Virgil shines in home state

Virginia Tech cornerback Stephan Virgil was looking forward to playing in Charlotte, N.C., for yesterday's game against East Carolina. Virgil, a junior, grew up in Rocky Mount, 225 miles northeast of Charlotte. As a kid, he followed University of North Carolina football.

Virgil made the most of his first career start yesterday, though his Hokies lost 27-22. He returned a fumble 30 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, giving the Hokies a 7-0 lead. After John Graves (Meadowbrook High) blocked an extra point in the third quarter, Virgil scooped it up and ran about 90 yards for two points. That gave Tech a 16-13 lead.

"I felt like that could be a difference in the game," Virgil said.

His fumble return was a strange play. East Carolina quarterback Patrick Pinkney threw a swing pass to receiver Dwayne Harris, but the pass traveled 2 yards backward, so when Harris fumbled it away, the ball was live. Virgil grabbed it and ran into the end zone.

It was Tech's 75th defensive touchdown under 22nd-year head coach Frank Beamer. Sixty-one of those have come since Bud Foster became defensive coordinator in 1995. Of the 75 defensive scores, 25 occurred on fumble returns.

DeChristopher sidelined

Redshirt freshman right tackle Blake DeChristopher, playing his first career game, suffered a right thigh bruise on Tech's first offensive series and missed the rest of the game. DeChristopher, from Clover Hill, was replaced by another Richmond-area player, junior Richard Graham (St. Christopher's).

Graham is listed at 284 pounds, 15 pounds lighter than DeChristopher. Graham, who started last year's first six games at left guard, struggled to keep East Carolina's experienced defensive linemen out of Tech's backfield, especially on Tech's last-ditch final drive, immediately after ECU went up 27-22. The Pirates started two seniors and two juniors on the defensive line.

Plenty of inexperienced Hokies

Ten Tech players made their first career starts yesterday -- three on offense, seven on defense. Also, senior kicker Dustin Keys appeared in a game for the first time. In last season's opener against East Carolina, just four players, including kicker Jud Dunlevy, made their first career starts.

Eight of the 10 true freshmen who dressed for yesterday's game played, thus losing their chances for a redshirt season, unless they suffer a season-ending injury within the next few games. Most played only on special teams, and all eight played in the first half: receivers Xavier Boyce, Dyrell Roberts and Jarrett Boykin; linebackers Jake Johnson, Quillie Odom and Bruce Taylor; cornerback Eddie Whitley; and free safety Lorenzo Williams.

The two who dressed and didn't play were tailback Ryan Williams and kicker Justin Myer, who was expected to handle kickoffs. Redshirt freshman Tim Pisano kicked off.

Hokies and Pirates will continue series

Yesterday was East Carolina's first win over Tech since 1992, when the Pirates won 30-27 in Greenville, N.C. The Hokies won the teams' next six games.

But Tech will have plenty of chances for revenge. With last season's game in Blacksburg, the teams began a series that has them playing ever year through 2015. They play in Greenville next season and rotate home fields for the rest of the series.

This and that

As expected, senior cornerback Victor "Macho" Harris (Highland Springs) missed the game with a sprained left foot. He did not travel. Sophomore Rashad Carmichael started in Harris' place. . . . Yesterday was Tech's first loss against an unranked team since the 2005 ACC championship game against Florida State. The Seminoles won that game 27-22. It was the Hokies' first loss against an unranked non-conference team since they fell to California 52-49 in the 2003 Insight Bowl. -- Darryl Slater