Photos by Matt Gentry | The Roanoke Times

Sean Glennon hits the turf at Bank of America Stadium after throwing the football late in fourth quarter of the Hokies' 27-22 loss to East Carolina on Saturday.

Virginia Tech's Stephan Virgil returns a mishandled lateral by East Carolina 30 yards for the first touchdown of the game on Saturday in Charlotte, N.C. Virgil later returned a blocked extra-point attempt for a 2-point conversion return.

East Carolina's T.J. Lee (left) blocks a fourth-quarter punt by Virginia Tech's Brent Bowden. Lee went on to recover the ball and return it for the go-ahead touchdown in the Pirates' 27-22 win over the Hokies on Saturday at Bank of America Stadium.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer said he's never had a football team lose a game on a blocked kick in his 27 years on a college sideline.

Tech punter Brent Bowden said he's never had a kick blocked in his all his years of playing football.

Boot the history, people.

Seemingly set to exit joyously from another block party Saturday at Bank of America Stadium, the 17th-ranked Hokies received a swift kick in their rear end right before last call and were dealt a sobering 27-22 season-opening loss to East Carolina.

With Tech leading by two with 1:52 left, ECU senior T.J. Lee sped unchecked through a gap in the Hokies' protection team and blocked Bowden's punt. Never breaking stride, Lee picked up the ball and raced untouched 27 yards to the end zone to give the nine-point underdog Pirates the upset.

"Shocking," Bowden said. "I've never had it happen before. I just heard the sound and I looked back and I saw a guy running, and there was no way I was catching him.

"I can't believe this happened. Obviously, coming from Virginia Tech, we're known for doing what they did to us."

Taking down college football's longtime masters of special teams was plenty special for Lee and the Pirates, who erased a nine-point deficit in the final 14:56.

"We got a good push, I seen a little opening and blocked it, scooped it, and scored," said Lee, making his debut on the Pirates' punt-block unit.

"That's a good team, man. We got a good win and we're grateful for it."

It was bitter pill to swallow for Beamer, whose special teams units have been the blueprint for many other college coaches during the Hokies' current 15-year bowl run.

"It hurts to lose to a blocked kick at the end, that's not very good," he said. "There's no excuse for that."

Of course, that wasn't the Hokies' only problems on the hot, sunny afternoon.

Tech's offense penetrated inside the ECU 20-yard line on its first two possessions of the game, only to come away with zilch.

The Hokies' first drive ended when Sean Glennon's pass glanced off the hands of tight end Greg Boone and was intercepted by Quentin Cotton at the ECU 9. It marked the second straight year that ECU had picked off Glennon's first pass of a season. Minutes later, the Hokies were turned away again when tailback Darren Evans was stopped on fourth-and-1 at the ECU 5.

The Hokies' first score came in unconventional fashion early in the second quarter, when cornerback Stephan Virgil scooped up a fumbled lateral pass from ECU QB Patrick Pinkney to wideout Dwayne Harris, and raced 30 yards to the house to make it 7-0.

After Tech's Matt Reidy recovered a fumble of Tim Pisano's accidental squib kickoff at the Pirates' 25 just seconds later, the Hokies made it 14-zip on a 6-yard TD run by Kenny Lewis Jr.

With Tech inexplicably throwing on third-and-16 on its next possession deep in its own territory, Glennon hit ECU linebacker Nick Johnson square in the jersey number. Johnson returned the ball 19 yards to the Tech 1, where Jon Williams scored three plays later to make it 14-7 only 1:20 before halftime.

"I need to see that guy," said Glennon, who finished 14-for-23 for 139 yards, with the two picks. "That hurt us and I wish I could have that one back."

Led by QB Pat Pinkney, who finished 19-for-23 passing for 211 yards, ECU started moving the ball at will against the Hokies' young defense in the second half.

Pinkney hit Jamar Bryant for a 12-yard TD pass to enable ECU to close to 14-13 early in the third quarter. The Hokies softened that blow when John Graves blocked Ben Ryan's point-after kick. Virgil picked up the loose ball and raced the other way for a two-point play that restored the Hokies' lead to 16-13.

Glennon helped give Tech some breathing room when he hooked up with a 62-yard bomb to freshman flanker Dyrell Roberts to the ECU 6. Two plays later, Evans scored on a 3-yard TD run. Dustin Keys, who had missed a 44-yard field goal earlier, botched the PAT to leave Tech ahead 22-13.

"I thought it was going to get us over the hump," Glennon said. "It looked like it was going to for a little while -- put us up nine early in the fourth quarter -- and it's not like us to lose in the fourth quarter like that."

After Pinkney directed a 73-yard drive that ended with his 3-yard TD run to narrow Tech's lead to 22-20 with 3:36 left, the Hokies couldn't get a first down and run out the clock. On fourth down, Lee made sure that ECU's post-game block party was festive.

On the other side, the Hokies must recover. It's a long season to play.

"I don't think I've lost the first game since probably middle school," Tech senior linebacker Purnell Sturdivant said. "But we've got plenty of games left. Nothing is over today. We'll be back."