from wire reports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — T.J. Lee blocked a punt and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown with 1:52 left to help East Carolina stun No. 17 Virginia Tech 27-22 on Saturday.

The Hokies, long known for stout defense and special teams, seemed to have control of the game thanks to Stephan Virgil’s 30-yard fumble return for a touchdown and his 2-point conversion off a blocked extra point.

But it was the Pirates (1-0), who came up with the big plays on defense and special teams in the end, scoring the game’s final 15 points.

East Carolina continued its turnaround days after coach Skip Holtz was given a new six-year contract after rescuing the program from rough times.

After Patrick Pinkney’s 3-yard touchdown run with 3:36 left cut the deficit to 22-20, the Pirates stopped the Hokies’ struggling offense. Lee burst through the line of scrimmage unblocked. He smothered Brent Bowden’s punt, scooped up the ball on one bounce and ran into the end zone.

Virginia Tech quarterback Sean Glennon then finished a frustrating day with an incomplete pass on fourth down deep in his own territory, setting off a wild celebration among the Pirates’ fans at the neutral-site contest.

Pinkney completed 19 of 23 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown, Jonathan Williams rushed for 48 yards and a score and East Carolina built off its Hawaii Bowl upset of Boise State with a win over the favorites in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Coastal Division.

The Pirates, held Virginia Tech last year before eventually succumbing, 17-7 in Blacksburg.

And with Virginia Tech limited to 243 yards of offense, coach Frank Beamer’s decision to start Glennon will continue to be second-guessed.

Minus Glennon’s 62-yard pass true freshman Dyrell Roberts that set up Darren Evans’ 3-yard TD early in the fourth quarter for a 22-13 lead, the fifth-year senior struggled, completing 14 of 23 passes for 139 yards and two interceptions. He wasn’t helped when right tackle Blake DeChristopher left with a right thigh injury on the first offensive series

Hurried much of the day, Glennon’s second interception was returned by Nick Johnson 19 yards to the 1. Williams scored from a yard out three plays later to cut Virginia Tech’s lead to 14-7 in the second quarter.

Glennon’s first pass Saturday was tipped and intercepted inside the ECU 20. The Hokies again came up empty in the red zone when Evans was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-inches from the 5.





Bowling Green 27

No. 25 Pitt 17



PITTSBURGH — Tyler Sheehan ran 11 yards for a touchdown on a quarterback draw early in the fourth quarter as Bowling Green rallied to upset the Panthers.

The Falcons, with their second win over a BCS conference school in as many season openers, bounced back from a 14-0 deficit for the first victory by a Mid-American Conference school in Pittsburgh. Pitt previously was 25-2 against the MAC, 8-0 in season openers and 24-0 at home.

Anthony Turner scored on an 8-yard run to give Bowling Green its first lead at 20-17 with 3:53 left in the second quarter.

Sheehan was 24-of-40 for 163 yards, and the Falcons — despite being outgained 393-254 — went on to their first victory against a Top 25 team from outside the MAC since upsetting then-No. 16 Purdue 27-26 on Sept. 6, 2003.

With Pitt star LeSean McCoy repeatedly slowed during a 71-yard day, Pitt (0-1) was dealt its worst upset home loss since a 35-26 defeat in 2001 to South Florida.



No. 2 Ohio St. 43

Youngstown St. 0



COLUMBUS, Ohio — An eerie silence descended on Ohio Stadium when Ohio State’s Heisman Trophy prospect Chris ‘‘Beanie’’ Wells went down with a foot injury in the third quarter.

The star tailback was hurt in the third quarter after taking a handoff from Todd Boeckman on first and goal at the Youngstown State 2. His feet slipped underneath him as he planted to make a cut, with the ball rolling free as he hit the turf.

Wells was helped off the field, and later returned to the bench in the fourth quarter wearing a boot on his right foot. X-rays showed no broken bones, the team said.

Before the injury, Wells ran for 111 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown run. Boeckman tossed two touchdown passes and freshman quarterback phenom Terrelle Pryor looked solid in his college debut.

Boeckman completed 14-of-19 passes for 187 yards and touchdown passes of 31 yards to Brian Robiskie and 25 yards to DeVier Posey.

The Penguins rushed 21 times for minus-11 yards. Youngstown State has never scored a touchdown in four games against teams from Bowl Championship Series conferences.



No. 3 USC 52

Virginia 7



CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Mark Sanchez threw three touchdown passes in his first game as Southern California’s true No. 1 quarterback and Trojans rolled.

The Trojans lead 21-0 after just 11 minutes and weren’t tested, allowing coach Pete Carroll to keep things simple in advance of a home game against No. 2 Ohio State in two weeks.

Sanchez, just more than three weeks removed from a dislocated kneecap that kept him out of practice until this week, showed no ill effects. He was 26-for-35 for 338 yards.

The junior started three games last season, filling in for the injured John David Booty and going 2-1. Now, USC is Sanchez’s team, and it appears to be in good hands.

The Cavaliers had minus 15 yards on their first three offensive series.

Peter Lalich, who won the three-way battle for the Cavaliers quarterback job, hit on 18 of 35 passes, but for just 155 yards and an interception.



No. 8 West Virginia 48

Villanova 21



MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Pat White threw a career-high five touchdown passes and West Virginia beat Villanova, giving Rich Rodriguez’s replacement, Bill Stewart, a successful regular-season debut.

The Mountaineers built a 34-7 lead midway through the third quarter and didn’t need a big day from their vaunted rushing attack, which averaged 297 yards per game a year ago.

White set careers highs by going 25-of-33, finished with 208 passing yards and broke Marc Bulger’s school career record for total offense.

Alric Arnett and Jock Sanders each caught two of White’s scoring passes and the other went to Will Johnson.





No. 13 Wisconsin 38

Akron 17



MADISON, Wis. (AP) — P.J. Hill ran for 210 yards and two touchdowns, but No. 13 Wisconsin needed a pair of third-quarter scores to shake free from pesky Akron.

It was the second career game of more than 200 yards rushing for Hill, who gained more than 1,200 yards in each of his first two seasons with the Badgers despite nagging injuries.

Leading by only a touchdown at halftime, Wisconsin (1-0) forced Akron to punt from its own goal line on its first possession and took over near midfield. Hill broke free for a 34-yard run, and later plunged into the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line to put Wisconsin ahead 24-10.



No. 22 Penn State 66

Coastal Carolina 10



STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Joe Paterno tied Florida State’s Bobby Bowden atop the career wins list for major college coaches.

Both Hall of Fame coaches now have 373 career wins apiece. The Seminoles don’t open their season until next weekend.

Evan Royster ran for three touchdowns and 64 yards for Penn State against the Championship Subdivision Chanticleers, while Derrick Williams had an 89-yard kickoff return for a score to help the Nittany Lions won their seventh straight season opener.

Trent Usher provided Coastal Carolina’s lone TD on a 33-yard reception.