BLACKSBURG -- Virginia and Virginia Tech could have played from noon to midnight Saturday at Lane Stadium, and it wouldn't have made any difference.

Simple fact was UVa wasn't going ever to score on Tech's defense. Not in three hours, six hours, 12 hours ...

Don't believe it, just ask Hokies defensive end Noland Burchette.

"The way we came out today? It could have been all day the way we were playing," Burchette emphatically said. "When we went up 7-0, I mean 'game over.' Going into the games, we tell the offense if they give us three ... whatever and whoever it is, you give us any points, the game is over. That's how we look at it. Because we know we're going to step it up to another level and I don't think any offense is ready for us."

Not only did they fail to score, the Cavaliers never got within a sniff of scoring against Tech's stifling defense. UVa ran one play in Tech territory -- and that was a punt from the 48-yard line late in the first quarter -- and never had a chance in a 17-0 loss to the 17th-ranked Hokies.

It was the fourth shutout of the season for Tech's defense, which now leads the nation in total defense, scoring defense and pass defense. Tech allowed the punchless and unimaginative Cavs only 112 total yards in recording its first whitewash of its archrival since a 48-0 win in Charlottesville in 1983.

"Nah, nah, they didn't show any indication at all they could move the ball on us," Burchette said.

"Like [Virginia coach Al] Groh said, 'they play chess, we play checkers.' But we play physical and they play soft, if you really want to break it down. We just came out and played Virginia Tech ... they played Wahoos ... and that's what got it done today.

"They can have all those fancy plays, trick plays, but we just got down to basics. We held the reverses down, we held all the boots down, stay home and play your position, get off on the ball, smack 'em in the mouth, and a lot of people aren't going to be able to move the ball."

Nobody has done much of anything against Bud Foster's fast, quick pack of defenders during the second half of the season. Since losing consecutive games to Georgia Tech and Boston College, Tech (10-2, 6-2 ACC) has run off six consecutive victories. Foster's bunch has been unbelievable in that stretch, allowing six foes a total of two touchdowns and 29 points. It's been 68 years since a Tech defense has posted such numbers in a six-game stretch.

"They're athletic, they're fast and they're smart, and that's a good combination," Hokies coach Frank Beamer said.

With its third straight and seventh win in eight tries against UVa, the Hokies have won 10 or more games in three consecutive seasons, a program first.

"I think we really accomplished a lot this season," Beamer said. "We were young. We were young on offense, if you look at our offensive line, our tight ends and our quarterback. I'm proud of this crowd."

Although nothing is expected to be official until after Saturday's final regular-season and various league championship games, the Hokies' likeliest postseason destination appears to be Atlanta, where they would likely face Georgia (8-4) in the Dec. 30 Chick-fil-A Bowl.

The Cavaliers won't have to worry about such matters. UVa is done for the year. UVa (5-7, 4-4) needed a victory over 16-point favorite Tech to become bowl eligible for a fifth straight season.

The Cavs' offense might as well had been stuck in a bowl with a seal-proof top. The Hokies' relentless defense held UVa to 44 total plays and five first downs, the Cavs' lowest total in each category since a 35-0 loss at Clemson in 1963.

It was only fitting that ex-NFL/Tech star defensive end Bruce Smith was in the house for the show. Smith was honored at halftime for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.

"[Smith] talked to us at the end of the game," Burchette said. "He said that's how we played back in the day ... I like the way 'y'all are playing.' "

Of course, it was the defense that set up the only score Tech would require. Just when it appeared a boring first 30 minutes would end in a scoreless draw, Hokies linebacker Xavier Adibi sacked UVa quarterback Jameel Sewell and stripped the ball away with 2:27 left in the half. Tackle Carlton Powell fell on the ball at the UVa 12.

Four George Bell runs later, the last from 1 yard, gave Tech a 7-0 lead with 39 seconds left in the half.

"If not for the miscue ... we'd been in it 0-0, which would have been a great position to be in," Groh lamented.

Tech's offense, which had been nothing to write home about in the first 30 minutes, either, finally got its motor fired in the third quarter. After amassing only 85 yards in the first 30 minutes, the Hokies piled up 165 yards in the third quarter in a pair of long scoring drives that sucked the guts out of the visitors.

Getting UVa's defense blocked much better, Tech embarked on a 74-yard drive -- all but 2 yards on the ground -- to make it 10-zip on a 23-yard field goal by Brandon Pace. The drive was highlighted by freshman tailback Kenny Lewis, who carried six times for 36 yards on the thrust, and a key 19-yard scramble by quarterback Sean Glennon on third-and-eight from the UVa 48. In addition to Glennon's gain, the ball was advanced to the Cavs' 14 on a personal foul on UVa's Byron Glaspy for hitting the Tech QB late out of bounds. Glennon had started the play by sidestepping blitzing corner Marcus Hamilton in the backfield.

"I had to do something, [Hamilton] was coming right at me," Glennon said. "I made a move and avoided him, and it was a lot of open field after that."

Any chance the Cavaliers may have still thought they had was torched when Tech regained possession. Glennon, who was 12-for-18 passing for 146 yards, capped a 91-yard drive when he hit Eddie Royal with a pass at the UVa 35. Royal ran out of a shoestring tackle attempt by Chris Cook, put a move on Jamaal Jackson, and then rode a key block by fellow wideout Josh Hyman into a 49-yard touchdown play.

Borrowing Burchette's line, it was "game over." Officially.

Of all the Hokies, none loved it more than Glennon, who was never offered a scholarship by UVa despite being the state's No. 1 high school QB in 2003.

"I don't know if I was nervous, but I was like, 'we can't lose to UVa, it just can't happen.' " Glennon said. "So I was a little on edge because I didn't want to lose this one. And when I saw that clock ticking down at the end of game .... whew! ... it felt pretty good.''