The 2006 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Frank Beamer. The team tallied a 10–3 record, going 10–2 during the regular season before losing 31–24 in the 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs.
Virginia Tech opened the season ranked No. 17 and posted three consecutive wins over Northeastern, North Carolina, and Duke, outscoring opponents 109–10 and recording two shutouts. Sophomore quarterback Sean Glennon made his debut as the starter, while running back Branden Ore emerged as the offensive centerpiece, rushing for 1,090 yards and 16 touchdowns on the season.
After climbing to No. 11 in the national rankings, the Hokies suffered back-to-back losses to Georgia Tech and Boston College. The 38–27 defeat to Georgia Tech exposed defensive vulnerabilities, while a 22–3 Thursday night loss at Chestnut Hill marked the team’s lowest offensive output of the year. Virginia Tech rebounded with a 36–6 win over Southern Miss and a pivotal 24–7 victory over No. 10 Clemson, where the defense forced four turnovers and special teams contributed a blocked punt.
The Hokies closed the regular season with five straight wins, including a 17–10 road victory over Miami and shutouts of Kent State and Virginia. The defense, anchored by linebackers Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi, finished first nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 11.0 points per game. Hall was dismissed from the team during the season but later returned for spring practice in 2007, though he did not appear on the fall roster. Ore missed portions of the Wake Forest game due to injury but returned for the final stretch.
Virginia Tech earned a bid to the Chick-fil-A Bowl against No. 12 Georgia. Despite leading 21–3 early in the third quarter, the Hokies surrendered 28 unanswered points and fell 31–24. Glennon threw three interceptions, and Georgia capitalized on short fields and a blocked punt to complete the comeback.
The Hokies finished the season ranked No. 19 in the AP Poll and No. 18 in the Coaches Poll. Beamer’s squad posted its fourth straight 10-win season and laid the foundation for a top-five finish the following year.
Preseason Virginia Tech began the season ranked #16 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and #17 in the Associated Press Poll after going 11–2 (7–1 ACC) in 2005 and winning the Coastal division of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
See also 2006 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
Schedule
Game summaries
Northeastern
Official Box Score
Seventeenth-ranked Virginia Tech opened the 2006 season with a 38–0 shutout of Division I-AA Northeastern at Lane Stadium, dominating all phases and never allowing the Huskies inside the Hokies’ 30-yard line. Virginia Tech scored on its first three possessions and outgained Northeastern 481 to 182, while the defense forced three turnovers and recorded five sacks.
Sean Glennon, making his first career start, completed 15 of 18 passes for 222 yards and a 54-yard touchdown to David Clowney in the second quarter. Branden Ore rushed for 54 yards and two touchdowns, scoring from 1 and 3 yards out. George Bell added a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, and backup quarterback Cory Holt capped the scoring with a 1-yard sneak in the fourth. Brandon Pace contributed a 32-yard field goal late in the first half.
Clowney led all receivers with six catches for 117 yards and a score, while Josh Morgan added 58 yards on four receptions. Defensively, Vince Hall recorded eight tackles and two quarterback hurries, and Chris Ellis added a sack and a forced fumble. The Hokies held Northeastern to 2-of-13 on third down and just 35 rushing yards, posting their first shutout since blanking Duke the previous season.
North Carolina
Virginia Tech, ranked No. 16 nationally, improved to 2–0 with a 35–10 victory over North Carolina. The Hokies scored touchdowns in all four quarters and held the Tar Heels to just 189 total yards, including 66 rushing.
Branden Ore led the offense with 27 carries for 111 yards and three touchdowns, scoring from 1, 4, and 3 yards out. Brandon Flowers added a 69-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter, and redshirt freshman quarterback Ike Whitaker threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Justin Harper late in the fourth.
Starting quarterback Sean Glennon completed 10 of 17 passes for 66 yards. Harper led all receivers with 61 yards on two catches. The Hokies outgained UNC 283–189 and held a 34:38 to 25:22 edge in time of possession.
Defensively, Xavier Adibi recorded nine tackles and a sack, while Vince Hall added seven stops. Virginia Tech forced three turnovers, registered four sacks, and held North Carolina to 2-of-13 on third down.
Duke
Virginia Tech, ranked No. 14 nationally, delivered a comprehensive 36–0 victory over Duke in Blacksburg, showcasing a dominant defense and opportunistic special teams that overwhelmed the Blue Devils from the outset.
Branden Ore led the Hokies’ ground attack with a 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, while Eddie Royal electrified the crowd with a 58-yard punt return for a score less than a minute later. Sean Glennon threw touchdown passes of 17 yards to Sam Wheeler and 25 yards to Josh Morgan, finishing the day with 132 passing yards and two scores on 14 completions. Kenny Lewis Jr. added a 2-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, and Brandon Pace contributed a 42-yard field goal to round out the scoring.
Duke failed to mount any sustained offensive threat, managing just 139 total yards and converting only one of 14 third-down attempts. Virginia Tech’s defense recorded four sacks and forced two turnovers, including a 72-yard interception return for a touchdown by Victor Harris late in the game. Xavier Adibi led the team with seven tackles, while Chris Ellis and Carlton Powell each registered a sack.
The Hokies controlled field position throughout, aided by Royal’s special teams play and a blocked punt that resulted in a safety. The shutout marked Virginia Tech’s second consecutive blanking of Duke and extended its early-season dominance, having outscored opponents 144–10 through three games.
Cincinnati
Virginia Tech overcame a sluggish first half to defeat Cincinnati 29–13 in Blacksburg, improving to 4–0 behind a second-half surge led by Branden Ore and a resilient defense.
Trailing 10–5 at halftime, the Hokies erupted for 24 unanswered points after the break. Ore rushed for 170 yards on 26 carries and scored on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter. Sean Glennon threw for 188 yards and connected with Justin Harper for a 51-yard touchdown that gave Virginia Tech its first lead. Brandon Pace added three field goals, including a 39-yarder in the third quarter, and Victor Harris sealed the win with a 72-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Cincinnati’s scoring came on a 33-yard field goal and a 1-yard touchdown run by Greg Moore, both in the second quarter. The Bearcats were limited to 294 total yards and committed two turnovers. Virginia Tech’s defense, led by Vince Hall with 10 tackles and Xavier Adibi with a sack, held Cincinnati to 3-of-13 on third down and just 121 rushing yards.
The Hokies outgained the Bearcats 400 to 294 and controlled the clock in the second half, extending their unbeaten start and setting up a ranked showdown with Georgia Tech.
Georgia Tech
Virginia Tech, ranked No. 11, suffered its first loss of the season in a 38–27 defeat to No. 24 Georgia Tech, as the Yellow Jackets capitalized on early turnovers and explosive plays to seize control in Blacksburg.
Calvin Johnson caught touchdown passes of 35 and 53 yards in the first quarter, helping Georgia Tech build a 21–7 lead. Reggie Ball threw for 153 yards and two scores, while Tashard Choice added 104 rushing yards and a touchdown. The Yellow Jackets extended their lead to 38–13 in the third quarter after recovering two Virginia Tech fumbles deep in Hokie territory.
Branden Ore rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown, and Sean Glennon threw for 339 yards with two scores, including a 36-yard pass to Eddie Royal and a 25-yard strike to Josh Morgan. Glennon also committed three turnovers, including two interceptions and a fumble that led directly to Georgia Tech points.
Virginia Tech’s defense struggled to contain Johnson and failed to generate a turnover. Vince Hall led the team with 11 tackles, while Chris Ellis recorded a sack. Despite a late rally, the Hokies were unable to overcome the early deficit and dropped to 4–1 on the season.
Boston College
No. 22 Virginia Tech suffered its second consecutive defeat in a 22–3 loss to No. 23 Boston College, undone by turnovers, penalties, and a stagnant offense on a Thursday night in Chestnut Hill. The Hokies committed four turnovers and were flagged 12 times, repeatedly stalling drives and giving Boston College short fields. Virginia Tech’s only points came on a 36-yard field goal by Brandon Pace in the second quarter, but the offense failed to reach the red zone again.
Boston College capitalized on Tech’s miscues with a 2-yard touchdown run by L.V. Whitworth, a 2-yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan to Kevin Challenger, two field goals from Tony Gonzalez, and a fourth-quarter safety. The Eagles controlled possession and tempo, converting 9-of-18 third downs and outgaining the Hokies 318 to 181.
Sean Glennon completed 16-of-32 passes for 148 yards and two interceptions. Branden Ore led the Hokies in rushing with 71 yards on 20 carries, while Josh Morgan was the top receiver with 5 catches for 55 yards. On defense, Vince Hall recorded 13 tackles and Xavier Adibi added 10, but the unit was unable to overcome the field position disadvantages and extended time on the field.
Southern Miss
Virginia Tech, ranked No. 24, snapped a two-game losing streak with a 36–6 victory over Southern Miss on Homecoming night in Blacksburg. The Hokies dominated the line of scrimmage, rushing for 284 yards and sacking Golden Eagles quarterback Jeremy Young six times.
Branden Ore led the offense with a career-high 207 rushing yards on 23 carries, including touchdown runs of 2 and 70 yards. Sean Glennon completed 4 of 11 passes for 100 yards and a 38-yard touchdown to Josh Morgan, while backup Ike Whitaker added 14 passing yards and a rushing score. Kenny Lewis Jr. contributed a 14-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Southern Miss managed two field goals from Darren McCaleb in the first quarter but failed to score again. Virginia Tech responded with 36 unanswered points, including a safety in the second quarter and three Brandon Pace field goals (22, 32, and 27 yards).
Defensively, the Hokies held Southern Miss to 216 total yards and just 2.2 yards per carry. Vince Hall led the team with 12 tackles and a sack, while Barry Booker and Carlton Powell each added sacks and tackles for loss. Virginia Tech forced two fumbles and recorded nine quarterback hurries.
The win improved Virginia Tech’s record to 5–2.
Clemson
Virginia Tech delivered one of its most complete performances of the season in a 24–7 upset of No. 10 Clemson, dominating the second half and stifling the Tigers’ high-powered rushing attack. The Hokies scored 17 unanswered points in the third quarter, including touchdown runs of 11 and 3 yards by Branden Ore and a 32-yard field goal by Brandon Pace.
Clemson’s lone score came in the first quarter on a 6-yard touchdown run by James Davis. The Tigers entered the game averaging over 200 rushing yards per contest but were held to just 71 yards on the ground. Virginia Tech’s defense forced two turnovers and recorded three sacks, controlling the line of scrimmage throughout.