Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 22, 1995 TAG: 9510230054
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PISCATAWAY, N.J. LENGTH: Long
First, the Hokies' flight to New Jersey on Friday afternoon was delayed for two hours, forcing them to cancel a scheduled workout at Rutgers Stadium.
Then, 2 1/2 hours before kickoff, the Hokies learned they would be without offensive coordinator Rickey Bustle, victim of a sudden kidney stone attack.
"I was saying to myself, `Holy cow, what else is going to happen to us up here,''' Tech co-defensive coordinator Bud Foster said.
Just a little bit of history, that's all.
In front of 19,292 witnesses disguised as Hefty Bags, Tech finally trashed the demons of Rutgers, blowing away the Scarlet Knights 45-17.
It was Tech's first triumph in four trips to Rutgers. Tech's fifth straight victory improved it to 3-1 in the Big East Conference and 5-2 overall, virtually assuring the Hokies of a third consecutive bowl bid.
If the Hokies had lost this Mud Bowl, their names would have been just that - mud.
Leading 31-10 with 19 minutes left, the Hokies couldn't help but suffer flashbacks of their previous fourth-quarter flops the past three years versus Rutgers (1-5, 0-3).
When the Scarlet Knights cashed Jim Druckenmiller's fumble in for a touchdown to make it a 14-point game with 13:57 left, more than one Hokie was saying "here we go again.''
"They've killed us in the fourth quarter the past three years, outscoring us about 100 and some to 7 [62-7],'' said J.C. Price, Tech's senior defensive tackle.
"We all looked at each other and told ourselves, `This ain't happening again.' We were going to do everything in our power to not let this thing slip away.''
Price & Co. made sure of that. When Rutgers got the ball back with 9:45 left, the Tech defense applied the stopper, getting back-to-back sacks from defensive end Cornell Brown and sophomore linebacker Kory Irby.
Irby, who entered the game late in the second quarter when starter Brandon Semones sustained a concussion, came up big again on Rutgers' next series. Irby pasted Knights backup quarterback Robert Higgins on a blitz. The ball shot up in the air, where it was caught by Tech's Hank Coleman, who rumbled 51 yards for a touchdown.
Now leading 38-17 with 5:41 left, did the Hokies finally feel safe?
"Not really,'' said Frank Beamer, Tech coach. "I did feel pretty good about things when [Myron] Newsome did his thing, though.''
Newsome ended any Tech doubts only 69 seconds later, when he intercepted a Higgins pass and chugged 71 yards to make it a 28-point bulge.
"I felt safe then,'' Coleman said. "We had discussed it the whole week about playing four quarters against this team this time.''
Beamer, still haunted by Tech's 50-49 loss here in 1992 on a Rutgers touchdown pass with no time left, added: "I've seen too many things happen against Rutgers to ever feel safe. But we played the fourth quarter well this time around. The defense took charge and got it done.''
The Hokies' defense held Rutgers to only 223 yards total offense, including a season-low 78 yards on the ground. Rutgers entered the game leading the Big East in total offense (441.4 yards per game) and rushing offense (221.4).
Price, having the season of his life, had four of Tech's 10 tackles for loss. Irby had two of the Hokies' six sacks.
"They really only had one drive the whole game on us,'' Foster said. "And when they cut it to 31-17, we just told the kids that it's the same situation we've been in for the last three years against these guys and we've got to turn the wick up. They responded.''
Offensively, Tech did what it had to do. Besides the fourth-quarter fumble, Druckenmiller was an efficient 16-of-29 passing for 235 yards. He threw for two touchdowns - a 7-yarder to Bryan Still with six seconds left in the half to give Tech the lead for good and a 40-yarder to Jermaine Holmes in the third quarter that made it 24-10.
The Hokies got plenty of help from the self-destructing hosts. Rutgers committed several costly penalties that kept Tech drives alive, including a double dead-ball foul that set up Druckenmiller's TD pass to Still before halftime.
After Druckenmiller spiked the ball at the Rutgers 27 to kill the clock with 17 seconds left in the half, Tech picked up 20 yards when Rutgers defensive tackle Rashod Swinger pushed Tech center Billy Conaty to the ground for a 15-yard personal foul. Tech got five more yards - half the distance to the goal line - when Rutgers' Rudy Smith was called for unsportsmanlike conduct after saying something to the official and kicking the ball.
Two plays later, Druckenmiller hit Still on a crossing pattern for the go-ahead score.
"I thought that was key,'' Beamer said. "Instead of trailing we go into the half with the lead.''
And this time, the Hokies, unlike in past Rutgers games, didn't lose it.
"It makes you feel good,'' Price said. "We sat around in the airport for two hours [Friday], then we lose Coach Bustle this morning. Weird things were happening. But we came over here today and finally did what we wanted to do.''
NOTE: Please see micorfilm for scores.
by CNB