The top-ranked Southern Cal Trojans of coach Pete Carroll made their first Belt defense against the Virginia Tech Hokies of coach Frank Beamer in Landover, Maryland at the Black Coaches Association Classic. The Trojans were 9-time Belt holders while the Hokies had not won a Belt game in 7 tries & were 17-point underdogs here. Southern Cal used 3 touchdown passes from Heisman Trophy winning, All-American QB Matt Leinart to All-Pac 10 RB Reggie Bush to secure a 24-13 win keeping the Hokies winless in Belt games. Virginia Tech was driving for the first score of the game when Trojans’ All-Pac 10 LB Lofa Tatupu intercepted Hokie’s All-ACC QB Bryan Randall & returned it 32 yards to the Virginia Tech 47-yard line. Five plays later, Leinart hit Bush for a 35-yard touchdown pass & 7-0 Trojan lead. The Hokies got on the board when All-ACC PK Brandon Pace connected on a 35-yard field goal. After a missed field goal by Trojans’ PK Ryan Killeen on Southern Cal’s next drive, Virginia Tech went 80 yards in 10 plays with Randall hitting WR Josh Hyman for a 12-yard touchdown pass & 10-7 Hokie lead they took to halftime. Late in the 3rd quarter, Leinart hit Bush on a 53-yard scoring pass giving the Trojans a 14-10 lead. Pace added a 42-yard field goal with 7:55 to play as the Hokies closed to 14-13 but the rest of the game was all Southern Cal. Leinart hit WR Steve Smith for 49 yards & Bush for the 29-yard touchdown on consecutive plays pushing the lead to 21-13. Randall fumbled when has was sacked by Southern Cal’s All-Pac 10 DT Mike Patterson & CB Ronald Nunn recovered as the Trojans had the ball at the Virginia Tech 26-yard line with just 2:01 to play. Four plays & 1:07 later, Killeen scored the last points of the game on a 41-yard field goal. Leinart finished with 272 yards passing with his 3 scores & Bush had 5 catches for 127 yards with his 3 scores. For Virginia Tech, Randall threw for 153 yards with a touchdown & interception, rushed for 82 yards but was sacked 4 times. Southern Cal finished the season 13-0; Pac 10 Champions & National Champions while the Hokies finished 10-3, ACC Champions, & ranked 10th nationally. Virginia Tech has not played for The Belt again.
Pickin' Splinters
Rochester's Independent Sports Source
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