Collegiate Times

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Virginia Tech?s football team had an extra player on the field Saturday night at Lane Stadium ? Mother Nature.

With winds gusting over 35 mph, the Hokies received their first break in nearly a month in a match-up against the University of Virginia.

The weather conditions made it impossible for the Cavaliers to utilize their one offensive strength ? passing the ball. Tech?s rushing offense reappeared after a brief hibernation as the Hokies dominated their in-state rival and won by a 21-9 margin.

The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for the Hokies, relieving the pressure surrounding the team.

?I think this was a great win for our football program,? Tech head coach Frank Beamer said. ?For our guys to hang in there and come back and beat a really good football team like Virginia, I think it says a lot about our players and what they?re all about.?

The temperature dropped nearly 20 degrees from kickoff to the third quarter. Winds and snow slowed both teams? offenses, turning the game into a ground battle won in the trenches.

The first few plays of the game were similar to those during the Hokies? past three games, with quarterback Bryan Randall being intercepted on the third play of the game, and having the ball returned to the Tech 20-yard line. The Hokies held the Cavaliers offense to a field goal, giving UVa an early lead.

The vaunted Hokie special teams eventually rescued the Tech offense.
After holding the Cavaliers offense