Hokies swamp Hurricanes 31-7

SLIDESHOW: Va. Tech vs. Miami

BLACKSBURG -- Tyrod Taylor waved his arms up and down, then cupped his right hand to the ear hole of his helmet, turning his head toward the fans behind Virginia Tech's bench. Their ponchos were soaked, yet they roared obediently one more time last night, their shivering screams rising through the rain.

Most remained at Lane Stadium for a fourth quarter that was little more than an extended curtain call. This time, they didn't gnaw their nails until the end, like they did during last week's stunning win against Nebraska. No, this time, their Hokies surprised them for another reason, as they dominated Miami in every area during a 31-7 victory.

So even as Taylor walked off the field with 14 seconds left in a game long since decided, they wanted to relish the moment -- soggy feet and all.

In a critical ACC Coastal Division contest, the 11th-ranked Hokies did almost everything they wanted against No. 9 Miami, which came to Blacksburg surrounded by buzz about whether they were again as good as their past national champion teams.

The Hokies harassed Miami's sophomore quarterback, Jacory Harris, from start to finish. They relied successfully on running the ball -- a must in rainy games -- as tailback Ryan Williams carried 34 times for 150 yards. They even blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown, which gave them a 21-0 halftime lead and essentially sealed the win.

Now, Tech (1-0 ACC, 3-1) has an important tiebreaker advantage over Miami (2-1 ACC) as it enters a two-game stretch -- at Duke, home against Boston College -- that should maintain their one-loss record at the season's midpoint.

"We feel like the ACC has to come through us," said junior cornerback Rashad Carmichael. "We just wanted to come out and show the world that V-Tech never left. Miami might be back, but we never left."

They demonstrated as much on Miami's fifth play of the game. All week, Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster stressed the importance of pressuring Harris, who had been sacked just once, and hurried zero times, in two games before yesterday. Rover Dorian Porch was the first Hokie to rattle Harris. On second down and 11 at Miami's 31-yard line, Porch blitzed from Harris' right. Nobody touched Porch as he closed in on Harris, keeping his eye on the ball.

Porch hit Harris, knocking the ball loose. Porch recovered it at Miami's 11, setting up Tech's first touchdown. "They call him the calm, cool, collected guy," Porch said. "And he is. For us to put fire on him like that and kind of show him: We're not gonna let you stand back there all day and do what you've been doing. I think that was a big statement early in the game that we were coming."

They didn't stop. End Jason Worilds sacked Harris later, combined with tackle Kwamaine Battle for another sack and was credited with two hurries. Whip linebacker Cody Grimm also had one hurry. "Hopefully, we made his night where he wasn't very comfortable," Foster said.

Tech did it by playing the disciplined defense Foster preaches. Foster's pressure package was designed not only to hammer Harris but to take away the short passing routes he uses when opponents blitz. Grimm said the Hokies blitzed once every three or four plays and, all told, did it as many times as they did in their first three games combined. Just as important, Grimm said: They didn't reveal their blitzes before the snap by inching toward the line.

Tech's offense, meanwhile, showed that it can help carry this team. The Hokies gained 370 yards -- 242 in the first half -- and had five plays of 20 yards or longer. Against two of their first three opponents, Alabama and Nebraska, they totaled five 20-plus plays.

The offense's backbone was Williams, a redshirt freshman who proved he can get the "hard yards" -- something Tech feared it might lack this season when Darren Evans, last year's leading rusher, suffered a season-ending knee injury in August. Williams added two catches for 40 yards and ran for two touchdowns.

He was unaware of his carry total surpassing 30 until after the game, as he charged ahead with endurance that everyone at Lane could appreciate. "I felt like I could have went for another 20 more carries if the team needed me to," he said. "I didn't feel anything as far as being tired and being worn out."