Virginia Tech Hokies vs East Carolina Pirates Box Score on Sep 16, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Sep 16, 2017

GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Freshman quarterback Josh Jackson threw five touchdown passes and Cam Phillips set a school record with 14 receptions as No. 16 Virginia Tech absorbed an early punch by East Carolina on Saturday and steamrolled to a 64-17 victory.

ECU scored on its first three possessions to build a 17-7 lead, but the Hokies scored on their next nine possessions -- six touchdowns and three field goals -- then added a late touchdown for 57 unanswered points.

Jackson completed 24 of 31 passes for 372 yards, throwing touchdown passes of 45, 31 and 10 yards to Phillips, 70 yards to Travon McMillian and 9 yards to Sean Savoy -- all in the first three quarters.

Phillips had 11 catches for 109 yards by halftime and finished with a school-record 14 for a career-high 189 yards -- also in three quarters.

The Hokies' dominance showed up in nearly every category: 34-12 in first downs, 95-61 in total plays, 39:13 to 20:47 in time of possession, 287-40 in rushing yards and 675-281 in total yards. The Pirates (0-3) have surrendered at least 617 yards in all three games this year, and the 675 yards were the third-most given up in school history.

ECU quarterback Gardner Minshew, starting in place of injured Thomas Sirk, had a hot hand early, hitting six of his first eight passes, including scoring passes of 9 yards to Davon Grayson and 76 yards to Trevon Brown. The throw to Brown was his fourth career touchdown pass of 75 yards or more.

ECU gained 213 yards on 19 plays in its first three series but was limited to minus-2 yards on its next five possessions as Tech took control.

The Hokies' constant pressure on Minshew disrupted the Pirates' early rhythm. Minshew finished 11 of 30 for 241 yards with one interception.

The Hokies (3-0) dug out of their early 10-point hole with a 10-yard pass from Jackson and field goals of 25, 34 and 37 yards by Joey Slye for a 23-17 halftime lead.

Slye's three first-half field goals raised his career total to 69, eclipsing Shane Graham's previous school record of 68.

The Hokies then overwhelmed ECU with 34 third-quarter points, striking quickly with Jackson passes of 31 yards to McMahon and 70 yards to McMillian. Jackson threw 45 yards to Phillips for the record-breaker after the Hokies blocked a field goal, making it 43-17. Jackson capped his day with a 9-yard pass to Savoy.

Tech tacked on a 1-yard touchdown run by Jalen Holston and a 5-yard run by Coleman Fox after ECU's second fumble of the second half.

NOTES: WR Jimmy Williams was scheduled to be one of ECU's four captains but ran to a sideline trash can and threw up for a couple of minutes. He was on the field for the first possession and made a 9-yard reception on the game's second play. ... Virginia Tech redshirt freshman QB Josh Jackson became the first Virginia Tech quarterback to win his first three starts since Logan Thomas won his first four starts in 2011. ... Hokies junior CB Adonis Alexander was suspended by head coach Justin Fuente and sat out Saturday's game. ... ECU lost its second straight against the Atlantic Coast Conference after winning seven in a row. ... The Hokies are now 7-2 when nationally ranked in games against ECU. They had lost two of the last three as a ranked team against ECU before Saturday. ... ECU dropped its four games to open a season for the first time since 2004. ... Virginia Tech has scored in 286 straight games dating back to the 1995 season, the nation's fifth-longest streak; ECU has scored in 245 consecutive games dating back to 1997, the nation's 11th-longest streak. ... Greenville's North State Little League team, which won the Southeast Regional title and played in the Little League World series, was honored at halftime.