Virginia
Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball: The Megan Duffy Era Off To A Perfect Start
Blacksburg, VA- “You can’t win them all unless you win the first one.”
For this new look Virginia Tech women’s side, a dominant win was needed to bring Hokie fans onside. And for first-year head coach Megan Duffy that is exactly what she got after a dominant 99-57 win over University of North Carolina Wilmington Monday evening.
Michigan State transfer guard Matilda Ekh notched a quickfire three just seconds after tipoff, very quickly raising the energy levels of a Cassell Coliseum that was begging to see a near-perfect night.
“It was fun. it’s been like, I don’t know eight months since we played someone else in here. So it was fun. We’ve been waiting a long time,” quoted Ekh after her season-opening 18 points.
The Hokies exuded what a team in control is expected of doing. When Tech wanted the game fast, they pumped up the tempo and found themselves going on spurts that saw quick passing movements and backdoor cuts that were open allowing over 60 points tallied in the paint on the night.
“That’s also something we have been talking about, I feel like in the preseason. We got stuck on, like, shooting threes and sometimes, you know, not getting to the paint. So that was something we talked about before coming into the game: we have to get paint touches,” quoted Ekh.
Yet, when Duffy wanted to slow things down, you still saw the ball never stick, quick passes were still the name of the game, and Seahawk defenders could never rest as even though the clock was ticking down, the Hokies were moving at electric rates which kept UNCW guessing.
By the end of the first half, Tech held a firm 55-23 score, and even when the Seahawks tallied 23 points in the third period alone, it was a steady reminder of where this squad is at.
“This is exactly what we wanted. It wasn’t perfect, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s the first game season, which is long, but I think the most important thing is that we played hard and played together, which has been our emphasis all summer.
Five Hokies tacked over 10 points Monday, with production bearing spearheaded by Ekh who led all scorers with 18, being closely followed by Carleigh Wenzel, Carys Baker, and Rose Micheaux who each tacked on an additional 14.
“People are fighting for time in minutes, and there’s a competitiveness about our young players. There’s obviously some vets and new roles, and so I just felt really good about today where we had at different points a ton of people stepping up,” said a relieved Duffy following her first win in Blacksburg.
Up next for the Hokies is a trip to Charlotte, North Carolina against the Iowa Hawkeyes, in this years Ally Tipoff, the Hokies take the second game as defending national champions South Carolina face off against ACC foe North Carolina State earlier on Sunday.
Additional Links:
Virginia Tech Football: Brent Pry Updates Health of Kyron Drones and Bhayshul Tuten
Virginia Tech Football: Three Things Virginia Tech Must Fix Ahead Of It’s Matchup With Clemson
NFL Trade Deadline: Former Hokies Running Back Khalil Herbert Traded To AFC Contender
Virginia
Murphy, Pancol combine for three TD plays as Duke beats Virginia Tech 31-28
DURHAM, N.C. — Maalik Murphy’s three touchdown passes to Eli Pancol helped Duke overcome his three interceptions in a 31-28 win over slumping Virginia Tech on Saturday night.
Pancol racked up 188 yards receiving on five catches and Duke (8-3, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), which had only nine first downs until the last four minutes, held on for its second victory in a row.
Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten rushed for 84 yards and a late touchdown, but the Hokies (5-6, 3-4) lost their third consecutive game.
With quarterback Kyron Drones out with an injury, Virginia Tech used Collin Schlee as the starter before turning to William Watson III. Schlee threw for one touchdown, while Watson fired for 140 yards and reached the end zone on a two-point conversion run for the game’s final points with 9:19 to play.
Duke overcame four turnovers. The Blue Devils had the ball at Virginia Tech’s 16-yard line with a first down before Star Thomas fumbled, with the Hokies taking over with 1:44 remaining. They didn’t pick up a first down.
Duke’s 14-0 lead less than 6½ minutes into the game came from Murphy’s 86-yard connection with Pancol on the team’s first snap. The hooked up for a 77-yard TD play on the next possession.
Virginia Tech scored 17 straight points, with Schlee’s 65-yard pass play to Ali Jennings providing the team’s first points. Ayden Greene had a 21-yard TD run. Jennings posted 158 yards receiving.
The takeaway
Virginia Tech: The Hokies remain a victory shy of bowl eligibility with one game remaining. They had three possessions with a chance to tie or take the lead in the final eight minutes but managed only 20 yards combined on those series.
Duke: The Blue Devils had enough big plays, but the rushing attack has pretty much been abandoned until a couple of late drives. The defense that had been so stout for portions of the season had some holes, but the unit buckled up down the stretch. The only blemish on Duke’s 5-1 home record is an overtime loss to SMU.
Up next
Virginia Tech: at home Saturday vs. Virginia
Duke: Saturday at Wake Forest
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Virginia
5 thoughts from SMU-Virginia: Mustangs clinch conference title berth in first ACC season
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The Mustangs spent three decades pushing to be back in a power conference.
This season — and Saturday’s win over Virginia — showed why.
No. 13 SMU (10-1, 7-0) dominated in its final road contest against the Cavaliers (5-6, 3-4) 33-7 to clinch a spot in the ACC title game on Dec. 7.
Between a lights-out defensive performance, which included shutting out Virginia for the first 55 minutes of play, and another impressive showing from quarterback Kevin Jennings, the Mustangs cruised to victory to become the first team in the conference to secure their trip to Charlotte.
Here are five thoughts from the win.
Mustangs continue to make history in first ACC season
Each week during this historic season, SMU has seemingly achieved more feats many thought were impossible during their first year in the ACC.
After tearing through their first six conference opponents, SMU’s win Saturday made it the first team to make the conference title game in its first season after moving from a Group of Five conference to a power conference.
The Mustangs’ dominant win against Virginia was their 16th straight against a conference opponent and 10th consecutive on the road — both among the longest active streaks in FBS.
The Mustangs were picked to finish seventh in the ACC’s preseason poll, majorly exceeding expectations with their season that now has them on the brink of their first College Football Playoff appearance.
Final | No. 13 SMU 33, Virginia 7
SMU clinches a spot in the ACC title game on Dec. 7, becoming the first team to make its conference championship game in the first year after moving from a Group of Five conference to a power conference. pic.twitter.com/CwCIaKxdiW
— Lia Assimakopoulos (@Lassimak) November 23, 2024
SMU defense led by Isaiah Smith and Jared Harrison-Hunte stifles UVA offense
SMU’s defense has been its most consistent facet this season, but after a weaker performance against Boston College last week, the group was seeking a bounce-back game.
That’s exactly what the Mustangs got from Scott Symons’ group, which was 4:16 away from posting its first shutout of the season. The Cavaliers finished with just 173 total yards and 65 on the ground. Last week against Boston College, the Mustang defense allowed 180 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
SMU was successful in getting to Virginia quarterback Anthony Colandrea, finishing with nine sacks. Defensive linemen Isaiah Smith and Jared Harrison-Hunte led the team with two each. Kori Roberson had 1.5 sacks.
Virginia made just three red zone trips. It missed a 41-yard field goal in the first half and could not convert a fourth-down attempt in the second half after intercepting Jennings.
With under five minutes to play, Virginia finally found the end zone as Colandrea hit Malachi Fields for the four-yard touchdown.
Kevin Jennings earns spot to compete on conference’s biggest stage
Jennings didn’t even begin the season as an ACC starter, but over the course of the last 12 weeks, he’s proven to be one of the conference’s top quarterbacks.
Against Virginia, Jennings was outstanding again, leading the Mustangs with a career-high 323 yards on 25 of 33 passing (76%) and three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing).
He had a stretch in the first half where he completed 12 straight passes, including a third-down conversion where he dodged multiple sacks before finding Roderick Daniels Jr. for the completion.
Jennings did have two turnovers in the second half, an interception and a fumble.
Nevertheless, a matchup with either Heisman candidate Cam Ward from Miami or Clemson’s Cade Klubnik in the ACC championship will be an intriguing one.
All wide receivers get involved in Jennings’ career day
Jennings has lost two of his top receiving targets over the past few weeks with both tight end RJ Maryand and wide receiver Jake Bailey going down with season-ending injuries.
But Saturday’s win showed the depth of the Mustang pass catchers with six different players recording multiple receptions and combining for 323 total yards.
Jordan Hudson led the group in receptions for the second consecutive week. After recording a career-high seven catches for 99 yards and a touchdown against Boston College, Hudson had six for 56 yards and a 17-yard touchdown reception in the first half against Virginia.
SMU’s leading receiver in yardage, however, was Moochie Dixon, who took four catches 89 yards with a long of 53 yards. Daniels added another five for 58 yards.
Tight end Matthew Hibner had SMU’s final 16-yard touchdown with 1:42 remaining.
The receivers stepped up, as Virginia limited SMU’s running backs, which combined for 111 yards on 35 carries.
Mustangs to close out regular season at Ford Stadium
SMU will get a chance to enjoy senior day next week without worrying about its ACC title game chances.
Having already clinched their spot, SMU will play its final regular-season game at Ford Stadium against Cal with a chance to become the first since the 1992 Florida State Seminoles to finish its inaugural campaign in a power conference unbeaten.
SMU has more to play for beyond the ACC title game. While it looks like the Mustangs will need to win the ACC championship to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff, at-large bids are still at play. Finishing 8-0 in conference play would be key to helping the Mustangs’ chances at one of those seven spots — or a better bowl selection should they miss out on the playoff.
They will also await their ACC championship opponent. Miami can secure their title game berth with a win over Syracuse next week, but Clemson would earn the spot if Miami loses.
Find more SMU coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Virginia
SMU-Virginia free livestream: How to watch college football game, TV, schedule
The No. 13 SMU Mustangs play against the Virginia Cavaliers in a college football game today. The matchup will begin at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN 2. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.
The Mustangs enter this matchup with a 9-1 record, and they are undefeated in conference play. Notably, the team has won seven games in a row. In their most recent game, the Mustangs defeated Boston College 38-28.
During the victory, SMU accrued 438 total yards. The team’s star quarterback Kevin Jennings threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns. He has thrown for 15 touchdowns and nearly 2,200 yards this season, so he will be a key player to watch today.
The Cavaliers enter this matchup with a 5-5 record, and they are coming off a 35-14 loss against Notre Dame. During the loss, Virginia struggled offensively. The team had five turnovers, which included three interceptions. Notably, Virginia only completed 17-36 passes against Notre Dame, so they will need to rely on their rushing attack today.
Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.
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