WATCH: West Virginia defensive back Jacolby Spells returns pick six 27 yards to put Virginia Tech away
The West Virginia Mountaineers just delivered the knockout punch to the Virginia Tech Hokies in Blacksburg, Virginia. With 9:48 remaining in the fourth quarter, Hokies quarterback Grant Wells fired a pass to his receiver Kaleb Smith, who fell down on the play. Then, West Virginia freshman defensive back Jacolby Spells snatched the interception, cut across the field, and returned it 27-yards for the easy touchdown.
Spells suited up for one of the most prestigious high school football programs in the country
Spells played his high school football for head coach Patrick Surtain at the prestigious program of American Heritage (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). According to the On3 Consensus Rankings for the 2022 cycle, he was rated as the No. 28 cornerback in America and a four-star prospect. Spells switched from receiver to cornerback during his junior year of high school and helped lead American Heritage to the Florida 5A state crown. A dynamic track athlete, he was also clocked at 10.79 in the 100-meter dash.
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The pick six by Spells was the final nail in the coffin for the Hokies with 9:36 remaining and it put the Mountaineers up 33-10.
West Virginia won Thursday night’s game 33-10, the largest margin of victory for WVU at Lane Stadium. The largest previous win for the Mountaineers at Lane Stadium was a 22-10 victory in 1988. Tonight’s game is currently the last scheduled game between the two former rivals from what was at one point in time known as the Big East Conference. With the win on Thursday night, West Virginia retained the coveted Black Diamond Trophy.
The West Virginia ground attack could not be stopped
West Virginia gashed Virginia Tech on the ground all night long, racking up 218 rushing yards and one touchdown on the ground. The Mountaineers talented trio of tailbacks were simply too much for the Hokies to handle. C.J. Donaldson rushed for 106 yards on 23 carries on Thursday night, his third 100-yard game thus far on the season. Justin Johnson, Jr. also added 83 rushing yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries (averaging 7.5 yards per carry). West Virginia quarterback J.T. Daniels also had a solid night and made some really accurate passes at times. He completed 20 of 30 passes for 203 passing yards, while tossing in one touchdown and no interceptions.
West Virginia (2-2) will travel next Saturday to Austin, Texas to face the Texas Longhorns (2-1) on Oct. 1.