No. 11 Va. Tech Beats No. 16 Va., 24-10

By

Posted 4:48PM on Saturday, November 27, 2004

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) -- Bryan Randall threw two second-half touchdown passes and No. 11 Virginia Tech moved one victory away from the Atlantic Coast Conference title Saturday with a 24-10 victory over No. 16 Virginia. The Hokies (9-2, 6-1) can win the league title and the Bowl Championship Series berth that goes with it by winning next week at No. 9 Miami, the team that moved from the Big East to the ACC with Virginia Tech this season. The Hokies also deprived Virginia (8-3, 5-3) of a share of the league title, slowing the Cavaliers' running game in the second half and daring quarterback Marques Hagans to try and beat them through the air. Hagans threw one touchdown pass, a 32-yarder that Alvin Pearman pulled in over Jimmy Williams in the third quarter, but completed just seven other passes before the Hokies went ahead 24-10 with 5:08 to play. Randall, honored along with 18 other seniors before his final game at Lane Stadium, passed Don Strock as Virginia Tech's career passing yardage leader on a 12-yard completion to Jeff King with 10 minutes left. Randall celebrated on the next play, finding Josh Hyman behind Tony Franklin for the second time, this one for 32 yards and a 17-10 lead. Cedric Humes padded the margin with a 32-yard TD run with 5:08 left. After a scoreless first half, Virginia Tech got the help of two 15-yard flags to drive 66 yards and get on the board. Franklin was called for pass interference when Randall threw deep for Josh Morgan, and on the next play, Kwakou Robinson got a 15-yard personal foul for hitting Randall after he'd been tackled on an 8-yard run. The plays led to Brandon Pace's 31-yard field goal midway through the quarter, and then the Hokies' reputation may have helped them out, too. Facing a fourth-and-12 punt from his own 18, and undoubtedly aware for the Hokies' affinity for blocking kicks, Virginia freshman punter Chris Gould got off a wobbler that was downed at the Virginia 45, just 27 yards away. It took one play, Randall hitting Hyman with Franklin trailing down the left sideline, to put the Hokies back on top for good. Virginia had two good scoring chances in the first half, but the Hokies snuffed them both out. Jim Davis got a hand on Connor Hughes' 45-yard field goal try on the game's opening drive, and Jonathan Lewis recovered a fumble by Wali Lundy at the Hokies 8 in the second quarter. That play came just after a 78-yard run by Pearman. The Cavaliers finally broke through in the third quarter after a fumble by Eddie Royal on a punt return at the Hokies 31. Facing third-and-11, Hagans hit Pearman, who made a jumping catch in the end zone. Hughes tied it on a 19-yard field goal with 13:03 to play, capping a 17-play, 78-yard march.