At times, Virginia Tech looked sloppy, failing to cash in scoring opportunities. At times, it looked fortunate, when East Carolina did the same.

GREENVILLE, N.C. Arrrgggh, matey, the Virginia Tech Hokies needed this one. They needed to avoid losing three games in a row. They needed to pay the East Carolina Pirates back for last year’s season-opening loss/embarrassment. They needed to do something to quiet the “Arrrgggh, matey” recording that came from the scoreboard whenever the Hokies faced a third-and-long.

QUICK KICKS Score: No.22 Virginia Tech 16, East Carolina 3 For starters: The Hokies continued a troubling trend to start the game. They got into East Carolina territory on three of their first four drives and came away with two field goals. They finally broke through on their sixth drive, marching 79 yards in 12 plays and 5:27 for a touchdown. Turning point: It had to be that 79-yard touchdown drive, from which the Pirates were never able to come back. Of course, Tech’s defense helped by holding them to 95 yards in the second half. Star of the game: Ryan Williams. Virginia Tech’s redshirt freshman tailback bounced back from a fumble that helped North Carolina win last week by running for a season-best 179 yards. Big picture: The Hokies still can win 10 games for the sixth consecutive season if they win their final three regular-season games and their bowl game. Go figure: 2—Number of Virginia Tech redshirt freshmen who made their first career starts last night. Center Michael Via started in place of Beau Warren (sprained left knee). Linebacker Lyndell Gibson started in place of Jake Johnson, who had been ineffective. Next: The Hokies return to ACC action when they play next Saturday at Maryland (1-3 ACC, 2-6). The game will begin at 1 p.m. and air on ESPN360.com. The Terrapins have lost three consecutive heading into tomorrow’s 1 p.m. game at North Carolina State.

Grading the three keys A+Ryan Williams recovering. Virginia Tech’s redshirt freshman tailback bounced back in a big way, carrying 26 times for 179 yards—his season high. He also became the 12th Tech tailback to rush for 1,000 yards and has 1,109 for the season. In the Hokies’ previous game, a 20-17 loss to North Carolina, Williams lost a fumble on his final carry, on Tech’s 24-yard line with 2:02 left. The turnover set up Carolina’s game-winning field goal. AClean snaps. Redshirt freshman center Michael Via started for the first time, in place of injured junior Beau Warren, whose sprained left knee, suffered against North Carolina, prevented him from making the trip to East Carolina. Via appeared to handle things well, as he committed no glaring errors on snaps, which is all the Hokies can really ask for at this point. A-Stop allowing long runs. East Carolina’s longest carry was 18 yards by running back Dominique Lindsay. Overall, the Pirates ran 31 times for 110 yards. Through their first eight games, the Hokies allowed 14 runs of 20 yards or longer—the same number they allowed in 14 games last season and three more than they allowed in 14 games in 2007.

When : 7:45 p.m. TV: ESPN Radio: WRNL (910), WRVA (1140), 6:15 p.m.
  Records : Virginia Tech 5-3 overall; East Carolina 5-3
  Players to watch: Virginia Tech—QB Tyrod Taylor, Jr., 79-141-3, 1,315 yards, 9 TDs; TB Ryan Williams, r-Fr., 163 carries, 930 yards, 10 TDs; LB Cody Grimm, Sr., 67 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3 pass break-ups, 7 quarterback hurries, 3 forced fumbles. East Carolina—QB Patrick Pinkney, Sr., 140-245-9, 1,515 yards, 8 TDs; RB Dominique Lindsay, Sr., 99 carries, 570 yards, 3 TDs; DE C.J. Wilson, Sr., 39 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 1 pass break-up, 7 quarterback hurries, 1 fumble recovery, 2 forced fumbles.

2 Clean snaps . If a sprained left knee keeps starting center Beau Warren out, the Hokies will turn to redshirt freshman Michael Via. The exchanges between Via and quarterback Tyrod Taylor could be critical. Tech’s offense has lost three fumbles this season in addition to Williams’ against the Tar Heels. Two were after catches by wide receiver Jarrett Boykin. The other was by backup quarterback Joseph “Ju-Ju” Clayton (Hermitage High) in the third quarter of a 48-14 win over Boston College.

The center must be one of the sharpest players on a football field. He has to spot the middle linebacker, scan the defense’s alignment and notify the other offensive linemen if he sees something that might portend a blitz—all in a few seconds before he snaps the ball. “I think it’s the most difficult position on the field, with the exception of quarterback,“ said Virginia Tech’s offensive coordinator, Bryan Stinespring.

BLACKSBURG—Virginia Tech’s season changed course during the past two games, from national-championship chase to trying to avoid becoming an ACC also-ran, partly because the Hokies’ defense couldn’t do something it usually does so well: get opponents off the field. “That was a killer,“ said defensive coordinator Bud Foster. He was talking about third-down shortcomings from last Thursday’s 20-17 loss to North Carolina, but the assessment also fits the Oct. 17 defeat at Georgia Tech.

BLACKSBURG From the sideline, Virginia Tech linebacker Lyndell Gibson watched the first-team defense during practice, paying close attention to Jake Johnson, whom Gibson was backing up. If Johnson screwed up and drew the ire of defensive coordinator Bud Foster, Gibson remembered the mistake. “Make sure you don’t do that,“ he told himself.

NEW YORK—Texas is back to No. 2 in the AP college football poll. The Longhorns jumped Alabama and landed right behind top-ranked Florida on Sunday, the day after winning 41-14 at Oklahoma State. Florida, No. 1 for all but one week this season, received 38 first-place votes after a 41-17 victory over Georgia. The Longhorns started the season ranked second, but have been No. 3 behind the Gators and Crimson Tide the last three weeks. Texas received 13 first-place votes from the media panel.

BLACKSBURG—Virginia Tech’s to-do list for the season’s final month looked pretty simple earlier this week: win its four remaining ACC games and hope Georgia Tech lost to Wake Forest or Duke. Now, after the Hokies lost 20-17 on Thursday to North Carolina, the rest of their year seems riddled with uncertainty. What will it take for them to make the ACC championship game? The short explanation: a lot.

Carolina’s Casey Barth kicks winning field goal as time expires following recovery of a Ryan Williams fumble with 2:02 remaining at the Hokie 24-yard line.

BLACKSBURG AVirginia Tech football season that began with national championship dreams, then changed its focus to Atlantic Coast Conference title aspirations has come to this. Can the Hokies make it to the Champs Sports Bowl? The Music City Bowl? If things really go badly in the remaining weeks, will they have to take a bus ride to the Eagle Bank Bowl in Washington?

QUICK KICKS Score: North Carolina 20, No.14 Va. Tech For starters: Neither team’s offense played well in the first half. Tech went three or four plays and out or turned the ball over on five of its first seven drives. The Tar Heels’ first five drives resulted in minus-10, minus-3, 4, 33 and 9 yards. Turning point: With 2:02 left in the game, Tech tailback Ryan Williams fumbled, giving Carolina the ball at Tech’s 24-yard line, which led to the game-winning field goal. Star of the game: Casey Barth. Carolina’s kicker hit the game-winner from 21 yards and also nailed a 19-yarder that knotted the score at 17. Not exceptionally long field goals, but they did come under pressure. Big picture: Virginia Tech still needs Georgia Tech to lose one of its two remaining ACC games. But if that happens, the Hokies would be tied with the Yellow Jackets, with two league losses each, rather than passing them in the Coastal Division standings. Go figure: 5—Times in the first half that the Hokies entered North Carolina territory. The Hokies came away from those drives with zero points. Next: The Hokies play at East Carolina (5-3) next week in their second of two ESPN Thursday night games. Last season, the Pirates beat 27-22 in the season opener in Charlotte, N.C.

Grading the three keys B-Handle North Carolina’s defensive front. The Tar Heels had three sacks—one each by defensive tackle Tydreke Powell, end Donte Paige-Moss and end E.J. Wilson. Powell’s forced fumble when Ryan Williams was carrying the ball with 2:02 left ended up being the game’s biggest play. C+Buckle down on defense. North Carolina entered last night ranked 114th nationally in yards per game (289.4). But the Tar Heels looked impressive on offense at times, getting two touchdown drives of 84 yards and a field goal drive of 78. They also had runs of 23 and 44 yards and passes of 17 and 19. B+Don’t dwell on past mistakes. The Hokies didn’t appear to be affected by losing their last game, at Georgia Tech. But they still stumbled against a team they should have beaten. Now, they must try to find motivation in a season that is a bit less promising.