By John Antonik for
MSNsportsNET.comBLACKSBURG, VA. – It took No. 2-ranked Virginia Tech just 15 minutes to turn a close game into a 48-20 blowout win over visiting West Virginia Thursday night in Blacksburg.
The Hokies scored on its first six possessions of the second half to turn a seven-point halftime deficit into an easy 28-point victory.
"They've got it all going for them right now," West Virginia Coach Don Nehlen said of Virginia Tech, which won their 17th consecutive regular-season game.
The game may have been a showcase performance for Hesiman candidate Michael Vick, but the real star was junior flanker Andre Davis, who scored touchdowns three different ways to help Tech improve to 6-0 on the season.
In a span of just over six minutes, Davis scored on a 30-yard reverse, a 64-yard pass and a 76-yard punt return aided by a crushing block from Wayne Ward on West Virginia’s Kyle Kayden.
"It showed the character of this offense that we can come out there when we were down -- the first time we've been down all season -- and come out there and make plays and get the job done," Vick said.
Vick, who was held to just four-of-10 passing in the first half by the Mountaineer defense, literally turned that number upside down in the second half. On Tech’s first possession after intermission, Vick found tight end Bob Slowikowski over the middle on a second and 19 play that resulted in a 72-yard touchdown.
West Virginia safety Ricky Sherrod gambled for the interception, missed, and Slowikowski rumbled the distance for the first touchdown reception of his career.
It was the longest scoring play allowed by West Virginia’s defense this season.
The Hokies took the lead on Davis’ 30-yard reverse, and then expanded it to 27-14 on a Davis’ 64-yard reception on a long, arching pass from Vick.
That play followed West Virginia’s unsuccessful fourth-and-three attempt at the Hokie 36 that gave Tech good field position.
Virginia Tech padded its lead two minutes later when Davis returned a Mark Fazzolari punt 76 yards for his third TD of the evening.
In addition to Tech’s punt return, the Hokies also blocked a West Virginia punt and an extra point attempt. The blocked punt was the fourth permitted by West Virginia’s punt team this season.
After scoring 27 third-quarter points, Tech got on the board again to start the fourth period when fullback Jarrett Ferguson ran past a blitzing Shawn Hackett for a 16-yard touchdown.
Tech added another touchdown with 3:44 left in the game when fullback Andre Kendrick blasted in from the two to make it 48-14.
West Virginia backup safety Ben Meighan returned Hokie reserve running back Keith Burrell’s fumble 36 yards to close out the scoring.
The game’s final outcome was in stark contrast to the first half, when West Virginia dodged bullet after bullet to take a 14-7 lead into the locker room.
After forcing a West Virginia punt to start the game, it took Virginia Tech eight plays to move the football 76 yards for the game’s first score. The drive was culminated with a Lee Suggs two-yard touchdown run – his 12th rushing touchdown of the season.
Tech had an opportunity to go up 14-0 after recovering a blocked punt inside the West Virginia 20, but Vick fumbled the football out of the end zone while attempting to dive over West Virginia defensive back Brian King for the score.
The ball was ruled a touchback and West Virginia assumed possession at its own 20-yard line. In all, the West Virginia defense turned away 10 Virginia Tech plays inside the 20 yard-line in the first half.
West Virginia tied the game with 11:01 left in the second quarter when tailback Avon Cobourne scored from seven yards out.
The score was set up when West Virginia backup linebacker Ben Collins recovered a Davis muffed punt inside the Hokie 40-yard line.
West Virginia was aided on its second score when Suggs roughed punter Mark Fazzolari on a fourth down punt attempt. WVU was awarded 15 yards and an extra set of downs.
The Mountaineers responded when Lewis found tight end Sean Berton wide open in the middle of the end zone for a three-yard touchdown.
West Virginia held a slight advantage in total yards at halftime, 153-149.
"We were a tired football team," said Nehlen. "When they got ahead of us and our defense was on the field for a long period, we were sucking air big time."
Vick finished the evening completing 10-of-18 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 57 yards on 11 carries. In two games against West Virginia, the quarterback has accounted for 595 total yards.
Davis caught six passes for 127 yards and one touchdown, and added 116 yards on four punt returns.
Suggs was the game’s top ground gainer, accumulating 83 yards on 18 carries. In all, the Hokies piled up 504 yards of total offense.
For West Virginia, a battered Brad Lewis completed 14-of-29 passes for 161 yards and one touchdown in a tough, gritty effort.
Khori Ivy caught three passes for 55 yards to establish a WVU-record 34 consecutive games with at least one reception.
Antonio Brown added four catches for 50 yards.
Cobourne carried 19 times for 68 yards, but West Virginia could manage just 78 rushing yards on 33 attempts.
Tech’s 48 points were slightly better than its season average of 45.8 coming into the game.
It was the most points ever scored by the Hokies in this long series that dates back to 1912. Virginia Tech’s prior high was 41 in 1912.
Virginia Tech has now won three straight over West Virginia and nine of the last 12 dating back to 1989.
West Virginia’s last victory in Blacksburg came in 1992, a 16-7 Mountaineer decision.
Tech’s 28-point win also spoiled West Virginia Coach Don Nehlen’s attempt at capturing his 200th career triumph. Nehlen’s record now stands at 199-125-9.
The loss drops West Virginia’s overall record to 4-2. The Mountaineers are in the middle of a tough three-game stretch that also consists of Notre Dame and Syracuse at home.
WVU will attempt to get back on track against the Irish next Saturday at Mountaineer Field. Game time for the contest will be announced on Monday.
Scoring Summary
VT – Suggs 2 run (Warley kick)
WV – Cobourne 7 run (Ohligher kick)
WV – Berton 3 pass from Lewis (Ohliger kick)
VT – Slowikowski 72 pass from Vick (Wiley kick)
VT – Davis 30 run (Pat failed)
VT – Davis 64 pass from Vick (Warley kick)
VT – Davis 76 punt return (Warley kick)
VT – Ferguson 16 run (Warley kick)
VT – Kendrick 2 run (Warley kick)
WV – Meighan 36 fumble return (Pat blocked)
Individual Statistics
Rushing: WV – Cobourne 19-68, Ours 3-13, McMillen 1-2, Lewis 4-1, McBrien 1-minus 3, Rego 5-minus 3; Total 33-78; VT – Suggs 18-84, Vick 11-57, Kendrick 10-56, Ferguson 3-34, Davis 1-30, Burnell 3-7, Briggs 1-2, Eastlick 1-2, Total 48-271.
Passing: WV – Lewis 14-29-2-161-1; McBrien 1-4-0-9-0; Total 15-33-2-170-1; VT – Vick 10-18-0-233-2.
Receiving: WV- Ivy 3-55, Brown 4-50, Ours 2-24, Berton 2-21, Nastasi 1-9, Terry 1-8, Cobourne 1-6, Rego 1-minus 3; Total 15-170; VT – Davis 6-127, Slowikowski 2-82, Johnson 2-24, Total 10-233.
