Short-handed Cal scores touchdown with 18 seconds left to upset Virginia Tech 25-20

BERKELEY — Cal posted its best victory of the young Tosh Lupoi coaching era with a 25-20 upset of 10-point favorite Virginia Tech in front of 40,170 fans at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Running back Ashten Emory took a direct snap and ran into the end zone from 2 yards with 18 seconds left as the Bears (3-3, 2-1 ACC) overcame the absence of key players on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

It wasn’t over until Tech’s Ethan Grunkemeyer threw incomplete in the end zone to tight end Luke Reynolds from the Cal 7-yard line on the game’s final snap. The Hokies had gone 53 yards in 18 seconds, aided by a pass interference penalty, but the Bears escaped to snap a two-game losing streak.

Virginia Tech (4-2, 1-2) lost for the second straight week after opening the season 4-0 for the first time in nine seasons.

Cal played without starting quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, still not cleared after sustaining a concussion the week before against UNLV. Also out were safety Kingston Lopa, the nation’s leader with five interceptions, and running back Adam Mohammed, Cal’s top ground gainer.

Jackson Brousseau, a transfer from Colorado State, played well in place of JKS, completing 29 of 43 passes for 321 yards with a touchdown and no turnovers.

Cal took its first lead of the day when Brousseau, while being rushed hard on third-and-goal from the 3, threw high into the back of the end zone, where walk-on wide receiver/running back Carson Perry-Smith made a leaping catch with 4:06 left in the fourth quarter.

The Bears failed to convert a 2-point conversion try, but led 19-14 after the 14-play, 79-yard drive in which Brousseau completed 5 of 8 passes for 36 yards.

The Hokies, who entered the game averaging 41 points, finally put together an impressive drive following the Cal field goal.

Grunkemeyer completed three of four passes for 55 yards — two of them to Reynolds and a 27-yarder to running back Jeffrey Overton Jr. — to reach the red zone. Grunkemeyer then scored the go-ahead TD on 1-yard sneak with 1:15 to play.

Sparked by a perfectly executed fake punt, Cal went 65 yards in 11 plays at the end of the third quarter before Towns McGough kicked a 22-yard field goal to pull the Bears within 14-13 with 28 seconds left in the period.

The Bears were facing fourth-and-7 at their own 34 when they snapped the ball to tight end Dorian Thomas, who blasted 29 yards up the middle for a first down at the Hokies’ 37. Brousseau later completed an 18-yard pass to Ian Strong to the 8-yard line.

McGough kicked a 35-yard field goal on the final play of the half, pulling the Bears within 14-10.

The Bears efficiently went 56 yards in eight plays over just 42 seconds to secure the three points. Brousseau had a 21-yard completion to Jordan King and a 22-yarder to Strong, who went out of bounds at the 17-yard line with 3 seconds left.

Each team had exactly 199 yards of offense in the half. Cal got 186 through the air, as Brousseau completed 15 of 21 passes without a turnover. The run game produced just 13 yards on 1.1 yards per rush.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Hokies took a 7-0 lead when Grunkemeyer completed a 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ayden Greene, who stretched the ball to the left pylon for the score with 12:41 left in the second period.

Cal, which managed just 32 yards on its first four possessions, squared things when Emory crossed the goal line on a 5-yard pitch play with 5:54 left in the half. Brousseau had completions of 42 yards to Chase Hendricks and 23 yards to King, who made a spectacular catch at the 20-yard line just before going out of bounds.

The Hokies answered with a seven-play, 75-yard scoring drive, capped by a 3-yard TD run from Marcellous Hawkins Jr. with 2:21 to play in the half.