Virginia Tech's football aspirations continue to fade, and they are running out of options.
The Hokies (3-5, 1-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) made a lot of good plays, but again had just enough bad ones in their 45-43 four-overtime loss to No. 23 Duke on Saturday, a loss that made playing for the ACC title more than a bit unrealistic. Cornerback Brandon Facyson boiled it down to the barest of bare.
"Our pride," he said when asked what the Hokies have left to play for after losing for the fourth time in five games, and the third time at home. "We don't want to be the team to end that streak."
The streak is Virginia's Tech string of 22 seasons ending in a bowl game, and the way things are going, from the coaching staff on down, winning three of their last four games would constitute a remarkable turnaround.
Against the Blue Devils, the blunders included an attempted onside kick that was supposed to be a squib and a completion to Cam Phillips where no one noticed that the officials had ruled he had not stepped out of bounds.
The latter cost them almost 20 seconds late in regulation, ending their bid for a winning field goal.
The character check upcoming will tell a lot, coach Frank Beamer said.
"If a guy doesn't give in when things are looking bleak — and all of us have had that — if you don't give in, you've got a chance," he said. "If you give in, I pretty much know how the story is going to turn out."
The Blue Devils, meantime, are headed in the opposite direction.
Thomas Sirk threw four touchdown passes, the last a 25-yarder to Erich Schneider in the final overtime, and ran for the decisive 2-point conversion. The Blue Devils' score came after the Hokies scored, but missed the 2-pointer.
The teams had traded field goals, then touchdowns, then field goals again through the first three overtimes.
The Hokies trailed almost all game, but two long second-half scoring drives drew them even.
The second covered 83 yards and tied the game with 2:07 to play. Michael Brewer's 23-yard touchdown pass to Bucky Hodges came on fourth-and-2, capping a drive that last 5:50. After the Blue Devils were twice called for pass interference on 2-point pass attempts, Travon McMillian ran it in from inside the 1 to tie the game at 24-all.
Duke then drove to the Hokies' 28, a quick march highlighted by Sirk's 39-yard connection with Max McCaffrey, but when Virginia Tech forced a fourth-and-3, Ross Martin hit the right upright with a 46-yard field goal try.
Martin also missed a 29-yarder, but connected from 41 yards for a 24-16 Blue Devils lead.
Shaun Wilson's 58-yard run had given Duke a 21-10 lead early in the third quarter.
Virginia Tech pulled within 21-16 with a 20-play, 95-yard drive that took 9:46, the longest drive in the 29-year history of Beamer's tenure as coach. McMillian finished it, taking a direct snap and running it in from the 2.
The Hokies tried a 2-point conversion to get within a field goal, and sent dual-threat quarterback Brenden Motley into the game to run the play, but his pass fluttered harmlessly to the ground, keeping it 21-16.
The game looked like it might be a barnburner early with the first three drives leading to touchdowns.
The Blue Devils converted four third downs, the last with Sirk hitting Max McCaffrey from a yard out for a 7-0 lead. Brewer hit Hodges for 36 and 16 yards, the latter for a tying touchdown, and then Sirk hit Anthony Nash for 45 yards and Max McCaffrey for a 16-yard score.
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