2008 ORANGE BOWL GUIDE - HokieSports

2008 ORANGE BOWL GUIDE
2007 REVIEW
GAME 11
Miami
Seniors Leave Lane in Style with 44-14 Victory over Miami
BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech
jumped to an early lead and
then secured the game with 24
unanswered points in the second
half to post a 44-14 win over
Miami on Senior Day at Lane
Stadium/Worsham Field.
Just six points separated
the two teams after the ‘Canes
scored a touchdown with 5:41
left in the third quarter to narrow
Tech’s lead to 20-14. For the
second straight week, however,
the Hokies’ offense responded
to the challenge. During a 6:28
span, Tech put 17 points on the
board with Branden Ore and
Carlton Weatherford rushing for
touchdowns and Jud Dunlevy
picking up his third field goal of
the game.
Ore scored on a 4-yard run
to cap a 61-yard drive on Tech’s
first possession of the game.
A highlight reel, one-handed
touchdown catch by Justin
Harper on a 15-yard pass by
Sean Glennon put Tech on top
14-0 after just two possessions.
Miami regrouped, but never
quite recovered from Tech’s fast
start. The Hokies’ defense shut
Justin Harper made this spectacular one-handed grab to score
a touchdown for the third straight game.
Hokies-Hurricanes Game Notes
• The minus-2 yards of net rushing by Miami was the lowest total allowed
by the Tech defense in an ACC game. The last time the Hokies held a team
to minus yards rushing was in 2002 when they limited Rutgers to minus-7
yards on the ground.
• Senior fullback Carlton Weatherford picked up his first collegiate rushing
touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Miami game. He had a receiving TD
last season. Tailback Jahre Cheeseman scored the last touchdown of the
game on a 2-yard run. It was his first collegiate touchdown.
• Eddie Royal returned four punts for 45 yards against the ‘Canes, becoming
the ACC’s all-time leader in punt return yards in the process. Royal improved
his career total to 1,284 yards, passing former leader Steve Suter of
Maryland (1,271).
66 VIRGINIA TECH FOOTBALL 2007
down the UM running game and
put pressure on quarterback Kyle
Wright, recording five sacks. The
‘Canes were held to minus-2 yards
rushing and finished with just 213
total yards of offense.
Lane Stadium/Worsham Field • Blacksburg, Va.
Nov. 17, 2007 • Attendance: 66,233
Miami 0 7 7 0 — 14
Virginia Tech 14 3 13 14 — 44
VT (10:12 re 1st) - Ore 4 run (Dunlevy kick)
VT (5:07 re 1st) - Harper 15 pass from Glennon (Dunlevy kick)
VT (14:17 re 2nd) - FG Dunlevy 40
UM (0:21 re 2nd) - Wright 4 run (Zampogna kick)
VT (10:28 re 3rd) - FG Dunlevy 44
UM (5:41 re 3rd) - Hankerson 1 pass from Wright (Zampogna kick)
VT (3:01 re 3rd) - Ore 7 run (Dunlevy kick)
VT (0:28 re 3rd) - FG Dunlevy 37
VT (11:33 re 4th) - Weatherford 1 run (Dunlevy kick)
VT (5:48 re 4th) - Cheeseman 2 run (Dunlevy kick)
Team Stats UM VT
First downs 13 20
Rushing yds. 29-(-2) 43-182
Passing yds. 215 176
Return yds. 15 99
Passes 21-36-1 14-26-0
Punts-avg. 6-51.7 3-43.7
Fumbles-lost 4-2 0-0
Penalties-yds. 8-50 7-34
Time of poss. 30:12 29:48
Sacks by 4-29 5-44
Individual Leaders
Rushing — UM, James 10-7,
Thomas 4-5, Wright 15-(-14);
Linebacker Vince Hall returned
to the lineup after missing four
games with a broken wrist. Hall led
the charge with 13 tackles, followed
by fellow linebackers Cam Martin
(11) and Xavier Adibi (10).
Vince Hall (9) helped the Hokies hold Miami to minus-2 yards rushing,
the lowest total for a Tech opponent since 2002.
VT, Ore 15-81, Royal 2-44, Taylor
7-38, K. Lewis 3-16, Pickle 5-11,
Cheeseman 3-9, Weatherford 1-1,
Team 1-(-1), Glennon 6-(-17).
Passing — UM, Wright
21-36-1-215; VT, Glennon
13-24-0-171, Taylor 1-2-0-5.
Receiving — UM, Shields
6-81, Hill 5-33, James 3-27,
Hankerson 2-25, Jenkins 2-20,
Jones 1-15, Thomas 1-8, Epps 1-6;
VT, Hyman 3-60, Harper 3-48, Ore
3-21, Smith 1-20, Weatherford
1-10, Morgan 1-9, K. Lewis 1-5,
Royal 1-3.