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Virginia Tech without Ellis, Morgan vs. Georgia Tech

Sep 26, 2006 - 10:27 PM No. 24 Georgia Tech (3-1) at No. 11 Virginia Tech (4-0), 3:30 pm EDT

BLACKSBURG, Virginia (Ticker) - Eleventh-ranked Virginia Tech will be without a pair of key players Saturday when it hosts No. 24 Georgia Tech in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup.

Hokies coach Frank Beamer on Monday suspended starting defensive end Chris Ellis and wide receiver Josh Morgan for the contest for a violation of team policy. Ellis has 12 tackles and a sack this season, while Morgan has 10 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns and also has blocked two punts.

One of Morgan's blocked punts came last week against Cincinnati, when he redirected one out of the end zone for a safety to open the scoring in a 29-13 win.

Branden Ore ran for 170 yards - all but 18 in the second half - and a touchdown for Virginia Tech (4-0, 2-0 ACC Coastal), which also received a 72-yard interception return for a touchdown by safety Victor "Macho" Harris that capped 17 unanswered points by the Hokies in the fourth quarter.

Georgia Tech (3-1, 1-0 Coastal) has won its last three games since a season-opening loss to Notre Dame.

In last Thursday's 24-7 win over Virginia, Reggie Ball threw TD passes of 66 and 58 yards to star receiver Calvin Johnson, who gained 165 yards on six catches despite battling a sore quadriceps. Ball also ran for a score.

The Hokies are 2-1 all-time against Georgia Tech after posting a 34-20 win in Atlanta in 2004 and a 51-7 triumph here last year. Virginia Tech returned two interceptions for scores in last season's romp.