Best
Red Raider Bowl Moment:
Over the years, the bowl season has been anything but festive for
Tech. Covering 30 games since 1938, it’s lost 19 times and played
in January just twice over the last half century. The 1953 squad
was a rare exception. That explosive 11-1 team blew out Auburn
35-13 in a historic 1954 Gator Bowl. The game marked the first time
Tech was broadcast on television and gave birth to the Masked Rider
as a fabled school tradition.
Best Cavalier Bowl Moment: Virginia didn’t play in its first
bowl game until 1984, but has made up for lost time with 16
postseason appearances since then. The most exciting of the group
took place in the 1995 Peach Bowl. Just moments after the Cavs had
fumbled away the lead, Demetrius Allen returned the ensuing kickoff
83 yards to stun Georgia with only 57 seconds left on the clock.
Virginia's best win ...
Virginia 48 ... Miami 0
Virginia destroyed Miami in the Canes' final game in the
Orange Bowl as Mikell Simpson ran for two one-yard scores, Maurice
Covington caught a 29-yard touchdown pass, and Chris Gould nailed
field goals from 33 and 41 yards out. Miami's offense went nowhere
with nine first downs, five turnovers, and a lost fumble to
Virginia's Chris Cook, who took it 44 yards for a score. Virginia
outgained Miami 418 yards to 189. Player of the
game: Virginia QB Jameel
Sewell completed 20 of 25 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown with
an interception, and ran eight times for 28 yards and a score. Stat Leaders: Virginia - Passing: Jameel
Sewell, 20-25, 288 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Mikell Simpson, 22-93, 2 TD. Receiving:
John Phillips, 4-77 Miami - Passing: Kyle Wright, 9-21, 94 yds, 3
INT
Rushing: Javarris James, 15-53. Receiving: Chris Zellner,
2-35
Virginia's worst
performance ...
Wyoming 23 ... Virginia 3
Wyoming's defense embarrassed Virginia, holding the Cavalier
offense to 110 yards of total offense and only allowing a
42-yard field goal at the end of the first half. Billy Vinnedge
nailed field goals from 48, 40 and 39 yards for the Cowboys,
Karsten Sween threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Greg Bolling,
and Devin Moore all but sealed it with a 49-yard scoring dash
midway through the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers were outgained
218 yards to seven on the ground. Player of
the game ... Wyoming RB
Devin Moore ran for 125 yards and a score on 18 carries, and
added three catches for 47 yards. Stat Leaders: Virginia- Passing: Jameel
Sewell, 11-23, 87 yds, 2 INTs Rushing: Cedric Peerman, 7-18 Receiving: Maurice
Covington, 4-20 Wyoming - Passing: Karsten Sween, 25-34,
253 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Devin Moore, 18-125, 1 TD Receiving: Greg
Bolling, 5-43, 1 TD
Texas Tech's best win ...
Texas Tech 34 ... Oklahoma 27
Graham Harrell threw 72 times with touchdown passes to Michael
Crabtree and Erick Norris, to go along with a touchdown run, as
Texas Tech got up 34-10 midway through the third quarter. And then
things got interesting as OU got a 33-yard Garrett Hartley field
goal in the third and two Joey Halzle to Manuel Johnson touchdown
passes, connecting from 65 and nine yards out, in the fourth. The
Red Raiders recovered the onside kick after the second score and was
able to run out the clock. OU scored first on a 63-yard Lendy Holmes
interception return, but later in the first quarter lost QB Sam
Bradford to a concussion following an interception. Player of the
game: Texas Tech QB Graham
Harrell completed 47 of 72 passes fro 420 yards and two touchdowns
with two interceptions, and ran 12 yards for a score. Stat Leaders: Oklahoma - Passing: Joey Halzle,
21-41, 291 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT Rushing: DeMarco Murray, 19-94. Receiving:
Juaquin Iglesias, 7-73 Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 47-72,
420 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Aaron Crawford, 12-47, 1 TD. Receiving: Michael
Crabtree, 12-154, 1 TD
Texas Tech's worst performance ...
Colorado 31 ... Texas Tech 26
Colorado picked off Texas Tech's Graham Harrell four times
with Terrence Washington getting three, and Jordon Dizon taking one
42 yards for a score. Hugh Charles started off the scoring with a
31-yard touchdown run, and all but put the game away late in the
third on a six-yard scoring grab. The Red Raiders rallied with a
19-yard Michael Crabtree scoring catch and with two minutes to go, a
seven-yard Edward Britton scoring grab, but the Buffs held on. CU
outgained Texas Tech 217 yards to 39 on the ground. Player of the
game: Colorado RB Hugh Charles ran 20 times for 121 yards and a
touchdown, and led the team with five catches for 26 yards and a
score, and CB Terrence Washington made 3.5 tackles, three
interceptions, and broke up a pass. Stat Leaders: Colorado - Passing: Cody Hawkins,
15-26, 123 yds, 2 TD Rushing: Hugh Charles, 20-121, 1 TD. Receiving: Hugh
Charles, 5-26, 1 TD Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 46-62,
431 yds, 3 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Aaron Crawford, 2-31 Receiving: Michael
Crabtree, 12-131, 1 TD
2007 Gator Bowl
West Virginia 38 ... Georgia Tech 35
Down 28-10 in the first half, West Virginia roared back with a
mix of offense, brilliant play from Pat White, and a defense that
stuffed Georgia Tech for the final 28 minutes. The game was all
about the combination of Taylor Bennett, who took over for a
suspended Reggie Ball, and Calvin Johnson with the two hooking up
for touchdown passes of 31 and 48 yards. James Johnson caught a
27-yard pass to give the Yellow Jackets their big lead. And then
White took over, especially in the fourth quarter, with a 57-yard
touchdown pass to Tito Gonzalez, a 14-yard pass to Brandon Myles,
and after a stroke of bad luck with a fumble recovered after a punt
his a Georgia Tech player's leg, a 15-yard run for what would turn
out to be the game-winner. Georgia Tech had one last shot, but
Travis Bell missed a 54-yard field goal attempt. West Virginia star
Steve Slaton was dinged up early with a leg bruise, but Owen Schmitt
took over the rushing load with 109 yards and two touchdown runs. Player of the game ... West Virginia QB Pat White
completed nine of 15 passes for 131 yards and two touchdown and ran
22 times for 145 yards and a score Stat Leaders: West Virginia - Passing:
Pat White, 9-15, 131 yds, 2 TD Rushing: Pat White, 22-145, 1 TD. Receiving:
Brandon Myles, 6-54, 1 TD Georgia Tech - Passing: Taylor Bennett,
19-29, 326 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Tashard Choice, 27-169, 2 TD. Receiving:
Calvin Johnson, 9-186, 2 TD
