BLACKSBURG, Va. ÷ Bryan Randall ran for two touchdowns and passed for another yesterday as 16th-ranked Virginia Tech opened its season with a 63-7 rout of Arkansas State in the Hispanic College Fund Football Classic.

The Hokies lost 11 starters from last year's team, but they had little trouble giving coach Frank Beamer his 150th career victory.

Seven different Virginia Tech players scored touchdowns in the first half as the Hokies took a 56-0 lead ÷ the most points in school history before halftime.

Cornerback DeAngelo Hall scored twice in the first quarter, returning a punt and an interception for touchdowns.

Hokies running back Lee Suggs, the nation's leading scorer two years ago, made a successful return after missing nearly all of last year with a torn ligament in his left knee. He gained 87 yards and scored one touchdown in his first game since Sept. 1, 2001, when he was injured against Connecticut.

Arkansas State's Elliot Jacobs completed nine of 16 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown.

Tech's defense, which had to replace five of its front seven, forced five turnovers and held Arkansas State to 227 total yards, 73 of which came on Jacobs' TD pass to Mike Cox in the third quarter.

Hokies starting quarterback Grant Noel, who has had problems with his left knee, was 2-for-5 and threw a touchdown pass. He gave way to the speedy Randall in the second quarter.

Arkansas State, which went 2-9 last year and hasn't had a winning season since 1995, settled on Jacobs at quarterback in the second half after Tommy Miller was ineffective and left the game after injuring his right knee.

The Indians sorely missed two-time 1,000-yard rusher Jonathan Adams, who's now playing with the New Orleans Saints. Adams' successor, Danny Smith, had 36 yards rushing and was benched after fumbling three times.

On his first drive in the second quarter, Randall ran for 37 yards and scored on a 12-yard keeper. Randall followed up with a 19-yard scoring pass to Mike Imoh. Randall added a 5-yard TD scramble in the third quarter.