East Carolina University
0-2
Virginia Tech
2-0
No. 11 Virginia Tech Grinds Past East Carolina, 17-10
September 10, 2011 | Football
Sept. 10, 2011
Post-Game Notes 
| Post-Game Quotes
Player Post-Game Interviews l Game Highlights
GREENVILLE, N.C.- A 10-yard touchdown run by Josh Oglesby midway through the fourth quarter proved to be the difference Saturday as No. 11 Virginia Tech outlasted East Carolina 17-10 at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in the Pirates' home opener.
The Hokies used a prolific rushing attack, which accounted for 241 of their 332 yards and included a 138-yard performance by David Wilson, to keep the ball for 37:22 and score twice. Comparatively, the Pirates managed just 112 yards of total offense, as well as minus 15 on the ground.
The total output is the fourth-lowest in program history while the rushing performance ranked as the second-lowest behind a minus 16 effort against TCU in the Mobile Bowl Dec. 22, 1999. On the other hand, the 17 points given up by the ECU defense are the fewest since Marshall recorded 10 on Oct. 23, 2010. It was also the first time since that contest that the Pirates surrendered less than 40 points.
"The offense was playing against a great Virginia Tech defense," head coach Ruffin McNeill said. "I thought we held up very well today against a team that prides itself on it. Frank Beamer is a great coach and that's a great program.
"That's a really good-looking football team we played. That is a team that can win the ACC Championship and most likely contend for the national title."
Senior quarterback Dominique Davis threw for a career-low 127 yards, snapping his streak of consecutive games with 200 or more yards at 14. However, three receptions were enough for senior outside receiver Lance Lewis to move into ninth-place on the East Carolina career receptions chart with 105.
Defensively, freshman inside linebacker Jeremy Grove tallied 12 tackles and has eclipsed double digits in both games this season while junior nose guard Michael Brooks and senior outside linebacker Cliff Perryman tied career bests with eight and five stops, respectively. Additionally, junior Ben Ryan posted a 45.5 yards per punt average, which was the longest of his career as he dropped a personal-best tying three boots inside the 20-yard line.
After both teams failed to score on their opening drives, the Pirates took over in Hokie territory at the 38-yard line. Using just 1:39, ECU found the endzone when sophomore Michael Dobson ran the ball in from two yards away. That would be all the scoring in the first quarter as East Carolina and Virginia Tech came up empty on ensuing possessions.
A trio of lengthy drives dominated the second quarter before Cody Journell attempted a field goal from 39 yards out with under a minute before halftime. His kick ended up between the uprights, cutting the Pirate lead to four. The Hokies piled up 104 yards on the ground in the first 30 minutes of play with Logan Thomas producing 52 of them. ECU led the way through the air as Davis completed eight passes for 75 yards.
With Virginia Tech taking possession to begin the third quarter, Wilson rushed for 39 yards on a first down play, putting the Hokies in Pirate territory at the 39 yard line. Oglesby took over from there, gaining 17 yards over three plays to score from one yard out and put the visitors in front for the first time in the contest, 10-7.
The ball changed possession twice in the matter of 19 seconds as the clock wore down to the 10-minute mark. Davis was intercepted by Kyle Fuller and junior outside linebacker Chris Baker forced a fumble from Wilson on the next play.
Each squad failed to score on their next possessions but East Carolina used a Michael Barbour 48-yard field goal with 5:40 left in the period to forge a deadlock at 10. The defenses would hold the rest of the way heading into the final quarter.
Virginia Tech forced ECU to punt as the final interval began, taking over at its own 11. On the second play of the drive, Wilson broke off a 19-yard run which gave the Hokies a first down and some momentum. Oglesby completed the scoring with his second touchdown of the game, rushing 10 yards into the endzone to cap off the decisive 13-play possession.
After forcing a three and out from Virginia Tech, the Pirates had 3:32 remaining on the clock in order to knot the score. However, an attempted pass to senior inside receiver Michael Bowman on a fourth-and-18 play fell incomplete, allowing the Hokies to run out the clock.
"I'm very pleased with the way we played," McNeill stated. "We have the toughest schedule in the country and have played the No. 11 and 12-ranked teams. I thought our kids fought and battled.
"There are going to be tough things that happen. We just have to stay the course. I'm pleased with our progress so far this season."
After a week off, East Carolina returns to action with its second of three-straight home contests, welcoming UAB to Greenville Sept. 24. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., as the game is slated for a local broadcast by WITN.
Team Stats
VT 0, ECU 7
ECU - DOBSON, Michael 2 yd run (BARBOUR, Mike kick), 6 plays, 38 yards, TOP 1:39
VT 3, ECU 7
VT - Journell, C 39 yd field goal 13 plays, 42 yards, TOP 7:01
VT 10, ECU 7
VT - Oglesby, J 1 yd run (Journell, C kick), 8 plays, 78 yards, TOP 4:12
VT 10, ECU 10
ECU - BARBOUR, Mike 48 yd field goal 6 plays, 20 yards, TOP 1:35
VT 17, ECU 10
VT - Oglesby, J 10 yd run (Journell, C kick), 13 plays, 89 yards, TOP 6:42
