11/23/96 - 8:51PM ET - Click reload often for latest version
NCAAF FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- WEST VIRGINIA (23) 0 7 0 7 14 VIRGINIA TECH (17) 3 14 7 7 31 FINAL
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QTR: VTCH - FG, SHAYNE GRAHAM 21 YD, 7:28 2ND QTR: VTCH - TD, CODY WHIPPLE 35 YD PASS FROM JIM DRUCKENMILLER (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 2:34 WVA - TD, DAVID SAUNDERS 1 YD PASS FROM CHAD JOHNSTON (JAY TAYLOR KICK), 13:25 VTCH - TD, CORNELIUS WHITE 6 YD PASS FROM JIM DRUCKENMILLER (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 14:38 3RD QTR: VTCH - TD, KEN OXENDINE 39 YD RUN (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 3:39 4TH QTR: WVA - TD, ALVIN SWOOPE 16 YD RUN (JAY TAYLOR KICK), 3:20 VTCH - TD, KEN OXENDINE 2 YD RUN (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 8:55
ATT: 50,086
NCAAF 1 2 3 4 F - - - - -- West Virginia (23) 0 7 0 7 14 Virginia Tech (17) 3 14 7 7 31 FINAL
Virginia Tech-FG Graham 21 Virginia Tech-Whipple 35 pass from Druckenmiller (Graham kick) West Virginia-Saunders 1 pass from Johnston (Taylor kick) Virginia Tech-C White 6 pass from Druckenmiller (Graham kick) Virginia Tech-Oxendine 39 run (Graham kick) West Virginia-Swoope 16 run (Taylor kick) Virginia Tech-Oxendine 2 run (Graham kick)
West Virginia Virginia Tech First downs 24 18 Rushed-yards 39-129 38-127 Passing yards 209 238 Sacked-yards lost 5-41 2-14 Return yards 71 35 Passes 20-52-1 16-28-1 Punts 8-37.9 8-43.4 Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-1 Penalties-yards 7-59 5-39 Time of possession 32:58 27:02
Individual Statistics RUSHING: West Virginia-Zereoue 21-84, Swoope 6-53, White 4-22, Vanterpool 1-15, Johnston 7-minus 45. Virginia Tech-Oxendine 19-104, Stith 4-15, Parker 5-14, B Edmonds 5-9, Ellison 1-1, Druckenmiller 4-minus 16.
PASSING: West Virginia-Johnston 20-51-1-209, West 0-1-0-0. Virginia Tech-Druckenmiller 16-28-1-238.
RECEIVING: West Virginia-Saunders 9-87, Foreman 4-44, Becht 2-33, Wable 2-29, Vanterpool 2-minus 3, A Green 1-19. Virginia Tech-C White 6-77, B Edmonds 5-79, Scales 4-55, Jennings 1-27.
Att: 50,086
GAME RECAPJim Druckenmiller passed for two first-half touchdowns and Ken Oxendine rushed for two second-half scores to lead 17th-ranked Virginia Tech to a 31-14 win over 23rd-ranked West Virginia in the Big East finale for both schools.
Virginia Tech (9-1, 6-1 Big East) kept its hopes alive for a berth in the bowl alliance. The Hokies are one-half game behind Syracuse, which beat Temple Saturday and still has a home date with Miami (6-1 Big East) next week. In the event of a three-way tie, the berth in the bowl alliance would go to the highest ranked team, which currently is Syracuse.
"I am proud of the Virginia Tech football team," said Hokies coach Frank Beamer. "After big wins over East Carolina and Miami, this was a game in which we could have had a letdown. But our guys didn't let it happen. We played hard from the opening gun. We didn't always play well, but our intensity was outstanding."
The loss was the first in five road games for West Virginia (8-3, 4-3) this season. The Mountaineers finished in fourth-place in the Big East and will play Houston in the Liberty Bowl on December 27th.
"At least we know what bowl game we are going to," said West Virginia coach Don Nehlen. "I do not want to hear any West Virginia media writers saying that we are disappointed in going to the Liberty Bowl because we would have been lucky to go there last season."
Shayne Graham kicked a 21-yard field goal midway through the first quarter and Druckenmiller hit Cory Whipple with a 35-yard touchdown pass 2:34 into the second quarter to stake Virginia Tech to a 10-0 lead.
Chad Johnston connected with David Saunders on a one-yard scoring play with 1:35 left in the second quarter to pull West Virginia within 10-7.
But Virginia Tech marched 81 yards in nine plays in just 1:13, capped by a six-yard scoring pass from Druckenmiller to Cornelius White to give the Hokies a 17-7 halftime lead.
"The drive at the end of the first half was a key to the victory," said Beamer. "At first, we thought about just playing it safe and running out the clock. The drive was a thing of beauty. Jim Druckenmiller did a fine job of directing that and then hitting Corny White for the touchdown."
Druckenmiller completed 16-of-28 passes for 238 yards with an interception.
Oxendine, who rushed for 104 yards on 19 carries, broke off a 39-yard scoring run 3:39 into the third quarter to increase Virginia Tech's lead to 24-7. He added a two-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Oxendine has 706 rushing yards in his last five games.
Alvin Swoope scored on a 16-yard run with 11:40 left in the fourth quarter to pull West Virginia within 24-14. But Oxendine's two-yard scoring run with 6:05 remaining sealed the win for the Hokies.
"I never thought we were out of the game," said Nehlen. "We were in the game until the end."
West Virginia's Amos Zereoue rushed for 84 yards on 21 carries.
Virginia Tech has won six of the last eight meetings with West Virginia.