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Hokies run over Cavaliers

November 29, 2009 12:36 am

BY TAFT COGHILL JR.

CHARLOTTESVILLE

That's what happened in the fourth quarter of the No. 14 Hokies' 42-13 Atlantic Coast Conference victory over Virginia yesterday in front of 58,555 at Scott Stadium.

Williams sprinted for a 51-yard run, but was stripped from behind at about the 10-yard line and the ball rolled into the end zone.

Virginia Tech wide receiver Jarrett Boykin recovered the fumble for a touchdown and a 35-13 lead.

That sequence pretty much summed up Williams' first foray into the rivalry with the Cavaliers: He could do no wrong.

Williams rushed for a career-high 183 yards and four touchdowns as he continued one the finest seasons ever for an ACC freshman running back.

"I got touchdown happy," Williams said of his fumble. "As soon as I saw one man to beat, I really don't think there's one man [who can stop me]. I'm that confident."

He has every reason to be.

Williams has rushed for 1,538 yards and 19 touchdowns this season. His 20 total touchdowns are an ACC freshman record.

Williams said Virginia linebacker Denzel Burrell asked him to slow down yesterday. He said Burrell called him "Sonic," a reference to the popular speedy video-game character.

"He's an incredibly tough runner who is going to have a great career in this league," Virginia senior linebacker Aaron Clark said. "He was able to make some big plays today."

The Cavaliers (3-9, 2-6) weren't able to make enough plays of their own as their season--and probably head coach Al Groh's nine-year tenure--came to an end.

It's their 10th loss to the Hokies in the past 11 meetings. Groh is just 1-8 against Virginia Tech (9-3, 6-2).

Players said it was an emotional scene in the locker room as Groh read the team a poem and seniors reflected on their careers. It's widely expected that Groh will be fired soon, after his third losing season in four years.

"I just feel bad because guys who played this game here before me, I feel like we've just let them down," Virginia senior fullback Rashawn Jackson said. "I love coach Groh and I love his efforts. The season doesn't describe coach Groh. This isn't coach Groh's type of football."

For a while, it was.

The Cavaliers went ahead 7-0 on quarterback Jameel Sewell's 15-yard touchdown run with 9 minutes, 27 seconds left in the first quarter.

They trailed just 14-13 at halftime after Sewell rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown.

The Cavaliers still trailed by one point when Sewell pitched the ball to running back Mikell Simpson in the third quarter. Simpson wasn't able to corral it, and Virginia Tech senior safety Kam Chancellor recovered the fumble to set Tech up at Virginia's 10-yard line. Two plays later, Williams scored his third touchdown of the game for a 21-13 lead. The Hokies never looked back.

"It was up to the seniors to make a game-changing play and get the energy going the other way," Chancellor said.

Mission accomplished.

The Cavaliers never threatened again.

"That score seemed to pull all the dominoes out of the pile," Groh said. "It was all downhill after that."

Williams added a 2-yard scoring run. Then there was Boykin's fumble recovery, and true freshman running back David Wilson punctuated the victory with a 10-yard touchdown run.

The Hokies now look forward to a bowl game and possibly their sixth straight 10-win season.

Head coach Frank Beamer said their current four-game winning streak shows they are among the best teams in the nation.

"I think we are in there," Beamer said. "We have a critical bowl game--I don't know where it's going to be or who it's going to be against, but I know if we can win it, it will be 10 wins. Any time you can win 10, that's a day's work."

Taft Coghill Jr.: 540/374-5526
Email: tcoghill@freelancestar.com