Indeed, that win sparked a winning streak. The Hokies won their next seven games, entering the Virginia game with an 8-2 record and a No. 20 national ranking. The Cavaliers came in ranked No. 13 with an 8-3 mark.
Normally, in-state bragging rights suffice as motivation, but more was on the line for the Hokies. They needed a win to keep alive their hopes of playing in the school’s first Alliance bowl, and they needed to do so impressively, considering the political shenanigans that often took place during the bowl selection process in those days.
Tech’s players, though, really weren’t in tune with all that. A simplistic one-game-at-a-time approach had worked nicely for them, and Virginia just happened to be the next game.
“When you’re in the moment, you really don’t realize how much is at stake at that time,” Banks said. “Guys are just out there playing hard, playing for 60 minutes and laying it out there on the field. It was just a bunch of blue-collar guys that found a way to win at all costs … We thought if we just played good, sound defense and offense didn’t turn the ball over, we’ve got a chance to win.”
Tech fell behind 7-0 and then grabbed a 14-7 lead before Virginia scored the next 22 points over the second and third quarters. The Hokies struggled to muster much in the way of offense, punting five times in the first half and failing one other time to convert on fourth down at the Virginia 33. In the third quarter, two interceptions killed drives, leaving the Hokies trailing 29-14 heading to the fourth quarter.
The Hokies climbed back into the game by scoring on back-to-back possessions to start the final 15 minutes. Holmes’ 10-yard touchdown reception and Larsen’s 35-yard field goal cut the lead to 29-23. Tech then caught a break when Virginia’s Rafael Garcia came up short on a 46-yard field-goal attempt with 2:12 remaining.
Tech took over at its 29, but three straight incomplete passes left the Hokies facing fourth-and-10. Then Druckenmiller connected with Cornelius White for a 14-yard gain – one of the biggest plays in the game and one not talked about often.
“It was a little in-route,” Druckenmiller recalled. “He got hit, too. That play set up the touchdown. They were biting [on the route].”
Later in the drive, Druckenmiller connected with Michael Stuewe along the sideline for an 11-yard gain on third-and-9 that got the Hokies to the Virginia 32 – another big play and one oft-forgotten.
At this point, a tired White, who normally played in the slot, switched positions with Holmes, who played on the outside, to get a little breather. The move made sense considering the Hokies had thrown the ball on nine consecutive plays.
On first down, Druckenmiller called a play designed to get Holmes matched up against Virginia safety Percy Ellsworth and to get Ellsworth to bite on a hook-and-go route – similar to the play to White that netted the first down.
“When Jim called that play, it’s like the light bulb goes on, the hair on your arms raise up because you know what that play is and you know what could potentially happen,” Holmes said. “You know that someone is going to be open because it’s a hook-and-go, so it’s designed for the receiver to run a 10- or 12-yard hook and then go [deep].”
“I knew it was a home run shot,” Druckenmiller said. “It was either going to be a touchdown or not.”
Druckenmiller dropped back, pumped once, and then let it fly toward Holmes, who had slipped behind Ellsworth. The ball appeared to overthrown, but somehow floated down to earth in the perfect spot.
“My first thought was, ‘Man, he overthrew me,’” Holmes said. “I just kept running and running and running and stretched out at the end to bring the catch in. But that was my first reaction. It was, ‘Oh my gosh, he overthrew me.’”
“Nah, man,” Druckenmiller laughed when asked if he thought he had overthrown him. “I thought it was perfect. I really did – but then I think I’m going to complete everything.”
Holmes caught the ball over his outside shoulder for a touchdown before stumbling out of the back of the end zone. He then jumped into White’s arms, and both fell to the ground. Other players joined in, creating a pile of humanity.
“As I’m catching the ball, the other thing that’s going through my mind is that I better not drop it, right?” Holmes said. “So that’s the other thing. You’re so wide open, and those are like the moments when you have a ‘gimme’ catch and you end up dropping it … Once it touched my hands and arms and bringing it in, it was just pure silence. I heard nothing else. It was the moment of silence and then the explosion of noise and cheers and joy and all those things rolled into one.”
"later" - Google News
November 18, 2020 at 11:13PM
https://ift.tt/2IMnCZq
Twenty-five years later, remembering 1995 win at UVA still a trip for former Tech players - VT hokiesports.com
"later" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2KR2wq4
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Twenty-five years later, remembering 1995 win at UVA still a trip for former Tech players - VT hokiesports.com"
Post a Comment