Tech ended the Virginia game with a close loss in a shootout. The game, held in Charlottesville, started out well for Tech, with Jeff Sims finding Kyric McGowan for a 36-yard touchdown pass on the first drive. Not to be outdone, the defense forced an elite Virginia offense to a quick three and out, giving Tech another opportunity to find the endzone, this time with a three-yard run by Dontae Smith.
It was at this point that the momentum, clearly in Tech’s favor, began to change. On the ensuing drive Cavalier quarterback phenom Brennan Armstrong began to find a rhythm, putting together a nine-play, 75-yard drive to find the endzone and cut Tech’s lead to 14-7.