THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 19, 1995 TAG: 9511190615
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer wants the big bowls and national media to take another look at his team.
``We are getting prettier all the time. Maybe even glamorous,'' Beamer said after the Hokies came from 15 points down in the final quarter Saturday to beat 13th-ranked Virginia 36-29.
Quarterback Jim Druckenmiller led the comeback with two touchdown passes to senior wide receiver Jermaine Holmes.
Druckenmiller's final touchdown pass and Atle Larsen's extra point gave the 20th-ranked Hokies a 30-29 lead with 47 seconds remaining. Cornerback Antonio Banks finished off the victory with a 65-yard interception return as time expired.
``That's a heckuva finish for a heckuva football team,'' Beamer said. ``I would be surprised now if one of the Alliance bowls don't want to take us. We have an exciting team with a great following.''
His remarks were directed to critics who claimed that the Hokies are the least attractive big-time program in the country and do not belong in the running for one of the Alliance bowl bids.
But as impressive and dramatic as Tech's ninth straight victory was, the Hokies (9-2) still must wait until Big East rivals Syracuse and Miami finish their seasons to learn their bowl fate. Bowl sources indicated that the Orange Bowl is still cool on the Hokies but that the Sugar Bowl is warming very quickly.
If no Alliance bowls buys Beamer's lobbying, the Hokies apparently will play Clemson in the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day.
Virginia's fourth loss - each by seven points or less - dropped the Cavaliers out of contention for an Alliance bowl, as well as from the Gator Bowl picture. The Cavaliers (8-4) are expected to wind up in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30 against a Southeast Conference team.
The Hokies spent most of a cold afternoon battling from behind before Druckenmiller completed the comeback with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Holmes in the final minute. If not for Banks' game-ending interception return, the Cavaliers would have suffered their third one-point loss of the season.
Virginia led 22-14 at halftime after little-used backup quarterback Tim Sherman, filling in after Mike Groh injured his left knee, threw for a a pair of second-quarter touchdowns.
Groh started the second half and took Virginia on a 74-yard scoring drive, ended by Tiki Barber's 9-yard run, for a 29-14 lead.
Druckenmiller, whose long passes set up both of Tech's two first-quarter touchdowns, ignited the comeback with a 10-yard touchdown toss to Holmes two minutes into the fourth quarter.
Larsen's 35-yard field goal at 6:58 cut Virginia's lead to 29-23.
Virginia, which aided Tech's comeback with numerous mistakes, seemed to regain control with 4:08 left when a Druckenmiller pass bounced off Virginia linebacker Jamie Sharper and was picked off by tackle Todd White.
The Cavaliers failed to capitalize, though, as their drive stalled and Rafael Garcia's 46-yard field attempt was short.
Eighty-five seconds later, on first down from Virginia's 32, Druckenmiller fooled Cavaliers safety Percy Ellsworth with a pump fake and threw the tying touchdown to a wide-open Holmes.
Holmes said he had watched film of Virginia's defensive backs overreacting to pump fakes and was confident the play would work.
``Their free safety (Percy Ellsworth) bit on the fake and I just ran under the ball in the end zone,'' Holmes said.
Ellsworth, who leads the Cavaliers with six interceptions this season, admitted that he was fooled by the pump.
``I take full responsibility for this loss, and I will apologize to my teammates,'' the senior safety said. ``Our secondary has been aggressive all season, which is why we've had so many picks. I was trying to make the big play again and got fooled by the fake.''
Ellsworth couldn't take the rap alone, though.
Poor center snaps resulted in a short 39-yard drive for Tech's first fourth-quarter touchdown and a 3-yard drive for its field goal later in the period.
Numerous penalties also took the wind out of a couple of U.Va. offensive opportunities.
The Cavaliers were without leading receiver Pat Jeffers (hamstring), and his replacement Germane Crowell missed most of the second half with a sprained ankle.
Crowell had three catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, when the Cavaliers passed for 228 yards. With Crowell on the sidelines in the second half, the Cavaliers threw for only 89 yards and no touchdowns.
Virginia got only 103 yards from its rushing game as Barber was held to a season-low 58 yards. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
HUY NGUYEN/The Virginian-Pilot
Virginia Tech quarterback Jim Druckenmiller gets a lift from Hokies
fans as they swarm the field after the 20th-ranked Hokies beat
Virginia at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville.
by CNB