Philadelphia, PA - 12th-ranked Virginia Tech coughed up 17 straight fourth-quarter points to lowly Temple to force overtime, but the Hokies managed to hang on for the victory, 24-23. Tech's win came courtesy of a 23-yard option run for touchdown by quarterback Bryan Randall, and the victory was sealed when Temple kicker Jared Davis missed an extra point in Temple's half of the overtime.

The Hokies led just 3-0 at half time and took a 17-0 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 27-yard pass from Randall to Ernest Wilford. Temple then ripped off 17 straight points, on touchdown drives of 82 yards and 80 yards, and a 37-yard field goal that tied the score with 40 seconds to go.

Tech took possession, and Randall threw an interception that the Owls' Jonathan McPhee returned to the Tech 33-yard line with 8 seconds to go. After an end zone incompletion, Davis kicked a 50-yard field goal attempt wide right as time expired, and the Hokies survived to overtime.

On the second play of overtime, Randall scored on a 23-yard option keeper, putting the Hokies up 24-17. Temple took over for their half of the overtime, and facing a third and 8 from the 23, beat a Tech blitz with an outlet pass to Zamir Cobb, who took it 23 yards to the house. With the score 24-23, Temple's Davis shanked the extra point, and the Hokies had a gut-wrenching win.

Tech linebacker Mikal Baaqee told the Tech radio network after the game that Davis altered his kick because Vinnie Fuller would have blocked it, had Davis kicked it normally.

In addition to the overtime, Randall played the first, third, and fourth quarters of the game. The plan going in was to have Randall play the first quarter, Vick play the second, and then decide things from there. After Vick fumbled twice (losing neither one) and threw an interception in the end zone in his second-quarter stint, the coaches decided to go with Randall.

Vick played for just two full possessions. He entered the game very late in the first quarter and threw a 63-yard touchdown to Ernest Wilford on his third play, but the play was called back by a holding penalty. Vick led the Hokies from the Tech 24 to the Temple 11 in twelve plays, but he threw an interception in the end zone to kill the drive.

On Vick's second drive, he was grabbed on an option play and threw a wild pitch that was recovered by VT for a huge loss. On Vick's third possession, which came very late in the half, he fumbled a snap on the Hokie 18-yard line, and VT recovered and ran out the clock.

Vick went 4-for-6 for 61 yards and an interception, and he had the long TD to Wilford called back. Randall went 11-of-19 for 127 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. In addition to the 27-yard TD to Wilford, Randall converted a third and 21 with a pass to Jeff King. Randall outrushed Vick, carrying the ball 7 times for 46 yards and the TD, while Vick carried it 3 times for -16 yards.

Despite going with Randall for the majority of the game, Tech coach Frank Beamer was noncommittal when asked what the QB situation was for future games. "To me, we continue the same [substitution] pattern we've got right now," Beamer told the Tech radio network. "We've got two great quarterbacks, and next week it might be Marcus' turn to finish the game."

Temple's quarterback, Walter Washington, was making his first start, and he shocked the Hokie defense with his rushing ability. The 6-2, 246-pound QB ran with elusiveness and power, carrying the ball 26 times for 151 yards, including 30 yards lost on five Hokie sacks. Washington also completed 15-of-30 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns, leading Temple to 362 yards of offense, including over 200 yards in the fourth quarter alone.

"They [Temple] played hard, they've got some good players," Beamer said. "I worried about that guy [Washington]. I don't know if he's that strong, or we just couldn't get him down on the ground."

Beamer also admitted, "We looked like a tired football team there at the end. Part of it was him, and part of it was, we got tired."

The Hokies got 150 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries from Kevin Jones, who was playing in front of a hometown crowd. Jones had 12 carries for 84 yards in the first half.

Game Recap

Tech started the game by stopping Temple, taking over, and driving from their 32-yard line to the Temple 9, where three straight runs netted just two yards. Carter Warley kicked a 26-yard field goal to put the Hokies up 3-0.

Temple penetrated to the Tech 33 late in the first quarter, but a 17-yard sack by Darryl Tapp on third and 11 forced a Temple punt.

Marcus Vick entered the game and led the Hokies on a long drive from the VT 24 to the Temple 11, only to throw an interception in the end zone when Jeff King, his intended target, fell down. Earlier in the drive, Vick had completed a 63-yard touchdown to Ernest Wilford that was called back because of holding.

The rest of the half was uneventful, and VT went into half time leading 3-0.

Randall started the second quarter and led Tech to two touchdowns in the first three possessions. Kevin Jones had a 7-yard TD run on Tech's first possession of the second half, and on Tech's third second-half possession, Randall completed a 22-yard pass to Jeff King on third and 21, and then threw a 27-yard TD to Ernest Wilford on the next play. That put VT up 17-0 with 14:23 to go.

From there, the Tech defense collapsed. Temple drove 82 yards and scored on 13-yard Umar Ferguson reception. Along the way, Ferguson converted a fourth and one.

After VT failed to score, Temple came back with an 80-yard drive that made it 17-14 with 5:08 to go. It took just eight plays and 2:26 for the Owls to score on a one-yard run by Ferguson. Ferguson's short TD followed a 34-yard run by Washington that took it from the Hokie 35 down to the one.

Tech then had a three-and-out possession in which they held the ball for less than a minute. Temple took over on their 29 with 4:07 to go and drove smartly downfield to the Tech 20, converting a fourth and nine with a 30-yard pass from Washington to Phil Goodman. Davis kicked a 37-yard field goal with 40 seconds to go to tie the game.

The Hokies tried to move the ball, but nearly committed a fatal mistake when Randall threw a long interception to Jonathan McPhee, who returned it from the Temple 40 to the Tech 33.

With eight seconds to go, Temple took a shot at the end zone, but it fell incomplete. That set up a 50-yard field goal attempt by Davis, who kicked it wide right and short, sending the game into overtime.

VT had first possession in overtime, and Randall scored on the second play on a 23-yard option keeper.

Temple responded with a third-down 23 yard pass play to Zamir Cobb. Tech blitzed on the play, but the Owls beat it by throwing outside to Cobb, who turned it upfield. Much to Tech's relief, Davis then shanked the extra point under pressure from the Hokies, and Tech escaped with the win, 24-23.

Virginia Tech is now 8-2 on the season (4-2 Big East), and the Owls fall to 1-9 (0-5).

Game Notes

• With the 150-yard effort by Jones, he now has 1,254 yards on the season and 3,082 for his career. He is just the third Hokie to go over 3,000 yards, behind Cyrus Lawrence (1979-82, 3,767 yards) and Roscoe Coles (1974-77, 3,459 yards). Jones also set a Tech single-season record with his seventh 100-yard game of 2003.

• Ernest Wilford now has 109 receptions for his career, and he remains third on VT's career receptions list. He trails just Ricky Scales (113 catches) and Antonio Freeman (121 catches).

• Temple had no turnovers, ending Virginia Tech's streak of 28 games forcing a turnover.

• Preliminary injury report: Nathaniel Adibi possible thumb fracture plus dislocation; Vegas Robinson bruised wrist, Michael Crawford injured thumb; Kevin Lewis sprained MCL; Jonathan Lewis bruised shin.

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