ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, January 2, 1996 TAG: 9601020181
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NEW ORLEANS
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
FORMER GLENVAR standout had nine tackles, a QB sack and a pass breakup in a sweet performance in Sunday's Sugar Bowl.
Virginia Tech's leading tackler in Sunday night's landmark Sugar Bowl victory over Texas was:
A. Cornell Brown, a guy who may forgo his senior season to enter the NFL draft.
B. J.C. Price, a guy who is better than a long shot to make somebody's NFL roster next year.
C. George DelRicco, the first guy since Mike Johnson (1981-83) to rack up three consecutive 100-plus-tackle seasons at Tech.
The correct answer?
D. None of the above.
How about Brandon Semones? You know, the former Glenvar High School standout, the kid who was supposed to be way too small to play big-time college football when he came to Tech in 1993.
Semones, who at 6 feet, 204 pounds - on good days anyway - is one of the nation's smallest linebackers, came up huge for the Hokies in the 28-10 triumph over the Longhorns.
Playing Tech's ``whip'' linebacker spot, a position co-defensive coordinator Rod Sharpless called ``critical'' before the game, Semones had nine tackles - three for losses - plus a sack and a pass breakup.
``It's very satisfying to me to play like I did,'' Semones said Monday. ``The coaches had told me and [rover] Torrian Gray our play outside would be big roles. They [the Longhorns] do a lot of screens, throwbacks and things like that.''
Gray, also a junior, came through big-time, too, picking off two passes and breaking up two more.
Semones and Gray were just part of a Tech defense that stymied Texas to Longhorn season lows in virtually every offensive category. The Hokies' defensive speed proved too much for Texas' ``BMW'' offense.
``We have a lot of team speed, and I think that was a big factor,'' Semones said. ``But truth was I was very surprised we held them that low, especially playing on [artificial] turf and with the quality backs they had.''
Semones said Sugar Bowl MVP Bryan Still's 60-yard punt return for a touchdown late in the first half that cut Texas' lead to three points, at 10-7, was the swing point of the game.
``I felt when it was 10-0 that if they scored again, it might get out of our hands,'' he said. ``Bryan's touchdown gave us the confidence we'd come back.''
Like the other hordes of Hokies in town, Semones said New Year's Eve 1995 will be almost impossible to top.
``I'll never forget this one,'' Semones said. ``It can't get any better than this.
``I had about 30 people, including family and friends, come down for the game. They're all happy. I'm happy.''
LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: DON PETERSEN/Staff Tech's Brandon Semones (left) chasesby CNBdown Texas running back Shon Mitchell during Sunday's Sugar Bowl in
New Orleans. color