The Roanoke Times from Roanoke, Virginia • 37

THE ROANOKE TIMES SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18 2005 No 25 Virginia 27 Syracuse 24 orget flash style Cavs grind this one out UP NEXT Duke at UVa Saturday 3:30 pm ESPN360com MORE INSIDE Linebacker Mark Miller steps up for defense UVa Syracuse statistics Quarter by quarter breakdown Page 5 Connor Hughes boots a 19 yard field goal as time expires to seal the victory By Doug Doughty dougdoughtyroanokecom 981 3129 SYRACUSE NY When everybody else had showered and dressed and headed outside to meet with family and friends one player remained in locker room Saturday Marques Hagans so spent that he was hooked up to an IV for nearly 45 minutes after the game had to know the Cavaliers going to fly home with out him On a day when injuries had All America linebacker Ahmad Brooks at home in Charlottesville and top tailback Wali Lundy confined to the sidelines Hagans showed that UVa is not a one man team not unless he is that man Hagans rushed for a career high 110 yards including a 26 yard dash on the final drive as 25th ranked Virginia slipped past Syracuse 27 24 at the Carrier Dome was pretty UVa coach Al Groh said he a Peyton Manning or a Tom Brady in the pocket? A picture quarterback not He is what he is and pretty darn good at what he Syracuse had overcome a 10 point fourth quarter deficit to force a 24 24 tie with 6:25 remain ing but the Orange (1 2) never got the ball back before Connor Hughes kicked a 19 yard field goal as time expired Moments earlier Groh had passed up a chance for a go ahead field goal when he went for a first down on fourth and 1 from the Syracuse 10 yard line were going to have to take a stand some Groh said were either going to have to stop them four plays in a row with a three point lead or we were going to have to try and make an inch the odds favored us making an inch Are you familiar with the movie What the See CAVALIERS 5 Associated Press KTSSto' 4s jc Pi "i a Virginia place kicker Connor Hughes celebrates along with teammates Tyrus Gardner (left) and Brad Butler after kicking the 19 yard game winning field goal as time expired The boot sent Virginia past Syracuse 27 24 on Saturday at the Carrier Dome lyr) No 4 Virginia Tech 45 Ohio 0 DEENSE PASTES OHIO Vick living up to the enormous hype so far BLACKSBURG or a moment forget about the whacking and the sacking and the cracking and the yacking and whatever other ger und Virginia lech coach rank Beamer likes to use when talking about his defense No question the fabu lous defense was the big story in 45 0 vic tory over Ohio on Satur day just as it was against Duke But we saw this coming We knew these veteran maul ers were going to be strong But after three games we now know something else Marcus Vick definitely is for real Yeah yeah I realize a little late with this Most of you proba bly were saying the same thing before the season even started But ever since the lost autumn of 2003 enor mous hype tends to give me pause and no hype has been more enormous than that surrounding junior quarterback Know what though? justified All of it numbers scream prog ress Sixteen passes Twelve comple tions Two hundred yards Two touchdowns Sixty two yards rushing HU Mcarling aaronmcfarltng tgioanokecom 981 3222 MATT GENTRY The Roanoke Times Virginia Tech's Marcus Vick (5) is sacked by Ohio's Phillip ountain The Bobcats had three sacks See MCARLING 3 Virginia Tech's Xavier Adibi (11) catches a tipped pass for an interception in the second quarter Saturday The pass was intended for Ohio's Ahmona Maxwell (21) The interception set up second touchdown 1 iLJr Jr ESAImW 1 KHJLjHHb ir fs iSy HI mMf 7 tlx I 1 9KKJK HHKS MATT GENTRY I The Roanoke Times Hokies post 2nd straight shutout By Randy King randykingroanokecom 981 3126 BLACKSBURG A doughnut last week for Duke A bagel this weekend for Ohio Welcome foes to the Vir ginia Tech football delicates sen shop In an era in which college football has become more and more about offense and high scoring games defense pulled off a modern day rarity Sat urday afternoon at Lane Sta dium posting it second straight shutout in front of 65115 approv ing patrons Its 45 0 blanking of Ohio the same numbers it skunked Duke by eight days ago marks fourth ranked first back to back shutouts since 2001 when it turned the trick for the first time in 18 years straig lege football now said Beamer shaking his head The numbers quite as sweet as last week in Durham NC where the Hokies (3 0) set a mod ern day school record by allowing (proanoke Go online for more photos from Saturday's game and hear Virginia Tech coach rank postgame news conference MORE INSIDE Game notes Page 3 ans take new seating arrange ment sitting down Page 3 Statistics and quarter by quar ter analysis Page 2 shutouts in col See HOKIES 2 Inside this section SY' LiiniVisi SiliSOSI ijat BLUE DEVILS ROUT KEYDETS Justin Boyle runs for a career high 113 yards and two touchdowns and Zack Asack throws for another score as Duke rolls past VML SPARTANS SHOCK IRISH Quarterback Drew Stanton gives Michigan State coach John Smith (left) reason to celebrate by leading the Spartans to an upset win over No 10 Notre Dame HURRICANES ESCAPE DEATH VALLEY Tyrone Moss runs for 139 yards and three touchdowns including a 25 yarder in the third overtime to help Miami avoid an 0 2 start with a victory over host Clemson 6 Yy ifH jk 1 i 145 a jA fl MP WN I iP rkbbhi irur 'u iM 'iui' iEY WWW RRS 6 I 'll i 5 IS 'fr.