SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 7, 2013
Virginia Tech 45, Western Carolina 3: Trey Edmunds scored a pair of rushing touchdowns and Chris Mangus added another as the Hokies rolled over the visiting Catamounts.
Edmunds, a redshirt freshman, notched his first career multi-touchdown game for Virginia Tech (1-1), while Mangus set a career long with a 76-yard scamper for a score early in the third quarter. Quarterback Logan Thomas withstood a pair of first-half interceptions, connecting on a 19-yard scoring strike to D.J. Coles that sent the Hokies into halftime with a 21-0 lead.
Western Carolina (0-2) was victimized by three interceptions from Eddie Sullivan, who completed just 4-of-14 attempts. The Catamounts have now lost 12 straight games and 16 in a row away from home.
Virginia Tech safety Detrick Bonner stepped in front of a pass late in the first quarter and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring. Bonner plucked away another attempt by Sullivan with 4:29 remaining in the first half, highlighting another solid day for the Hokies defense.
After limiting defending national champion Alabama to 206 total yards a week ago, Virginia Tech kept the defensive momentum going, allowing the Catamounts just 162 yards on the day and thwarting 11-of-13 conversion attempts on third down. Only Richard Sigmon's 28-yard field goal in the third quarter kept the Hokies from a shutout.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Hokies improved to 24-3 all-time in home openers under head coach Frank Beamer. ... Sophomore RB J.C. Coleman returned from a pair of sprained ankles for Virginia Tech, carrying the ball seven times for 38 yards after sitting out the Alabama game. ... Redshirt freshman RB Joel Caleb added to the Hokies' ground assault with his first career touchdown with 2:02 to play.