Spectrum - Volume 19 Issue 15 December 12, 1996 - Hokies face Huskers in Orange Bowl

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Hokies face Huskers in Orange Bowl

Spectrum Volume 19 Issue 15 - December 12, 1996

Virginia Tech's 10-1 Hokies will be spending time in Florida for the holidays this year after being selected to play the University of Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.

The team ended the regular season with a 26-9 win over Virginia. The 10 wins during the regular season established a new record, and the team ended the season tied for first place in the Big East after Miami's upset of Syracuse. The tiebreaker favored Tech, and the Hokies knew that an alliance bowl would be the next step, with the best bet being the Orange Bowl against the University of Florida.

When Texas upset Nebraska in the Big 12 Conference championship, the bowl remained the same for Tech, but the Cornhuskers were selected instead of Florida.

Nebraska is ranked sixth, while Tech has been ranked tenth. Nebraska, 10-2, has won the national championship the past two years, and traditionally has one of the nations' strongest football programs.

Tech has won its last seven games, and has beaten seven nationally ranked opponents during the past two seasons. They have also won 20 of their last 21 games.

Coach Frank Beamer said he was surprised to hear of the caliber of his opponent, but that the underdog Hokies would not back down from any opponent.

The game is scheduled for 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 31, at Pro Players Stadium in Miami. The game will be televised nationally by CBS.

Tickets for the game went on sale Monday. Tickets are $125, $75, and $60 each. Ticket orders will be accepted over the counter at the Ticket Office in Cassell Coliseum. The on-campus telephone number at the Ticket Office is 1-6731; the toll-free number is 1-800-828-3244.

Tech has been allotted 15,000 tickets initially, and 3,000 or 4,000 additional tickets may be made available if the initial allotment is sold.

Local travel agencies are offering a number of packages for those interested in attending the game.