Quincy Patterson II scored on a two-point conversion in the sixth overtime to give Virginia Tech a wild 43-41 home win over North Carolina on Saturday in Blacksburg, Va., in the first-ever college football game decided by a two-point shootout.

Patterson, the third Hokies quarterback used in the game, ran it in from 3 yards out after North Carolina QB Sam Howell was sacked on the previous play.

A new rule instituted at the FBS level during the offseason made it so all plays in the fifth overtime and beyond were two-point conversions. Neither Virginia Tech (5-2, 2-2 ACC) or UNC (3-4, 2-2) were successful on their two-point tries in the fifth OT, which came after the teams combined for four consecutive missed field goals in the third and fourth extra periods.

Patterson, a redshirt freshman, entered the game in the third quarter and finished with 122 rushing yards and a touchdown, along with 54 passing yards and a score.

Howell threw for 348 yards and five TDs for UNC, tying a single-game school record for TD throws and setting a school freshman season record with 20, doing so in just seven games. He broke the mark of 17 previously set by Darian Durant in 2001.

After trading field goals in the first OT, UNC went up 41-34 on an 8-yard TD pass from Howell to junior Beau Corrales. Virginia Tech answered with an 18-yard TD pass from Patterson to junior Damon Hazelton on fourth-and-3 to force a third extra period.

Overtime came about after both teams scored on long TDs in a 40-second span in the fourth quarter. Howell turned a flea flicker into a 68-yard scoring strike to sophomore Antoine Green to put the Heels up 31-24 with 5:11 left, but a 53-yard TD run by Patterson knotted the game at 31 with 4:31 to go.

Virginia Tech led 21-17 at the half thanks to an 11-yard TD pass from Ryan Willis to Hazelton with 19 seconds left in the second quarter. Willis, a senior who was the Hokies' starter to begin the season, came in after sophomore Hendon Hooker was injured late in the first half.

Hooker threw for 127 yards, including a 55-yard TD pass to Tre Turner, and ran for 41 before getting hurt. Willis threw for 55 yards but was also sacked twice before getting replaced by Patterson.

The loss kept UNC coach Mack Brown from becoming the winningest coach in school history. In his second stint with the program, Brown remains tied with Dick Crum at 72 victories.

--Field Level Media