Sally Bull/SPPS
As the security system went off at Kenan Stadium, the culprit was obvious. The Hokies stole a win Saturday.
Click here for a photo gallery of the action.
How exactly did this all happen?
How did Virginia Tech (3-1, 2-0 ACC) beat the North Carolina Tar Heels (2-1, 0-1), 20-17, after producing only 80 yards of offense in the first half?
How did they score 17 unanswered points in the second half and tie the second greatest comeback of the Frank Beamer era?
How did they make a jewel heist look like a petty Dollar Store theft?
Resolve and resiliency, that's how.
"When we got down two scores, it didn't look good and things were a little ugly, but we hung in there," Beamer said. "We talked about hanging together as a team here at halftime and just keep on playing and it worked out for us."
The Hokies hung tough to win their second straight conference game, but not without a little help from their opponent. What made Carolina blue was the yellow on the green. Officials flagged the Tar Heels 14 times for 121 yards, several coming in key situations.
Tech limited its penalties, but still had its share of miscues.
"We never claimed to be pretty," Beamer said.
Not many would argue with that statement. Tech's two-and-a-half quarters of offensive ineptitude was accentuated at the start of the game.
On the Hokies' first drive, sophomore quarterback Tyrod Taylor was looking for freshman receiver Danny Coale. Instead, Carolina linebacker Mark Paschal anticipated the pass and made the interception -- one of two on the day for Taylor.
Fortunately for Tech, the Heels missed a chip shot field goal. However, when they came back on offense, they were soon backed up near their own end zone when Taylor was sacked by Robert Quinn. Before setting up their second down play, the Hokies burned a timeout ... and then another.
A holding penalty, a delay of game penalty and a measly two-yard run on third-and-21 ended a drive that was more backward than forward. Things didn't get much better -- and their only points came with some help from the defense.
After punter Brent Bowden pinned the Tar Heels inside the ten, kick-blocking specialist and defensive lineman John Graves caused and recovered a fumble on running back Shaun Draughn.
The offense went only six yards and settled for a Dustin Keys field goal, tying the game at 3-3.
UNC recaptured the lead prior to halftime. Carolina quarterback T.J. Yates found receiver Brandon Tate, who dove into the end zone for a 32-yard scoring pass.
The Tar Heels extended their lead in the second half when running back Greg Little went up the middle and down the field for a 50-yard touchdown.
The Hokies were behind, 17-3, with 6:44 left in the third quarter.
Stick a fork in them, they're done. Turn out the lights, the party's over.
This group could have given in and started thinking about Nebraska.
At that time, the Hokies had just three points, three first downs, just over 100 yards of offense, and had converted just one of 10 third-down opportunities.
It was ghastly and bordering unwatchable. In fact, many viewers might have changed the channel or turned off the television all together.
But then, Taylor and the offense turned it on -- and the game slowly turned around.
"We were still positive," Evans said. "We were only down two scores. It doesn't have to be pretty, as long as we get the W."
The key sequence actually happened before they went down by two scores.
Early in the third period, defensive end Orion Martin sacked Yates for an 18-yard loss.
"I beat my man and he tried to reverse field," Martin said. "And then I tackled him from behind."
Yates came up gimpy after turning his ankle. Inexplicably, on a third-and-30 situation, the Heels called for a screen pass.
A screen pass in which the blockers break away from their defenders early so that they can get downfield and block for the receiver -- usually a running back.
That leaves the quarterback much more susceptible to be hit, which linebacker Brett Warren delivered.
Who knows if that second blow further injured Yates' already-bum ankle. One thing was for sure: he was having even more trouble getting up -- so much so that he was eventually carted off the field.
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