No. 14 LSU 8, No. 16 Virginia Tech 26

By HANK KURZ Jr.
AP Sports Writer

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) -- Lee Suggs ran for two touchdowns, and Kevin Jones honored Michael Vick's No. 7 jersey with a terrific 34-yard run as 16th-ranked Virginia Tech dominated No. 14 LSU 26-8 Sunday.

The Hokies (2-0) welcomed back Vick for a pregame ceremony, then saluted the quick-footed former quarterback by beating a Top-15 team for just the fourth time in 25 tries under coach Frank Beamer.

While Vick was given a framed replica of his old jersey, Virginia Tech doesn't retire numbers anymore, and Jones wore No. 7 proudly. On a third-and-10 play in the fourth quarter, Jones ran wide left and was met by about five defenders. He stopped, backed out of trouble and ran back across the field to the left, finally getting tackled at the Tigers' 2.

Suggs' 2-yard run then gave the Hokies a 24-0 lead against LSU, the defending Southeastern Conference champion.

Suggs, who missed almost all of last season following surgery on his left knee, gained 89 yards on 23 carries. Jones had 70 on 14 carries.

Tigers coach Nick Saban was concerned that his team, which lost five starters on offense and six on defense, might not be as prepared as Tech, which opened the season last week with a 63-7 rout of Arkansas State.

The Hokies' second game wasn't nearly as easy, but they gave themselves a cushion by blocking two punts, and by keeping LSU quarterback Matt Mauck out of rhythm in his first start. Mauck, an ex-minor league baseball player, missed receivers, had several passes dropped and was chased relentlessly by the Tech defenders.

Mauck finished 15-for-35 for 134 yards as the Tigers gained just 214 yards.

The Hokies managed only 231, but special teams put them in good position to score. A nice punt return by DeAngelo Hall led to a 27-yard touchdown drive, and a blocked punt set up a 29-yard TD march. A 58-yard scoring drive was set up by an unusual interception.

The ball went through the hands of LSU's Shyrone Carey and bounced off his foot to Tech's Vegas Robinson. Jones followed with runs of 22 and 34 yards, and Suggs' second touchdown run made the score 24-0 with 14:02 left.

Mauck finally led the Tigers on a 10-play, 82-yard possession, capped by LeBrandon Toefield's 1-yard dive. But when LSU's next drive stalled and Tech took over, the crowd taunted the Tigers by chanting ``overrated.''

Earlier, the Hokies pinned LSU to its own 5 with a fourth-and-21, and DeAngelo Hall's 17-yard punt return set up Jones' 2-yard run.

When Tech forced LSU to punt again, Justin Hamilton blocked it and Chris Clifton recovered. Bryan Randall's 17-yard pass to Cedric Humes and three rushes by Suggs, the last a 6-yarder, made it 14-0 before halftime.

Another blocked punt, this one by Jason Lassis with five seconds left, was the Hokies' 48th in the 176 games that Beamer has been coach.

Randall, who replaced starter Grant Noel after two series and played the rest of the way, was 5-for-9 for 47 yards for the Hokies.

Kentucky 22, No. 17 Louisville 17

CHRIS DUNCAN
AP Sports Writer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Taylor Begley kicked three field goals and Kentucky's defense dominated No. 17 Louisville and quarterback Dave Ragone in a 22-17 win over the Cardinals on Sunday night.

Jared Lorenzen threw for 195 yards and a touchdown as the Wildcats snapped a three-game losing streak to their in-state rivals in the opener for both teams.

Ragone, touted as a Heisman Trophy candidate, spent most of the game on the run from Kentucky's pass rush. He was sacked three times and finished 14-of-39 for 193 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception.

The Cardinals mustered only 248 total yards against a Kentucky defense that ranked 109th in the nation in yards allowed last season.

Louisville returned only one starter from the team's 2001 offensive line, and the Wildcats' defense battered the newcomers. On Louisville's first four offensive series, Kentucky sacked Ragone twice and held the Cardinals to minus-3 rushing yards.

Louisville's more heralded defense, led by Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year Dewayne White, also asserted itself early, holding the Wildcats to minus-8 yards on their first five plays.

The Cardinals blitzed on Kentucky's sixth play, but Lorenzen dumped a short pass to Ernest Simms before taking a hit. With most of the Cardinals chasing Lorenzen, Simms sprinted untouched for a 64-yard touchdown.

The Wildcats put together a nine-play drive later in the first quarter, and Begley, a redshirt freshman, kicked his first career field goal, a 40-yarder, with 4:32 left.

Meanwhile, Ragone continued to scramble and struggle. Running for the sideline, he was hit by sophomore safety Claude Sagalle and fumbled at the Louisville 18 with 6:01 left before halftime. The turnover set up Artose Pinner's 8-yard touchdown run with 3:58 left in the first half.

Ragone either passed or ran on Louisville's final 15 plays of the first half and that finally got the Cardinals moving. His best pass of the half was a 29-yard strike to Damien Dorsey that set up Louisville at the Kentucky 14 with 1:11 left.

Ragone found tight end Ronnie Ghent in the end zone with 18 seconds left. In apparent exhaustion, Ragone sank to his knees after the pass and eventually walked slowly to the sideline, his shoulder pads twisting out of his uniform.

Ragone finished the first half 8-of-21 for 67 yards.

Broderick Clark, a redshirt freshman from Alabama, temporarily turned the momentum toward Louisville when he returned the second-half kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.

Ragone led the Cardinals 84 yards to set up Nathan Smith's 24-yard field goal that put Louisville up 17-16 with 5:51 left in the third quarter.

The Wildcats chewed up almost five minutes on their answering drive, and Begley restored Kentucky's lead with a 32-yard field goal. He added a 31-yarder with 4:09 left for a 22-17 lead.

The Cardinals got the ball back deep in their own territory, but Ragone was intercepted near midfield by Mike Williams with 3:09 remaining.

Ragone limped off the field and crouched down on the sideline after the decisive turnover.

Kentucky snapped a 10-game losing streak against ranked opponents.