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Friday, December 13, 2002
No. 4 Virginia Tech 48, Boston College 34
Associated Press
BOX SCORE
BOSTON -- Michael Vick is even better when he's angry.
|  | | Michael Vick took a pounding, but he also delivered with 210 yards rushing and three TDs to carry Virginia Tech to victory. |
Vick ran for a career-best 210 yards and three touchdowns -- the final one a darting and dashing 82-yarder in the fourth quarter -- as No. 4 Virginia Tech held off Boston College 48-34 on Saturday.
The Heisman Trophy frontrunner might have delivered his signature play with just over 11 minutes left. On third-and-12 from the Virginia Tech 18 and the Hokies ahead by 15 points, Vick eluded a defender at the line, jumped over another BC player and then took off for the end zone.
By the time he reached the 10, cornerback Lenny Walls was waiting. But Vick faked right, then left as Walls spun around and managed to grab only a facemask as the quarterback ran into the end zone.
Vick's rushing yardage was a school record for quarterbacks and third highest in Hokies history behind running backs Kenny Lewis, who had 223 yards against VMI in 1978, and Roscoe Coles, who had 214 against Tulsa in 1976.
Early on, Vick was visibly upset in the first half over dropped balls, poor pass routes and the pounding he was taking from the Eagles' defense.
But he overcame his frustrations _ and a left knee injury scare _ and led the Hokies (4-0, 2-0 Big East) on three second-quarter scoring drives that turned a tie game into a 35-20 lead at halftime.
Vick, who ran 12 times for 115 yards in the first half, had four second-half carries for 95 yards. He completed just 5-of-17 passes for 61 yards and was intercepted once. Lee Suggs also had a big day for the Hokies, with 22 carries for 145 yards and two TDs.
The Eagles (2-2, 0-2), despite missing three starters on defense, never quit. Tim Hasselbeck threw two touchdown passes to Jamal Burke, Cedric Washington scored on a 15-yard run and William Green had TD runs of one and 12 yards.
The Hokies moved to a 42-20 lead on Suggs' second TD -- a 10-yard run in the third quarter, and the Eagles scored two TDs in the fourth quarter.
With the score 14-all early in the second quarter, Vick threw a pass toward the sideline and split end Shawn Whitten cut inside. The 6-foot-1, 212-pound Vick bent over in disgust at the foulup. That's when he took matters into his own hands -- and feet.
On the next play, Vick faked out three defenders for 33 yards, but got up favoring his left knee. He sat on the field at the 40-yard line flexing the knee as team trainers attended to him. After a few words with offensive coordinator Rickey Bustle, Vick was back under center.
He fumbled, but running back Jarrett Ferguson recovered. On the next play, Suggs took a pitch from Vick and ran 24 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.
The Hokies forced the Eagles to punt and it wasn't long before Vick extended the lead to 28-14. First, Vick spotted a wide-open Bob Slowikowski at the BC 30 but the tight end dropped the ball. On the next play, Vick jumped over a teammate on his way for a 26-yard run. Four plays later, Vick sprinted past the BC defense on a 26-yard TD run with 6:09 left in the half.
Boston College cut the deficit to 28-20 on Vick's second fumble. Safety Ralph Parent recovered at the Hokies 33, Hasselbeck ran 28 yards to the 2 and then Green scored on a 1-yard dive.
Vick got that one back in a hurry. After a long pass -- 60 yards in the air -- went just off the fingertips of Andre Davis in the end zone, Vick squeezed through the BC line for 9 yards to the 40. Four plays and a pass interference call later, Vick ran 11 yards for his second TD.
The Hokies jumped to 14-0 lead in the first seven minutes. Ferguson scored on a 1-yard run on the game's opening drive. Davis then fielded a punt by Kevin McMyler, went to his right, then reversed his field and raced 71 yards for a TD.
Davis became the first Virginia Tech player to return two punts for TDs in a season since Frank Loria returned three for scores in 1966.
Washington, who left the game with about five minutes left in the second quarter with a knee injury, scored in the first quarter on a 15-yard run and Hasselbeck threw a 6-yard TD pass to Burke.
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