Virginia Tech Puts It in Cruise Control

The biggest test for No. 6 Virginia Tech wasn’t beating Boston College. It was beating the clock.

After taking a 34-0 lead Saturday night at Blacksburg, Va., the Hokies (6-0, 3-0 in the Big East) let the Eagles (4-2, 2-1) creep back into the game with three consecutive touchdowns before winning, 34-20.

“It was about nine times there that the game was over,” Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer said. “We didn’t finish the way we wanted.”

Grant Noel passed for 225 yards, connecting with Andre Davis for scoring plays of 37 and 34 yards, and ran for another score.

“I just put it up and he ran with it,” Noel said of his first scoring pass to Davis, a floater into the right corner of the end zone.

Keith Burnell had 111 yards, his second consecutive game with more than 100 yards rushing.

Virginia Tech’s defense smothered Boston College from the start to extend its home winning streak to 16 games.

William Green was held to 74 yards rushing in 21 carries, ending his season-long streak of rushing for at least 100 yards. The Eagles failed to move the ball into Virginia Tech territory until the final drive of the first half.

The Hokies forced three fumbles and scored a defensive touchdown for the fourth game in a row when rover Kevin McCadam scooped up a tipped pitch in the first quarter and ran nine yards.

“They are the best defense we have faced this year,” Eagle Coach Tom O’Brien said. “We needed to make some first downs and slow their momentum and were not able to. We never gave ourselves a chance to get back in the game.”

Syracuse 42, Pittsburgh 10--James Mungro scored on a 56-yard run at Pittsburgh as the Orangemen overcame a deficit with five consecutive touchdowns and defeated the Panthers for the 11th time in a row.

Will Hunter scored on a 35-yard interception return four plays after Mungro’s touchdown as Syracuse (5-2, 2-0) scored twice in a span of 1:29 to turn a 10-7 deficit into a 21-10 lead with 10:44 remaining in the third quarter.

Pittsburgh (1-4, 0-2) has 14 turnovers in three games and has lost four in a row, a losing streak that began with a 35-26 loss to four-touchdown underdog South Florida. Pitt has lost five of six, including its bowl loss to Iowa State last season, defeating only Division I-AA East Tennessee State.

Syracuse is 16-1-1 against Pittsburgh since 1984.

Temple 30, Rutgers 5--Mike McGann threw two second-quarter touchdown passes and Cap Poklemba kicked three field goals at Philadelphia as the Owls broke a three-game losing streak.

McGann, a freshman starting his third game, was 10 of 23 for 170 yards with two interceptions. Tanardo Sharps ran for 149 yards in 18 carries and Sean Dillard caught three passes for 86 yards for the Owls (2-3, 1-1).

The Scarlet Knights (1-5, 0-4), who have lost five in a row, turned the ball over six times.

Rutgers’ Ryan Cubit was 17 of 41 but was sacked five times and had three passes intercepted. Rutgers had minus-11 yards rushing in 14 carries in the first half and 32 yards in 32 carries for the game.