Richmond Times-Dispatch from Richmond, Virginia • C1

Soorts Lynchburg's Weir enters Division III record book eg SUNDAY October 4, 2009 TlmesDtepatcFLCom Richmond Times-Dispatch Sports Editor: Steve Trosky (804)649-6456 stroskytimesdispatch.com Hokies sloppy in win Tribe can match up despite loss VILLANOVA, Pa. The first rule of any game is "Don't beat The William and Mary football team no doubt was thinking about that rule on the long drive home to Wil Nut pmat Boston College at Tech Taylor-led passing attack helps Tech overcome Duke bid BY DARRYL SLATER Times-Dispatch Staff Writer DURHAM, N.C The winning team left Wallace Wade Stadium yesterday and walked the length of a practice field to reach its locker room, as all visiting squads at Duke do. The players and coaches proceeded mostly in silence. Some made small talk. None shouted or screamed, Noon, Fox hooted or hollered.

None sprinted toward the locker room to celebrate the victory. If they weren't wearing uniforms, they could have been mistaken for a team that just finished a routine Wednesday practice. Virginia Tech achieved its bottom-line result yesterday by beating Duke 34-26. The sixth-ranked Hokies improved their record to 2-0 in the ACQ 4-1 overall, with an invigorated passing game that THE ASSOCIATED Tech's Jarrett Boykln (top) and Duke's Leon Wright battle for a 28-yard pass on which Boykln came up with a score. PRESS Virginia 16, North Carolina 3 toedh Cavs seal deal with ragged rushing and dominant defense used a play hatched at halftime to secure the win.

But parts of how they got there left some of them unable to rejoice. Too many penalties 12 for 105 yards. Too many missed tackles, missed assignments and, as a result, too many long plays by Duke yesterday's most unsettling development for the Hokies, considering their defensive reputation and the Blue Devils' losing streak against ranked teams, now 38 games dating to 1994. A week after putting together a complete performance in a 31-7 See HOKIES, Page C7 ROBERT WHETTTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS scored by Mlkell Simpson. 12 games against the Tar Heels, who were 13-point favorites yesterday.

This one resembled the past few, a grind-it-out game where every point was valuable. Robert Randolph kicked three field goals to help the team cling to a lead until Simpson broke through for an 8-yard touchdown run, pushing him over 100 yards on the day. Cook grabbed an interception to seal the victory, helping the team finish strong. That was one of Virginia's main objectives this week, and See CAVALIERS, Page C8 liamsburg last night. The Tribe was caught looking on Vit lanova's first play from scrimmage yes- PAUL WOODY terdayand trailed 7-0 when the game was just 19 seconds old.

From there, things went downhill in a 28-17 loss. There were turnovers, mental mistakes and penalties. William and Mary held almost every statistical advantage against the Wildcats, but in the end, that meant nothing in the Colonial Athletic Association game. Villanova is good, very good. The Wildcats entered the game ranked No.

2 in the country in the Football Championship Subdivision. Barring a meltdown, the Wildcats will be in the playoffs and rated as one of the top contenders for the FCS championship. But they are not that much better than William and Mary. "When you play a good team, you'd better play pretty well and execute pretty well and not get penalties and not turn it over," Tribe coach Jim-mye Laycock said. That's why we're on the short end of the stick." Villanova's first-play touchdown a flea-flicker that looked like a run and became a 57-yard touchdown pass stunned the Tribe.

But it had plenty of time to get back into the game. And William and Mary was in position to do that late in the first quarter. On third and 9 at their 2 1, the Wildcats gained 5 yards on a pass to wide receiver Dorian Wells. Cornerback Terrell Wells leveled Dorian Wells with one of those shots that brings ooohs, ahhs and groans from the crowd. Dorian Wells was down, nearly out, and the Villa-nova drive was stopped.

A punt was coming that would give the Tribe, trailing by only a touchdown, excellent field position. But a penalty flag hit the ground next to Dorian Wells. Laycock said the official told him a William and Mary player, not Wells, who was pumped after delivering such a hit, said something. Villanova coach Andy Talley said it was a helmet-to-helmet hit, which brings a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. That was a big play," Laycock said.

"Any time you have them stopped on third down and get a dead-ball penalty, that's not smart. "I don't know if it turned the tide for the overall game." It certainly made a difference. Given a second chance, the Wildcats drove in for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead. This was the first loss of the season for William and Mary, but it does not have to be a turning point of the season. The Tribe entered the game ranked No.

5 in the country in the FCS. Its offense can be potent it piled up 472 yards yesterday and the defense is playing better than it has in years. The CAA is perhaps the strongest FCS conference in the nation. Six of its teams were ranked among the top 14 in the country when games began yesterday. Five CAA teams made the playoffs last season, but William and Mary wasn't among them.

The Tribe can change that this season, if it avoids beating itself. Contort Pad Wcxxfc at (804) 649-6444 or pvraodytimesdispatch.com. Follow him on Twitter at httpiAwitterom WorkJofWoody. William and Mary had the statistics for success but winds up with a 28-17 loss. Pap CI If mm Virginia fullback Rashawn Worth noting Ha Gnln km won 10 of their past 12 games against the Tar Heels but still trail in the overall series 54-56-4.

UNGhHHtwDninChariot- tesvile since 1981, losing 14 straight times. By contrast, the Cavaliers have won six games in Chapel Hil in that span. Ha 1w HMk havent scored more than 20 points against the Cavaliers since 2004. Home celebrate a touchdown NEXT GAME: MNANAATVIBGINU :3:30 p.m. ESPN360.com off North Carolina 16-3, an ugly win by some banged-up players that showed the Wahoos aren't done yet.

Even coach Al Groh got into the spirit, waving to the orange-clad supporters and proclaiming that "it's tough to stick a fork in us." This was the place for the Wahoos to turn around their season, having now won 10 of their past Jackson (31) and receiver Raynard BY MICHAEL PHILLIPS Times-Dispatch Staff Writer CHAPEL HILL, N.C Rashawn Jackson ran to the corner of the end zone and started conducting the band. Chris Cook went to the locker room "almost in tears," and Mi-kell Simpson wore an ice pack and a giant smile. So this is what it's like to win. "It's hard to even explain how good it feels," quarterback Jameel Sewellsaid. Virginia's seven-game losing streak was snapped by knocking BUCCANEERS AT REDSKINS Today: 1p.m., Fox Week 4 previews the Redskins.

So, to the It's the game of the weak Talk of the league's lesser lights now includes Redskins BY JOSEPH WHITE The Associated Press LANDOVER, Md. The Washington Redskins are approaching the halfway mark of the NFL's Lousy Team Tour. To their dismay, they've become one of the featured attractions themselves. After getting booed at home while barely beating a St. Louis Rams team that had lost 11 consecutive, the Redskins last week became recap: It's very possible Redskins will make it all the way to Week 7 before playing an opponent that enters the game with a victory.

"These are the worst teams to play," fullback Mike Sellers said. "Because you don't know what you're going to get. But we're starting to be that same team. You don't know what's you're going to get from us, either." If the Redskins (1-2) were anywhere close to as good as they thought they were going to be, they would be set to See REDSKINS, Page C3 the infamous answer to a trivia question when they ended the 19-game skid of the Detroit Lions. Today, they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are riding a seven-game schneid and have a quarterback making his first NFL start After that? The Carolina Panthers, who will be 0-3 after their bye.

Then it's the Kansas City Chiefs, who are 0-3 with the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys coming up before THE ASSOCIATED PERSS Redskins safely Chris Horton pleaded his case alter being flagged for pass Interference last Sunday at Detroit. Horton lost his startlngjobto Reed Doughty this week. 1.