Hokies overcome injuries, kick Heels

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Virginia Tech’s defense did most of the heavy lifting Saturday. That was a big help for an offense that lost a couple more running backs.

Kendall Fuller returned an interception 47 yards for a pivotal touchdown in Virginia Tech’s 34-17 victory over North Carolina.

The Hokies ( 4- 2, 1- 1) scored two offensive touchdowns in the opening 3 ½ minutes and forced three turnovers, turned them into 21 points and finished with five sacks while avoiding their first 0-2 start to league play since joining the ACC a decade ago.

“The defense played lights-out,” quarterback Michael Brewer said.

Brewer was 18 of 27 for 186 yards with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Bucky Hodges. Marshawn Williams had an early 8-yard scoring run and J.C. Coleman had a game-sealing 1-yard TD.

The Hokies — who last week lost Shai McKenzie for the season — had two more rushers hurt: Williams sprained his left ankle and Trey Edmunds will miss 6-8 weeks after breaking his right collarbone without any contact, team officials said.

“We are just having trouble keeping those guys healthy, but that’s just part of it and we’ve got to move forward,” Virginia Coach Frank Beamer said.

Elijah Hood had a short touchdown run. Marquise Williams rushed for 94 yards, was 17 of 33 for 187 yards passing and briefly made things interesting with a 9- yard touchdown pass to Quinshad Davis with 4:15 left.

The Tar Heels (2-3, 0-2) have lost their first two conference games for the second consecutive year.

In other games involving Atlantic Coast Conference teams, Florida State (5-0, 3-0) kicker Roberto Aguayo kicked a career-high five field goals in a single game as the top-ranked Seminoles eased to a 43-3 victory over Wake Forest (2-4, 0-2) in Tallahassee, Fla. … Clemson freshman Deshaun Watson threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more and Clemson (3-2, 2-1) posted its first shutout in six years, defeating visiting North Carolina

State (4-2, 0-2) 41-0. ... Kevin Parks ran for a career-best 169 yards and a touchdown and Virginia (4-2, 2-0) slowed

Pittsburgh’s running game and added a defensive touchdown in a 24-13 victory against the Panthers (3-3, 1-1) in Charlottesville, Va. … Deon Hill ran 8 yards for a decisive touchdown on fourth down, Zach Laskey rushed a career-high 29 times for 133 yards and Georgia Tech (5-0, 2-0) stayed unbeaten with a 28-17 victory over

Miami (3-3, 1-2) in Atlanta.

AMERICAN ATHLETIC

East Carolina rips SMU

GREENVILLE, N.C. — Shane Carden and Justin Hardy have been the focus of East Carolina’s high-powered offense the past few seasons. Fittingly, they led the No. 22 Pirates into a new league Saturday with another big performance.

Playing in the program’s first American Athletic Conference game, Carden threw for 410 yards and four touchdowns while becoming the school’s all-time passing leader in a 45-24 victory against SMU. Hardy, meanwhile, had the first three touchdown receiving game of his career and continued his pursuit of the all-time receptions record in bowl subdivision history.

Carden, a fifth-year senior from Texas who was part of Coach Ruffin McNeill’s first recruiting class in 2010, set the career passing yardage record midway through the third quarter for the Pirates (4-1, 1-0), who finished with 581 yards.

“They announced it I think way too early,” Carden said. “They were announcing it and everybody was like, ‘Man, congrats.’ I was like, ‘Just stop, let’s go score right here. Let’s finish this game.’ ”

East Carolina was playing with a national ranking for the first time in six years. And while the Pirates didn’t turn in a dominating performance, they still remained in control against the Mustangs (0-5, 0-1).

In other games involving AAC teams, Rashard Higgins hauled in a career-high four touchdowns, including a 73-yarder, to lead Colorado State (4-1) to a 42-17

victory over Tulsa (1-3) in Fort Collins, Colo. Higgins finished with 6 catches for 178 yards, another career high, while Dee Hart ran for 143 yards on 11 carries and 2 touchdowns. ... Paxton Lynch threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more, leading Memphis (3-2, 1-0)

to a 41-14 victory over Cincinnati (22, 0-1).