Final
Ore not missed as Virginia Tech shuts out Virginia
Nov 25, 2006 - 8:19 PM BLACKSBURG, Virginia (Ticker) -- Even without Branden Ore, Virginia Tech once again had its way with its intrastate rival.Sean Glennon threw for 148 yards and a touchdown as the 17th-ranked Hokies continued their mastery of Virginia with a 17-0 victory in the regular-season finale for both Atlantic Coast Conference teams.
Sidelined with a left ankle injury he suffered in a 27-6 win over then-No. 14 Wake Forest last week, Ore was not missed as Virginia Tech captured its seventh win in eight meetings against Virginia.
The ACC's second-best running back with 1,095 yards and 14 touchdowns, Ore had a big game against the Cavaliers as a freshman last season, rushing for 115 yards and two touchdowns.
The numbers were not as impressive, but true freshman Kenny Lewis Jr. and George Bell made up for Ore's absence, finishing with a combined 120 yards on 33 carries and a touchdown.
"They did OK," Hokies coach Frank Beamer said. "For both of them, experience is a wonderful thing. With Kenny, he has enough speed, he starts bouncing and all of a sudden he could be there. He's going to get better. George ran hard and ran well."
Lewis was the first true freshman to start at running back for Virginia Tech since Kevin Jones in the 2002 Gator Bowl against Clemson.
Capturing their sixth straight triumph, the Hokies (10-2, 6-2 ACC Coastal) reached the 10-win plateau for the third straight season and eighth time in 20 years under Beamer, a fact the coach believes could place his team in a very good bowl.
"The fact we're one of three teams to have won 10 games in the last three years, the others being Southern California and Texas, that puts us in good company," Beamer said. "We've been to one (Bowl Championship Series) bowl game in that time and I feel like we're going to go to a great bowl game this time."
Highlighting a first half dominated by defense, the Hokies got a late break when inside linebacker Xavier Adibi sacked Jameel Sewell, forcing a fumble that tackle Barry Booker recovered at the Virginia 12.
Bell, who finished with 41 yards on 14 carries, needed four carries to drive the ball into the end zone to open the scoring with 39 seconds remaining.
"I think there's something special about that, when you stand on that sideline and just see guys battle and fight like heck and get a turnover right before the half and stick it in (the end zone)," Beamer said.
Brandon Pace capped Virginia Tech's opening drive of the third quarter with a 23-yard field goal to make it 10-0 and Glennon completed the scoring with a 49-yard TD pass to Eddie Royal with 31 seconds left before the fourth.
Glennon completed 12-of-18 passes and Royal had four catches for 73 yards for the Hokies, who outgained the Cavaliers, 311-112.
The offensive total for Virginia was the lowest by the school since it mustered just 90 yards against Maryland in the finale of the 1980 campaign.
Sewell finished 10-of-21 for 69 yards and an interception for Virginia (5-7, 4-3 Coastal), which managed only one offensive snap inside Virginia Tech territory.
"We didn't (have) any rhythm," Virginia coach Al Groh said about the offensive struggles. "It was really first-down plays that (turned) into a lot of second and long plays that made it difficult to operate. That's when (Virginia Tech) turned (the defense) loose."
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