Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, December 31, 1994 TAG: 9501030074
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: SPORTS EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: GAINESVILLE, FLA. LENGTH: Long
After requiring a multi-car police convoy simply to show up on time, the Hokies were mugged, bound and gagged by Tennessee in the 50th Gator Bowl.
Throwing one big-play punch after another, the unranked Volunteers ran the No.17 Hokies right out of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in an overpowering 45-23 no-contest in front of 62,200 fans.
The Hokies (8-4) killed their chances in their biggest bowl game ever by committing three costly turnovers - two interceptions and a fumble by quarterback Maurice DeShazo - and poor tackling.
``Just too many turnovers at the wrong time and just too many long plays [by Tennessee],'' said Tech coach Frank Beamer, whose club finished 8-4.
``It's too tough to overcome that. I was really impressed with Tennessee. They're a great team, but I think we helped them be great with the turnovers and poor tackling.''
Tennessee, which closed with five straight wins to finish 8-4, knocked Tech out in the first half, running up 331 yards total offense in racing to a 35-10 lead.
Tech, which got hung up in traffic on the 63-mile bus trip from Jacksonville and was led through a series of one-lane backwoods roads by police to get to the stadium, should have known what was in store early.
On the second play of the game, DeShazo rolled right and hit Tennessee middle linebacker Tyrone Hines with a perfect strike at the Tech 35.
Tennessee scored eight plays later on James Stewart's 1-yard dive up the middle.
Two series later, the Vols' smooth freshman quarterback Peyton Manning burned the Hokies' secondary deep on successive plays covering a total of 78 yards to make it 14-0.
After Joey Kent beat Baron Spinner and made a great diving catch for a 42-yard gain, Manning found Martin Nash on a 36-yard floater over Tech's Torrian Gray for the score, capping a five-play, 93-yard drive.
The Vols made it 21-0 the next time they got the ball, traveling 80 yards in five plays.
The big play this time was a reverse to flanker Kendrick Jones that fooled the Hokies badly. Sweeping left, the wide-open Jones galloped to the Tech 5-yard line before being tackled by Brandon Semones.
Two plays later, backup tailback Jay Graham bowled over from the 1 for the score with 13 minutes, 23 seconds left before halftime.
``We never thought they'd be throwing deep on us so much,'' Gray said. ``We thought they were coming out and shoving the ball down our throats.''
The Hokies finally aroused some of its large contingent on hand, going 75 yards in 16 plays on their next drive to make it 21-7.
Tech kept the ball on the ground for all but one play on the drive. Dwayne Thomas, who had 103 of Tech's 189 yards rushing, plunged over the goal line from 6 inches on fourth-and-goal with 5:17 left in the half.
But any momentum Tech got from the score was erased less than two minutes later.
The Vols, operating behind their other freshman quarterback, Branndon Stewart, needed only six plays to travel 74 yards and go up 28-7.
There were three big plays in the drive - a 24-yard quarterback scramble, a 27-yard pass from Branndon Stewart to Kent and an 18-yard burst by James Stewart to the Tech 1, where he dived over for the score with 3:22 showing.
As if the Vols needed any more help, DeShazo gave them some on Tech's next drive. The turnover-plagued Hokies quarterback fumbled after being hit by Hines during a scramble, setting up Tennessee at the Tech 23.
The Vols needed only three plays to make it 35-7, scoring on James Stewart's 18-yard halfback option pass to Jones with 2:13 left.
Tech, behind six completions by DeShazo, quickly drove to the Vols' 11. While boos roared from the Tech fan section, Beamer brought on place-kicker Ryan Williams, who nailed a 28-yard field goal with 3 seconds left to make it 35-10.
The scoreboard didn't come close to supplying all the ugly first-half numbers for Tech. The Vols, averaging more than 10 yards a play, outgained the Hokies 331-204. Tennessee, which had the ball for only 11:46 in the half, did the damage both through the air (176 yards) and on the ground (155 yards).
``At that point,'' said Semones, ``we just wanted to win the second half. I didn't think we would have a chance to get back in the game.''
But the Hokies did.
DeShazo scored on a nifty 7-yard cutback scramble with 7:03 left in the third quarter to cap a nine-play, 75-yard drive and make it 35-16 after Williams pulled the extra point left.
Tech drove to the Vols' 20 with 1:35 left in the third quarter, but DeShazo fumbled the snap on a fourth-and-two and was buried by Scott Galyon.
After the Tech defense held the Vols to three-and-out on their next series, Tech blew a golden opportunity to get within 12 with a quarter left when wide-open flanker Bryan Still dropped a sure 61-yard touchdown pass.
``Old Bryan Still missed a touchdown catch and he doesn't miss many now,'' Beamer said. ``I think if he could have made that catch the game would have been real interesting after that.''
Gray said: ``They definitely took something out of us.''
The Hokies would get no more chances. The Vols locked it up on James Stewart's 5-yard run that made it 42-16 with 13:17 to play. John Becksvoort's 20-yard field goal with 9:41 left capped the a bowl-record scoring performance by the Vols.
Tech's final score came on a 9-yard pass by backup Jim Druckenmiller with 1:21 to play.
The Hokies finished with 426 yards total offense, more than enough to win most games.
``I thought things went fairly well offensively,'' Beamer said. ``We moved the ball but just had too many turnovers.''
by CNB