1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(15) Virginia Tech (8-4) | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 17 |
(24) Florida State (8-4) | 0 | 10 | 3 | 17 | 30 |
|
In a game eerily similar to the 1999 Sugar Bowl game in which the Hokies and Seminoles battled for the national championship, Tech led after three quarters. A 55-yard touchdown pass from Tech quarterback Grant Noel to Davis with 40 seconds left in the third quarter gave the Hokies a 17-13 lead.
But then the big plays by FSU killed Tech. On the first play of the fourth quarter, FSU quarterback Chris Rix found Javon Walker on a 77-yard scoring play that gave the Seminoles a 20-17 lead.
The Hokies drove to the Seminole 32 on their next possession, but tailback Kevin Jones was stopped on fourth-and-1, giving FSU the ball on downs. On the next play, Rix hit Walker again, this time for 50 yards to the Tech 18. That led to a 35-yard field goal by Xavier Beitia with 10:13 left in the game that gave the Seminoles a 23-17.
The Seminoles put the game away late in the fourth quarter. A 23-yard touchdown pass from Rix to Walker accounted for the final margin.
Rix threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns, while Walker caught four passes for 195 yards - a new Gator Bowl record - and two touchdowns.
Noel completed 15-of-27 for 269 yards for Tech. Davis was the Hokies' MVP in the game, catching five passes for 158 yards and a score.
The loss marked the end of the careers of 22 Tech seniors. That senior class went down as the winningest class in school history with a 39-9 record.
The Gator Bowl appearance marked Tech's ninth-straight bowl game, a current feat matched by only six other college teams.
Virginia Tech Bowl History
Bowl Games - Home
1947 Sun Bowl
1966 Liberty Bowl
1968 Liberty Bowl
1981 Peach Bowl
1984 Independence Bowl
1986 Peach Bowl
1993 Independence Bowl
1994 Gator Bowl
1995 Sugar Bowl
1996 Orange Bowl
1998 Gator Bowl
1998 Music City Bowl
2000 Sugar Bowl
2001 Gator Bowl
2002 Gator Bowl
2002 San Fransisco Bowl
2003 Insight Bowl
2005 Sugar Bowl
2006 Gator Bowl
2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl
2008 Orange Bowl
2009 Orange Bowl
2009 Chick-fil-A Bowl
2011 Orange Bowl
2012 Sugar Bowl
2012 Russell Athletic Bowl
2013 Sun Bowl
2014 Military Bowl
2015 Independence Bowl
2016 Belk Bowl
Other History
Bowl Superlatives