WOODY COLUMN: Hokies step back off plank, for now

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.

Arrrgggh, matey, that's what the Hokies did.

It wasn't pretty. Some good fortune was involved. But it was a nonconference victory -- playing nonconference games at this point of the season is a needless distraction -- and it permits the Hokies to say those two words that warm the cockles of every FBS coach with a bonus clause in his contract: bowl eligible.

The Hokies' 16-3 victory against East Carolina last night at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium was short on points and long on replay reviews, fumbles and semi-spectacular scrambles by Hokies quar terback Tyrod Taylor.

"A win is a win, especially after two losses," said Hokies defensive back Rashad Carmichael.

The Hokies improved their record to 6-3 and kept their hopes alive for a decent bowl and the 10-victory season that Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer so covets.

"Only three teams have won 10 games in each of the past five years," Beamer said. "Texas, Southern California and us. I'd like to stay in that company.

"I'm so happy to have won here. I haven't slept well in a week. My stomach hurt. It's a credit to the players and coaches that they held things together. That's a tough team and our players came out and played them tough."

The Hokies spent most of the game in the middle of the field, driving effectively between the 20-yard lines. Inside the 20, the Hokies were less than impressive.

Taylor scored what appeared to be a touchdown on a 17-yard run in the second quarter. But as he reached out to break the plane of the goal line with the football, the ball was knocked from his grasp and resulted in a touchback.

That was a bit of bad fortune for the Hokies.

They got more than just a bit of good fortune late in the third quarter. Taylor threw a quick pass into the flat and Pirates defensive back Levin Neal read it perfectly. Neal dove for the interception, had the ball and newfound Pirates' momentum in his grasp. But the ball came out when Neal crashed to the ground.

Can we get an "Arrrgggh, matey" on that one?

After last week's stunning, last-second loss to North Carolina in Blacksburg, the Hokies needed to get back on track.

They probably are not going to play in the ACC championship game this season, ending their conference championship streak at two.

But with games against Maryland, N.C. State and Virginia, the Hokies can finish with a flourish and think about what might have been had they not lost at Georgia Tech or to North Carolina.

The Hokies scored all the points they needed last night when Matt Waldron kicked his second field goal of the game with 51 seconds left in the first quarter.

After that, the Hokies spent the evening taking two steps forward and one step backward. Running back Ryan Williams, whose last carry against North Carolina resulted in a lost fumble that helped set up the Tar Heels' game-winning field goal, atoned for that error.

Williams had 179 yards on 26 carries, and when he ran, the ball was tucked so tightly against his body that it looked as if he had super glue on his jersey. He was just the second running back this season to gain more than 100 yards against East Carolina.

"Words can't describe how I feel tonight after last week," Williams said, wide smile creasing his face. "That fumble took something out of me."

His backfield mate Taylor put on an impressive display of scrambling, escaping tacklers when he was in the grasp and pulling away from defenders who had a handful of his jersey. Usually, on those scrambles, his passes fell incomplete. But he saved the Hokies half-a-field's worth of yardage by avoiding sacks.

For all of Williams' positive yards and Taylor's entertaining innovation, the Hokies lost big chunks of yards on penalties for leg whips, chop blocks and holding.

But given the quality of the Hokies' remaining opponents -- they have a combined overall record of 9-16 and a combined ACC record of 3-9 -- Virginia Tech doesn't have to play much better than they did last night to keep winning.

Can they get an "Arrrgggh, matey" on that?

Contact Paul Woody at (804) 649-6444 or . Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/World_of_Woody.