Football Stumbles In Blacksburg
Nov 1, 2003
By HANK KURZ Jr.
AP Sports Writer
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) – Virginia Tech blew the national championship racewide open Saturday night with the biggest victory in its history, 31-7 over No.2 Miami.
The Hokies (7-1, 3-1 Big East) got two touchdowns from their defense andanother on a 10-yard drive set up by the defense to end Miami’s 39-game regularseason winning streak, its 27-game winning streak in the Big East and perhapsits hope for a third straight championship appearance.
It was the first victory in Virginia Tech history in 40 games against teamsranked No. 8 or higher, and came just 10 days after one of the Hokies’ mosthumbling losses in 111 seasons, 28-7 at West Virginia.
Miami (7-1, 3-1) hadn’t lost in league play since a 43-10 wipeout here onNov. 13, 1999, and the Hokies came up with a similar effort this time to getback into the race after they seemed to have been ushered out.
Miami didn’t score until 7:53 remained on a 10-yard pass from backup DerrickCrudup to Jason Geathers. By then, it trailed 31-0.
Virginia Tech, ranked No. 10, won the way it has so often under coach FrankBeamer, getting stout defense – and offense – from its defense and riding athunderous wave of appreciation from 65,115 fans to victory.
The Hokies also did it with virtually no passing game, Beamer choosing thesafer means of keeping the ball on the ground both before and after he pulledquarterback Bryan Randall and let Marcus Vick take over.
Virginia Tech finished with 219 total yards, just 44 through the air, anddidn’t complete a pass until Vick hit Doug Easlick on a swing pass for a 2-yardloss with 2˝ minutes left in the third quarter.
About two minutes later, Vick made the only other completion a big one,hitting Ernest Wilford for 46 yards and a TD that made it 31-0.
Kevin Jones, who ran for 124 yards, scored the other touchdown on a 2-yardrun after a 44-yard interception return by Michael Crawford, the last passBrock Berlin threw before being replaced by Crudup.
Berlin, who led the Hurricanes back from 23 points down in a 38-33 victoryagainst Florida, didn’t have it this time as the Hokies sacked him three timesand had him running on both interceptions.
He finished 16-for-25 for 164 yards.
Earlier, the Hokies DeAngelo Hall stripped a ball from Roscoe Parrish andran 28 yards for a second-quarter touchdown, and Eric Green picked off anoff-balance throw by Berlin and ran 51 yards for a score.
Green’s play started a 21-point third quarter for the Hokies.
Green also blocked a 39-yard field goal try in the first quarter, theHokies’ 101st kick block since Beamer arrived in 1987, and the Hokies caught anearly break when Kevin Everett failed to catch a sure touchdown.
The play came on a fake field goal in the second quarter when Matt Carterspotted Everett completely alone in the end zone and threw a perfect pass tohim, but the tight end let it slip through his hands.
It was that kind of night for the Hokies, and for the Hurricanes, both ofwhom now find themselves trailing Pittsburgh (3-0) and tied with West Virginiain the race for the Big East championship and BCS bid.
Virginia Tech and Miami also both still have games against the No. 25Panthers, who beat Boston College 24-13 on Saturday. Virginia Tech travels toPitt next Saturday, and the Hurricanes go to Pitt on Nov. 29.
