MIAMI -- In his last college game, defensive end Orion Martin dived for the pass, caught his first career interception underneath his belt loops and set up tailback Darren Evans three plays later for a game-sealing six-yard touchdown run in Virginia Tech's 20-7 victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats (11-3) at the 75th Orange Bowl in Miami's Dolphin Stadium on Thursday evening.
"It's something I'll remember for the rest of my life," said Martin, a fifth-year senior. "I was supposed to be spying a back on that play, and when he came across the formation, and he came back across and I felt the screen and just jumped in front of the ball. I just dove for it. I used to catch some balls like that back in high school playing tight end but haven't done it in a while."
Cincinnati, champions of the Big East Conference, looked poised to retaliate and cut into the lead with 11:29 left to play in the fourth quarter. On the next possession, it moved the ball 59 yards down to the Tech one-yard line.
However, the Bearcats were stopped on a fourth and goal by redshirt freshman linebacker Barquell Rivers and redshirt junior rover Dorian Porch. Tech (10-4) took over on downs, went three and out and Brent Bowden was poised to punt the ball back to the opposition. But then, a roughing the kicker penalty on Cincinnati's John Goebel meant the Hokies retained possession and got to eat more time off the clock.
Tech moved 33 yards down the field and Bowden was called back on the field for a 41-yard boot. Cincinnati's must-score drive late in the contest began at its 48-yard line, but quarterback Tony Pike's first pass of the series was intercepted by linebacker Cody Grimm at the 45-yard line with 2:18 left.
Tech sophomore quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who went 13-of-22 for 140 passing yards and an interception, knelt the ball for the last plays of the game, confirming the Hokies' first triumph in a Bowl Championship Series contest, their first Orange Bowl victory and the fifth straight season in which the program won 10 games.
"I can't say enough about our players and our coaches," Beamer said, whose bowl record rose to 7-9 after 16 straight appearances. "We've had some great, great seasons and all that, but I think this is the best football team that we've ever had at Virginia Tech."
Beamer's freshmen-laden team produced a season-high 398 yards of total offense.
After the first half, Tech had accumulated 255 yards of offense; 21 more yards in total offense than against Boston College in the ACC Championship game. Tech also controlled the ball with 18:15 time of possession over Cincinnati's 11:45.
The 'Cats gunned to a fast lead after quarterback Tony Pike, 16 for 33, 239 yards, a touchdown and four interceptions, connected with Mardy Gilyard for a 38-yard gain down the right sideline. On third and nine, Pike lofted a pass toward the left end zone corner to Gilyard again, who caught the 15 yard touchdown with a dragging right foot to put Cincinnati up 7-0 early, capping off a six-play, 72-yard drive that wore just 1:52 off the clock.
Tech's offense replied to the Bearcats' potency quickly. On the first play of their first drive, the Hokies got a a 27-yard gain off an end around run from freshman wide out Dyrell Roberts. Next, redshirt freshman Danny Coale caught a 34-yard pass from Taylor to the Cincinnati 14. Ultimately, the drive went for naught, as redshirt senior kicker Dustin Keys missed wide right on a 26-yard field goal attempt.
The second quarter saw the Hokies even the score. After looking to pass on third and nine, the pocket caved, Taylor went up the middle, dived right, slipped up Cincinnati linebacker Corey Smith and then went far left grazing the near corner pylon for an elusive 17-yard touchdown run -- his seventh of the season. Keys knocked the extra point through and finished off a nine-play, 73-yard march that lasted 5:08 and knotted the teams at 7-7.
Later in the period, Taylor threw a pass intended for freshman Jarrett Boykin, who was under double coverage. The throw was eventually intercepted by Cincinnati's Brandon Underwood with 4:52 left in the half.
The Bearcats took over from their 28 and completed seven plays for 64 yards down to the Tech 8-yard line. But on second and goal, cornerback Stephan Virgil returned the favor, picking off Pike's pass in the end zone for a touchback.
Working with less than two minutes to go in the half, tight end Greg Boone helped lead the offensive charge. No. 8 caught three passes for 41 yards in a Tech drive that set up Keys for a 43-yard field goal as time expired in the first half. The three-pointer gave the Hokies their first lead of the game, 10-7.
"I just had to come through and make plays when the offense needed it the most," Boone said. "It was crunch time going in to two minutes so Tyrod just looked for me on those plays and I just happened to make the play for him."
Tech came out of the locker room with a 13-play, 68-yard drive which resulted in another boot from Keys -- this one a 35-yard kick to up the Hokie lead to six points. Including his field goal in the first half, Keys met and reset Tech's single season record with 23 in a 6:31 span of play.
Evans ran for 52 yards in the first half, but gained 51 in the third quarter alone. In the fourth period, he added another 50 yards to end the season with a freshman record 1,263 yards and was elected the game's Most Valuable Player. Evans capitalized off Martin's first career interception at the Cincinnati 10-yard line and ran in six yards for his 11th touchdown of the season, also a Tech record.
The Hokies are now 1-2 in Orange Bowl appearances and 1-3 in Bowl Championship Series games. 73,602 tickets were sold to the 2009 Orange Bowl; only 57,851 showed up, setting the record for the lowest attendance since 1947.
After sending a record 10 teams to bowl games, Tech's winning bid against the Bearcats ended the Atlantic Coast Conference's 2008 bowl record at 4-6.
Last night's game marked the 62nd anniversary since the two teams first met in the post season during the 1947 Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. Cincinnati took away the victory 18-6.
The Hokies first scheduled opponent for the 2009-10 season will be against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Sept. 5 at Atlanta's Georgia Dome.