Vanderbilt held off a Virginia Tech comeback to open the season with a surprise victory. The Commodores emerged victorious in the first overtime of the college football season, beating the Hokies 34-27.

After scoring in the first overtime period, Vanderbilt’s defense came up with the needed save on fourth down.

Though unranked, the Hokies were a fan favorite to win the ACC and advance to the expanded College Football Playoff. The Commodores, meanwhile, are coming off a string of mediocre seasons in the SEC but entered the season with a strong message to the rest of the conference.

Diego Pavia, a senior transfer from New Mexico State, was a powerhouse for the Commodores, throwing for 190 yards and scoring two touchdowns, running for 95 yards and scoring another score, leading the team to a big win.

His 4-yard touchdown run in overtime proved to be the deciding factor.

The game started slowly, with Vanderbilt taking a 3-0 lead in the first quarter before scoring two touchdowns in the second. The Commodores went into the locker room with a 17-3 lead at halftime.

The matchup was pretty chaotic, including a particularly wild sequence in the third quarter that led to a Vanderbilt field goal. Kicker Brock Taylor missed the Commodores’ first 53-yard attempt, but the play was declared dead after a delay of game. After Vanderbilt switched to a punt formation, the Hokies were penalized for having two players with the same number on the field. From there, back within field goal range, Taylor nailed the second 53-yard attempt to give Vanderbilt three more points. That gave Vanderbilt a 20-10 lead midway through the third quarter.

Despite this, the Hokies came back in the second half to outscore Vanderbilt 24-10. Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones — who finished with 322 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception — had a strong performance to give the Hokies their first lead of the game in the fourth quarter. Vanderbilt followed up with a touchdown of their own to tie the score at 27-27.

With less than two minutes remaining, Virginia Tech went three-and-out and Drones went down with an apparent leg injury. He did not return to the game, limiting the Hokies in overtime.

Vanderbilt initially had a chance to win the game in regulation time, but Taylor’s 43-yard field goal in the last second went wide, sending the game into overtime.

Pavia was clinical on Vanderbilt’s overtime drive, getting the ball down the field and eventually running it in for the winning score. The Commodores’ defense then did its thing, forcing Virginia Tech into a fourth-and-long that missed backup quarterback Collin Schlee.

Vanderbilt now opens the season with a win, which will come in handy: the team will face five currently ranked SEC opponents before the end of the season, all five of which are in the top 15. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, enters a much easier ACC schedule with an 0-1 record and a bruised ego.