NCAAF FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- VIRGINIA (15) 7 0 14 15 36 VIRGINIA TECH (19) 17 12 0 3 32 FINAL
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QTR: VTCH - FG, SHAYNE GRAHAM 26 YD, 2:54 VTCH - TD, SHYRONE STITH 51 YD RUN (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 7:26 VTCH - TD, LAMONT PEGUES 1 YD RUN (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 8:52 VA - TD, THOMAS JONES 2 YD RUN (TODD BRAVERMAN KICK), 10:03 2ND QTR: VTCH - FG, SHAYNE GRAHAM 50 YD, 2:51 VTCH - TD, AL CLARK 1 YD RUN (TWO-POINT CONVERSION FAILED), 13:21 VTCH - FG, SHAYNE GRAHAM 24 YD, 15:00 3RD QTR: VA - TD, KEVIN COFFEY 24 YD PASS FROM AARON BROOKS (TODD BRAVERMAN KICK), 4:53 VA - TD, BYRON THWEATT 53 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN (TODD BRAVERMAN KICK), 12:27 4TH QTR: VTCH - FG, SHAYNE GRAHAM 46 YD, 2:48 VA - TD, THOMAS JONES 18 YD PASS FROM AARON BROOKS (AARON BROOKS RUN FOR TWO-POINT CONVERSION), 7:58 VA - TD, AHMAD HAWKINS 47 YD PASS FROM AARON BROOKS (TODD BRAVERMAN KICK), 12:59
Extended BoxNCAAF 1 2 3 4 F - - - - -- Virginia (15) 7 0 14 15 36 Virginia Tech (19) 17 12 0 3 32 FINAL
Virginia Tech-FG Graham 26 Virginia Tech-Stith 51 run (Graham kick) Virginia Tech-Pegues 1 run (Graham kick) Virginia-T Jones 2 run (Braverman kick) Virginia Tech-FG Graham 50 Virginia Tech-Clark 1 run (two-point conversion failed) Virginia Tech-FG Graham 24 Virginia-Coffey 24 pass from Brooks (Braverman kick) Virginia-Thweatt 53 interception return (Braverman kick) Virginia Tech-FG Graham 46 Virginia-T Jones 18 pass from Brooks (Brooks run for two-point conversion) Virginia-Hawkins 47 pass from Brooks (Braverman kick)
Virginia Virginia Tech First downs 20 21 Rushed-yards 31-73 49-172 Passing yards 345 189 Sacked-yards lost 2-6 6-40 Return yards 53 61 Passes 19-32-1 15-27-2 Punts 3-36.0 4-42.3 Fumbles-lost 2-2 1-0 Penalties-yards 6-49 6-57 Time of possession 26:20 33:40
Individual Statistics RUSHING: Virginia-T Jones 19-50, Brooks 8-16, Southern 1-5, Womack 3-2. Virginia Tech-Stith 17-124, Pegues 15-33, J Ferguson 3-12, Sorensen 1-11, Clark 12-4, Team 1-minus 12.
PASSING: Virginia-Brooks 19-32-1-345. Virginia Tech-Clark 13-22-1-172, Sorensen 2-5-1-17.
RECEIVING: Virginia-Wilkins 7-141, Coffey 5-111, T Jones 4-27, C Crawford 2-19, Hawkins 1-47. Virginia Tech-Hall 5-107, Handy 3-18, Harrison 2-26, Pegues 2-5, J Ferguson 1-18, A Davis 1-9, Stith 1-6.
Att: 53,207
Game StoryBLACKSBURG, Virginia (Ticker) -- Aaron Brooks' 47-yard touchdown pass to Ahmad Hawkins with just over two minutes to play capped a 22-point rally in the second half and gave 15th-ranked Virginia a stunning 36-32 victory over archrival Virginia Tech.
Brooks' touchdown toss, his third of the day, completed an oustanding five-play, 93-yard drive and lifted the Cavaliers (9-2) to a ninth victory for just the fifth time in school history. The 1895 team posted a 9-2 record, but nearly a century passed before the Cavaliers went 10-3 in 1989. Virginia was 9-3 in 1994 and 9-4 the following season.
"I think anything is possible. If you played nine other games, this probably would not happen again," said Virginia coach George Welsh. "But, that's the danger of getting up 17-0 so early sometimes. It's dangerous for them. I think they got tired on defense."
No matter what happened in this game, Virginia had already accepted an invitation to the Peach Bowl. The Hokies are headed to a postseason game, though their destiny is uncertain.
The Cavaliers were forced to start the game-winning drive from their own 7-yard line when Shane Beamer, the son of Hokies coach Frank Beamer, was able to down Jimmy Kibble's punt. After an incompletion, Brooks hit tight end Casey Crawford for nine-yard gain and followed with a three-yard pass to running back Thomas Jones for the first down.
There was some controversy on the next play -- a 23-yard pass from Brooks to Kevin Coffey, who appeared to trap the ball -- but the Cavaliers had gotten themselves room to work and Brooks took advantage. He dropped back and threw a pass to the left sideline that Hawkins hauled in at the 25 before racing to the end zone untouched by a fallen defender.
"I was thinking field goal," said Welsh of the game-winning march. "Three points ties it. Ironically, we had just talked about overtime in the staff meeting. It's hard to get a touchdown, that's why I was thinking field-goal range. I was hoping to get on the 15-yard line, not the 25 or 30 where we seem to stall out so much."
Brooks completed 19-of-32 passes for 345 yards while being picked off once. Terrence Wilkins hauled in seven passes for 141 yards and Coffey racked up 111 yards on five receptions.
Virginia Tech got back the ball but its desperation drive ended when backup quarterback Nick Sorensen was picked off at the Virginia 36 by linebacker Wali Rainer. Rainer also had 14 tackles, two sacks and broke up a pass.
Shayne Graham kicked four field goals, including a 50-yarder, for Virginia Tech (8-3), which has dropped two of its last three games in heartbreaking fashion. The Hokies lost to Syracuse, 28-26, two weeks ago on the final play of the game.
"I think it (blowing the lead) was a lot of what they did and some of what we did," said Frank Beamer. "You've got to give Brooks credit. They guy threw great down the stretch. Brooks got hot, and they made some great plays. They hung in there and deserved to win."
The Cavaliers were completely outplayed in the first half and trailed 29-7 after 30 minutes. But the game for the "Commonwealth Cup" immediately turned into a classic as Virginia staged a furious rally.
Brooks, who was bottled up in the first half, got Virginia back into the contest early in the third quarter with a 24-yard TD toss to Coffey.
The momentum turned later in the period when Virginia Tech's Al Clark threw a pass into the right flat that was picked off by linebacker Byron Thweatt, who returned it 53 yards for a score to bring the Cavaliers within 29-21.
"I think the real turning point was our interception for a touchdown," added Beamer. "We fought our way out of a hole. We had field position. Even if we just kick it there, we're in pretty good shape, and it turns around and goes into the end zone."
Graham briefly stemmed the tide early in the fourth quarter with a 46-yard field goal, but with 7:02 to play, Brooks lofted an 18-yard pass to Jones, who made a diving catch in the right corner of the end zone.
Clark completed a 55-yard bomb to Ricky Hall on the ensuing possession that moved the ball to the 30, well within Graham's range for another field goal. But the Hokies lost yardage on consecutive plays and were forced to punt.
"I don't think we played anything differently in the second half," added Welsh. "I think we got a little big more pressure on the ball. We were not in sync in the first half."
Clark completed 13-of-22 passses for 172 yards and was intercepted once for Virginia Tech, while Hall caught five passes for 107 yards.
The Hokies' dominance began early as they drove 56 yards in nine plays on the game's opening drive and took a 3-0 lead on Graham's 26-yarder. Virginia Tech got the ball back nearly five minutes later on its own 31 and on the second play, Shyrone Stith, who carried 17 times for a career-high 124 yards, burst around left end and went 51 yards for a touchdown.
It was then time for Virginia Tech's big-play defense to make a big play. On the next play from scrimmage, the Hokies defense burst through the line, causing Brooks and Jones to botch a handoff. Linebacker Jarrett Ferguson fell on the ball at the Cavs 16 and three plays later Lamont Pegues barreled his way for a one-yard TD run to make it 17-0.
Virginia got its only points of the first half with 4:57 to play in the first quarter when Jones plowed in for a two-yard TD. Graham's 50-yard field goal early in the second pushed the Hokies' lead to 20-7 and Virginia Tech let its defense take over.
Cornerback Loren Johnson picked off Brooks at midfield with less than two minutes to play in the half and returned it to the Virginia 8. Clark's one-yard quarterback sneak gave the Hokies a 26-7 lead after a failed two-point conversion attempt.
Johnson's interception marked the 23rd time a Hokies defender has picked off an opposing quarterback.
The Hokies quickly forced Virginia into a punting situation on the ensuing possession, but Todd Braverman managed an 11-yard effort and Virginia Tech took control on the Virginia 32 with 26 seconds left. Graham's 24-yard field goal as the gun sounded gave the Hokies a 29-7 lead as the teams left the field.
"This game meant a lot to me," said Graham, who in his junior year set a school record with 103 points. "Unfortunately we didn't win."