Virginia Tech held off a late drive by West Virginia to pick up a 31-24 win at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.

In a game that seemed like it could go either way for the entire 60 minutes, the Hokies were able to hang on after taking a 31-24 lead with 6:30 to play. The Hokies had a chance to put the game away after that, as they forced a quick three-and-out from the Mountaineers on the ensuing drive. Tech then moved down the field and was set up for a 32-yard field goal that would have given them a 10-point lead with less than two minutes to play, but kicker Joey Slye missed the kick.

The Mountaineers quickly moved down the field and had a chance to win late, but Will Grier's pass to an open David Sills in the end zone came up a little short and Sills couldn't reel it in.

Here are three things to take away from an exciting game.

1. Virginia Tech may have a new star QB. The comparisons were inevitable. Josh Jackson was the first freshman quarterback to start for Virginia Tech in a season opener since Mike Vick in 1999. Jackson is a mobile quarterback with a big arm and performance on Sunday won't do anything to slow the comparisons down.

He finished with 235 yards passing and a touchdown without any turnovers. He also rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown, including a 46-yard run that ended with Jackson going end-over-end to set up a Hokies score.

2. West Virginia lost, but it has a quarterback. Any Florida fan watching this game had to be cursing beneath their breath -- or possibly loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear. In his first game with the Mountaineers, Will Grier threw for 371 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 52 yards. The only blemish on his record was an interception.

3. Both of these teams look like contenders in their respective conferences. If Josh Jackson keeps playing as he did on Sunday night, the Hokies are going to be tough to beat in the ACC, particularly if his chemistry with Cam Phillips (seven receptions, 138 yards) continues to build. The defense didn't have a great night in the box score, but it felt like the defensive line was coming through every time it was truly needed.

As for West Virginia, the Mountaineers looked a lot like the team that won 10 games last season. While it's hard to say whether or not they can match that total again in 2017, they certainly looked like a team that's going to make noise in the Big 12 this season.