No. 6 Virginia Tech shuts down No. 24 UVa, 38-0

"We made a stop right there, made a statement right there," Beamer said.

The Cavaliers were trying to do the same thing, second-year coach Mike London said.

"It was the opportunity to send a message to our guys up front that if you're going to win championships, if you're going to win games, you've got to be able to knock people off the ball and gain a yard, particularly when you're favored in run-play," London said. "They did a good job of defending it, and we didn't get it. It set the tone for them to go the other way."

Virginia had no answer for Thomas early or Wilson late, and when the Hokies drove 79 yards for a touchdown to open the third quarter, extending their lead to 21-0, the largest crowd of the season at Scott Stadium (61,124) grew quiet — except for the Hokies fans.

Wilson capped the drive with a 27-yard burst off the left side. He added a 38-yard run up the middle for another touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and fans headed for the exits.

"It was visible on the field and you could see it in the stands" that the Cavaliers were deflated, Wilson said. "When we first came out for warmups, we couldn't get (the fans) to shut up."

Wilson finished with 153 yards on 24 carries and tied the ACC record with his 10th 100-yard game of the season. Thomas was 13 for 21 for 187 yards and ran for 27 yards on seven tries.

Following an exchange of punts, which found the Hokies starting at their own 4, Thomas twice converted third down plays with first-down runs, then hit Davis again, this time for 52 yards.

On third-and-8 from the Virginia 16, he hit Jarrett Boykin over the middle for the TD.

Minnifield, one of 31 fourth- or fifth-year players honored by Virginia before the game, had three 15-yard penalties in the first half, but one was waved off because Davis beat him for the 36-yard catch, and another on a deep ball was negated by a holding call against the Hokies.

J.R. Collins' interception of Rocco and return to the Cavaliers' 6 set up the last touchdown, Thomas' 7-yard pass to Davis. He finished with five catches for 119 yards.

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