by BLACKSBURG – Tré Turner scored second half touchdowns rushing and receiving, helping Virginia Tech rally to a 24-17 nonconference victory over Furman on Saturday at Lane Stadium.
The win marked Tech’s second straight and moved the Hokies to 2-1 on the season. Furman fell to 1-2.
The Hokies trailed 14-3 at halftime after Furman converted two Virginia Tech turnovers into touchdowns, but the Hokies scored on their first two possessions of the second half to grab the lead, and then Turner’s 29-yard touchdown run with 5:04 remaining sealed the win.
Tech tailback Keshawn King rushed for 119 yards in his first collegiate start, and his 54-yard run on the second play of the second half got the Hokies going. The play set up a 3-yard touchdown run by James Mitchell that cut the Furman lead to 14-10 with 10 minutes left in the third quarter.
A fumble by Furman’s Devin Wynn on the ensuing possession was costly, with the Hokies converting on Ryan Willis’ (Cherokee) 2-yard touchdown pass to Turner with 8:12 left in the third. That score enabled Virginia Tech to grab a 17-14 lead, and it never trailed again.
Turner’s 29-yard touchdown run gave Tech some breathing room. The Hokies allowed a Furman field goal late, but recovered an onsides kick in the final minute and ran out the clock.
Turner, a receiver, rushed for 68 yards and caught four passes for 29 yards. Willis completed 17 of 21 for 123 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.
GAME NOTES
• Willis’ touchdown pass marked the 43rd of his career – 31 at Tech. He needs just 16 yards to surpassing 6,000 passing yards for his career.
• Emmanuel Belmar had 1.5 sacks – part of a day in which the Hokies had a season-high four sacks. Chamarri Conner and DaShawn Crawford also had sacks.
UP NEXT
The Hokies now have a bye week before resuming play Sept. 27 against Duke. The Friday night affair at Lane Stadium kicks off at 7 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN.
