Hokies Impress in 51-7 Rout

Virginia Tech stepped up in competition and stepped up its game, handing Georgia Tech a thorough beating in a 51-7 rout Saturday.

The fourth-ranked Hokies, coming off a pair of 45-0 wins against Duke and Ohio University, were at their all-around best against the 15th-ranked Yellow Jackets: Marcus Vick threw for a career-best 223 yards and a touchdown and an avalanche of special teams and defensive talent produced another 21 points.

“When everybody’s clicking on all cylinders like that, there’s no better time,” defensive end Chris Ellis said after returning a third-quarter interception 29 yards for a touchdown as part of a 17-point barrage in 44 seconds.

The Hokies (4-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) also got a blocked field goal that turned into a 78-yard scoring run by D.J. Parker and an interception for a touchdown by Xavier Adibi. Virginia Tech has outscored four foes, 161-23.

“We’re out to prove something,” cornerback Jimmy Williams said. “A lot of people don’t feel we belong in the ACC. A lot of people think we lucked out when we won the ACC last year. We’re just trying to repeat, to tell you the truth.”

The Yellow Jackets (3-1, 1-1) were trying to start a season with four victories for the first time since they shared the national title in 1990.