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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. Ryan Williams ran for 182 yards and four touchdowns and No. 14 Virginia Tech beat Virginia 42-13 Saturday in what was likely Al Groh's last game as Virginia's coach.
The Hokies (9-3, 6-2 ACC) won their sixth straight in the series and for the 10th time 11 meetings with the Cavaliers (3-9, 2-6). It was their eighth victory in nine games against Groh, and ended Virginia's worst season since it finished 2-9 in 1982.
Groh, who has a contract clause requiring that the school inform him by Nov.30 if it plans to add a year, is expected to be fired. Virginia has had three losing seasons during the past four and its average attendance has fallen by nearly 14,000 in two years.
The Hokies, conversely, can reach 10 victories for the sixth year in a row if they win their bowl. Only Texas and Southern Cal also have won 10 the past five years.
Williams had a lot to do with the win Saturday. He had scoring runs of 5, 20, 4 and 2 yards. He added a 51-yard burst during the fourth quarter that ended when he was stripped of the ball at the 10, but the ball squirted into the end zone and receiver Jarrett Boykin recovered for the touchdown, making it 35-13 with 10minutes, 21seconds to play.
The play also sent Cavaliers fans for the exits, turning the largest crowd of the season at Scott Stadium - 58,555 - into a virtual Hokies home game at its rival's stadium.
The touchdowns also allowed Williams to set an ACC record for a freshman with 20. He started the day two behind T.A. McClendon of N.C. State, who had 18 during 2002.
Much of what the Hokies were able to do on offense, though, was set up by the passing game. Tyrod Taylor completed eight of 15 passes for 185 yards, with completions of 41, 36 and 38 yards during the first half, all against cornerback Ras-I Dowling, an All-ACC candidate.
Danny Coale did much of the damage, and finished with six catches for 135 yards.
The Hokies led 14-13 at halftime, but forced a turnover deep in Virginia territory to set up a 10-yard scoring drive during the third quarter, and essentially finished the home team off with a 62-yard march to Williams' final scoring run with 12:50 left in the game.
The turnover by Virginia came two plays after Chris Cook intercepted Taylor in the end zone, stopping a drive and giving Cavaliers fans short-lived hope for a comeback.
On the Cavaliers' second play, Jameel Sewell ran an option to the left and attempted to flip the ball to Mikell Simpson. But his toss was behind Simpson, who couldn't catch it.
Instead, safety Kam Chancellor scooped up the loose ball and returned it to the 10.
Sewell finished with a career-best 103 rushing yards, the bulk of Virginia's 118th-ranked offense as the Cavaliers were outgained 489-292 and turned the ball over twice.
The Cavaliers got the opening kickoff and drove down the field almost exclusively by running the ball. Sewell had runs of 28 and 15 yards, the second for a touchdown.
The Hokies answered, driving 84 yards in seven plays. Taylor hit Coale for 41 yards early in the drive, and then converted a third-and-17 by hitting Coale for 36.
Williams finished the tying drive with a 5-yard run and gave the Hokies a 14-10 lead during the second quarter, taking an option pitch from Taylor and bolting 20 yards.
The Cavaliers pulled to 14-13 on Robert Randolph's second field goal of the half, a 41-yarder with 39 seconds left. The kicks made him 17-for-19 on field-goal attempts this year.
