By BUCKY DENT
CHARLOTTESVILLE — As the ball inches closer to the goal line, Virginia Tech freshman TB Ryan Williams says he can sniff the end zone.
Well, Williams' sense of smell has never been more acute than the last two weeks.
After a four-touchdown performance last week against N.C. State, Williams repeated the feat at Virginia Saturday and added a career-high 182 yards to boot.
The No. 14 Hokies closed a month of dominance against lesser foes, a decade of ownership of their commonwealth rival and probably the nine-year Cavalier career of coach Al Groh with a 42-13 Atlantic Coast Conference rout at Scott Stadium.
Tech (9-3, 6-2) finished the season with a four-game winning streak, outscoring outmatched opposition by a total of 132-35. It won for the ninth time in 10 years against Virginia (3-9, 2-6), which could dismiss Groh as early as next week.
At the center of this latest success was Williams, who didn't inherit the starting job until sophomore Darren Evans tore his ACL on a non-contact play in August practice.
All Williams has done this year is rush for 1,537 yards, second only to Kevin Jones on the school's single-season list and score an ACC freshman-record 20 touchdowns.
"Feels good," said Williams, who needed prodding to elaborate on the best freshman season for a Hokie since Michael Vick led the program to the national championship game in 1999.
"I think I've done the unexpected. I didn't have any (personal) goals for the year. My main goal was to help this team win and I think I did that."
Did he ever. Williams became the first Hokie since Lee Suggs (2000) to rush for four or more TDs in consecutive weeks. If Williams rushes for 111 yards in Tech's bowl game, he'll eclipse Jones' 1,647-yard mark, set in 2003.
Williams scored on runs of 5, 20, 4 and 2 yards. He nearly added a fifth touchdown when he busted a fourth quarter run down the right side for 51 yards, but fumbled. However, teammate Jarrett Boykin recovered in the end zone for a 35-13 lead.
"He's an incredibly tough runner who is going to have a great career in this league," Virginia LB Aaron Clark said.
QB Tyrod Taylor said the benefits of having Williams in his backfield are numerous.
"He's a great back," Taylor said. "You can give it to him in any situation and know there's a chance of a big play. He hasn't let too many guys get close to me and I'm grateful for that."
By that, Taylor means play-action fakes to Williams often mean the defense can't rush the passer with abandon, giving him time to hit the deep passes which are becoming an increasing staple of this offense.
Saturday, Taylor hit on 41 and 36-yard throws to WR Danny Coale on the first scoring drive, then added a 38-yarder to Dyrell Roberts in the second quarter.
Taylor's eight completions netted 185 yards, an average of more than 23 yards per catch. It's the type of big-play balance Tech's offense has achieved with more consistency this season.
"People know this offense can make a big play any time they snap it," LB Cody Grimm said.
A claim the Virginia offense hasn't been able to make since the days of Matt Schaub throwing to Honaker product Heath Miller. While the Cavs ran it down the Hokies' throats for a half, Tech predictably adjusted and limited Virginia to 94 total yards in a scoreless second half.
Perhaps 30,000 Hokie fans were the only source of noise in the stadium as Cav supporters fled the scene late. Tech fans chanted "Keep Al Groh" as time expired.
Groh, whose wife was seen weeping at his post-game press conference, read a 75-year old Dale Winbrow poem titled "The Man in the Glass."
Williams and the Hokies may have irrevocably busted that shield.
