Associated Press
BLACKSBURG, Va. — Logan Thomas was eager to show his skills on a big stage.
Instead, No. 13 Clemson never let him get comfortable. Thomas and Virginia Tech committed two turnovers and made countless drive-stalling mistakes as the 11th-ranked Hokies lost 23-3 to the Tigers on Saturday night.
“They kept me on my toes, didn’t give me a chance to get a good feel for the game,” Thomas said after completing 15 of 27 passes for 125 yards with an interception.
The frustration of the Hokies’ troubles all converged on two drives. In the second quarter, an 18-yard run by David Wilson gave them a first-and-goal from the 5, but two runs netted only 3 yards and a false start flag pushed them back to the 7. When Thomas was flushed from the pocket and threw incomplete to Jarrett Boykin, Cody Journell tied at with a 24-yard field goal.
Later, trailing 17-3 in the fourth quarter, they drove from the Tigers’ 47 to the 12 on four completions by Thomas, but still faced fourth-and-4. Thomas’ pass, however, missed Danny Coale, and the Tigers then drove 88 yards in eight plays to clinch it with their third touchdown.
The Hokies went without a touchdown at home for the first time since 1995.
Clemson (5-0, 2-0) became the first ACC team to beat ranked teams three weeks in a row, and ended the Hokies’ 12-game ACC winning streak.
Boyd, a Virginia native recruited by the Hokies, threw for a touchdown and the Tigers got rushing touchdowns from Andre Ellington and Mike Bellamy. They finished with 323 yards against a defense that came in ranked fourth nationally, allowing just 231 yards.