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1995 Virginia Tech Hokies football team

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1995 Virginia Tech Hokies football
Big East co-champion
Sugar Bowl champion
Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy
Sugar Bowl, W 28–10 vs. Texas
ConferenceBig East Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 9
APNo. 10
Record10–2 (6–1 Big East)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorRickey Bustle (2nd season)
Offensive schemeMultiple
Co-defensive coordinators
Base defense4–4
Home stadiumLane Stadium
Seasons
← 1994
1996 →
1995 Big East Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 10 Virginia Tech +   6 – 1     10 – 2  
No. 20 Miami (FL) +   6 – 1     8 – 3  
No. 19 Syracuse   5 – 2     9 – 3  
West Virginia   4 – 3     5 – 6  
Boston College   4 – 3     4 – 8  
Rutgers   2 – 5     4 – 7  
Temple   1 – 6     1 – 10  
Pittsburgh   0 – 7     2 – 9  
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1995 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represented Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) as a member of the Big East Conference during the 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by ninth-year head coach Frank Beamer, the Hokies compiled an overall record of 10–2, with a mark of 6–1 in conference play, finished as Big East co-champion, and won the Sugar Bowl 28–10 over Texas — the first elite bowl appearance in program history and, in the judgment of many, the most consequential single-game victory in Virginia Tech football to that point. It is widely regarded as the second most important season in program history, surpassed only by the 1999 national championship run that it made possible.[1]

The season began in the worst possible fashion. The Hokies had lost four of their last five games dating to the 1994 season, and back-to-back home losses to Boston College and Cincinnati — the latter a 16–0 shutout, the first time Tech had failed to score at home since a loss to VMI in 1981, and the first time in school history the program had lost its first two home games of a season — left Beamer's program at an existential crossroads. The shutout would prove to be the last time the Hokies failed to score for at least 20 seasons, beginning a scoring streak that was still active entering the 2026 season. Against that backdrop, the September 23 home game against No. 17 Miami carried a weight far beyond its place on the schedule. Virginia Tech had never beaten the Hurricanes in 14 all-time attempts. Since the two programs joined the Big East together, the Canes had won by scores of 43–23, 21–2, and 24–3. Miami had not lost to an unranked opponent in 71 straight games, dating to 1984 — a span that encompassed four national championships. Tech dominated every phase of the game but led only 13–7 with two minutes remaining, having missed four of six field goal attempts. When Miami drove to the Tech 27 with 23 seconds left needing a first down, backup quarterback Ryan Clement heaved a desperation pass toward Yatil Green, a future first-round NFL draft pick, at the five-yard line. Freshman cornerback Loren Johnson — a Miami native who had been passed over by the Hurricanes — broke up the pass, and the ball fell incomplete. Tech had its first win ever over Miami. "I really think we found our Virginia Tech football program today," Beamer said afterward. In his autobiographies, Beamer calls it the biggest win in Virginia Tech history and the turning point of the program.[1]

The nine-game winning streak that followed transformed the program's ambitions entirely. Tech won at Pittsburgh, at Navy, at home over Akron, at Rutgers, at West Virginia (a 27–0 shutout with eight sacks), and at home over No. 20 Syracuse — where Cornell Brown sacked Donovan McNabb three times and the Hokies outgained the Orange 448–167. But the Big East's Bowl Alliance picture was complicated: because Tech had lost to Boston College in the opener, either Miami or Syracuse could claim the Alliance spot over the Hokies despite losing to Tech head-to-head. The logjam broke on November 30, when the NCAA announced that Miami would accept a one-year bowl ban to resolve its pending recruiting violations. Virginia Tech, having beaten Miami and Syracuse directly, became the Big East's representative in the Bowl Alliance. The path to the Sugar Bowl, a game that had always belonged to the powerhouses of college football, ran through one more obstacle: a road game at No. 13 Virginia, down 29–14 with 25 minutes remaining, against a program that had dominated possession and yardage for three quarters. The Hokies scored 22 points in the fourth quarter, capped by Jermaine Holmes's 32-yard touchdown catch with 47 seconds left and Antonio Banks's walk-off 65-yard interception return at the final gun to win 36–29. "This is the biggest win I've ever been involved in," said Druckenmiller, who completed 6-of-10 passes on the final drive for 76 yards.[1]

The Sugar Bowl, played December 31, 1995 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, matched Virginia Tech against a Texas program that was tied with Tennessee for the most bowl appearances in college football history (36) and was playing in its 24th traditional New Year's game. Beamer framed the stakes precisely: "Texas is at the point where we're trying to get to. If we can find a way to beat Texas, it makes us more legit." Tech sold its allotment of 15,000 tickets in three days and procured 2,500 more. Down 10–0 in the second quarter, Still returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown to trail 10–7 at halftime; Parker's two-yard run with 2:32 left in the third quarter gave Tech its first lead in a major bowl. Texas, which had a 21-0-1 record when leading at halftime, could not regain the lead. Three fourth-quarter interceptions by the defense — Yarborough, Gray twice — and Brown's sack-fumble returned 20 yards for a touchdown by Jim Baron sealed a 28–10 victory. Texas, which had two 1,000-yard rushers including freshman Ricky Williams, was held to 226 total yards, exactly 100 in the second half. "The nine straight wins that Virginia Tech mustered after the horrid 0-2 start led to the biggest reward in the history of the Tech football team," the team's historian wrote of the Sugar Bowl. While Beamer views the Miami win as the biggest of his tenure, others argue the Texas victory was the biggest statement win in program history.[1]

Offensively, the Hokies scored 321 points — 29.2 per game — while running for 2,027 yards at 4.3 per carry across 11 regular-season games. Quarterback Jim Druckenmiller completed 151 of 292 passes for 2,103 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions with a 120.5 passer efficiency rating. Tailback Dwayne Thomas led the ground game with 673 yards and seven touchdowns; Ken Oxendine contributed 593 yards and four touchdowns. Wide receiver Bryan Still led the receiving corps with 628 yards on 32 catches (19.6-yard average) and three touchdowns, while Jermaine Holmes caught 29 passes for 468 yards and six scores. Kicker Atle Larsen converted 12 of 20 field goal attempts. Defensively, the unit — led by Bud Foster in his first season as co-defensive coordinator installing what would become known as the "Lunch Pail Defense" — recorded 41 sacks for 322 yards and 13 interceptions with four returned for touchdowns, while holding opponents to 2.0 yards per rush and 27% on third downs. Defensive end Cornell Brown led the team with 14 sacks for 114 yards; J.C. Price added eight sacks including four in the Miami game; George DelRicco led in tackles with 137; and William Yarborough led the secondary with five interceptions.[1]

Schedule

[edit]
DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 78:00 p.m.Boston CollegeNo. 20
ESPNL 14–2044,426[2]
September 1612:00 p.m.Cincinnati*
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
L 0–1636,328[3]
September 2312:00 p.m.No. 17 Miami (FL)
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA (rivalry)
BENW 13–751,206[4]
September 3012:00 p.m.at Pittsburgh
BENW 26–1631,036[5]
October 71:30 p.m.at Navy*
W 14–031,114[6]
October 141:00 p.m.Akron*dagger
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
W 77–2740,688[7]
October 211:00 p.m.at Rutgers
W 45–1719,292[8]
October 2812:00 p.m.at West Virginia
BENW 27–059,819[9]
November 43:30 p.m.No. 20 Syracuse
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
ABCW 31–751,239[10]
November 111:00 p.m.vs. TempleNo. 21
W 38–1620,371[11]
November 1812:00 p.m.at No. 13 Virginia*No. 20
ABCW 36–2943,600[12]
December 316:00 p.m.vs. No. 9 Texas*No. 13
ABCW 28–1070,283[13]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[14]

Rankings

[edit]
See also: 1995 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked
Week
PollPre123456789101112131415Final
AP242420————————212013131310
Coaches Poll—22—19181111119

Game summaries

[edit]

Boston College

[edit]
Boston College at Virginia Tech
Team 1 234Total
• Eagles 7 760 20
No. 22 Hokies 0 707 14
  • Date: September 7, 1995
  • Location: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
  • Game start: 8:01 pm
  • Elapsed time: 3:24
  • Game attendance: 44,426
  • Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), Partly Cloudy, Wind NE 5–8 mph (8.0–12.9 km/h)
  • Referee: John Soffey
  • Television network: ESPN
 
Scoring summary
111:59BCTodd Pollack 11-yard pass from Mark Hartsell (Dan McGuire kick)BC 7–0
29:26BCDennis Harding 4-yard pass from Mark Hartsell (Dan McGuire kick)BC 14–0
9:07VTBryan Still 80-yard pass from Jim Druckenmiller (Atle Larsen kick)BC 14–7
37:55BCMike Hemmert 3-yard pass from Mark Hartsell (Dan McGuire kick failed, blocked by Waverly Jackson)BC 20–7
414:25VTBrian Edmonds 1-yard run (Atle Larsen kick)BC 20–14
See also: 1995 Boston College Eagles football team and Boston College–Virginia Tech football rivalry

No. 22 Virginia Tech fell to Boston College 20–14 in the ESPN Thursday night season opener at Lane Stadium, its fourth loss in the last five games stretching back into the previous season. Boston College built a 14–0 lead on two first-half touchdown passes before Jim Druckenmiller connected with Bryan Still on the very next play after the second score — Still catching the ball three yards beyond the line, outrunning the BC secondary down the right sideline for an 80-yard touchdown, the longest passing score for the program since 1973.

Waverly Jackson blocked the extra point after Boston College’s third-quarter score to keep the deficit at 13. A 10-play fourth-quarter drive culminated in Brian Edmonds’ one-yard plunge at 14:25 to pull within six, and Druckenmiller moved the Hokies to the BC 19 with 17 seconds left before four straight incompletions ended the threat.

Druckenmiller finished 21-of-43 for 296 yards; Still led receivers with 105 yards on three catches. Dwayne Thomas rushed for 61 yards and George DelRicco led the defense with 11 tackles. Boston College held possession for 33:37 to Tech’s 26:23.[2]

Cincinnati

[edit]
Cincinnati at Virginia Tech
Team 1 234Total
• Bearcats 0 1600 16
Virginia Tech 0 000 0
  • Date: September 16, 1995
  • Location: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
  • Game start: 12:00 pm
  • Elapsed time: 3:03
  • Game attendance: 36,328
  • Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), Steady rain, Wind N-NE 0–6 mph (0.0–9.7 km/h)
  • Referee: Art Massey
  
Scoring summary
1——No scoringTied 0–0
211:30CINBrad Jackson 71-yard interception return (Eric Richards kick)CIN 7–0
10:26CINOrlando Smith 4-yard run (Eric Richards kick failed, blocked by Lawrence Lewis)CIN 13–0
5:34CINEric Richards 41-yard field goalCIN 16–0
3——No scoringCIN 16–0
4——No scoringCIN 16–0
See also: 1995 Cincinnati Bearcats football team

Virginia Tech suffered its first home shutout since 1981, falling 16–0 to Cincinnati in steady rain before a crowd of 36,328 — the program's first 0–2 start in school history. The game turned decisively in a 65-second span early in the second quarter: Jim Druckenmiller's pass was intercepted by Brad Jackson at the Cincinnati 29 and returned 71 yards for a touchdown at 11:30, and on the very next Tech possession Marcus Parker fumbled on first down, with Jackson recovering at the Virginia Tech 15. Cincinnati scored three plays later on a Smith four-yard run, and Lawrence Lewis's block of the extra point kept the deficit at 13.

Tech drove to the Cincinnati nine on the ensuing possession — Jermaine Holmes catching passes of 20 and 7 yards — but Atle Larsen missed a 26-yard field goal attempt as the first half expired. Lewis also blocked a Richards 25-yard field goal in the third quarter, but the offense went three-and-out on the ensuing possession. Druckenmiller threw three interceptions and was sacked four times before Al Clark replaced him in the fourth quarter; Clark fumbled a sack at the Tech 37 to end any hope.

Dwayne Thomas rushed for 37 yards and Holmes led receivers with 56 yards on five catches. George DelRicco led the defense with 14 tackles. Tech managed only 239 total yards and was 0-for-3 in the red zone.[3]

No. 17 Miami (FL)

[edit]
Miami at Virginia Tech
Team 1 234Total
No. 17 Hurricanes 0 700 7
• Virginia Tech 7 303 13
  • Date: September 23, 1995
  • Location: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
  • Game start: 12:07 pm
  • Elapsed time: 3:13
  • Game attendance: 51,206
  • Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), Overcast, Wind NE 6 mph (9.7 km/h)
  • Referee: Al Hynes
  • Television network: BEN
 
Scoring summary
13:09VTDwayne Thomas 1-yard run (Atle Larsen kick)VT 7–0
26:05VTAtle Larsen 44-yard field goalVT 10–0
1:50MiaDanyell Ferguson 5-yard run (Dane Prewitt kick)VT 10–7
3——No scoringVT 10–7
410:00VTAtle Larsen 20-yard field goalVT 13–7
See also: 1995 Miami Hurricanes football team and Miami–Virginia Tech football rivalry

Virginia Tech defeated No. 17 Miami 13–7 for the program’s first-ever victory over the Hurricanes in 14 attempts, ending a streak that stretched to 1984. Beamer called it the biggest win in Virginia Tech history and the turning point of the program. Tech dominated on the ground, running for 300 yards on 49 carries, led by Dwayne Thomas’s 165 yards on 24 carries and Ken Oxendine’s 82 on nine.

The Hokies took the lead on a nine-play drive capped by Dwayne Thomas’s one-yard run at 3:09, then extended it on an Atle Larsen 44-yard field goal at 6:05. Miami answered on a long drive that ended in a Danyell Ferguson five-yard run at 1:50 — starter Ryan Collins had been injured on the drive and Ryan Clement entered for the remainder of the game. Tech missed field goals of 35, 48, and 42 yards in the first three quarters, while Miami’s Prewitt missed from 45. In the fourth quarter Angelo Harrison blocked a Miami punt and Tech recovered at the nine, setting up Larsen’s game-deciding 20-yard field goal at 10:00.

J. C. Price recorded four of the team’s six sacks for 35 yards. With 2:08 left and the Hokies clinging to a six-point lead, Miami drove to the Tech 27. On fourth-and-20 with 23 seconds left, freshman cornerback Loren Johnson — a Miami native who had been passed over by the Hurricanes — broke up Clement’s heave to Yatil Green at the five-yard line to seal the win. Green had caught eight passes for 171 yards without scoring. George DelRicco led the defense with 15 tackles.[4][1]

At Pittsburgh

[edit]
Virginia Tech at Pittsburgh
Team 1 234Total
• Virginia Tech 0 01016 26
Panthers 3 670 16
  • Date: September 30, 1995
  • Location: Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Game start: 12:09 pm
  • Elapsed time: 3:14
  • Game attendance: 31,036
  • Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), Sunny, Wind ESE 6 mph (9.7 km/h)
  • Referee: Buddy Ward
  • Television network: BEN
     
Scoring summary
14:05PittChris Ferencik 37-yard field goalPitt 3–0
214:12PittChris Ferencik 40-yard field goalPitt 6–0
3:19PittChris Ferencik 31-yard field goalPitt 9–0
310:14VTDwayne Thomas 15-yard run (Atle Larsen kick)Pitt 9–7
3:45PittChris Schneider 2-yard run (Chris Ferencik kick)Pitt 16–7
412:42VTAtle Larsen 33-yard field goalPitt 16–10
10:42VTJermaine Holmes 73-yard pass from Jim Druckenmiller (Atle Larsen kick)VT 20–16
6:19VTAtle Larsen 26-yard field goalVT 23–16
3:01VTAtle Larsen 36-yard field goalVT 26–16
See also: 1995 Pittsburgh Panthers football team

Virginia Tech trailed Pittsburgh 9–0 at halftime before rallying for 26 unanswered points to win 26–16 at Pitt Stadium, beginning the nine-game winning streak that would carry the Hokies to the Sugar Bowl. Pittsburgh, which had led throughout on three Craig Ferencik field goals and a second-quarter touchdown, extended the lead to 16–7 before the comeback began.

Angelo Harrison blocked two Pitt punts in the second half. The first, in the third quarter, set up Dwayne Thomas’s 15-yard touchdown run at 10:14. The second opened the fourth quarter. With the score 16–10, Druckenmiller hit Jermaine Holmes in stride on second-and-16 from the Virginia Tech 27 for a 73-yard touchdown at 10:42 — Tech’s first lead of the game. Atle Larsen then added field goals of 33 and 36 yards, the latter set up by a Larry Green interception, to close out the scoring.

Druckenmiller finished 15-of-27 for 312 yards; Bryan Still led receivers with 139 yards on five catches. Thomas rushed for 56 yards. Pittsburgh’s ground game was shut out in the fourth quarter.[5]

At Navy

[edit]
Virginia Tech at Navy
Team 1 234Total
• Virginia Tech 0 707 14
Midshipmen 0 000 0
  • Date: October 7, 1995
  • Location: Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD
  • Game start: 1:30 pm
  • Elapsed time: 2:25
  • Game attendance: 31,114
  • Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C), Cloudy, Wind NW 5 mph (8.0 km/h)
  • Referee: John Smith
Scoring summary
1——No scoringTied 0–0
214:55VTJermaine Holmes 16-yard pass from Jim Druckenmiller (Atle Larsen kick)VT 7–0
3——No scoringVT 7–0
41:55VTDwayne Thomas 28-yard run (Atle Larsen kick)VT 14–0
See also: 1995 Navy Midshipmen football team

Virginia Tech shut out Navy 14–0 at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, though the game was closer than the score suggested. The Hokies fumbled four times and Druckenmiller threw two interceptions, with turnovers repeatedly squandering good field position.

A 10-play drive bridging the first and second quarters was the offensive highlight. Jermaine Holmes caught a 31-yard pass on third-and-14 to keep it alive, then hauled in a 16-yard touchdown pass on the opening play of the second quarter at 14:55. The defense carried the rest: Navy quarterback Chris McCoy was sacked four times in the second quarter alone, seven times on the day, led by Cornell Brown’s three sacks and two from J.C. Price.

Thomas sealed the win with a 28-yard run in the final two minutes, finishing with 92 yards on 21 carries. Marcus Parker added 45 yards. William Yarborough intercepted two passes to end Navy drives.[6]

Akron

[edit]
Akron at Virginia Tech
Team 1 234Total
Zips 0 0207 27
• Virginia Tech 26 211614 77
  • Date: October 14, 1995
  • Location: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
  • Game start: 1:00 pm
  • Elapsed time: 3:15
  • Game attendance: 40,688
  • Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), Rain-heavy at times, Wind NW 0–3 mph (0.0–4.8 km/h)
  • Referee: Don Amicon
            
Scoring summary
113:54VTJermaine Holmes blocked punt return (Atle Larsen kick failed, blocked by Nate Boyd)VT 6–0
9:49VTCornelius White 68-yard pass from Jim Druckenmiller (two-point conversion failed)VT 12–0
6:08VTMarcus Parker 6-yard run (Atle Larsen kick)VT 19–0
0:15VTCornelius White 18-yard pass from Jim Druckenmiller (Atle Larsen kick)VT 26–0
213:42VTKen Oxendine 1-yard run (Atle Larsen kick)VT 33–0
5:56VTAl Clark 48-yard run (Atle Larsen kick)VT 40–0
2:31VTDwayne Thomas 8-yard run (Atle Larsen kick)VT 47–0
314:18VTAl Clark 58-yard run (Jeff Haug kick)VT 54–0
13:15VTSafety (Akron snap out of end zone)VT 56–0
4:14AKRLew Lawhorn 25-yard run (Jozsef Jakab kick)VT 56–7
3:39VTKen Oxendine 68-yard run (Jeff Haug kick)VT 63–7
2:40AKRLew Lawhorn 61-yard pass from Mike Junko (Jozsef Jakab kick)VT 63–14
0:42AKRJamie Reader 13-yard pass from Mike Junko (Jozsef Jakab kick failed, blocked by Lawrence Lewis)VT 63–20
410:22AKRLew Lawhorn 11-yard pass from Brian Magrell (Jozsef Jakab kick)VT 63–27
9:26VTMarcus Parker 59-yard run (Jeff Haug kick)VT 70–27
5:20VTDanny Edwards 13-yard run (Jeff Haug kick)VT 77–27
See also: 1995 Akron Zips football team

Virginia Tech rolled to a 77–27 homecoming victory over Akron, the largest margin of victory for the program since a 99–0 rout of Emory & Henry in 1919. The Hokies scored 26 first-quarter points and led 47–0 at halftime. Okesa Smith blocked the game’s opening Akron punt and Jermaine Holmes recovered in the end zone, and Druckenmiller hit Cornelius White for touchdowns of 68 and 18 yards in the first period.

Al Clark added a 48-yard run in the second quarter and a 58-yard burst to open the third. Akron scored 27 unanswered points in the second half against reserves, before Marcus Parker’s 59-yard run and Danny Edwards’s 13-yard score closed the scoring for Tech.

Oxendine led the ground game with 135 yards and two touchdowns; Clark ran for 120 yards and two scores; Parker added 85 yards. Three Tech quarterbacks saw action: Druckenmiller went 5-of-7 for 119 yards, Clark 6-of-9 for 57 yards, and Whipple added a completion. Tech rushed for 453 yards on 49 carries.[7]

At Rutgers

[edit]
Virginia Tech at Rutgers
Team 1 234Total
• Virginia Tech 7 71714 45
Scarlet Knights 3 707 17
  • Date: October 21, 1995
  • Location: Rutgers Stadium, Piscataway, NJ
  • Game start: 1:08 pm
  • Elapsed time: 3:28
  • Game attendance: 19,292
  • Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), Overcast, heavy rain, Wind S 17 mph (27 km/h)
  • Referee: Terry Monk
      
Scoring summary
17:07RUNick Mike-Mayer 33-yard field goalRU 3–0
0:10VTKen Oxendine 1-yard run (Atle Larsen kick)VT 7–3
21:14RUChad Bosch 2-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick)RU 10–7
0:06VTBryan Still 7-yard pass from Jim Druckenmiller (Atle Larsen kick)VT 14–10
39:10VTAtle Larsen 27-yard field goalVT 17–10
6:25VTJermaine Holmes 40-yard pass from Jim Druckenmiller (Atle Larsen kick)VT 24–10
1:47VTDwayne Thomas 6-yard run (Atle Larsen kick)VT 31–10
413:57RUSteve Harper 9-yard pass from Ray Lucas (Nick Mike-Mayer kick)VT 31–17
5:41VTHank Coleman 51-yard fumble return (Atle Larsen kick)VT 38–17
4:32VTMyron Newsome 71-yard interception return (Atle Larsen kick)VT 45–17
See also: 1995 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team

Virginia Tech rallied from a 10–7 halftime deficit to win 45–17 at Rutgers in heavy rain, with the defense providing two non-offensive touchdowns to break the game open in the fourth quarter. Tech’s own punt was blocked on the second possession, gifting Rutgers a field goal, before a 10-play drive capped by Ken Oxendine’s one-yard plunge at 0:10 tied it. Rutgers drove 76 yards to retake the lead, but Druckenmiller answered with a 62-yard drive in 65 seconds — a 39-yard screen pass to Marcus Parker, then a Bryan Still 7-yard touchdown with six seconds left — to send the teams to halftime tied 14–10.

Tech dominated the third quarter with 11:16 of possession, scoring on a Atle Larsen field goal, a Jermaine Holmes 40-yard touchdown, and Dwayne Thomas’s 6-yard run. After Rutgers cut it to 31–17, Korey Irby sacked Higgins, Coleman scooped the fumble and returned it 51 yards at 5:41, and Myron Newsome intercepted Higgins two plays later for a 71-yard return to close the scoring.

Druckenmiller finished 16-of-28 for 235 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions; Still led receivers with 62 yards. Thomas rushed for 50 yards and Oxendine added 45. J.C. Price led the defense with 11 tackles; the Hokies recorded five sacks and held Rutgers to 78 net rushing yards.[8]

At West Virginia

[edit]
Virginia Tech at West Virginia
Team 1 234Total
• Virginia Tech 3 14010 27
Mountaineers 0 000 0
  • Date: October 28, 1995
  • Location: Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV
  • Game start: 12:07 pm
  • Elapsed time: 3:00
  • Game attendance: 59,819
  • Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), Heavy rain clearing, Wind SW 10 mph (16 km/h)
  • Referee: Al Hynes
  • Television network: BEN
  
Scoring summary
18:57VTAtle Larsen 43-yard field goalVT 3–0
214:55VTDwayne Thomas 8-yard run (Atle Larsen kick)VT 10–0
13:54VTLarry Green 37-yard interception return (Atle Larsen kick)VT 17–0
3——No scoringVT 17–0
414:52VTBryan Jennings 37-yard pass from Jim Druckenmiller (Atle Larsen kick)VT 24–0
7:22VTAtle Larsen 39-yard field goalVT 27–0
See also: 1995 West Virginia Mountaineers football team and Virginia Tech–West Virginia football rivalry

Virginia Tech shut out West Virginia 27–0 at Mountaineer Field before 59,819 fans, sacking the Mountaineers’ quarterbacks eight times and limiting them to just 15 net rushing yards. A blocked VT punt in the first quarter gave WVU the ball at midfield, but a Cornell Brown sack ended the threat three plays later. Atle Larsen opened the scoring with a 43-yard field goal at 8:57 after missing from 48.

A 10-play drive culminated in Dwayne Thomas’s 8-yard run at 14:55 of the second quarter to make it 10–0. On WVU’s very next play, Larry Green intercepted the West Virginia quarterback and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown at 13:54, producing 10 points in 61 seconds. Brown sacked Johnston twice in the third quarter to end WVU’s best drive, and West Virginia went to a backup quarterback in the fourth. Druckenmiller capped a 12-play, 91-yard fourth-quarter march with a 37-yard strike to Bryan Jennings at 14:52 to push the lead to 24–0.

Thomas rushed for 86 yards and Ken Oxendine added 74. George DelRicco led the defense with 14 tackles and Cornell Brown had 13, finishing with three sacks for 22 yards. The defense totaled eight sacks for 53 yards.[9]

No. 20 Syracuse

[edit]
Syracuse at Virginia Tech
Team 1 234Total
No. 20 Orangemen 7 000 7
• Virginia Tech 0 1777 31
  • Date: November 4, 1995
  • Location: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
  • Game start: 3:36 pm
  • Elapsed time: 3:09
  • Game attendance: 51,239
  • Game weather: 34 °F (1 °C), Cold and windy, Wind NW 16–22 mph (26–35 km/h)
  • Referee: John Soffey
  • Television network: ABC
  
Scoring summary
19:12SYRRob Konrad 19-yard run (Olindo Mare kick)SYR 7–0
212:50VTAtle Larsen 21-yard field goalSYR 7–3
3:22VTBrian Edmonds 25-yard pass from Jim Druckenmiller (Atle Larsen kick)VT 10–7
0:34VTJermaine Holmes 29-yard pass from Jim Druckenmiller (Atle Larsen kick)VT 17–7
311:59VTDwayne Thomas 25-yard pass from Jim Druckenmiller (Atle Larsen kick)VT 24–7
49:22VTMarcus Parker 1-yard run (Atle Larsen kick)VT 31–7
See also: 1995 Syracuse Orangemen football team

Virginia Tech trailed No. 20 Syracuse 7–0 after one quarter before scoring 24 unanswered points to win 31–7, a result that positioned the Hokies for a potential Sugar Bowl bid. A kick-catching interference penalty gave Syracuse the ball at the Tech 43 in the first quarter, and Donovan McNabb’s 20-yard scramble set up Konrad’s 19-yard touchdown run at 9:12.

The game turned in the final six minutes of the first half. A Bryan Still 25-yard reverse set up an Atle Larsen 21-yard field goal, then Druckenmiller found Brian Edmonds on a 25-yard shovel pass at 3:22 and Holmes on a 29-yard strike at 0:34 to take a 17–7 halftime lead. A McIntosh fumble on the second-half kickoff, recovered by Jomo Nelson at the Syracuse 25, led directly to a Druckenmiller-to-Thomas 25-yard touchdown at 11:59 of the third quarter. A McNabb fumble on a pitchout in the fourth, recovered by Torrian Gray, set up Marcus Parker’s one-yard run at 9:22.

Cornell Brown sacked McNabb three times for 38 yards, holding him to minus-13 net rushing yards, and Brown’s fourth-and-10 sack with 1:43 remaining sealed the win. Druckenmiller completed 16-of-27 for 224 yards and three touchdowns; Oxendine rushed for 118 yards on 19 carries. George DelRicco led the defense with 13 tackles and Brandon Semones added 10.[10][1]

Temple

[edit]
Temple at Virginia Tech
Team 1 234Total
Owls 6 307 16
• No. 21 Hokies 10 2107 38
  • Date: November 11, 1995
  • Location: Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, DC
  • Game start: 1:07 pm
  • Elapsed time: 3:15
  • Game attendance: 20,371
  • Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), Cloudy with chance of rain
  • Referee: Buddy Ward
       
Scoring summary
110:45VTAtle Larsen 19-yard field goalVT 3–0
6:57TEMZane Michalski 41-yard field goalTied 3–3
4:08TEMZane Michalski 31-yard field goalTEM 6–3
1:39VTBryan Still 35-yard pass from Jim Druckenmiller (Atle Larsen kick)VT 10–6
213:04VTJim Baron 46-yard fumble return (Atle Larsen kick)VT 17–6
12:16VTJ.C. Price 24-yard interception return (Atle Larsen kick)VT 24–6
8:18TEMZane Michalski 44-yard field goalVT 24–9
1:38VTMarcus Parker 2-yard run (Atle Larsen kick)VT 31–9
3——No scoringVT 31–9
49:52VTMarcus Parker 1-yard run (Atle Larsen kick)VT 38–9
5:58TEMTroy Kersey 18-yard pass from Henry Burris (Zane Michalski kick)VT 38–16
See also: 1995 Temple Owls football team

No. 21 Virginia Tech built a 31–9 halftime lead and rolled to a 38–16 victory over Temple at RFK Stadium in Washington, clinching a share of the Big East title. A Carter fumble on the first possession gave Tech the ball at the Temple 22, but the Hokies settled for a Atle Larsen 19-yard field goal. Temple answered with Michalski field goals of 41 and 31 yards and led 6–3 before a Druckenmiller-to-Still 35-yard touchdown late in the first quarter put Tech ahead for good.

The second quarter produced three scores in 52 seconds: Hank Coleman sacked Bonner, who fumbled, and Baron returned the ball 46 yards for a touchdown at 13:04; Bonner’s very next pass was intercepted by J.C. Price, who returned it 24 yards for a score at 12:16. A Marcus Parker 2-yard run at 1:38 made it 31–6 at halftime. In the third quarter Temple drove to the Tech nine on a long pass reception, but the defense held on fourth down. William Yarborough’s interception at the Tech three to open the fourth led to a 12-play, 97-yard drive that Parker capped from one yard at 9:52.

Druckenmiller finished 18-of-31 for 244 yards; Ken Oxendine led rushers with 64 yards. George DelRicco led the defense with 15 tackles and Jim Baron added 11. Temple quarterback Pat Bonner was sacked five times; Kersey caught five passes for 130 yards.[11]

At No. 13 Virginia

[edit]
Virginia Tech at Virginia
Team 1 234Total
• No. 20 Hokies 14 0022 36
No. 13 Cavaliers 7 1570 29
  • Date: November 18, 1995
  • Location: Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, VA
  • Game start: 12:09 pm
  • Elapsed time: 3:43
  • Game attendance: 43,600
  • Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), Overcast, Wind S 8 mph (13 km/h)
  • Referee: Al Hynes
  • Television network: ABC
      
Scoring summary
110:41UVAGermane Crowell 29-yard pass from Mike Groh (Rafael Garcia kick)UVA 7–0
5:24VTKen Oxendine 1-yard run (Atle Larsen kick)Tied 7–7
1:46VTDwayne Thomas 2-yard run (Atle Larsen kick)VT 14–7
29:02UVADarrell Medley 2-yard pass from Tim Sherman (Bobby Neely pass from Sherman)UVA 15–14
5:20UVAGermane Crowell 31-yard pass from Tim Sherman (Rafael Garcia kick)UVA 22–14
310:51UVATiki Barber 9-yard run (Rafael Garcia kick)UVA 29–14
412:59VTJermaine Holmes 10-yard pass from Jim Druckenmiller (two-point conversion failed)UVA 29–20
6:58VTAtle Larsen 35-yard field goalUVA 29–23
0:47VTJermaine Holmes 32-yard pass from Jim Druckenmiller (Atle Larsen kick)VT 30–29
0:00VTAntonio Banks 65-yard interception returnVT 36–29
See also: 1995 Virginia Cavaliers football team and Virginia–Virginia Tech football rivalry

No. 20 Virginia Tech rallied from a 29–14 third-quarter deficit to defeat No. 13 Virginia 36–29 at Scott Stadium in one of the most dramatic finishes in the 100-year history of the rivalry, earning the Hokies a Sugar Bowl berth. Tech jumped to a 14–7 first-quarter lead on a 59-yard Druckenmiller-to-Still completion setting up Ken Oxendine’s one-yard run, then a 51-yard Bryan Still catch leading to Dwayne Thomas’s two-yard score. Virginia took over in the second quarter as Tim Sherman, replacing an injured Mike Groh, hit Germane Crowell for touchdowns of 29 and 31 yards and ran a successful fake PAT pass to Bobby Neely after the first score. Tiki Barber’s nine-yard run in the third quarter pushed it to 29–14, and Druckenmiller’s third interception with 18 seconds left in the period seemed to seal the result.

The comeback began when Cornell Brown sacked Groh for losses of 5 and 7 yards on consecutive plays in the fourth quarter, forcing a punt with Tech inside Virginia territory. Atle Larsen hit a 35-yard field goal to make it 29–23. After Garcia’s 46-yard attempt fell short with 2:12 left, Druckenmiller started from his own 29 with no timeouts. Three straight incompletions brought up fourth-and-10; he found Cornelius White over the middle for 14 yards. He then hit Ken Oxendine, Jermaine Holmes, and Michael Stuewe in succession before finding Holmes in the end zone on a 32-yard strike with 47 seconds left for a 30–29 lead.

On Virginia’s final drive, Groh moved the Cavaliers to the Tech 40 with three completions before Antonio Banks jumped the sideline route and returned the interception 65 yards for the final score as time expired. Druckenmiller completed 6-of-10 for 76 yards on the final drive; Still caught five passes for 125 yards in the game. George DelRicco and J.C. Price each led the defense with 14 tackles.[12][1]

Sugar Bowl — No. 9 Texas

[edit]
Virginia Tech vs. Texas (Sugar Bowl)
Team 1 234Total
• No. 13 Virginia Tech 0 7714 28
No. 9 Texas 7 300 10
  • Date: December 31, 1995
  • Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA
  • Game start: 6:09 pm
  • Elapsed time: 3:31
  • Game attendance: 70,283
  • Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), Indoors
  • Referee: Michael Dover
  • Television network: ABC
  
Scoring summary
14:32TEXPat Fitzgerald 4-yard pass from James Brown (Phil Dawson kick)TEX 7–0
213:19TEXPhil Dawson 52-yard field goalTEX 10–0
2:34VTBryan Still 60-yard punt return (Atle Larsen kick)TEX 10–7
32:32VTMarcus Parker 2-yard run (Atle Larsen kick)VT 14–10
412:28VTBryan Still 54-yard pass from Jim Druckenmiller (Atle Larsen kick)VT 21–10
5:06VTJim Baron 20-yard fumble return (Atle Larsen kick)VT 28–10
Main article: 1995 Sugar Bowl (December)
See also: 1995 Texas Longhorns football team

Virginia Tech defeated No. 9 Texas 28–10 in the Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome — the program’s first appearance in a major bowl game and its most prestigious victory to that point. Texas held a 10–0 lead early in the second quarter: James Brown opened the scoring with a four-yard touchdown pass, then a Druckenmiller interception led only to a Phil Dawson 52-yard field goal after a holding penalty pushed Texas out of easy range. On the ensuing drive, a Druckenmiller pass to Bryan Jennings sailed through a Texas defender’s hands in the end zone — the Hokies narrowly avoided a 17–0 deficit. Still caught a Texas punt at the Tech 40, found two key blocks, and returned it 60 yards down the right sideline at 2:34 to make it 10–7 at halftime.

Marcus Parker’s two-yard run at 2:32 of the third quarter — set up by Bryan Jennings’ 27-yard catch and Bryan Still’s 27-yard catch to the Texas two — gave Tech its first lead in a major bowl game. Texas, which had a 21-0-1 record when leading at halftime, never led again. In the fourth quarter, William Yarborough’s interception set up a four-play, 69-yard drive that Still capped with a 54-yard touchdown at 12:28. Torrian Gray then intercepted Brown twice, and between those picks Cornell Brown sacked Brown and Jim Baron scooped the fumble 20 yards for the final score at 5:06.

James Brown finished 14-of-36 with three interceptions; Cornell Brown recorded three sacks. Brandon Semones led the defense with nine tackles. Druckenmiller passed for 266 yards; Still led with 119 receiving yards, both offensive touchdowns, and 60 yards on the punt return. Dwayne Thomas rushed for 62 yards on 15 carries.[13][1]


Roster

[edit]
1995 Virginia Tech Hokies football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
WR 4 Cornelius White Jr
QB 5 Al Clark Fr
QB 11 Cody Whipple Fr
QB 16 Jim Druckenmiller Jr
WR 17 Bryan Still Jr
RB 28 Ken Oxendine So
RB 30 Danny Edwards So
WR 31 Michael Stuewe So
FB 32 Brian Edmonds Sr
RB 33 Okesa Smith Jr
RB 34 Marcus Parker Jr
RB 42 Dwayne Thomas Sr
OL 50 Bill Houseright Sr
C 51 Chris Malone Sr
OL 54 Craig Tweed
OL 60 Anthony Kapp
C 61 Billy Conaty Sr
OL 62 Rich Bowen
G 64 Gennaro DiNapoli So
LT 71 Jay Hagood Sr
OL 72 Tim Wade
OL 74 Jeff Holland
G 75 Todd Washington So
G 76 T.J. Washington Fr
RT 77 Mike Bianchin Jr
TE 81 Bryan Jennings Jr
WR 82 Jermaine Holmes Sr
WR 83 Angelo Harrison Jr
TE 85 Todd Wheatley
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DB 2 Tyron Edmond
DE 6 Hank Coleman Sr
CB 7 Larry Green Sr
LB 8 Tony Morrison So
CB 9 Antonio Banks Jr
CB 12 Loren Johnson Fr
DB 13 James Crawford Jr
S 14 Torrian Gray Jr
CB 20 Pierson Prioleau Fr
LB 21 Brandon Semones Jr
S 22 Shawn Scales
DB 23 Rafael Williams
S 24 William Yarborough Sr
LB 26 Korey Irby Jr
DB 29 Chad Vaughn
S 35 Keion Carpenter Fr
LB 38 Jomo Nelson
LB 39 Quinton Waller
LB 40 Shaine Miles
LB 41 George DelRicco Sr
LB 49 Steve Tate
LB 55 Myron Newsome Sr
DE 56 Lawrence Lewis Jr
DL 57 Dwight Vick
DE 58 Cornell Brown Jr
DT 59 J.C. Price Sr
DL 67 Brad Baylor
DL 90 Danny Wheel
DT 92 Jim Baron Jr
LB 93 Kerwin Hairston
DL 94 Jason Berish
DT 98 Waverly Jackson Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
P 3 John I. Thomas Jr
K 18 Atle Larsen Jr
P 37 John M. Thomas Fr
K 96 Chris Segaar
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

{{{asst_coach}}}

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hall, Roddy (2015). Birth of the Hokie Nation: Virginia Tech's Path to the 1999 National Championship Game.
  2. ^ a b "Hartsell lifts Eagles over Hokies". The Tampa Tribune. September 8, 1995. Retrieved February 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b "Virginia Tech shut out by turnovers, defense". The Miami Herald. September 17, 1995. Retrieved February 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "Virginia Tech notches 1st victory over 'Canes". South Florida Sun Sentinel. September 24, 1995. Retrieved February 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b "Tech holds a block party". The Roanoke Times. October 1, 1995. Retrieved February 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b "Defense saves day for Hokies, 14–0". The Danville Register & Bee. October 8, 1995. Retrieved February 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b "Hokies pour on points". Daily Press. October 15, 1995. Retrieved February 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b "Va. Tech reins in Rutgers' offense and triumphs, 45–17". The Philadelphia Inquirer. October 22, 1995. Retrieved February 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b "Hokies blank Mountaineers". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 29, 1995. Retrieved February 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ a b "Hokies move to the top in Big East". The Daily News Leader. November 5, 1995. Retrieved February 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b "Hokies' defenders come up big in rout". Richmond Times-Dispatch. November 12, 1995. Retrieved February 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b "Tech rally stuns Cavs". The Daily News Leader. November 19, 1995. Retrieved February 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ a b "SWC champion Longhorns fall to Virginia Tech in Sugar Bowl". The Daily Advertiser. January 1, 1996. Retrieved February 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "1995 Virginia Tech Hokies Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
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