Sep 1, 2007, 20:14 GMT
Blacksburg, VA - Sean Glennon completed 22-of-33 passes with one touchdown and one interception, and the ninth-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies came back from an early deficit to top the East Carolina Pirates, 17-7, in the season opener for both teams.
The game was opened with a ceremony honoring the victims of the April massacre on campus which included a moment of silence, the releasing of 32 orange balloons into the air, one for each victim, and a video tribute.
Brandon Ore finished with only 70 yards on 23 carries for the Hokies (1-0), who struggled against a tough East Carolina front line which held Virginia Tech to 33 yards on the ground. Sam Wheeler had seven catches for 81 yards and a score, and Justin Harper had five grabs for 64 yards for the Hokies, who will face a real challenge next week, when they head to LSU to battle the second-ranked Tigers.
The Pirates (0-1) were playing without starting quarterback Rob Kass, who was suspended for the game by head coach Skip Holtz for violating a team policy. His replacement Pat Pinkney completed 14-of-25 passes for 115 yards for East Carolina, adding 48 yards on the ground on nine rushes. Backup quarterback Brett Clay took the field in the first half, and his interception, returned by Virginia Tech's Victor Harris for a touchdown, quickly earned him a spot back on the bench. Dominique Lindsay gained 50 yards on 10 carries, and Phillip Henry had four catches for 30 yards for the Pirates.
Glennon got off to a rough start, as he was picked off by Pierre Bell on the first play from scrimmage. The Tech quarterback rebounded to lead the Hokies on a 14-play, 82-yard drive, finding Josh Hyman for a 37-yard gain to the East Carolina four-yard line. Hyman fell down all alone, however, preventing a touchdown. The Pirates defense stiffened, and Tech had to settle for a 25-yard field goal by Jud Dunlevy with 4:26 left in the first quarter.
An Ore fumble, forced by Quentin Cotton, gave the Pirates possession near midfield, and the East Carolina offense capitalized. Chris Johnson and Lindsay led a Pirates ground game that powered the nine-play, 52-yard drive, and Johnson plunged in from two yards out to put East Carolina up 7-3 with 14:23 left in the first half.
Harris made the next big play for the Hokies, picking off a Clay pass at the East Carolina 17-yard-line and running it in, boosting the Hokies to a 10-7 lead with 3:07 left in the half.
Neither team was able to break through in the third quarter, and the possible upset remained in play, as the Pirates only faced a three-point deficit entering the final quarter.
The Hokies carved out some breathing room early in the fourth quarter, though. Glennon completed a key 13-yard pass to Harper on a third-and-10 early in the drive, and, after Ore was finally able to find some room between the tackles, moving the Hokies to within striking distance, Glennon found Wheeler in the end zone, a 21-yard strike that gave Tech a 10-point lead.
Game Notes
Virginia Tech leads the all-time series, 9-4...East Carolina lost defensive tackle Jay Ross to an apparent knee injury in the fourth quarter. He was helped off the field, but needed to be carted from the sidelines...Johnson finished with 29 yards on 10 carries...Virginia Tech's Kenny Lewis had three carries for negative 15 yards.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Game Notes.
Your Talkback on this Story