Hokies limit Pirates, 16-3

GREENVILLE -- East Carolina still has its Conference USA title to defend.

The big splash against a name-brand football opponent from a major conference will have to wait for another year after Thursday night's lackluster 16-3 loss to No. 22 Virginia Tech.

The Pirates (5-4) had three chances against ACC and Big East opponents this season and lost them all, a year after surprising the same Hokies in the opener and soundly beating West Virginia in Greenville. Losses at West Virginia (35-20) and at North Carolina (31-17) in September complete the trifecta of missed opportunities against BCS conference opponents.

The Pirates, 4-1 in C-USA, can still win the East Division, likely with two wins in their final three games. They travel to Tulsa next Sunday before closing with home games with UAB and Southern Miss.

"We have an awful lot to play for," ECU coach Skip Holtz said. "We're still 4-1, and we'll let all this talk go out from underneath us, find out what we have to do in the final three games and go to Tulsa on Sunday night."

The Hokies (6-3), coming off consecutive losses, avenged last year's 27-22 loss in Charlotte with a power running game, the usual assortment of defensive stops and a pair of ECU fumbles in Virginia Tech territory.

Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams, whose late fourth-quarter fumble against North Carolina last Thursday set up the game-deciding field goal, bounced back with a season-best 179-yard effort.

ECU fans, out in force for the first home Thursday night game since 2001, had hoped for one last shot at a signature win. The Pirates wore an alternate logo, a skull and crossbones, on their helmets and painted midfield with same logo in the outline of the state of North Carolina.

The aesthetic differences, and big-game energy, didn't add up to a new offense, which was held to a field goal and was handcuffed by penalties. ECU committed six penalties for 60 yards in the first half, none more costly than a holding call on guard Terence Campbell that negated a 20-yard touchdown run by Dominique Lindsay.

"It seemed like every time we had a big play, there was always a flag on the ground," said Holtz, who fell to 4-8 against ACC teams.

The Hokies were far from perfect - quarterback Tyrod Taylor fumbled through the back of the end zone in the second quarter, which cost them a touchdown - but Williams and the defense did enough for their seventh win in eight games against ECU.

Two field goals by Matt Waldron and a 13-yard TD scramble by Taylor pushed Virginia Tech out to a 13-0 lead in the second quarter.

ECU put together its best drive, going 73 yards down to Virginia Tech's 7, with two big catches by receiver Alex Taylor (five catches, 60 yards), but ran out of time at the end of the first half.

A first-down throw to receiver Reyn Willis, with nine seconds left, was knocked away in the end zone, and the Pirates got only a 24-yard field goal.

The Pirates had almost as many injuries as points in the first half, losing backup safety Dekota Marshall (ankle) and tight end Rob Kass (knee).

ECU's best scoring chance of the second half ended when running back Giavanni Ruffin fumbled a handoff at the Virginia Tech 18-yard line at 9:21 in the third quarter.

ECU quarterback Patrick Pinkney finished just 16-of-33 for 167 yards with one interception. Rashad Carmichael's late interception set up a third field goal by Waldron, a 31-yarder, with 1:18 left.

NO. 22 VIRGINIA TECH 16, EAST CAROLINA 3

FIRST QUARTER

VT--FG Waldron 41, 8:59. VT--FG Waldron 22, :00.

SECOND QUARTER

VT--T.Taylor 13 run (Waldron kick), 2:06. ECU--FG Hartman 24, :00.

FOURTH QUARTER

VT--FG Waldron 31, 1:13.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--Virginia Tech, R.Williams 26-179, T.Taylor 11-61, Oglesby 6-13, Team 1-(minus 3), Roberts 1-(minus 8). East Carolina, Lindsay 13-69, G.Ruffin 3-13, Harris 5-10, Freeney 1-9, Jackson 2-7, Pinkney 6-2, Jordan 1-0.

PASSING--Virginia Tech, T.Taylor 17-30-0-137. East Carolina, Pinkney 16-33-1-167, Jordan 0-2-0-0.

RECEIVING--Virginia Tech, Coale 6-60, Boykin 3-17, R.Williams 3-9, Roberts 2-31, Boyce 2-11, Davis 1-9. East Carolina, Taylor 5-60, Freeney 4-50, Harris 3-45, Jenkins 1-6, Gidrey 1-3, Kass 1-3, Lindsay 1-0.

Att.--43,569.

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