Virginia Tech @ Pittsburgh

Virginia Tech defeated Pittsburgh 18-12 in Pittsburgh on January 9, 2026, in an ACC dual that came down to a handful of high-leverage matchups. The Hokies collected the needed bonus points and held on through a couple of late upsets to secure the six-point victory.

The difference for Virginia Tech was bonus scoring. #3 Eddie Ventresca dominated at 125, beating #30 Tyler Chappell 19-4 by technical fall for five team points, and #13 Tom Crook added a major decision, taking an 8-0 win over #29 Anthony Santaniello for four more team points. Those two bonus victories supplied the bulk of Tech’s margin.

Pittsburgh threatened to pull the dual back with two upsets. Jared Keslar, ranked #29, edged Mac Church (#27) 4-2 at 165, and Dayton Pitzer, #16, scored a 1-0 decision over Virginia Tech’s #11 Jimmy Mullen at heavyweight. Those decisions cut into Tech’s cushion, but were not enough to overcome the Hokies’ earlier bonus scoring.

A tight decision at 157 proved decisive. #9 Ethen Miller held off #16 Dylan Evans 4-2, a three-point win that effectively sealed the dual for Virginia Tech. In the end, Virginia Tech’s tech fall and major decision, combined with that close win at 157, outweighed Pittsburgh’s late ranking upsets and produced the 18-12 final.