Quincy Wilson rushed for a season-high 178 yards to lead West Virginia to a 28-7 victory over No. 3 Virginia Tech on Wednesday night, casting a huge cloud over the Hokies' national title hopes.
Virginia Tech fell down 14 points early and never crossed midfield in the second half in suffering its worst defeat since a 38-7 setback to Pittsburgh on Nov. 3, 2001.
The Hokies (6-1, 2-1 Big East) now must regroup for a showdown Nov. 1 at home against No. 2 Miami. Virginia Tech entered the game third behind Oklahoma and Miami in the first Bowl Championship Series standings.
Virginia Tech wanted revenge for a 21-18 setback to the Mountaineers last year in Blacksburg, Virginia. Instead, West Virginia fans stormed the field in celebration of the school's first back-to-back wins over the Hokies in a decade and its first victory over a team ranked as high as the Hokies.
Police used pepper spray on fans who tried to tear down the goal posts. Many in the crowd of 56,319 stormed the field, but State Police and dozens of yellow-shirted security personnel surrounded the goal posts and kept fans at bay.
It wasn't immediately known whether anyone was arrested or hurt. Wilson and Kay-Jay Harris had touchdown runs. Rasheed Marshall ran for one score and completed the second-longest pass play in school history for another TD as the Mountaineers (3-4, 2-1 Big East) pulled off the shocker.
West Virginia minimized Tech's biggest weapons, turned two first-half turnovers into scores and roughed up the Big East's top defense for 426 yards.
Bryan Randall was intercepted three times and had four fumbles, one which was recovered by West Virginia. Running back Kevin Jones was held below 100 yards rushing for the first time in five games. West Virginia never trailed in ending an 0-7 streak against teams ranked No. 3.
On West Virginia's first drive of the second half, Marshall found Travis Garvin alone at the Mountaineer 45 and he scored on a 93-yard pass play for a 21-7 lead.
Lance Frazier's 28-yard punt return later in the quarter set up Marshall's 4-yard TD run to finish the scoring.
West Virginia pounded the ball on the ground, outrushing Tech 264-65. Wilson surpassed his season high of 177 yards set in his last game against Rutgers. Jones, the nation's 10th-leading rusher, was held to 57 yards on only 11 carries.
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