Marshall University Athletics
Virginia Tech Topples Herd
9/13/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Virginia Tech Topples Herd
9/13/2002
BLACKSBURG, Va. - Kevin Jones and Lee Suggs each ran for more than 150 yards and combined for five touchdowns, and the Hokies (3-0) contained Byron Leftwich when it mattered en route to their second straight victory over a ranked opponent.
Byron Leftwich threw for three touchdowns in the final 12 minutes as a 33-0 lead deteriorated at the finish.
Leftwich finished 31-for-49 for 406 yards, his fifth consecutive game with at least 400 yards passing, but the Thundering Herd (1-1) rushed for just 34 in the contest.
"We came here to get a win,'' Leftwich said. "If we didn't win, we failed.''
Playing outstanding defense and running the ball with precision, the Hokies ran Jones and Suggs through and around Marshall's defense, gaining 395 yards and averaging 6.0 per rush.
Jones had 171 on 24 carries, including scoring bursts of 25, 15 and 1 yard. Suggs had 153 yards on 24 tries, and twice dove in from the 1.
"If everybody on the team is clicking, you know, the linemen and the fullbacks and everybody, there's no telling what we can do,'' Virginia Tech standout Lee Suggs said.
John Candelas added another late touchdown run for Virginia Tech to close out the scoring at 47-21.
Leftwich was a lone bright spot for Marshall. The Thundering Herd star's performance was hampered by a sure touchdown pass that was dropped in the first quarter, another that could have been caught and several other drops in the game.
"I'm not an 'if' guy,'' he said. "It didn't happen, but we still should have fought and tried to find a way to make plays. But we didn't.''
The Hokies had a lot to do with it. They repeatedly pinned Marshall deep in its territory and turned two first-half turnovers into field goals. The Herd did not start a drive beyond their 25 until the game was decided.
Leftwich had 15 completions and 197 yards in the final quarter, including touchdown passes of 9 yards to Darius Watts, 18 yards to Denero Marriott and 19 yards to Brad Bates, all in a span of 9:31.
Virginia Tech scored on its first four possessions, helped by a fumble on Marshall's opening series and a dump pass that Leftwich that was intercepted by linebacker Mikal Baaqee after a Marshall running back failed to execute his route. Both turnovers set up field goals by Carter Warley, and Jones scored on runs of 25 and 15 yards.
Jones' first touchdown capped a nine-play, 90-yard drive that started when Marshall kicker Curtis Head's 22-yard field-goal try hit one of his own lineman in the backside. Tech then ran nine consecutive running plays and covered the 90 yards.
"They're going to run the ball on a lot of folks,'' Marshall coach Bob Pruett said. "A lot of folks won't have an answer for that. They are a very good football team.''
In the second half, the Hokies erased any thoughts of a Marshall comeback by driving 85 yards in 15 plays for Suggs' first scoring run. The drive trimmed more than eight minutes off the clock and made it 26-0. Marshall has the ball for only six plays in the third quarter.
The win was the second in a row against a ranked team for the Hokies, who beat then-No. 14 and defending SEC Champion LSU 26-8 on Sept. 1.
Marshall (1-1) will look to rebound from its setback in Blacksburg when it hosts Central Florida Friday.