ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, November 17, 1996 TAG: 9611180127
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: MIAMI
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
If Keion Carpenter never makes another play in his Virginia Tech football career, so what.
After what transpired Saturday evening at the Orange Bowl, the backup free safety is ensured a permanent place in Hokies football lore.
With Miami driving for a potential tying touchdown, Carpenter intercepted a Scott Covington pass and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown with 1:54 left to seal Tech's 21-7 upset victory.
``Who would have ever imagined Keion Carpenter?'' said Brandon Semones, a senior linebacker for Tech. ``I think that's probably the biggest play since I've been here.''
Carpenter, a backup playing only because starting safety Torrian Gray had been moved to cornerback in place of true freshman Anthony Midget, called the play ``a miracle.''
``I always dreamed about playing the 'Canes,'' said Carpenter, a Baltimore native. ``I never thought I'd be the one to make the big play. In the Orange Bowl, period the whole deal I always dreamed about it. And it happened.''
And 21st-ranked Tech (8-1 overall, 5-1 Big East) had its first victory ever over No.18 Miami (6-3, 4-1) at the Orange Bowl.
The loss was the Hurricanes' first at home in Big East play and their third in a row at the aging stadium overall. The last time Miami completed that dubious hat trick was the last two games of the 1984 season and the first of 1985.
``This win puts us on a pretty short list,'' said Frank Beamer, the Hokies' coach. ``How many teams have won here in the last 10 years. Five?''
Exactly.
Now it's six.
Miami kicker Andy Crosland missed field-goal attempts from 22 and 38 yards with the wind at his back. Two plays before Carpenter's game-clinching pick, Miami wideout Tony Gaiter dropped a sure touchdown pass in front of Tech defender Loren Johnson at the Hokies' 2-yard line.
``So many things went our way,'' Semones said. ``It was like it was almost meant to be.''
After going up 14-7 on Michael Stuewe's diving 13-yard touchdown catch and Shayne Graham's conversion kick with 4:01 to play in the third quarter, Tech had to stave off two serious Miami threats in the fourth period.
Miami drove to the Hokies' 21 early in the fourth quarter, only to come away empty when Crosland's 38-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide right.
During the drive, the Hurricanes lost their starting quarterback, Ryan Clement, to a sprained right ankle when he was sacked simultaneously by Cornell Brown and John Engelberger.
Clement, who spent the final 14:50 on the bench, completed 17 of 26 passes for 202 yards.
Two possessions later, the Hurricanes came right back with 3:44 left. Covington hit Yatil Green for completions of 15, 19 and 31 yards to help hustle the ball to the Tech 14 with 3:10 left.
Covington then hit Gaiter with a pass right between the numbers. But the ball bounced away as the receiver turned upfield toward the goal line.
``I couldn't believe it,'' Johnson said. ``It was right in his hands. We dodged one there.''
Two plays later, on fourth-and-four from the Tech 8, Covington dropped back and looked for Gaiter slanting toward the goal line. Covington zipped the ball toward the center of the end zone.
The pass went right to Carpenter, who took off like a scalded dog down field for a Tech touchdown.
``I was getting ready to say, `Which end of the field are we going to go to in overtime?''' Beamer said. ``Then I saw him make the interception and I wanted him to get down so we could run some time off the clock and try to end this thing.''
Carpenter ended it, all right.
Covington ``threw the ball right to me,'' Carpenter said of his first collegiate interception. ``This may be the biggest play of my life. Ever.''
Senior center Billy Conaty, watching from the Tech sideline, couldn't believe his eyes as he saw Carpenter streak past the Hokies' bench en route to the end zone.
``Everybody was going nuts,'' Conaty said. ``He was like a blur going past us. Man, that guy was moving. Wasn't anybody going to catch him, I knew that.''
Down 14, Miami drove deep into Tech territory again in the final 90 seconds, but Gray's interception with 40 seconds left ended any hopes of a miraculous finish.
``What a game,'' Gray said. ``The kid, Carpenter, stepped up and made the big play. We all made a bunch of big plays.''
Miami, which outgained Tech 450 yards to 322, had its chances. The 'Canes squandered a a huge opportunity near the end of the first half.
With the score tied at 7, Miami drove to the Tech 1. After the ball was moved to the half-yard line when the Hokies were penalized for having too many men on the field, Miami decided to go for a touchdown. But the 'Canes didn't get enough players on the field, and the play clock ran out on Clement. After a 5-yard delay-of-game penalty, Crosland misfired from 22 yards.
``That was a big momentum swing there,'' Beamer said.
Tech, which has produced five points and 333 yards total offense in its past two games at the Orange Bowl, was directed marvelously by Jim Druckenmiller. The Hokies quarterback completed 15 of 24 passes for 202 yards.
``That guy really knows how to play in big games,'' Beamer said.
Tech didn't run the ball as much or as effectively as expected. The Hokies, who entered the game averaging 255 yards per game, were held to 120 on Saturday. Ken Oxendine, who capped Tech's 86-yard game-opening drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, had a game-high 89 yards on 19 carries.
``We've got a lot of good players who can come up with good plays,'' Beamer said.
No play was bigger or better than Carpenter's interception and return.
``What a night,'' the sophomore said. ``I'll never forget this the rest of my life.''
No Hokie will. see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Long : 124 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 1. GENE DALTON STAFF Tailback Ken Oxendine dives intoby CNBthe end zone from 1 yard to give Virginia Tech the early lead
Saturday against Miami. color
2. GENE DALTON STAFF Wide receiver Michael Stuewe (31) gets a lift
from his Tech teammates after catching a 13-yard TD pass Saturday.
color
3. AP Virginia Tech defensive end Cornell Brown (58) sacks Miami
quarterback Ryan Clement during the third quarter Saturday. color
4. GENE DALTON STAFF Sophomore safety Keion Carpenter tells his Tech
teammates about the 100-yard interception return that sealed the
Hokies' 21-7 upset victory over Miami on Saturday at the Orange
Bowl. color