Virginia Tech Shows It’s No Carrier Pigeon

The Carrier Dome jinx is over for Virginia Tech--barely.

Lee Suggs scored twice on short runs in the third quarter and Michael Vick raced 55 yards for another score with under two minutes remaining Saturday night for the No. 2-ranked Hokies in a 22-14 victory at Syracuse, N.Y., that allowed them to remain in the running for the national championship.

Even with Vick rendered simply ordinary by the fired-up Syracuse defense--he was six-for-11 passing for 75 yards and had only nine net yards in 16 carries--Virginia Tech, 7-0 overall and 5-0 in the Big East, found a way end its losing streak at Syracuse at five.

The Hokies intercepted four passes and making the Orangemen (3-4, 1-2 in the Big East) pay for their mistakes.

After a punt pinned the Orangemen inside their 5, quarterback Troy Nunes slipped on a third-down snap and fell backward across the goal line. Instead of taking the safety, though, he threw the ball down the middle of the field and Willie Pile easily intercepted it at the 15 and returned it to the 5.

Suggs had a five-yard touchdown run two plays later to cut the Hokies’ deficit to 14-9. Then, five plays after a Virginia Tech fumble recovery, Suggs got his 14th touchdown on a one-yard run to give the Hokies a 15-14 lead.

Syracuse drove to the Virginia Tech 35 with three minutes left in the game, but Nunes’ fourth-down pass was incomplete. Two plays later, Vick then scampered around the left side for his touchdown.

No. 4 Miami 45, Temple 17--Santana Moss had 241 all-purpose yards, including a 71-yard punt return for touchdown and 67-yard scoring reception, at Philadelphia as the Hurricanes (5-1, 3-0) won their fourth consecutive game.

Miami had an open date after beating then-No. 1 Florida State 27-24 on Oct. 7. The Hurricanes have won nine in row over Temple (4-4, 1-3), with the average margin of victory being 34.6 points.

Pittsburgh 42, Boston College 26--John Turman, named as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback earlier in the week, threw five touchdown passes--two to Antonio Bryant--at Pittsburgh as the Panthers (5-1, 2-1) beat the Eagles (4-3, 1-3) for only the second time in nine years.

Turman, who split time with David Priestley in the first five games, was 16-for-29 passing for 332 yards against a defense that was allowing only 146.7 yards passing a game.

Bryant caught eight passes for 222 yards and Kevan Barlow, who also scored two touchdowns, ran for 209 yards in 25 carries as Pittsburgh outgained Boston College, 584-424.

Rutgers 28, Navy 21--Mike McMahon completed 18 of 33 passes for 304 yards, including the two longest touchdown plays of the season (45 and 83 yards) for the Scarlet Knights (3-4) at Annapolis, Md. Navy is 0-7.