The Virginia Tech Hokies football team did not get the better of their high-profile Big Ten Conference opponent on Mon

day evening, but former King’s Fork High School star Chuck Clark held his own.

It would have been hard to find a bigger stage during the college football regular season than the one Clark and the Hokies occupied on Monday night at Lane Stadium.

They played the defending national champion Ohio State University Buckeyes, ranked No. 1 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the Coaches Poll. The Football Bowl Subdivision game was the only one set for Monday, and it aired on ESPN during primetime, serving as the conclusion to Week 1 of the season.

After falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, the unranked Hokies scored 17 unanswered points in the first half, but the Buckeyes found success in the air and on the ground in the second half, pulling away for a 42-24 win.

“I was excited at halftime when they had the lead, but Ohio State, they’re ranked No. 1 for a reason,” King’s Fork coach and Virginia Tech alum Joe Jones said.

Hokies senior quarterback Michael Brewer was having an impressive game, but he suffered a broken collarbone after a big hit on the first drive of the second half and is expected to be out four to eight weeks.

“I thought that was a big turning point, kind of dashed a lot of hopes of coming back,” Jones said.

But junior defensive back Chuck Clark represented Suffolk and King’s Fork well, co-leading the Hokies with nine tackles, three solo and six assisted, while also assisting on a sack.

“I was very proud of Chuck,” Jones said. “I thought he played very solid and made some good plays.”

The coach noted that while Clark has always had the ability to make big, attention-grabbing plays, he is characterized by his levelheaded consistency.

“That’s the kind of guy he is,” Jones said. “He’s going to be consistent, he’s always going to be where he’s supposed to be.”

Last year, Virginia Tech was the only team to deal the Buckeyes a loss. In that 35-21 Hokies victory in Columbus, Ohio, Clark got the start and led his team with 11 tackles, nine solo and two assisted.

Virginia Tech (0-1) hosts Furman University on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.