NCAAF GATOR BOWL VIRGINIA TECH VS NORTH CAROLINA NOTE: RE-SENDING BOX TO CORRECT TEAM PUNTING STATS FOR BOTH TEAMS.
NCAAF 1 2 3 4 F - - - - -- Virginia Tech 0 0 3 0 3 North Carolina (5) 16 6 6 14 42 FINAL
North Carolina-FG Mcgee 29 North Carolina-Barnes 62 pass from Keldorf (Mcgee kick) North Carolina-Bly 6 blocked punt return (kick failed) North Carolina-G Ellis recovered fumble in end zone (two-point conversion failed) North Carolina-Linton 1 run (kick failed) Virginia Tech-FG Graham 40 North Carolina-Barnes 14 pass from Keldorf (Mcgee kick) North Carolina-Carrick 4 pass from Keldorf (Mcgee kick)
Virginia Tech North Carolina First downs 14 18 Rushed-yards 40-95 37-109 Passing yards 90 318 Sacked-yards lost 2-9 5-40 Return yards 11 25 Passes 13-25-0 18-29-0 Punts 6-38.8 3-40.3 Fumbles-lost 6-3 0-0 Penalties-yards 4-36 6-61 Time of possession 30:29 29:31
Individual Statistics RUSHING: Virginia Tech-Oxendine 10-39, Scales 1-29, Pegues 7-27, Sorensen 10-19, Parker 4-2, C Hawkins 1-1, Clark 7-minus 22. North Carolina-Linton 20-68, Geter 7-25, D Williams 5-24, Keldorf 5-minus 8.
PASSING: Virginia Tech-Clark 9-17-0-66, Sorensen 4-8-0-24. North Carolina-Keldorf 17-28-0-290, Schmitz 1-1-0-28.
RECEIVING: Virginia Tech-Parker 4-32, Harrison 4-21, Stuewe 2-24, Scales 1-13, Ellison 1-3, Oxendine 1-minus 3. North Carolina-Linton 6-81, Crumpler 5-77, Barnes 3-89, N Brown 2-39, Simmons 1-28, Carrick 1-4.
Att: 54,116
GAME RECAPChris Keldorf threw three touchdown passes and fifth-ranked North Carolina got defensive and special teams scores in a 42-3 swarming of Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida, giving Carl Torbush a victory in his debut as coach.
Two of Keldorf's touchdown tosses went to Octavus Barnes as North Carolina (11-1), snubbed for an Alliance bowl berth, posted its first 11-win campaign since 1980 and just the third in school history.
Keldorf, who missed last year's Gator Bowl with an injury, completed 17-of-28 for 290 yards and was named the Gator Bowl Most Valuable Player. Ironically, he was starting in place of Oscar Davenport, last year's Gator Bowl MVP, who missed the game with a broken right ankle.
"Any time he (Keldorf) needs a recommendation for a job, he has one from me," said Torbush. "He is a great leader."
Virginia Tech (7-5), which missed out on an Alliance bowl berth for the first time in three seasons, fell to 3-8 lifetime in bowl games and dropped its second straight postseason game.
Torbush, who molded the Tar Heels into the second-ranked defense in the nation, was promoted from defensive coordinator December 8th when Mack Brown stepped down to become coach at Texas.
"Our special teams did a great job today," said Torbush. "I thought we were sound in every area."
North Carolina forced three fumbles that led to 19 points, sacked quarterback Al Clark five times, and outgained Virginia Tech, 427-185. The defense also stopped the Hokies' 15th-ranked rushing attack, holding Ken Oxendine to 39 yards on 10 carries and Lamont Pegues to 27 yards on seven carries.
"They got us in all areas today," said Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer. "I don't know when we helped a team as much as today. Defensively, they're physical, they get in your face, and take you back."
Following a 29-yard field goal by Josh McGee on their opening drive of the game, the Tar Heels took a 10-0 lead just over three minutes later when Keldorf connected with Barnes down the left sideline for a 62-yard scoring strike.
North Carolina extended its lead to 16-0 when Dre' Bly and Quinton Savage converged to block a punt by Jimmy Kibble, with Bly returning it six yards for a score. It was North Carolina's fifth blocked punt of the season and third returned for a TD.
The Tar Heels continued to pressure the Hokies, and on the first play of the second quarter, linebacker Brian Simmons sacked Al Clark and forced a fumble that defensive end Greg Ellis recovered in the end zone, making it 22-0. North Carolina outgained Virginia Tech, 204-43, in the first half.
Barnes, who also caught a 14-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, had three catches for 89 yards. Running back Jonathan Linton was a double threat, rushing for 68 yards and a score on 20 carries and catching six passes for 81 yards.
Star linebacker Kivuusama Mays, safety Greg Williams and cornerback Robert Williams, three of seven Tar Heels charged with simple assault in connection with a late-night fight on December 5th in Chapel Hill, were declared eligible to play and all three started. Mays had seven tackles, while Greg and Robert Williams both had two tackles.
Clark completed just 9-of-17 for 66 yards before being replaced at the start of the second half by Nick Sorensen, who was 4-of-8 for 24 yards.
North Carolina improved to 10-12 in the postseason and has won its last three bowl games, including last year's Gator Bowl triumph over West Virginia.