GREENVILLE, N.C. – Josh Oglesby ran for the go-ahead 10-yard score with 7:30 left, helping No. 11 Virginia Tech beat East Carolina 17-10 on Saturday to give coach Frank Beamer his 200th win at the school.
David Wilson ran for 138 yards to lead the Hokies (2-0) and quarterback Logan Thomas struggled in his second career start while the Hokies also committed 12 penalties and committed two turnovers, but their defense completely shut down the Pirates' high-powered passing attack and held East Carolina (0-2) to 112 total yards.
That included minus-15 yards rushing, second fewest in ECU history.
Michael Dobson ran for a 2-yard touchdown for the Pirates. But in an unusual twist, it was their defense — among the nation's worst last year — that kept East Carolina in it until late.
In fact, that unit forced the Hokies into a three-and-out to get the ball back with 3:32 left. But the Pirates managed only to reach midfield, and Michael Bowman dropped a sure big-gainer near the right sideline before Dominique Davis' fourth-down heave for Bowman fell incomplete with 1:58 left.
Davis threw for 260 yards and four touchdowns in last week's loss to South Carolina, but he finished with 127 yards on 20-for-38 passing with an interception. The Hokies also sacked him five times, including some when he held the ball too long against the rush, while Davis overthrew open receivers several times near the sideline.
It was an all-around ugly day for the offense that averaged nearly 37 points last year. The worst moment came with about 6 minutes left in the third quarter, when Davis found Dobson over the middle for what should have been an easy 31-yard touchdown catch. But Dobson, two steps past linebacker Bruce Taylor, dropped the perfectly thrown ball.
In fact, considering the dominance of Virginia Tech's defense, it could have been an uglier result. But the Pirates hung in all day against the Hokies and their physical rushing attack, faltering only when they allowed Oglesby into the end zone on a 1-yard run in the third and the go-ahead score in the fourth.
Thomas completed 8 of 20 passes for 91 yards and an interception in his second start.
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