LINCOLN, Neb. -- For the second straight game, Frank Beamer got to do a dance in the visitors' locker room.
The 61-year-old Virginia Tech coach said his players deserved another fun reward after beating Nebraska 35-30 at Memorial Stadium.
In the end, Virginia Tech's night of solid special teams play outdid Nebraska's one spectacular one.
The Atlantic Coast Conference underdogs played in front of the largest crowd ever to see them win, though it wasn't without some late-game drama.
Nebraska wide out Nate Swift juked multiple defenders deep in Husker territory on a punt return, then turned up the left sideline for an 88-yard touchdown return midway through the fourth quarter.
"A couple times I thought we had (the win)," Beamer said. "But we didn't have it."
The punt return for a score was the fourth longest in Nebraska history, and couldn't have come at a worse time for Tech (4-1). Leading 28-17 with just more than eight minutes left, the Hokies' drive stalled at their own 41-yard line after they had also punted on their previous possession.
But the Hokies' special teams made their mark early and often. On the second offensive possession of the game for Nebraska (3-1), Virginia Tech cornerback Stephan Virgil blocked a punt from Dan Titchener deep in Husker territory.
The ball spun out of the back of the end zone, giving Tech a quick 2-0 lead. On the Huskers' next possession, cornerback Victor "Macho" Harris picked off a pass from Nebraska quarterback Joe Ganz. The senior returned his second interception of the season to the Huskers' 5-yard line. Tech would use the field position to go ahead 9-0 on a Darren Evans touchdown run.
Harris said the defense recognized Nebraska's alignment as a "high-low" formation, allowing him to get a jump on the pass.
"The coaches did a great job of putting us in position to make plays," Harris said. "That's all we did; we just executed the play and we made a play."
Harris also turned in big returns on a kickoff and punt return, with sprints of 16 yards and 28 yards, respectively, in the first half. He added a 21-yard scamper on a punt in the third quarter that led to another touchdown.
The runs set up good field position for the Hokies, who started four drives at no worse than their own 44-yard line before the break.
Beamer said he was proud of his special teams' play, particularly the consistently effective returns and the blocked punt.
"I was proud of our special teams play," Beamer said. "I think when you play a good football team - and Nebraska's a good football team - you better be good with your special teams."
Virginia Tech kicker Dustin Keys also hit career-high four field goals in four attempts, including a long boot of 38 yards.
Despite their offensive struggles, the Hokies held an 18-10 halftime lead. In addition to its own good starting field position, Virginia Tech forced Nebraska to starting 11 of its 13 possessions from inside its own 40 with solid tackling in the return game.
Harris said the win was fantastic not only for the Virginia Tech program but also the ACC. The senior added that for all the doubters around the country, Saturday's performance should speak for itself.
"A lot of people don't give us respect at all and that really gives us that fire inside," Harris said. "We put that chip on our shoulder and we come play ball."
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As a Husker fan living in Lincoln, it was a very enjoyable day yesterday. Hats off to the Hokies for a hard fought victory. I also want to comend your fans that made the trip. Every Hokie fan I talked to throughout the day was incredibly nice. That is what college football is all about. An incredible game, great fans, two great schools/traditions. Eventhough my team lost, good luck to the Hokies the rest of the year. I gained a lot of respect for your fans and your program last night.
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Nice to have finally beaten Nebraska -- they're a good team -- and nice people.
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Nebraska will live again!
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Just got back from the game in Lincoln... couldn't have had a better time. Corn Husker fans were great and we all had a blast over there
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Great game from the team. The guys didn't appear to be intimidated by the location and the crowd, but the ACC refs appeared to be. Even with the marginal coverage by ABC, one could see lots of holds, several substatial blocks to the back on Nebraska punts, and at least one VT player blocked well into the bench area on that 88-yard return -- with no flags. It was good to see the Hokies stay in control and avoid getting flagged themselves, especially on dumb moves that the players should know better about (as opposed to the Nebraska player who helped on VT's last touchdown drive). Now if we could just get rid of some of those plays on offense that are proven not to work (Lewis up the middle when everyone in the stadium knows its coming, running back and forth in the backfield until tackled when a pass would be the better call, etc.) the season would be great.
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To Joe Hokie: It's amazing that you would criticize the ACC refs. Allowing VT players to hold so they could get around the corner on critical third downs wasn't enough? Maybe the refs shouldn't have waited until Nebraska had all of the momentum before they decided the outcome of the game? Was the wrapping paper the wrong color on this gift? When the most critical and questionable call of the game goes in your team's favor, you should thank the refs instead of calling them out. That's a couple of games the refs have been VERY kind to the Hokies. Better be nice to them, they might not be so generous in the future!
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Should we say "sore loser?"
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Wow, Husker4ever sounds like the Whineami fans from the '90s, when VT was beating the Hurricanes on a regular basis. "We would have won if we had scored more points!" and such. To hang the whole game on one late-hit penalty is really reaching there, when VT led the entire game and pretty much had the Huskers' number from that first 2 points. Nebraska is lucky VT brought its abridged playbook, with just 5 offensive plays in it, otherwise the score would have been higher and the game would have been put away in the first half.
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To Husker4ever: scoreboard. Hokie fans, you have a talented young bunch of players and some very special coaches. Beamer said he wanted to build a program like NU after 1996. I will turn the tables and say I hope NU can build a program like VT's after 2008. Hokie fans, I'm thrilled you were treated extra special in Lincoln and that y'all had a good time. Congratulations on the win and good luck to you the rest of the season!
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Thanks, slmhusker, the realists among Hokie fans were expecting several losses this season, including to Nebraska. The win is icing on the cake for the season. Several on-line friends made it to the game and have had nothing but good reports about the game, the stadium, the atmosphere, and their treatment. Hope you can make it to Blacksburg to see how to really do it up right.
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