NCAAF FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- PITTSBURGH 0 7 0 0 7 VIRGINIA TECH (19) 14 3 0 10 27 FINAL
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QTR: VTCH - TD, LAMONT PEGUES 20 YD RUN (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 3:58 VTCH - TD, SHYRONE STITH 16 YD RUN (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 7:03 2ND QTR: VTCH - FG, SHAYNE GRAHAM 41 YD, 3:41 PITT - TD, LATEF GRIM 12 YD PASS FROM MATT LYTLE (PAUL RUZILA KICK), 7:09 3RD QTR: NONE 4TH QTR: VTCH - TD, KEION CARPENTER 16 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 2:40 VTCH - FG, SHAYNE GRAHAM 28 YD, 6:45
ATT: 50,057
Extended BoxNCAAF 1 2 3 4 F - - - - -- Pittsburgh 0 7 0 0 7 Virginia Tech (19) 14 3 0 10 27 FINAL
Virginia Tech-Pegues 20 run (Graham kick) Virginia Tech-Stith 16 run (Graham kick) Virginia Tech-FG Graham 41 Pittsburgh-Grim 12 pass from Lytle (Ruzila kick) Virginia Tech-Carpenter 16 interception return (Graham kick) Virginia Tech-FG Graham 28
Pittsburgh Virginia Tech First downs 11 11 Rushed-yards 42-29 41-109 Passing yards 111 97 Sacked-yards lost 9-64 4-26 Return yards 21 131 Passes 9-22-3 8-11-1 Punts 10-38.2 6-38.2 Fumbles-lost 1-0 4-3 Penalties-yards 8-60 7-51 Time of possession 31:47 28:13
Individual Statistics RUSHING: Pittsburgh-B Williams 13-35, Barlow 12-30, Mendenhall 2-5, Lytle 12-minus 8, Oconnor 3-minus 33. Virginia Tech-Pegues 13-60, Stith 11-40, Kendrick 2-20, Ward 1-4, J Ferguson 2-0, Sorensen 3-minus 6, Meyer 9-minus 9.
PASSING: Pittsburgh-Lytle 7-16-3-93, Oconnor 2-5-0-18, B Williams 0-1-0-0. Virginia Tech-Meyer 7-9-1-98, Sorensen 1-2-0-minus 1.
RECEIVING: Pittsburgh-Grim 6-88, Barlow 1-13, Ketchen 1-6, J Williams 1-4. Virginia Tech-Carter 2-40, Hall 2-24, Slowikowski 1-16, A Davis 1-9, Harrison 1-9, E Johnson 1-minus 1.
Att: 50,057
Game StoryBLACKSBURG, Virginia (Ticker) -- Safety Keion Carpenter returned the last of his three interceptions for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter as No. 19 Virginia Tech, playing the final 20 minutes with its third-string quarterback, defeated Pittsburgh, 27-7, in a Big East Conference game.
Carpenter, who had four interceptions last season and five in his career entering the game, picked off Matt Lytle's pass into the flat and returned it 28 yards down the right sideline for a score with just under 12 minutes left.
"A couple of those (interceptions) were just good concentration," said Hokies coach Frank Beamer. "He stayed with the play and got the ball at the very end. He's playing with more concentration and focus than he's ever had."
Virginia Tech (4-0, 2-0 Big East) has won its first four games for the second straight season.
Backup quarterback Dave Meyer completed 7-of-9 passes for 98 yards and was intercepted once before leaving with a separated shoulder late in the third quarter. The Hokies, already without starter Al Clark -- sidelined with a sprained foot -- turned to safety Nick Sorenson. Despite over a quarter of playing time, Sorensen threw just two passes, completing one for minus-one yard.
"I think Meyer did a great job while he was in there," added Beamer. "There's a couple of plays he'd like to have back. But for his first time out against a good football team, he did well."
Lamont Pegues carried 13 times for 60 yards, including a 20-yard TD run to open the scoring for Virginia Tech, which sacked Lytle six times and blocked two punts. The Hokies have blocked 65 kicks in 130 games under coach Frank Beamer, including four in as many games this season.
Lytle was 7-of-16 for 93 yards for Pittsburgh (1-2, 0-1), which has scored just 20 points in the last two games after totaling 48 in the season opener against Division I-AA Villanova.
"Virginia Tech took the battle to us today," said Pittsburgh coach Walt Harris. "I thought our defense played well enough for us to have a chance to win. They started slow but ended excellently. There is no question, I think Virginia Tech out fought us."
After the Pittsburgh went three-and-out on the game's first possession, Pegues capped a five-play, 52-yard drive with a 20-yard run around right end. Carpenter's first interception set up Shyrone Stith's 16-yard scoring run that gave Virginia Tech a 14-0 advantage with 7:57 to play in the first quarter.
A 41-yard field goal Shayne Graham early in the second quarter pushed the lead to 17-0 before Lytle connected with Latef Grim for a 12-yard score midway through the second period. Grim led all receivers with six catches for 88 yards.
The offenses of both teams bogged down in the third quarter -- Virginia Tech under the inexperienced Sorenson and Pittsburgh against the stifling Hokies defense. For the game, the teams combined for just 346 yards, with the Hokies totaling 206.
"Today there was a collapse offensively," added Harris. "I'm responsible for that and I'll do everything I can to get it right."
Any comeback hope for Pittsburgh ended with Carpenter's interception return and Graham's 28-yarder with 8:09 to play completed the scoring.
Stith carried 11 times for 42 yards while Derek Carter caught two passes for 40 yards for Virginia Tech.
"This is a good win for our football program," said Beamer. "With all the people we had out (due to injury), we overcame adversity. I like when we overcome adversity."
Pittsburgh's Greg DeBolt punted nine times for a total of 382 yards, 242 more yards than the Panthers gained on offense.