09/14/96 - 6:49PM ET - Click reload often for latest version
NCAAF VIRGINIA TECH (19) 45 BOSTON COLLEGE 7 0:01 LEFT, 4TH QTR
NCAAF 1 2 3 4 F - - - - -- Virginia Tech (19) 21 0 14 10 45 Boston College 7 0 0 0 7 FINAL
Virginia Tech-Jennings 9 pass from Druckenmiller (Graham kick) Virginia Tech-Stith 8 run (Graham kick) Boston College-Pollack 9 pass from Hasselbeck (Matich kick) Virginia Tech-B Edmonds 21 run (Graham kick) Virginia Tech-B Edmonds 19 run (Graham kick) Virginia Tech-Stith 10 run (Graham kick) Virginia Tech-Jennings 15 pass from Druckenmiller (Graham kick) Virginia Tech-FG Graham 26
Virginia TechBoston College First downs 22 22 Rushed-yards 44-215 34-55 Passing yards 226 221 Sacked-yards lost 0-0 7-70 Return yards 78 162 Passes 14-25-1 25-42-1 Punts 2-28.5 4-42.0 Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0 Penalties-yards 6-77 4-45 Time of possession 30:16 29:44
Individual Statistics RUSHING: Virginia Tech-Stith 20-80, B Edmonds 5-45, Gildersleeve 8-39, Druckenmiller 5-38, Layne 4-10, Harrison 1-2, Clark 1-1. Boston College-Lee 8-54, O Walker 6-32, Cloud 7-29, Harding 1-minus 9, Hasselbeck 12-minus 51.
PASSING: Virginia Tech-Druckenmiller 13-24-1-214, Clark 1-1-0-12. Boston College-Hasselbeck 25-42-1-221.
RECEIVING: Virginia Tech-C White 5-98, Stuewe 3-37, Jennings 2-24, Harrison 1-27, Scales 1-14, Gildersleeve 1-14, Ford 1-12. Boston College-Watson 8-83, Pollack 4-34, Dicosmo 3-22, Everson 2-29, Harding 2-24, O Walker 2-20, Cloud 2-9, Newman 1-1, Chamberlin 1-minus 1.
Att: 00,000
GAME RECAPBrian Edmonds and freshman Shyrone Stith each ran for a pair of scores and Jim Druckenmiller threw two touchdown passes to tight end Bryan Jennings as number 19 Virginia Tech opened its Big East season with a 45-7 win at Boston College.
The Hokies (2-0, 1-0 Big East), who have a school-record 12-game winning streak, avenged their only conference loss last season, when they won a share of the Big East title. They have won a school-record nine straight road games.
Boston College (1-1, 0-1), which won at Hawaii two weeks ago, visits number 11 Michigan next week.
Virginia Tech, which ran for 206 yards and outgained the Eagles 422-274, built a 14-0 lead in the first 6:49.
The Hokies took the opening kickoff and marched 72 yards in seven plays before Druckenmiller threw a nine-yard touchdown pass -- his 11th straight game with a scoring strike -- to Jennings to open the scoring at 2:39.
Druckenmiller was 13-for-24 for 224 yards and one interception.
"I think we were all a little disappointed with last week," Druckenmiller said. "I think we're still missing a tailback from what we thought we'd have at the beginning of the year, but then Stith comes in and steps up. Our tailbacks did a real good job today. We came out this week with our guns loaded. We do have something to prove. Everyone's doubting us. I don't know what you guys think now, but I know we feel real good about ourselves."
Kelon Carpenter blocked Jason Malecki's punt on the ensuing series and Stith capped a 36-yard drive with an eight-yard touchdown burst up the middle 4:10 later to double the lead.
Stith, a true freshman who ran for over 100 yards in the season opener, became the starter when Ken Oxendine went down with a separated shoulder.
"The blocking today was tremendous," Stith said. "The coaches put me on the first team because they belive in me; I can't let them down. I had to do what I had to do, like last week and hopefully for weeks to come."
Matt Hasselbeck tossed a nine-yard touchdown pass to Todd Pollack to cap an eight-play, 80-yard march that closed Boston College within 14-7 with 4:30 left in the first quarter.
Edmonds ran 21 yards for a touchdown 2:17 later to restore Virginia Tech's 14-point lead and finish the scoring in the first half. The march was just 45 yards, as Boston College kicked off from its own 20-yard line after a personal foul on the Eagles' touchdown.
Shalom Tolfree, who also had an interception, blocked John Thomas' punt and Boston College got the ball at Virginia Tech's 7-yard line with 7:18 left in the second quarter.
Omari Walker ran to the 1, Hasselbeck threw incomplete, Walker was stuffed for no gain and Hasselbeck threw a pass to fullback Frank Chamberlain for a one-yard loss on fourth-and-goal as Virginia Tech held onto its 14-7 lead.
"I made a mistake there," admitted Hasselbeck, who was 25-for-42 for 221 yards, an interception and was sacked seven times for 70 yards. "I looked up at the scoreboard and thought we were still on third down. I saw third-and-one and I must have looked up too early. If we didn't get it, I thought we would be able to go for it again and kick a field goal. Virginia Tech's defense really crashes in on the goal line and we knew that."
"I think the significant (point) of the game (was when) we blocked a kick and got it in the end zone and they blocked a kick and didn't get it in the end zone," Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said. "That says something about our defense and what it's all about. That could have turned things around a little bit if they had gotten in the end zone."
Edmonds took a quick handoff and exploded through the middle of the line on a misdirection play for a 19-yard touchdown run that increased the Hokies' bulge to 28-7 with 8:44 left in the third quarter. The 65-yard drive covered 10 plays and the Hokies coverted all three of their third down plays.
Virginia Tech was 9-of-14 in third-down conversions and held the Eagles to 2-of-12.
"We came in here and played a good football team the way you like to play it," Beamer said. "I think we're still in the growing stage. We're still finding out what our team is all about."
Stith's 11-yard scoring run made it 35-7 with 4:48 left in the third quarter and capped a 47-yard drive that was set up when Hasselbeck, the son of former NFL tight end Don Hasselbeck, took a 23-yard loss on a third-down sack by linebacker Brandon Semones the series before.
Hasselbeck threw an interception to Antonio Banks and Druckenmiller drove the Hokies down the field before hitting Jennings for a 15-yard score to increase the lead to 35 points with 10:39 left. Shayne Graham booted a 26-yard field goal with 6:19 left for the final margin.
"Coming into this game, I really thought we had a great opportunity to win," Hasselbeck said. "We had a great game plan, I was very happy with the game plan. Even when we were down 14-0, I honestly thought we were going to win. It's just devastating to lose and lose the way we did. We just didn't capitalize on opportunities; the scheme was perfect, I thought. They did exactly what we thought they would do, we just need to convert out chances."
Virginia Tech, which plays on grass at home in Blacksburg, has won five straight games and seven of its last eight on artificial turf.