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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -- Corey Moore hopes the secret is finally out.
Four games into the season, including two on national
television, Moore figures it's time people realized that Shyrone
Stith can play with anybody.
|  | | Shyrone Stith reached the 100-yard mark for the fourth consecutive game for Virginia Tech. |
Stith ran for 113 yards and a career-best three touchdowns
Saturday night and joined quarterback Michael Vick in taking the
spotlight away from the nation's top-ranked defense in Virginia Tech's (No. 7 ESPN/USA Today, No. 8 AP) 31-7 victory against No. 24 Virginia that wasn't that close.
"You guys talked all week about (Virginia tailback) Thomas
Jones being one of the best backs in the country," Moore said. "I
don't disagree with that, but we play against one of the best backs
in the country every day in practice."
Stith topped 100 yards for the fourth time in as many games,
becoming the first Hokies rusher to do that since Mickey Fitzgerald
in 1977, and caught a 25-yard pass to set up one of his three short
scoring runs in the opening half.
"They tried to stop us on the ground. They did somewhat, but we
just put it in the air. You can't concentrate on just one person.
It's not a basketball team," said Stith, who is averaging 130
yards per game and has scored five TDs.
Vick, the much heralded left-hander who tried to force the issue
and played poorly when the Hokies beat Clemson 10 days ago, was
much more composed this time, letting plays develop and completing
7-of-9 for 222 yards.
"I just let things happen," he said. "I just played within
myself ... trusted my offensive line, trusted my receivers, trusted
my reads and came up big."
Vick and Stith essentially finished Virginia with a 28-point
first half that silenced the crowd of 51,800, the largest in the
history of Scott Stadium.
Vick and Andre Davis got things going with a perfectly thrown
60-yard bomb, the speedy Davis making a fingertip grab two steps
behind Tim Spruill. It was the first touchdown pass of Vick's
career, and the sophomore Davis' second TD.
From there, Stith took over, capping a 39-yard march set up by a
short punt with a 1-yard burst up the middle to make it 14-0, then
adding two second-quarter scoring plunges after Vick led the Hokies
on drives of 80 and 60 yards.
Moore also offered high praise for Vick and the Hokies'
offensive line, saying the unit's play made it easier for the
redshirt freshman to do his thing.
"He had time back there to get a drink, wave up in the
stands," he said. "Vick's the leader on that side of the ball.
He's well mature past his age and he's got a good grasp on the
offense. He's dangerous. He's dangerous."
Virginia's banged-up defense, meanwhile, seemed to be playing
back on its heels after Vick hit Davis for the 60-yarder, coach
George Welsh said.
"Maybe the defense was thinking, 'Here we go again,' " Welsh
said.
Unlike a year ago, when Virginia rallied from a 29-7 halftime
deficit for its biggest comeback ever, 36-32 in Blacksburg, Va.,
there was no rally this time.
The Hokies' top-ranked defense, which came in allowing just
164.7 yards per game, held Virginia to 213 yards, including just 83
for Jones on 23 carries.
"That's the best defense I've faced," said Jones, fifth
nationally with an average of 155 rushing yards per game. "They
play fast."
Virginia, coming off a 45-40 victory at BYU that got the
Cavaliers back into the national rankings, closed to 14-7 early in
the second quarter on Dan Ellis' fourth-down, 1-yard pass to Billy
Baber, but didn't threaten again.
"They put up 45 points on BYU. They put up 7 on us. Enough
said," said Hokies linebacker Jamel Smith, who shared the team
lead with seven tackles.
With the Cavaliers' offensive line often double-teaming Moore,
the rest of the Hokies frequently got into the Virginia backfield.
Ellis was sacked twice in the first half, then four more time
during the second half.
The Cavaliers, missing as many as seven defensive starters
because of injuries and suspensions, also were without leading
tackler Yubrenal Isabelle, who was in his native Bluefield, W.Va.,
following the death of his mother on Thursday.
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Virginia Tech Clubhouse
Virginia Clubhouse
Top 25 overview
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Michael Vick hits Andre Davis with the deep bomb for the score.
avi: 990 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Shyrone Stith rumbles in for the touchdown.
avi: 1010 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
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