BLACKSBURG, Va. — Hudson Card threw for 248 yards and rushed for a score to lift Purdue to a 24-17 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday after a lengthy weather delay.
Card’s 1-yard run with eight minutes remaining was the difference for the Boilermakers (1-1), who handed first-year coach Ryan Walters his first victory and took some of the sting out of a 39-35 defeat to Fresno State in the season opener.
The Boilermakers survived what turned out to be a long day at Lane Stadium. A thunderstorm hit the area with five minutes remaining in the first quarter, resulting in Virginia Tech officials clearing the stadium. The storm dumped more than four inches of rain and caused a 5 hour, 27-minute delay.
Virginia Tech (1-1) rallied from a 17-0 deficit, scoring 17 unanswered in the final six minutes of the first half. But the Hokies' six second-half possessions ended with four punts, a turnover, a loss of possession on downs.
Grant Wells threw for 243 yards and two scores for the Hokies, but also threw two interceptions and was sacked three times.
TAKEAWAYS
Purdue: The Boilermakers weren’t perfect in this one, but Card made some timely plays, Devin Mockobee had some tough runs, the defense held in the second half, and most importantly, Purdue did not turn the ball over. That will be the recipe for success for this team the rest of the season.
Virginia Tech: For the second straight game, Virginia Tech’s running game was awful. The Hokies finished with 11 yards against Purdue after rushing for just 109 in the season opener against ODU. Expect that to be a point of emphasis for coach Brent Pry and his staff going forward.
UP NEXT
Purdue: The Boilermakers host Syracuse on Saturday.
Virginia Tech: The Hokies play at Rutgers on Saturday.
