Cal spent nearly all of Saturday afternoon chasing Virginia Tech in Berkeley. Then, with under a minute to play, a quarterback making his first start for the Bears drove them the length of the field to win it.

The final drive

Trailing 20-19, backup quarterback Jackson Brousseau took Cal 75 yards in six plays and 57 seconds, according to Cal Athletics. Running back Ashten Emory, also making his first Cal start, finished it with a 2-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds left. Virginia Tech still had time to answer and drove to Cal's 7-yard line, but safety Cam Sydney broke up a pass in the end zone on the final play to seal a 25-20 win.

Brousseau was starting in place of injured starter Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, and he finished 29 of 43 for 321 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions, the school said. Emory, getting more carries with starting running back Adam Mohammed out injured for a second straight game, scored twice. Receivers Chase Hendricks and Ian Strong each topped 90 receiving yards.

How it got close

The Hokies led 14-13 after three quarters, the AP reported. Cal went up 19-14 on a 3-yard touchdown catch by Carson Perry-Smith with about four minutes left, before Virginia Tech went back ahead 20-19 on a 1-yard run by quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer. The AP noted Cal's offense leaned heavily on the pass, running for just 82 yards.

The win puts Cal at 3-3 overall and 2-1 in the ACC. It was also the first time Cal had ever hosted Virginia Tech, according to the school's postgame notes. The Bears are home again next Saturday, Oct. 17, against Wake Forest at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2.

A long day in South Bend

Stanford fell to 2-4 with a 58-7 loss at No. 3 Notre Dame. Irish freshman Jonaz Walton ran for 181 yards, including a 97-yard touchdown run, the AP reported. Notre Dame recovered a Stanford fumble on the game's opening possession and scored two plays later. The Cardinal's only touchdown came late in the third quarter on a 3-yard pass from Davis Warren to Benji Blackburn, set up by a 52-yard completion to Caden High. It was the first game this season that Stanford lost the turnover battle, according to Stanford Athletics.

Stanford hosts Elon for homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 17, then NC State on Friday, Oct. 23.