THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 31, 1994 TAG: 9412310446
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: GAINESVILLE, FLA. LENGTH: Medium: 92 lines
Early in the season, defense carried Virginia Tech. Late in the season, lack of defense buried Virginia Tech.
What had been referred to as the biggest bowl in Hokie football history turned into the most embarrassing one. Tennessee burned Tech, 45-23, in the highest scoring of the 50 Gator Bowls before 62,200 in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Tennessee scored 35 first-half points, breaking a Gator Bowl record Oklahoma had set with 34 points against Virginia in 1991. The Vols' band played ``Rocky Top'' so much in the first half after scores, even Tennessee fans had to get sick of it.
Defense had been No. 17 Tech's calling card the first eight games of the season when the Hokies allowed just 102 points. But defense became their albatross in the final four games, when the Hokies allowed 145 points.
Tennessee (8-4), behind the smooth operating of freshman quarterback Peyton Manning (12 of 19, 189 yards and one touchdown), rolled up 495 total yards, the most against the Hokies this year. The Vols' point total was also a season high against Tech. Tennessee had a balanced attack, with 250 passing yards and 245 rushing.
``It wasn't easy for us, but we were ready for them,'' said Vols' tailback James Stewart, the game's most valuable player with 85 yards rushing and three touchdowns. ``They played hard like we thought they would, we just played a little bit harder.''
Things started bad for Tech (8-4), and just got worse.
On the second play from scrimmage, quarterback Maurice DeShazo rolled out and threw an awful pass right into the hands of Tennessee linebacker Tyrone Hines. Tennessee took seven plays to convert the turnover into a touchdown with 11:41 to play in the first half.
The Vols' second scoring drive was keyed by a third-down conversion. Manning hit receiver Joey Kent for a 13-yard gain on third-and-8 at the Vols 9. On the next play, Kent made a laid-out diving catch for a 42-yard gain.
Manning followed the 42-yard pass with a 36-yard beauty to Marcus Nash, who got behind Torrian Gray for a touchdown for a 14-0 lead with 1:37 to play in the first quarter.
After Tech went three and out, on the first play of the second quarter, flanker Kendrick Jones scooted 76 yards on a reverse that completely fooled the Hokies. He carried it to the Tech 5, and three plays later Jay Graham carried it in for a 21-0 lead.
The Hokies got on the scoreboard with a 16-play, 76-yard drive that included two fourth-down conversions, one of which was Dwayne Thomas' 1-yard touchdown plunge.
But the score didn't slow the Vols' momentum. Branndon Stewart, Tennessee's other freshman quarterback, came in to engineer a 74-yard drive capped by a 1-yard James Stewart run and 28-7 Vols lead.
DeShazo promptly fumbled while scrambling on Tech's next play from scrimmage, and Tennessee needed three plays to score on a 19-yard halfback pass from Stewart to Kendrick Jones for a 35-7 lead with 2:13 left in the half. Tech added a late field goal by Ryan Williams to trail, 35-10, at the half.
``They were playing well, and we helped them,'' Beamer said.
At halftime the Vols had 155 yards rushing, 176 passing for 331 total yards - more than the 308.3 Tech surrendered per game during the regular season.
``At halftime we said, `Let's just come out and win the second half,' '' Tech linebacker Brandon Semones said.
The Hokies did, by three points.
``You have to look at something positive out of it,'' Semones shrugged.
The Hokies moved the ball better in the second half, but made critical mistakes that thwarted a comeback bid.
DeShazo scrambled 7 yards for a touchdown on Tech's first second-half possession to close the gap to 35-16 as Williams missed the extra point. But on the next series DeShazo dropped the snap from center on fourth-and-two from Tennessee's 21. The next time Tech had the ball, Bryan Still dropped a sure touchdown pass.
DeShazo closed out his Virginia Tech career with two of his sorriest performances against Virginia and Tennessee. He threw an interception in his final snap from center and Tennessee turned that into another touchdown for a 45-16 lead. With 9 1/2 minutes to play, Jim Druckenmiller took over for DeShazo, who finished 17 of 30 for 140 yards, two interceptions and no touchdowns. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Christopher Reddick, Staff
Tennessee's Shane Burton and Scott Galyon blast into the Virginia
Tech backfield, knocking running back Ken Oxendine for a loss.
Photos by PAUL AIKEN, Staff
Tennessee's Scott Galyon charges Virginia Tech's Maurice DeShazo,
who later ended his Hokies career with an interception.
Virginia Tech linebacker Andy Miller shows his dejection.
by CNB