Virginia Tech Hammers Maryland

Bryan Randall threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score Thursday night at Blacksburg, Va., helping No. 15 Virginia Tech move closer to a berth in a bowl championship series game with a 55-6 rout of Maryland.

One night after his 86-year-old mother died, Coach Frank Beamer guided the Hokies to their sixth consecutive victory, keeping them alone in first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Playing their first season in the ACC, Virginia Tech, 8-2 and 5-1 in the conference, can secure the league title with victories against No. 18 Virginia and at No. 12 Miami.

The Terrapins (4-6, 2-5), who trailed at halftime, 41-3, were hopeful of winning their last two games to qualify for a bowl. Maryland plays Wake Forest on Nov. 27 to finish the season.

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Even without standout running back Jamario Thomas, North Texas (7-4) brushed aside Arkansas State, 31-7, at Jonesboro, Ark. Thomas, the nation’s leading rusher, who is 155 yards short of breaking Ron Dayne’s Division I-A freshman rushing record of 1,863 yards, sat out the game because of a hamstring injury. The Indians finished 3-8.

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Colorado Coach Gary Barnett said there was no wrongdoing in questioned transactions that show deposits of $780,679 that were made between April 2001 and July 2003 to the Gary Barnett Football Technique School. “It’s my money,” Barnett told the Rocky Mountain News. “I can do whatever the heck I want with it.”

Kansas Coach Mark Mangino, who was fined $5,000 and reprimanded by the Big 12 Conference for comments made about the officiating after the Jayhawks’ loss Saturday to Texas, said he didn’t want to discuss the penalty. “I accept it, and the matter is closed,” Mangino told the Kansas City Star.

Ohio fired Brian Knorr as coach after he led the Bobcats to an 11-35 record in four seasons.... Freshman Shaun Carney will start at quarterback for Air Force against Colorado State on Saturday because Adam Fitch is slowed because of bruised ribs.... The Atlanta Sports Council, the force behind the Peach Bowl, is interested in bringing a second postseason game to the city that would match teams from the Atlantic Coast and Big Ten conferences.