NCAAF FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- WEST VIRGINIA (20) 6 7 0 0 13 VIRGINIA TECH (17) 7 10 7 3 27 FINAL
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QTR: VTCH - TD, RICKY HALL 17 YD RETURN OF BLOCKED PUNT (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 6:17 WVA - TD, ANTHONY BECHT 2 YD PASS FROM MARC BULGER (PAT FAILED), 11:05 2ND QTR: VTCH - FG, SHAYNE GRAHAM 27 YD, 2:33 WVA - TD, AMOS ZEREOUE 7 YD RUN (JAY TAYLOR KICK), 4:08 VTCH - TD, ANGELO HARRISON 40 YD PASS FROM AL CLARK (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 8:24 3RD QTR: VTCH - TD, RICKY HALL 36 YD PASS FROM AL CLARK (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 13:34 4TH QTR: VTCH - FG, SHAYNE GRAHAM 41 YD, 4:52
Extended BoxNCAAF 1 2 3 4 F - - - - -- West Virginia (20) 6 7 0 0 13 Virginia Tech (17) 7 10 7 3 27 FINAL
Virginia Tech-Hall 17 blocked punt return (Graham kick) West Virginia-Becht 2 pass from Bulger (kick failed) Virginia Tech-FG Graham 27 West Virginia-Zereoue 7 run (Taylor kick) Virginia Tech-Harrison 40 pass from Clark (Graham kick) Virginia Tech-Hall 36 pass from Clark (Graham kick) Virginia Tech-FG Graham 41
West Virginia Virginia Tech First downs 21 15 Rushed-yards 36-147 41-110 Passing yards 240 162 Sacked-yards lost 4-37 5-23 Return yards 0 92 Passes 26-43-4 12-21-2 Punts 6-38.8 5-47.4 Fumbles-lost 1-0 2-1 Penalties-yards 7-53 3-12 Time of possession 30:45 29:15
Individual Statistics RUSHING: West Virginia-Zereoue 26-148, Swoope 5-35, Bulger 5-minus 36. Virginia Tech-Pegues 14-55, Stith 12-36, J Ferguson 3-13, Houseright 1-5, Clark 11-1.
PASSING: West Virginia-Bulger 26-43-4-240. Virginia Tech-Clark 12-21-2-162.
RECEIVING: West Virginia-Saunders 7-54, Foreman 6-48, Zereoue 4-15, Ivy 3-34, Becht 3-13, Brown 2-47, Ours 1-29. Virginia Tech-Hall 6-80, Harrison 2-47, Handy 2-18, Pegues 1-11, Gildersleeve 1-6.
Att: 52,807
Game StoryBLACKSBURG, Virginia (Ticker) -- Al Clark returned from a four-game absence to throw two touchdown passes and 17th-ranked Virginia Tech intercepted Marc Bulger four times in the second half to record an important 27-13 Big East Conference victory over No. 20 West Virginia.
Virginia Tech (7-1, 4-1 Big East), which stayed alive for the league title with the victory, had to over come a record-setting day by Mountaineers running back Amos Zereoue. The Hokies, who along with Miami have only one league loss, have a week off before traveling to Syracuse, the conference's lone unbeaten, on November 14th.
"What a great win four our football program," said Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer. "Our defense just played really great against a very, very good offense. That's the way this football team has been. We played hard. We played with great emotion. We played with great focus."
Zereoue gained 148 yards to give him 3,237 for his career, passing former Rutgers star Terrell Willis for first place in Big East history. His 33rd rushing touchdown, a seven-yard scamper early in the second quarter, moved him past Boston College's Omari Walker for the league's top spot.
Clark, who had been sidelined since September 19th with a sprained right foot, completed 12-of-21 passes for 162 yards and two TDs while being intercepted twice.
"He (Clark) is a tough sun of a gun," added Beamer. "It's just a shame he couldn't be healthy for all of his games here at Virginia Tech because he is really quite a player."
Cornerback Ike Charlton recorded three of the four second-half interceptions as Virginia Tech's third-ranked defense held West Virginia (4-3, 1-2) scoreless for the final 40:52.
The Hokies wasted no time using their trademark special teams to get on the scoreboard. Just over six minutes into the game, West Virginia punter Jay Taylor fumbled the snap and receiver Marcus Gildersleeve swooped in to block the punt. Fellow receiver Ricky Hall recovered and 17 yards later was in the end zone.
West Virginia came right back on Bulger's two-yard scoring pass to tight end Anthony Becht. But the Hokies blocked Taylor's extra point attempt, their eighth block of the season, to maintain a one-point lead.
Bulger threw a season-high 43 passes for the second straight week, completing 26 for 240 yards and one touchdown. David Saunders caught seven passes for 54 yards for the Mountaineers.
Shayne Graham connected on 27-yard field goal early in the second for the Hokies before Zereoue's seven-yard run gave West Virginia its first lead of the afternoon, 13-10. But Clark, who assumed the starting role last season, lofted a pass down the right side to Angelo Harrison, who outfought cornerback Charles Fisher to haul in a 40-yard TD reception.
"He (Zereoue) left us in our tracks a couple of times," said Beamer. "He's a great back. You've got to hem him up and not be lunging at him. He reminds you a lot of (current Detroit Lion) Barry Sanders."
Clark connected with Hall on a 36-yard score late in the third quarter to put the Hokies on top, 24-13, before Graham's 41-yarder with just over 10 minutes left completed the scoring.
Hall caught six passes for 80 yards while Lamont Pegues racked up 55 yards on 14 carries for Virginia Tech, which was playing at home for the first time since blowing a 17-point lead in a shocking 28-24 loss to Temple on October 17th.