Texas A&M
2-1
(#7) Virginia Tech
4-0
19th-Ranked Texas A&M Falls to No. 7 Virginia Tech, 13-3
Sep 21, 2002 | Football
September 21, 2002
Lee Suggs, frustrated all day by Texas A&M's (No. 21 ESPN/USA Today, No. 19 AP) "Wrecking Crew," scored from 1 yard out early in the fourth quarter for the only touchdown No. 7 Virginia Tech needed in a 13-3 victory Saturday.
In a game that lived up to its billing as a defensive struggle, the Hokies (4-0) saw their "Untouchables" backfield of Suggs and Kevin Jones combine for only 99 yards, well below their 202.3 average. A&M (2-1) had been allowing a national-best 33.5 rushing yards per game.
The biggest play actually came from a receiver. Tech's Ernest Wilford turned a short pass into a 52-yard gain when he slipped a tackle by A&M's Byron Jones and ran to the 1. Suggs plunged in from there, extending his streak of consecutive games with a TD to 16.
Suggs ran 13 times for 51 yards, and Jones carried 15 times for 48 yards. Bryan Randall was 10-of-11 for 119 yards -- nearly half on Wilford's burst -- as the Hokies gained just 248 yards.
The Aggies tried shaking up their offense by starting sophomore Dustin Long at quarterback instead of Mark Farris, who had started the last 26 games. Then they went to heralded freshman Reggie McNeal after halftime. Nothing worked, though, as A&M gained only 138 yards, scoring its only points on a 43-yard field goal by Todd Pegram after a short drive in the first quarter.
The Hokies became the first non-conference team to win at Kyle Field since Alabama in 1988, back when Jackie Sherrill coached the Aggies. Tech did so with only a few hundred orange-clad fans mixed among a predominantly maroon-wearing crowd of 83,746, the sixth-largest in A&M history.
The Aggies had been 29-0 at home against non-conference foes under coach R.C. Slocum, including 5-3 there against Top 10 teams.
Although A&M came in with the more highly regarded defense, Tech's stats were nearly as good, and they had come against better foes. On Saturday, the Hokies were the ones who came up with the bigger plays.
Vegas Robinson intercepted McNeal to set up a 27-yard field goal by Carter Warley that put Tech up 6-3 early in the third quarter. Late in the quarter, defensive ends Nathaniel Adibi and Cols Colas sacked McNeal on consecutive plays, pushing one of A&M's best drives back to midfield and forcing a punt that led to Suggs' touchdown.
The Aggies' next possession ended when Willie Pile caught a fumble and returned it 31 yards to the 7. The Hokies failed to score, though, as Warley had a 22-yard field goal try blocked.
Tech wasted many opportunities like that.
The Hokies came in having scored touchdowns 14 of the 15 times they drove inside the opponent's 20 this season, but they went only 1-of-5 against A&M. Warley made two field goals, missed a 21-yarder and had the one attempt blocked.
Team Stats
VT 0, TA 3
TA - Pegram, Todd 43 yd field goal 7 plays, 18 yards, TOP 3:51
VT 3, TA 3
VT - WARLEY, Carter 22 yd field goal 6 plays, 31 yards, TOP 3:14
VT 6, TA 3
VT - WARLEY, Carter 26 yd field goal 4 plays, 3 yards, TOP 2:00
VT 13, TA 3
VT - SUGGS, Lee 1 yd run (WARLEY, Carter kick), 8 plays, 86 yards, TOP 3:47
