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(More) Excerpts from the New VT Football Book Hokie Games

Rich Tandler attended Virginia Tech in the mid 1970's and was immediately hooked on Hokie football. Rich has written the definitive history of the Virginia Tech program, from the standpoint that matters the most: what happened on the field.

The name of the book is Hokie Games, and it recounts the score and key plays from every Virginia Tech football game played from the start of the 1945 season through the last game of the 2006 season. You can get old scores anywhere, but Hokie Games gives you the flow of the action and the important moments and players, not just a line with point totals and a date on it.

From the Hokie Games web site: Hokie Games is the most complete book ever written about any college sports team, ever. The first Hokie game you ever watched? It's in there. Forgotten classics? Got 'em all. Learn about or relive the '72 game when Don Strock lit up Houston for 527 yards in the air or the 1966 VMI game when Tommy Francisco got into the end zone six times. Remember watching a great game with your kid or your dad? You can relive it. Are the details of the '99 thriller at West Virginia, the one that featured Vick's jaw-dropping run and Graham's clutch kick that kept the national title chances alive a little fuzzy? Hokie Games brings back every detail.

** SPECIAL OFFER FOR TSL READERS **

For the next month in TSLMail, we'll be bringing you two excerpts a week from Hokie Games, enough to whet your appetite for this outstanding collection. Rich Tandler is also making a special offer for TSL readers: pre-order your copy now, and you'll get free shipping, and Rich will personally autograph your copy. To take advantage of this special offer, go to:

http://www.hokiegames.com/tsl.html

Note that when you're checking out, you need to enter the promo code "TSL" in the appropriate box.

Please allow six weeks for delivery, since this is a pre-order.

Now, on to the games ....

#21 Virginia Tech (8-1) 21, #18 Miami (6-3) 7
November 16, 1996, Miami, Florida

Orange Bowl -- Keion Carpenter returned an interception 100 yards for the clinching touchdown in Virginia Tech's 21-7 win over Miami.

It was Tech's first win in the Orange Bowl in eight tries. The Hokies are now 2-12 all time against the Hurricanes but the good part is that the two wins have come in their last two contests.

Carpenter certainly was not the game's only hero. Jim Druckenmiller threw for 202 yards and a touchdown. His 13-yard touchdown pass to receiver Michael Stuewe late in the third quarter gave the Hokies the lead that Carpenter sealed with his interception return.

Druckenmiller had his list of stellar performers as well. "The offensive line just did a great job of blocking for me," he said. "I was really proud of our goal-line defense today. That was really the key to the game."

Tech scored to first time it had the ball, moving 86 yards in 12 plays. On fourth and goal at the one the Hokies made an early statement by going for the touchdown. Ken Oxendine got in and Tech had a 7-0 lead.

Miami stormed right back. They took 12 plays to move 92 yards and Ryan Clement capped the drive with a two-yard touchdown pass to Chris Jones.

The teams' respective defenses took over the game after that. The only serious scoring threat in the second quarter came right at the end of it. The Hurricanes drove down to the Tech one and, out of timeouts, they had to take a penalty to stop the clock for a field goal try. Andy Crosland missed the 22-yard attempt as time in the half ran out.

The game remained tied at seven until Druckenmiller threw to Stuewe in the end zone. The receiver made a diving catch for the touchdown to give Tech a 14-7 lead with 4:10 left in the third quarter.

Again the defenses stiffened until Miami's final, desperate drive. Clement had been knocked out of the game in the third quarter and it was up to backup Scott Covington to tie up the game. On fourth and four at the eight, Covington threw over the middle to the goal line. Carpenter picked it off, headed to the right sideline and he was gone, as was the Hokies' 0-for at the Orange Bowl.

Virginia Tech (5-1-1) 23, Florida State (3-3) 21
October 29, 1966, Blacksburg, Virginia

Lane Stadium -- Frank Loria's 80-yard punt return for a touchdown gave Virginia Tech a third-quarter lead and the Gobblers held on for a 23-21 win over Florida State.

Loria was one of a number of heroes on display for the Hokies. Defensive end Dan Mooney got Tech on the board with an end zone sack of reserve quarterback Kim Hammond to give Tech its first two points of the game.

Tech expanded its lead after taking the ensuing free kick at the FSU 43. A 30-yard pass from Tommy Stafford to Tommy Francisco got the Gobblers down to the 13 and from there, Stafford fired to Ken Barefoot for a touchdown. Jon Utin kicked the first of his three conversions and Tech led 9-0 with 2:45 left in the first quarter.

The Seminoles responded, with Bill Moreman scoring a touchdown on a three-yard run with just under four minutes left in the second quarter to cut the Tech lead to 9-7. It looked like FSU would take the lead into the locker room when they drove deep into Gobbler territory as halftime approached, but Frank Beamer came up with an end zone interception to kill the threat.

After intermission Florida State took to the air on almost every snap. Seminole quarterback Gary Pajcic would set a school record with 53 pass attempts (29 completions, 338 yards). With four and a half minutes gone in the opening quarter, Pajcic connected with Hammond for seven yards and a score. FSU had the lead a 14-9.

But the edge was short lived. Two and a half minutes later Loria fielded John Hosack's booming 54-yard punt at the 20 and followed excellent blocking to take it to the house. Utin converted for a 16-14 Tech lead.

Wanting to go for the kill, Gobbler coach Jerry Claiborne called for an onside kick after Loria's big play. It worked perfectly as Tech recovered at the Seminole 47 and drove in for a touchdown. The score came on a 10-yard pass from Stafford to Francisco and Tech was back up by nine at 23-14.

FSU stormed back behind the passing of Pajcic, moving 86 yards in just seven plays. Moreman again scored the six, this time on a seven-yard run, making it 23-21 late in the third period.

The fourth quarter was scoreless but the Seminoles put a couple of scares into the homecoming crowd of 31,000 at Lane Stadium. Tech stopped FSU just inches from the goal line the next time the Seminoles had the ball. Then, with time running out, linebacker Ken Whitley picked off a Pajcic pass at the Tech 15.

** SPECIAL OFFER FOR TSL READERS **

Again, to take advantage of Rich's special offer to TSL readers (free shipping and an autographed copy of Hokie Games), go to:

http://www.hokiegames.com/tsl.html

Note that when you're checking out, you need to enter the promo code "TSL" in the appropriate box.