Ore runs all over Miami to lift Hokies

Branden Ore ran for two touchdowns in his best performance of the season and No. 10 Virginia Tech beat Miami 44-14 on Saturday in the Hokies' final tuneup for a huge game with rival Virginia next weekend.

Virginia Tech (9-2, 6-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) moved into a share of first place in the Coastal Division with the Cavaliers. The teams will play on Saturday in Charlottesville with the winner moving on the conference championship game Dec. 1.

Ore, who has not approached the form that produced nearly 1,400 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns last season, had a 22-yard run on the Hokies' second play. His TDs covered 4 and 7 yards, and each time he bulled over a defender to finish the play.

Sean Glennon threw a touchdown pass to Justin Harper and Jahre Cheeseman and Carlton Weatherford had scoring runs for the Hokies. Weatherford's was his first career touchdown and came on a day he and 19 other seniors were honored before the game.

Glennon was to share time with Tyrod Taylor at quarterback, but Taylor pulled a muscle in his left side in the third quarter and Glennon got most of the snaps.

Taylor could have returned, the school said, but was held out protectively.

Miami (5-6, 2-5), coming off a 48-0 home loss last weekend in its last game in the Orange Bowl, came out looking like a team that had given up. The 'Canes went three-and-out on each of their first three possessions, trailed 17-0 after the first quarter and had been outgained 150-6 before Kyle Wright brought them out of their slumber.

Making passes repeatedly as he was getting hit, Wright drove Miami into Hokies territory three times in the second quarter, but got only one score out of it.

The first time, Wright was sacked and stripped of the ball by Barry Booker at the Tech 18. The next time, Virginia Tech stuffed consecutive runs from the 1 by Javarris James and took the ball over on downs.

On the third trip, Wright ran it in himself from the 4 with 21 seconds left before halftime.

The Hurricanes scored on their first possession of the second half, with Wright hitting Leonard Hankerson with a 1-yard pass to make it 20-14. But the Hokies drove 68 yards in six plays — the last four runs totaling 38 yards by Ore — to answer with a touchdown of their own. It never got close again.

Ore finished with 81 yards on 15 carries.

Wright was 21-of-36 for 215 yards. He was sacked five times and hammered many others.

The Hokies were somewhat fortunate to get out of the first half with a 17-7 advantage. The fumble by Wright and the goal-line stand preserved the lead, and the defense stiffened.

The Hokies scored the first three times they had the ball, getting little resistance from the Hurricanes in touchdown drives of 61 and 57 yards and a 34-yard field goal. Ore scored the first touchdown on a 4-yard run, and Glennon hit Justin Harper from 15 yards for the second.