Tech's Keys to success

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Tech puts BCS slump to rest with win over Cincinnati

MIAMI — Senior kicker Dustin Keys set Virginia Tech’s single-season field goal record with his 35-yard boot with 8:32 to go in the third quarter of Thursday night’s Orange Bowl at Dolphin Stadium.

It was Keys second field goal of the night — he converted a 43-yarder as time expired in the first half — to give him 23 on the season, one better than Chris Kinzer (1986) and Shayne Graham (1998).

Keys, who was put on scholarship in August and made 23 of his first 29 attempts in his only season as the Hokies’ kicker, missed a 26-yard field goal with 9:21 left in the first quarter.

Before Thursday, Tech was 1-4 in games in which Keys missed a field goal.

Virgil ties Macho

Virginia Tech junior Stephan Virgil saved a touchdown in the second quarter with his end zone interception.

It was Virgil’s sixth interception of the season, tying him with senior Macho Harris for the team lead.

It’s the first time under coach Frank Beamer that two players had at least six interceptions in a season. The last time it happened was in 1968 when Mike Widger had seven and Lenny Smith had six.

Virgil came out of nowhere to pick off Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike’s pass, which was intended for Bearcats wide receiver Dominick Goodman.

Goodman appeared to be wide open on the left side of the end zone, but Virgil converged on the receiver and made a lunging grab.

Nice ring to it

Beamer’s walnut-sized bowl ring is hard to not notice. He said he’d prefer something smaller, but he de-fers to his players, who design the diamond-studded jewelry.

“The thing I’ve found, our seniors always design our bowl rings, and so we’ve got 16 of these. But the thing I’ve found is they design big rings, they don’t design small rings. They usually are big.”

Gilyard a home run threat

Entering the second half, Cincinnati wide receiver Mardy Gilyard had been involved in 10 of the Bear-cats’ 15 plays of 47 or more yards. Six were for touchdowns, including kickoff returns of 97 and 100 yards.

Virginia Tech has eight plays of 47 yards or more. Freshman wide receiver Dyrell Roberts was involved in three of them.

Latif late addition

Tech redshirt freshman defensive tackle Khalil Latif was a late addition to the dress squad as an emergency option in case of injury.

The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Chesterfield, Va., native dressed for other games this season but didn’t play.

Successful switch for Barwin

Cincinnati senior Connor Barwin made the switch from tight end to defensive end this season and had a Big East-leading 11 sacks. Before Thursday’s game, he needed three sacks to set a school record.

Barwin, a first-team All-Big East selection this season, played tight end in Cincinnati’s jumbo package and scored a touchdown against South Florida.

He played for the Bearcats basketball team as a freshman and sophomore.

“There was no break. Actually, at one point in my sophomore year before our PapaJohn.com Bowl, I was practicing for both teams at the same time, in the morning with the basketball team, and in the after-noon for the bowl game,” Barwin said. “That was the hardest it ever was.”

Extra points

Of the 64 Tech players who dressed Thursday night, only 12 were seniors. Eighteen of the projected starters for the game have eligibility remaining and could return next year. … Hokies redshirt freshman wide receiver Danny Coale started Thursday night. He is the first freshman to start every game for the Hokies since Sergio Render in 2006… The Doobie Brothers performed at halftime. … Two Tech players, linebacker Barquell Rivers and right guard Jaymes Brooks, made their first career starts Thursday night in place of Brett Warren (injury) and Nick Marshman (academically ineligible).