Blacksburg, VA (My Sportsbook) - Quincy Wilson ran for 125 yards and a touchdown and Avon Cobourne added 80 yards and a score on the ground, as West Virginia pulled out a 21-18 victory over 13th-ranked Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium. The Mountaineers (8-3, 5-1 Big East) used a pair of fourth-quarter stops deep in their own territory to notch their third straight win and end a four-game losing streak to the Hokies.
Virginia Tech (8-3, 3-3) has lost three straight games in the regular season for the first time since 1992. Quarterback Bryan Randall led the Hokies with 125 rushing yards and completed 18-of-30 passes for 168 yards with a score, but was also intercepted in the end zone with just 12 seconds remaining.
Lee Suggs added 71 rushing yards on 15 carries for Virginia Tech and also scored a touchdown for the 24th straight game to set an NCAA record.
The Mountaineers were clinging to a 21-16 lead in the fourth quarter, but the Hokies had a pair of chances for the go-ahead score.
An eight-yard run by Suggs left Virginia Tech with a second down at the West Virginia one. The Mountaineers then stopped Suggs and Randall to set up fourth down from inside the one, but Suggs was again stopped short of the goal line.
The Mountaineers could not escape the shadow of their own goal line and took a safety on fourth down to make it 21-18 with 2:30 remaining.
The ensuing free kick went out of bounds, giving Tech possession at midfield. Randall converted a pair of third downs to put the Hokies at the West Virginia 24 and added a 13-yard run for another first down at the Mountaineer 11 with just 25 seconds remaining.
After an incomplete pass, Randall tried for the end zone, but was intercepted by Brian King to seal the contest.
The Hokies took a 7-0 lead with 4:57 left in the opening quarter when Suggs took an option pitch and raced 28 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown.
West Virginia answered with a five-play, 80-yard march for the tying score. A 56-yard pass from Rasheed Marshall to Derrick Smith on 3rd-and-10 set up Cobourne's nine-yard touchdown run on the following play.
The Mountaineers got the ball back after a punt and went right back down the field for the go-ahead score. Wilson started the five-play, 70-yard drive with runs of 24 and 27 yards, and Marshall capped it by keeping on an option and scoring on a seven-yard run.
Kevin Jones fumbled on Virginia Tech's ensuing possession and West Virginia recovered at its own 40. The Mountaineers could not mount a threat and the Hokies blocked a punt.
Virginia Tech took over at the Mountaineer 15 following the block, but couldn't advance the ball and settled for a 34-yard field goal by Carter Warley to make it a 14-10 game with 6:49 left in the half.
West Virginia took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched inside the Virginia Tech 10, but the drive came to a halt when Blake Warren intercepted a tipped pass in the end zone.
The Mountaineers got the ball back after a punt and drove 86 yards on six plays for another touchdown. Wilson broke free down the right sideline for a 42-yard touchdown run and a 21-10 lead with 4:09 left in the third.
The Hokies answered with a seven-play, 69-yard drive for a touchdown. Randall keyed it with runs of 34 and 13 yards, then capped it with a six-yard touchdown pass to Keith Willis. The two-point conversion pass fell incomplete, leaving Tech down 21-16 with 1:29 to play in the third.
Virginia Tech's first possession of the fourth quarter ended at the West Virginia 32 when Randall threw incomplete on fourth down.
The previous record of 23 straight games with a touchdown was set by Arkansas' Bill Burnett, who did it from October 5, 1968 through October 31, 1970. Burnett scored 47 touchdowns during his streak. Suggs has 50 touchdowns during his run.
Marshall finished with 43 yards rushing and completed 13-of-20 passes for 124 yards.
West Virginia finished with 263 rushing yards, while Virginia Tech had 243.
The Mountaineers won in Blacksburg for the first time since 1992.