Kyle Green | The Roanoke Times

Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas accounted for three scores Thursday night.

Correction (Nov. 18, 2011: 2 p.m.): In a previous version of this story, a quote by Virginia Tech football player Eddie Whitley was incorrectly attributed to one of his teammates. | Our corrections policy

BLACKSBURG - It was not a thing of beauty, but it was enough.

No. 9 Virginia Tech beat North Carolina 24-21 on a frigid night at Lane Stadium on Thursday, a game short on style points but good enough to get the Hokies within a Virginia loss of clinching their fifth Coastal Division title in seven years.

Quarterback Logan Thomas threw for 195 yards and accounted for three touchdowns and wide receiver Jarrett Boykin had a career-high 10 catches for 106 yards as the Hokies (10-1, 6-1 ACC) slowly pulled away then held on late after a furious comeback by the pesky Tar Heels.

"That wasn't real clean but it was a win," Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer said. "I guess that's the important thing at this time."

If Virginia can pull the upset at heavily-favored Florida State on Saturday, the in-state schools will meet with the division title on the line at Scott Stadium on Nov. 26.

"I think all of us want to play every game like it means something," Thomas said. "I don't know about the rest of the guys, but I'd like to see them win and make it mean a lot more next week."

If the Cavaliers lose, the Hokies will be able to celebrate this weekend, another notch on the belt of Beamer, who won his 250th career game Thursday.

Virginia Tech reached 10 wins for the eighth straight season, the longest active streak in the country and tied for the third longest of the modern era, trailing only Texas (nine from 2001-09) and Florida State (14 from 1987-2000).

The Hokies improved to 24-2 in November league games since joining the ACC, although this win was a little too close for comfort and hearkened back to a last-second letdown against these same Tar Heels two years ago on a Thursday night.

Virginia Tech rebounded from a disastrous start to score 24 unanswered points, taking what appeared to be a comfortable 24-7 by the end of the third quarter.

But North Carolina (6-5, 2-5 ACC), which lost its 1,000-yard rusher Giovani Bernard to a mild concussion in the second quarter, nearly mustered a comeback.

Quarterback Bryn Renner completed 14 of 26 passes for 224 yards, hooking up with Erik Highsmith for a 5-yard touchdown on a fourth down play midway through the fourth quarter.

A blown Virginia Tech coverage led to a 64-yard catch by Highsmith on the next drive, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by Ryan Houston with 2:32 to play.

UNC appeared to recover the onside kick, but Charles Brown touched it before it went the requisite 10 yards. Virginia Tech took over and ran the clock down to three seconds before giving it back to the Tar Heels, whose last-ditch pass fell incomplete before they could try any razzle-dazzle.

"That was very disappointing to us to give up two touchdowns back-to-back," Virginia Tech safety Eddie Whitley said. "But the biggest thing is we got the win."

The Hokies nearly dug too big of a hole early, giving up an early touchdown after Thomas was sacked and fumbled on the first play from scrimmage.

UNC was on its way to a two-score lead when Hokies safety Antone Exum knocked the ball loose from Houston inside the Virginia Tech 5-yard line, a major turning point.

"You've got to hang on and battle and hope something good happens," Beamer said.

It was all Hokies for the next 21/2 quarters. Thomas sandwiched touchdown throws to tight end Chris Drager and receiver D.J. Coles around a 23-yard keeper for a rushing touchdown to take firm control of the game.

"I think he continues to be a good leader," Beamer said of his star quarterback, who has accounted for 20 touchdowns in the last six games. "I think his poise rubs off on other guys."

It was Thomas' ninth rushing touchdown this season, tying him with Michael Vick for most rushing touchdowns in a season by a quarterback under Beamer. He's two shy of the school record for a quarterback of 11 set by Bruce Arians in 1974.

Boykin, the school's career leader in catches and receiving yards, became the first Virginia Tech receiver with 10 catches in a game since Nick Cullen hauled in 13 passes against Southern Mississippi in 1990.

Running back David Wilson, the nation's leading rusher, finished with a season-low 82 yards, snapping his streak of seven straight 100-yard games. He also had another fumble, although the Hokies recovered.