The Atlantic Line
Cal beats Virginia Tech with 18 seconds left behind backup QB Jackson Brousseau
Jackson Brousseau threw for 321 yards and Ashten Emory scored late as short-handed Cal beat Virginia Tech, evening its record at 3-3.
Cal made the most of a short-handed lineup on Saturday. Backup quarterback Jackson Brousseau led a late drive that ended with a 2-yard Ashten Emory touchdown with 18 seconds left, and the Golden Bears held on to beat Virginia Tech and get back to .500 at 3-3.
USA TODAY Sports reported that Brousseau started because quarterback Sagapolutele was hurt. He completed 29 of 43 passes for 321 yards and a touchdown. Emory, a sophomore running back, had 46 yards on 19 carries and scored twice. Brousseau started eight games for Colorado State last season, and he looked comfortable running an offense that has changed noticeably in the past two weeks.
That change came during the loss to UNLV. Coach Tosh Lupoi took play-calling away from offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville and handed it to pass game coach Pat McCann. Cal trailed the Rebels 24-7 at the time and went on to lose 39-31, but the offense came alive after the switch. Against the Hokies it put up 403 yards, went 8-of-16 on third down and converted its only fourth-down try. According to USA TODAY Sports, McCann ran a faster tempo and attacked every part of the field with short, intermediate and deep throws.
The defense was missing players too. Cal played without Lopa, starting inside linebacker Kamar Mothudi and defensive lineman Nate Burrell, and lost linebacker AJ Tuitele to a targeting ejection with 14:11 left in the fourth quarter. It still made the stop that decided the game. On Virginia Tech's last chance, junior quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer tried to fit a throw to tight end Luke Reynolds in the back of the end zone, and defensive back Cam Sidney broke it up.
Lupoi pointed to how many key players Cal was without, including its two most productive defenders, its starting quarterback and both running backs. "So what? Now, what?" he said, according to USA TODAY Sports.
The win also keeps Cal in the conference race. The Golden Bears are 2-1 in ACC play, the same league record as Pittsburgh, SMU and Clemson. Clemson beat Cal on Sept. 25, so Cal would lose a tiebreak with the Tigers, but a team that has dealt with this many injuries now has a real shot in the second half of the season. Lupoi said Cal has been in close games throughout the year and that the team needed to start finishing them. Getting injured starters back would help.
Virginia Tech heads the other way. The Hokies opened 4-0 and have now lost two straight in the final seconds. Last week they fell to Pittsburgh, then ranked No. 25, when kicker John Love missed a disputed 36-yard field goal as time expired. This loss puts them at 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the ACC, and they have already used up most of their margin in the conference standings.
