11/10/96 - 3:27AM ET - Click reload often for latest version
NCAAF FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- EAST CAROLINA 0 7 0 7 14 VIRGINIA TECH (25) 0 14 7 14 35 FINAL
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QTR: NONE 2ND QTR: VTCH - TD, MICHAEL STUEWE 65 YD PASS FROM JIM DRUCKENMILLER (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 2:12 VTCH - TD, CORNELIUS WHITE 23 YD PASS FROM JIM DRUCKENMILLER (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 7:30 ECU - TD, LARRY SHANNON 74 YD PASS FROM DAN GONZALEZ (CHAD HOLCOMB KICK), 14:19 3RD QTR: VTCH - TD, KEN OXENDINE 3 YD RUN (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 9:10 4TH QTR: ECU - TD, LAMONT CHAPPELL 10 YD PASS FROM DAN GONZALEZ (CHAD HOLCOMB KICK), 0:17 VTCH - TD, BRIAN EDMONDS 15 YD PASS FROM JIM DRUCKENMILLER (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 6:27 VTCH - TD, MARCUS PARKER 14 YD RUN (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 10:21
NCAAF 1 2 3 4 F - - - - -- East Carolina 0 7 0 7 14 Virginia Tech (25) 0 14 7 14 35 FINAL
Virginia Tech-Stuewe 65 pass from Druckenmiller (Graham kick) Virginia Tech-C White 23 pass from Druckenmiller (Graham kick) East Carolina-Shannon 74 pass from Gonzalez (Holcomb kick) Virginia Tech-Oxendine 3 run (Graham kick) East Carolina-Chappell 10 pass from Gonzalez (Holcomb kick) Virginia Tech-B Edmonds 15 pass from Druckenmiller (Graham kick) Virginia Tech-Parker 14 run (Graham kick)
East Carolina Virginia Tech First downs 14 25 Rushed-yards 24-47 51-323 Passing yards 258 268 Sacked-yards lost 1-4 3-12 Return yards 0 55 Passes 17-35-2 15-23-0 Punts 8-43.4 5-31.2 Fumbles-lost 0-0 3-3 Penalties-yards 7-77 6-58 Time of possession 22:37 37:23
Individual Statistics RUSHING: East Carolina-Harley 19-54, Gonzalez 5-minus 7. Virginia Tech-Parker 18-117, Oxendine 15-99, Druckenmiller 5-41, B Edmonds 8-37, Stith 4-26, Ellison 1-3.
PASSING: East Carolina-Gonzalez 17-35-2-258. Virginia Tech-Druckenmiller 15-23-0-268.
RECEIVING: East Carolina-Shannon 3-94, Sc Richards 3-43, Harley 3-29, Galloway 3-19, Chappell 2-40, Nichols 2-23, Smith 1-10. Virginia Tech-C White 4-75, E Crawford 3-59, Stuewe 2-70, Scales 2-26, B Edmonds 2-22, Parker 1-10, Jennings 1-6.
Att: 49,128
GAME RECAPJim Druckenmiller threw three touchdown passes as 25th-ranked Virginia Tech overcame the absence of eight suspended players to post a 35-14 non-conference victory over East Carolina.
The Hokies (7-1) played without All-American defensive end Cornell Brown, starting fullback Brian Edmonds and five others after indictments were handed down by Montgomery County prosecutors for the players' roles in an on-campus brawl. Another player was indicted for a separate incident and suspended for the season.
It also was the 100th coaching victory for Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer.
"I've never been prouder to be in a room with a group of football players than I was tonight," Beamer said. "These guys have faced a lot of adversity, but they held their heads high and went out and played a great football game."
"Let me say we beat a good team," he added. "East Carolina has the ability to score from long range and you saw how that works tonight. You never feel safe against East Carolina. I know their number one quarterback was sidelined. But that guy who was in the lineup certainly wasn't bad."
Druckenmiller snapped a scoreless tie with a 65-yard touchdown pass to Michael Stuewe 2:12 into the second quarter. He added a 23-yard scoring strike to Cornelius White to make it 14-0 midway through the second quarter.
East Carolina (6-3) pulled within 21-14 on a 10-yard pass from backup quarterback Dan Gonzalez to Lamont Chappell 17 seconds into the fourth quarter, but Druckenmiller answered with a 15-yard scoring toss to Brian Edmonds to restore Virginia Tech's 14-point lead with 8:33 to play.
Pirates quarterback Marcus Crandell did not play due to a sprained left knee.
The Hokies lead the all-time series, 6-4, and this game was just the third in those 10 games that was decided by more than 11 points.
Druckenmiller completed 15-of-23 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Junior Marcus Parker rushed for a career-high 117 yards on 18 carries and White hauled in four catches for 73 yards.
"I thought Jim Druckenmiller played one of his greatest games for Virginia Tech tonight," said Beamer. "When the going gets tough, that is when Jim is at his best. He's quite a competitor and you saw that on the field of battle tonight."
Gonzalez, who entered the game with 11 completions in 21 attempts for 88 yards as the primary backup, went 17-for-35 with two interceptions, two touchdowns and 258 yards.
"I want to say I'm very proud of my team," said Pirates coach Steve Logan. "We played really well against a tough team. I will have to give Virginia Tech credit, they are the best team that we have played in the last two years."
East Carolina's Scott Harley added 54 yards on 19 carries and Larry Shannon caught three passes for 94 yards and a touchdown.
Gonzalez pulled the Pirates within 14-7 late in the first half when he hooked up with Shannon in the final minute.
Ken Oxendine restored the Hokies' 14-point bulge with a three-yard run with 5:50 to go in the third quarter. After Druckenmiller's TD pass, Parker capped the scoring with a 14-yard dash with 4:39 remaining.
Virginia Tech rolled up 323 yards on the ground and 591 yards of total offense, averaging eight yards per play. The Hokies lost three fumbles, keeping East Carolina in the game. Virginia Tech also controlled the clock, holding the ball for more than 37 minutes.
"We did have a few openings after their fumbles, but their defense just played well," Logan said. "They made the plays when they had to. We did not play bad, they just played on another level than we did."
Oxendine had 99 yards on 15 carries, barely ending his 100-yard rushing streak at three games.