Virginia Tech kicker John Love missed a 36-yard field goal as time expired, sealing a 35-33 victory for unbeaten Pittsburgh at Lane Stadium on October 2, 2026.
The Final Seconds in Blacksburg
The warm October night in Blacksburg ended in stunned silence for 65,632 fans packed into Lane Stadium. Virginia Tech marched 62 yards across 16 plays on its final possession, setting up a 36-yard field goal attempt for John Love as the game clock expired. The kick was ruled no good to secure Pittsburgh’s 35-33 win.
Immediate confusion followed the final play. While the Panthers rushed the field in celebration, Love and the home crowd believed the kick had cleared the uprights. Television broadcasts from underneath the crossbar lacked a conclusive angle to prove whether the ball sneaked inside the right upright or missed wide left.
“To be honest with you, from my angle, I don’t know,” James Franklin said. “I think John Love is the best kicker in the country. I had so much confidence that that thing was going to go through. From my angle, I couldn’t tell you one way or another… The end of the day, they said it didn’t go through so everything else, doesn’t really matter a whole lot”
James Franklin, Virginia Tech Head Coach
Franklin defended his kicker after the loss, stating he maintains complete confidence in Love and would send him back out for the exact same situation every single time. On the opposing sideline, Pitt backup quarterback Holden Geriner entered the game after Mason Heintschel went down with a leg injury.
Holden Geriner Steps In After Injury
Heintschel hobbled over to the blue medical tent with the assistance of a trainer before heading to the locker room, and he was later seen with crutches next to him on the sidelines. He finished the night completing 10 of 13 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. Despite losing their starting quarterback to an apparent second-half knee issue, the Panthers managed to prevail anyway.
Enter Holden Geriner, an upperclassman transfer playing for his third collegiate program in five years. After stops at Auburn and Texas State, Geriner arrived in Pittsburgh with the explicit goal of mentoring the younger signal-caller. Instead, the fifth-year senior found himself thrust into high-stakes ACC play.
“The message was ‘come in and push him to be the best that he can be,’” Geriner said, referencing Heintschel. “He’s a young guy who has had a lot of success and has a tremendous amount of upside. I saw a great opportunity to come in and work with him and all the other guys as well.”
Holden Geriner, Pittsburgh Quarterback
Geriner completed 8 of 12 pass attempts for 78 yards, directing an offense that erased a 14-0 first-quarter deficit. His 29-yard touchdown pass to Cataurus Hicks early in the fourth quarter pushed Pitt’s lead to 35-24. While Heintschel was spotted on crutches after the final whistle, Geriner confirmed he is fully prepared to take over starting duties if the injury keeps Heintschel sidelined long-term. For the game, Geriner had a 148.8 passer rating.
The Turning Points in an ACC Battle
Virginia Tech dominated the early action, racing out to a 14-0 lead behind Ethan Grunkemeyer’s passing. Grunkemeyer finished the night with a career-high 434 passing yards, outgaining Pittsburgh 499 to 295 total yards. However, unforced errors and defensive turnovers kept the Panthers within striking distance.
A sequence unfolded in the final minute of the first half. Grunkemeyer threw an interception to Cameron Lindsey after a physical wrestling match on the turf for the ball. Pitt immediately converted the turnover into points when Heintschel connected with Hicks for a 22-yard score with 31 seconds remaining before halftime, cutting Virginia Tech’s lead to 24-21.
Running back Damon Ferguson Jr. contributed to the scoring earlier when the Hokies stuffed Ferguson into the end zone for a safety. Ja’Kyrian Turner also made an impact in his first appearance since the season opener, anchoring a rushing attack that kept the chains moving despite the quarterback change.
National Reaction to James Franklin
The final whistle resurrected familiar criticisms regarding James Franklin’s record in big games, echoing his 4-21 mark against AP top-10 opponents during his tenure at Penn State. Observers across college football chimed in on social media.
LSU national champion Breiden Fehoko posted that the Virginia Tech coach still cannot win big games, while the CFB Report account criticized the team’s late-game clock management. Compounding the narrative, Penn State suffered a defeat against Northwestern that same evening, throwing further fuel onto a fire Franklin likely hoped stayed behind in State College.
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi emphasized that his team earned every bit of its 5-0 start, moving to 2-0 in conference play alongside upcoming matchups on the schedule. The Panthers will host North Carolina on October 10, while Virginia Tech travels to face California on the same date to rebound from its first defeat.
Virginia Tech’s 4-0 start couldn’t kill the old narrative as the Hokies fell to 4-1 following the missed kick. Franklin had four wins to quiet the old jokes, but one missed kick brought every single one of them back.
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