Tech puts BCS slump to rest with win over Cincinnati

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MIAMI — The losing streak is over.

No. 19 Virginia Tech broke a four-game skid in BCS bowl games Thursday night with its 20-7 win over No. 12 Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl at Dolphin Stadium.

The Hokies (10-4), who hadn’t won a BCS game since the 1995 Sugar Bowl, also broke an eight-game ACC losing streak in BCS bowls.

Tech is now 2-4 all-time in BCS games. It became only the third Football Bowl Subdivision team, along with Southern Cal and Texas, to win 10 games in each of the last three seasons.

The Hokies bucked the odds by beating the Bearcats (11-3). They were underdogs entering the game and were down three starters from their ACC championship win over Boston College on Dec. 6.

With its leading pass rusher, Jason Worilds, and second-leading tackler, Brett Warren, on the sideline with injuries, Tech’s defense still played masterfully against Cincinnati’s potent spread offense.

Tech held the Bearcats to 311 yards and one touchdown, which came only two minutes into the game.

They intercepted Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike four times. Cornerback Stephan Virgil had a touchdown-saving pick in the end zone in the second quarter, and free safety Kam Chancellor had one in the third.

The biggest interception, however, came early in the fourth quarter when defensive end Orion Martin dove and made a shoestring grab of Tony Pike’s pass at the Bearcats’ 6-yard line.

Martin’s play led to Darren Evans’ 6-yard touchdown run with 11:29 remaining that gave Tech an insurmountable 20-7 lead.

Cincinnati put together a long drive on the ensuing possession and had a first-and-goal from the Tech 3, but the Hokies stuffed the Bearcats on third and fourth-down runs to retain possession.

Pike dashed to the right on fourth down but was met right in front of the goal line by redshirt freshman linebacker Barquell Rivers, who was making his first career start in place of Warren.

Tech kicker Dustin Keys broke a 7-7 tie with his 43-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, and he booted a 35-yard to increase the lead to 13-7 with 6:28 left in the third.

The second field goal gave Keys 23 for the season, which set a new school single-season record.

Running back Darren Evans rushed for 153 yards on 28 yards, which vaulted him into fourth place (1,265 yards) on Tech’s single-season rushing list.

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor passed for 139 yards, rushed for 46 yards and had a second-quarter touchdown.

Taylor tied the game 7-7 on a nifty 17-yard run. He dropped back to pass on third-and-8, took off up the middle and cut to his left before juking and eluding a mass of Bearcats’ defenders.

It was Taylor’s third touchdown run in the last two games. All three came on third down plays.

After being beat by Bearcats wide receiver Mardy Ginyard on a 15-yard touchdown pass early in the first quarter, Chan-cellor had two pass breakups and an acrobatic almost-interception in the second quarter.

Gilyard, who caught a 38-yard pass from Pike earlier in the drive, beat Chancellor to the left corner of the end zone, hauled in the pass and got his right foot down before going out of bounds with 1:52 remaining.

The Hokies, who gained 398 total yards, responded with a couple of big plays in their ensuing drive. Freshman wide re-ceiver Dyrell Roberts ran 26 yards on an end around on Tech’s first play, and Taylor completed a 35-yard pass to wide re-ceiver Danny Coale.

But the Hokies stalled at the 9-yard line, and Keys missed a 26-yard field goal.