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FSU hosts Virginia Tech hoping to remain in top 25

Oct 25, 2008 - 10:38 AM Virginia Tech (5-2) at (23) Florida State (5-1), 3:30 pm EDT

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (Ticker) -- Florida State spent last weekend watching the top teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference falter and, as a result, climbed into the rankings.

Virginia Tech will force the 23rd-ranked Seminoles to earn their spot in the top 25 this Saturday when the ACC foes square off at Doak Campbell Stadium.

Brett Warren and Victor Harris returned interceptions for touchdowns last Saturday, but the Hokies became one of three ranked ACC teams to lose last weekend in a 28-23 setback to Boston College.

Along with then-No. 18 Virginia Tech, 19th-ranked Wake Forest and No. 21 North Carolina also lost and fell out of the rankings, allowing idle Florida State to sneak into the polls.

Warren's 36-yard interception return spotted the Hokies an early lead and Harris' 55-yard return got them back into the game, but Virginia Tech (5-2, 2-1 ACC Coastal) failed to get anything going offensively.

The Hokies' offense managed 240 yards from scrimmage and failed to reach the end zone, wasting a strong performance from a defense which forced five turnovers.

The loss snapped Virginia Tech's five-game winning streak.

Sophomore Tyrod Taylor passed for 90 yards with an interception but was the team's only rushing threat. He scrambled for 110 of the Hokies' 150 rushing yards.

The Seminoles (5-1, 2-1 Atlantic) will play their first home game in 27 days, hoping to record their fourth consecutive win. Last Thursday, Florida State survived a scare and managed a 26-17 victory over North Carolina State.

With the Seminoles trailing, 17-13, early in the fourth quarter, Christian Ponder tossed a 17-yard TD pass to freshman Bert Reed for the go-ahead score.

Ponder won the starting job before the season started and has not disappointed, passing for 960 yards and eight touchdowns with six interceptions while giving the Seminoles a rushing threat at quarterback.