Blacksburg, VA (Sports Network) - Tyrod Taylor passed for 204 yards and a pair of scores on 10-of-15 passing, as 11th-ranked Virginia Tech used a big fourth quarter to beat Florida State, 40-21, at Lane Stadium.

Taylor also rushed for 92 yards on 17 carries and one touchdown for the Hokies (8-2, 5-1 ACC), who have won seven of their last eight, and gave head coach Frank Beamer his first victory over Florida State in eight tries.

"I'm obviously pleased to beat a really talented, well-coached and hard- playing football team," Beamer said. "If you can beat Florida State, you've done something. But to me, it's not so much that streak as it is a critical win in the home stretch of going for the ACC Championship."

Justin Harper caught five balls for 167 yards and a touchdown, Josh Morgan caught a TD pass, while Branden Ore added a score with 40 yards on 16 carries.

Drew Weatherford completed just 5-of-15 passes for 46 yards before leaving early in the second quarter with a concussion. Christian Ponder threw for 105 yards, one touchdown and a pair of interceptions on eight-of-18 passes for the Seminoles (6-4, 3-4), who were coming off an upset of then-second-ranked Boston College last Saturday.

De'Cody Fagg had four receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown, and Gary Cismesia hit three field goals in defeat.

Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden suffered a loss for the first time in 16 career meetings against Virginia Tech.

On the Hokies' second series of the fourth, Taylor hit Harper for a huge 50- yard pass for a 1st-and-goal. Three plays later, Taylor rolled up the middle for a three-yard score. The two-point conversion pass was caught by Zach Luckett, and Virginia Tech forged ahead by 28-21 with 10:10 left in regulation.

Ponder fumbled on the next FSU series, and Virginia Tech scored again courtesy of a 22-yard make by Jud Dunlevy for a 31-21 lead with 5:32 to go.

It was 38-21 only 19 seconds later when Ponder dropped back for a pass in the shadow of his own goal line and hit the Hokies' Chris Ellis, who returned it for a five-yard TD.

Brandon Flowers came up with another pick of Ponders on the Seminoles' next series, but Florida State's defense held on a 4th-and-goal, taking over at their own one with 2:48 left.

However, D'Vontrey Richardson was swarmed in the end zone on the next play and it was 40-21 for the Hokies. After the free kick, Virginia Tech ran out the clock to ensure the win.

"In the third quarter, I don't know what was going on -- we just weren't executing like we should," Morgan said. "But we practice every day and all season we've said that we've got to be the best in the fourth quarter no matter what game it is, and that's what we did."

Each side put up six points in the first quarter, as a pair of field goals by Cismesia, from 41 and 39 yards, bookended Taylor's 31-yard TD pass to Harper with a missed extra point.

Virginia Tech scored twice more in the second quarter to take a 14-point lead. Taylor hit Morgan for a five-yard score with 2:31 played, and Ore added a two- yard run with just under seven minutes to go, and the Hokies kept that 20-6 lead at the break.

The Seminoles got on track on their first drive of the third quarter, with a 50-yarder from Cismesia which hit the right upright and bounced through at the four minute mark.

On the following series, Taylor threw right into the hands of Dekoda Watson, who returned the ball 38 yards for a touchdown. The two-point conversion pass failed, and it was 20-15 with 9:06 remaining.

After holding Tech on its next possession, Florida State responded on an eight-yard TD reception from Ponder to Fagg which put the visitors ahead. Once again, though, the conversion pass failed, and it was 21-20 with 3:41 to play.

Each side traded failed drives and it remained a one-point game heading to the final 15 minutes.