Hokies’ comeback falls short as Pitt wins 35-33 thriller Friday night

The Virginia Tech football team dropped its first contest of the 2026 season Friday night, a 35-33 thriller to the Pitt Panthers. A sold-out crowd at Lane Stadium was treated to a high-scoring back and forth affair, but the Hokies’ comeback attempt fell just short as a potential game-winning field goal was just wide. The loss drops the Hokies to 4-1 on the season and 1-1 in the ACC, while Pitt climbs to 5-0 (2-0).

The Hokies scored the first two touchdowns of the game, continuing a trend of hot offensive starts. Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer found a variety of receivers to move the ball down the field, with Que’Sean Brown being his favorite target early in the game. Brown recorded a 38-yard score and Grunkemeyer himself found the end zone with a one-yard rush to give Tech a 14-0 lead just five minutes into the game.

Pitt would find a footing and score three times in the first half, cutting into the Hokies’ lead which was 24-21 at the half.

The Panthers would go on to build a 35-24 lead.

Tech’s regained momentum when the defense forced a safety on a tackle by Noah Chambers to cut the deficit to nine points. Jeffrey Overton, Jr. had a return of 62 yards that set up the Hokies in plus territory. On the ensuing possession, Davion Brown caught a 28-yard touchdown, his first as Lane Stadium roared back to life.

The Hokies had a chance to put together a game-winning drive and moved the ball down the field and into position for a field goal that would be the last play of the game. A 36-yard field goal attempt as time expired missed to the left of the uprights.

Grunkemeyer had a historic evening, throwing for more than 400 yards, just the third instance in recorded program history.