston Lopa, who entered the day as the Football Bowl Subdivision leader in interceptions with five.
