11/16/96 - 9:40PM ET - Click reload often for latest version
NCAAF FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- VIRGINIA TECH (21) 7 0 7 7 21 MIAMI FLA (18) 7 0 0 0 7 FINAL
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QTR: VTCH - TD, KEN OXENDINE 1 YD RUN (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 8:34 MFLA - TD, CHRIS C. JONES 2 YD PASS FROM RYAN CLEMENT (ANDY CROSLAND KICK), 14:14 2ND QTR: NONE 3RD QTR: VTCH - TD, MICHAEL STUEWE 13 YD PASS FROM JIM DRUCKENMILLER (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 10:59 4TH QTR: VTCH - TD, KEION CARPENTER 100 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 13:06
NCAAF 1 2 3 4 F - - - - -- Virginia Tech (21) 7 0 7 7 21 Miami Fla (18) 7 0 0 0 7 FINAL
Virginia Tech-Oxendine 1 run (Graham kick) Miami Fla-Ch Jones 2 pass from Clement (Crosland kick) Virginia Tech-Stuewe 13 pass from Druckenmiller (Graham kick) Virginia Tech-Carpenter 100 interception return (Graham kick)
Virginia Tech Miami Fla First downs 18 24 Rushed-yards 41-120 29-110 Passing yards 202 340 Sacked-yards lost 2-14 3-27 Return yards 146 21 Passes 15-24-0 28-48-2 Punts 5-30.6 6-37.2 Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0 Penalties-yards 7-53 8-60 Time of possession 30:49 29:11
Individual Statistics RUSHING: Virginia Tech-Oxendine 19-89, Parker 10-31, B Edmonds 3-1, Druckenmiller 9-minus 1. Miami Fla-T Jones 15-83, James 8-47, Williams 1-7, Covington 2-0, Clement 3-minus 27.
PASSING: Virginia Tech-Druckenmiller 15-24-0-202. Miami Fla-Clement 17-26-0-202, Covington 11-22-2-138.
RECEIVING: Virginia Tech-Scales 4-71, C White 3-28, Stuewe 2-31, Parker 2-19, Jennings 1-21, Oxendine 1-15, B Edmonds 1-11, J Crawford 1-6. Miami Fla-Green 9-152, T Jones 6-17, T Gaiter 4-64, Williams 2-41, Benton 2-24, Fulcher 1-24, Atrio 1-12, Daphnis 1-6, Ch Jones 1-2, James 1-minus 2.
Att: 38,814
GAME RECAPJim Druckenmiller threw for 202 yards and a touchdown and Keion Carpenter returned an interception 100 yards for a score to give 21st-ranked Virginia Tech a 21-7 Big East Conference victory over number 18 Miami.
The Hokies (8-1, 5-1 Big East) won at the Orange Bowl for the first time in eight tries and stayed in contention for a bowl alliance berth. Virginia Tech has won two straight from Miami after losing the first 12 meetings.
"It was a great win for our team, but we don't have much time to celebrate because we have West Virginia next week," Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said.
The Hurricanes (6-3, 4-1) have lost three straight games at the Orange Bowl for the first time in 11 years. Miami lost its last two home games in 1984 and its 1985 opener. In the interim, it set an NCAA record with 58 consecutive home wins.
"This is the best effort our kids have given in my two years here," Miami coach Butch Davis said. "If we play this hard in the future, we are going to be a great football team."
With the score tied 7-7, Druckenmiller hit Michael Stuewe with a 13-yard touchdown pass with 4:01 remaining in the third quarter. Stuewe made a diving catch for his fourth score of the season.
Tech's defense knocked Miami starting quarterback Ryan Clement out of the game with a sprained right ankle in the third period, but backup Scott Covington engineered a late drive to the Hokies 14.
On third down, receiver Tony Gaiter ran a down-and-out and was wide open at the 1, but let Covington's pass sail through his hands. Covington ran six yards to set up 4th-and-4 and threw over the middle. Carpenter, who has blocked three punts this season, picked off the pass and sped up the right sideline for the clinching score with 1:54 to play.
"I'm glad I played, but it's very disappointing that we did not win," Covington said. "When it was fourth down at the end of the game, I felt I had to throw the ball in the end zone."
"It was really frustrating not being there at the end of the game," Clement said. "I'm really close to all the guys on the offense and I felt like we could have scored."
Druckenmiller completed 15-of-24 passes with no interceptions. Ken Oxendine carried 19 times for 89 yards and a touchdown for Virginia Tech, which needs Miami to beat Syracuse in order to win the Big East.
"The offensive line just did a great job of blocking for me," Druckenmiller said. "I was really proud of our goal-line defense today. That was really the key to the game."
Covington was 11-of-22 for 138 yards and two interceptions. Clement was 17-of-26 for 202 yards and a touchdown. Yatil Green caught nine passes for 152 yards and Trent Jones had 83 yards on 15 carries. Miami outgained Virginia Tech, 450-322.
Both teams scored on their first possession. Druckenmiller led the Hokies on a 12-play, 86-yard march capped by Oxendine's one-yard TD run on fourth down.
The Hurricanes came right back, driving 92 yards in 12 plays. Clement hit Chris Jones with a two-yard scoring toss with 46 seconds left in the quarter.
Miami squandered a chance to take the lead just before halftime. The 'Canes moved to the Tech 1, but had no timeouts and were forced to take a penalty. Andy Crosland came on and missed a 22-yard field goal.
The key to this game was the fact that we didn't cause any turnovers, and also we squandered too many scoring chances," Davis said.