BLACKSBURG, Virginia (Ticker) -- Marshall billed its game with
Virginia Tech as one of the biggest in school history, an
opportunity to show a national television audience it could play
with the nation's elite teams.
But the backfield tandem of Kevin Jones and Lee Suggs proved too
much for Marshall to handle as the ninth-ranked Hokies coasted
to a 47-21 victory over the 17th-ranked Thundering Herd.
With Jones and Suggs each rushing for more than 100 yards and
combining for five touchdowns, the Hokies (3-0) wore down
Marshall (1-1) with a bruising ground game that accounted for
395 yards.
Jones rushed for 171 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries,
while Suggs carried 24 times for 153 yards and two scores. The
Hokies averaged more than six yards per rushing attempt.
"I know our fans appreciate what they are seeing right now,"
Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said. "Those are two guys that
can carry the mail."
Marshall was hoping a win and strong outing by Byron Leftwich
would enhance his Heisman Trophy chances. It got the latter as
Leftwich completed 31-of-49 passes for 406 yards, although much
came in the fourth quarter when he threw three TD passes.
The Hokies built a 33-0 lead on Suggs' one-yard run 48 seconds
into the final period.
"I thought our defense played great," Beamer said. "We got hurt
there on a couple late scores. When it counted, I thought we
were very good. You have to give credit to Marshall. They can
really throw the football."
Leftwich, projected by some as a high first-round draft pick,
already has passed for 875 yards this season. He threw for 469
yards in a 50-17 victory over Appalachian State.
But Leftwich was contained for three quarters by Virginia Tech's
stingy defense. Marshall fumbled on its first series after
driving into Virginia Tech territory, and it was all downhill
thereafter.
"We don't have any excuses," Marshall coach Bob Pruett said.
"We got beat by a very good football team. They're a top-10
team, and it's pretty evident that they're pretty good."
The Thundering Herd was held to 34 yards on the ground.
"We didn't have answers," Pruett said of his rushing game.
"What hurt us more than them blocking us was the missed tackles.
As the game wore on and we got younger, we had more missed
tackles. At the end, we had four true freshmen trying to get
Jones and Suggs on the ground. That's a hefty chore for a lot
of folks."
Jones rushed for 66 yards in the opening period, including a
25-yard touchdown that extended the Hokies' lead to 10-0.
After Virginia Tech started the scoring on Carter Warley's
42-yard field goal, the Thundering Herd had a 1st-and-goal
inside the 5-yard line. But Marshall came away empty as Curtis
Head could not get any height on a 22-yard field goal attempt
following a low snap and lined it off a Virginia Tech lineman.
D'Angelo Hall returned the block the distance, but the touchdown
was negated by a penalty for an illegal block. It did not
matter as Virginia Tech methodically drove 89 yards - all on the
ground - to take a 10-point lead.
After Marley's 43-yard field goal made it 13-0, linebacker Mikal
Baaqee returned an interception to the Marshall 22. Two plays
later, the Hokies made it 20-0 on Jones' 13-yard touchdown
around left end with 9:11 left in the first half.
Suggs' one-yard plunge gave the Hokies a 26-point cushion late
in the third quarter, when the Thundering Herd were held to 11
total yards.
Curtis Jones caught 11 passes for 164 yards for Marshall, which
dropped to 1-4 against ranked teams since making the jump to
Division I-A.
Before the game, Virginia Tech retired the jersey number worn by
Beamer.
"It was a great surprise," said Beamer, who played for the
Hokies in the Liberty Bowl in 1966 and 1968. "I am certainly
not the athlete that those other guys hanging up there are.
This place has been real special."
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