By CRAIG HANDEL
The (Fort Myers, Fla.) News-Press

BLACKSBURG, Va. - The University of Miami's three-plus years of regular-season perfection ended with a mistake-filled thud Saturday night.

Returning both a fumble and an interception for touchdowns and using another pick for another TD, Virginia Tech shocked Miami 31-7 before 65,115 at Lane Stadium/Worsham Field.

While Miami lost its first regular-season game in 40 games and first Big East Conference game in 28 games, Frank Beamer claimed his first victory against a team ranked in the top eight.

The Hurricanes' defeat also threw the Bowl Championship Series into a free-for-all with a slew of one-loss teams, including Miami and Virginia Tech.

Virginia Tech cornerback Eric Green intercepted a Brock Berlin pass in the third quarter and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown to give the Hokies a 17-0 lead. He also blocked a Miami field-goal attempt. Hokies cornerback DeAngelo Hall scored Virginia Tech's first points when he stripped Roscoe Parrish of a fumble and took it 28 yards for a score.

A 44-yard interception return by the Hokies' Michael Crawford set up Kevin Jones for a 2-yard run to make it 24-0.

It became 31-0 when on the Hokies' second completion of the game - and first for positive yardage - quarterback Marcus Vick hit Earnest Wilford on a 46-yard scoring pass.

Trailing 10-0 at halftime, Miami didn't score in the first 30 minutes for the first time since Nov. 13, 1999 when it trailed Virginia Tech. That game ended 43-10 in the Hokies' favor.

This was almost as bad.

Things started going downhill for Miami early in the third quarter when a scrambling Brock Berlin (16-of-25, 164 yards, two interceptions) avoided a sack but Green - who said earlier in the week that the Miami quarterback locks in on receivers - ran in, picked the ball off, cut inside and was off to the races on a 51-yard play. It was his second TD interception of the season.

An near-repeat happened later in the third quarter. After fumbling a low snap on the shotgun, Berlin rolled right. He tried to throw the ball out of bounds, but it never got there. Instead, Crawford stepped in front of the pass and took off down the sidelines to the Miami 10. Two strong outside and inside runs later by Jones, the Hokies made it 24-0.

Exit Berlin, enter Derrick Crudup. But any thoughts of a comeback, like the 23-point rally against Florida, were folly.

Crudup did hit Jason Geathers for a 10-yard scoring pass but by that time, it was 31-7.

While Miami's first-quarter drives were hurt by poor field possession, Virginia Tech's were hurt by penalties. The Hokies were whistled for seven penalties, including two holding calls, a personal foul and a roughing-the-kicker penalty.

However, Virginia Tech made the plays to first keep Miami off the scoreboard, then score first.

The Hurricanes' drove to the Hokies' 18 after solid runs by Jarrett Payton and passes of 15 and 39 yards from Berlin to Ryan Moore.

But after two plays went for losses, Jon Peattie came on for a 39-yard field goal; but Green raced in from the left side to block it.

On Miami's next possession, Parrish running the reverse, was bottled up. As he was surrounded by Hokies, Hall stripped Parrish, then plucked the loose ball out of the air and sprinted down the sidelines for a 28-yard touchdown play.

Miami had a chance to take the lead after a drive took it down to the Virginia Tech 28. Payton had a 19-yard catch and an 11-yard run while Berlin hit Moore for 12 yards.

When the drive stalled, the Hurricanes set up for a 45-yard field goal. Holder Matt Carter took the snap, then rolled left and lofted a pass to a wide-open Kevin Everett in the end zone. He dropped it.

Virginia Tech took advantage of more poor Miami field position to get a field goal in the last few seconds of the first half. Helped by a personal foul on the Hurricanes, the Hokies started at the Miami 26. Carter Warley then hit a 39-yard field goal with 11 seconds left.

The Hokies led 10-0 despite quarterbacks Vick and Bryan Randall completing more passes to the other team (one) than their own guys, committing all those penalties and having the ball for five minutes less.

However, Virginia Tech came into the game 82-7 when leading after halftime under Beamer.

He kept that streak going while snapping a few others.