There were plenty of reasons for North Carolina to falter in the Gator Bowl.
They were snubbed by the bowl alliance. A new head coach was calling plays from the box. Seven players are facing assault-related charges. And a key offensive player was injured just two days before the game.Instead, the Tar Heels (11-1) scored the most points in its 22-game bowl history and its No. 2-ranked defense dominated Virginia Tech in a 42-3 victory Thursday.
"We proved a point who was the best defense in Carolina history, the best team in the history, the best defense to come across the whole country in the last three years," said linebacker Kivuusama Mays. "We made other defenses change the scheme. We set the standard."
The Hokies (7-5) were held to a season-low 185 total yards and lost three of six fumbles. Though ranked 15th in the nation in rushing at 215 yards a game, Virginia was held to only eight yards on 22 carries in the first half.
"This is a pretty good whooping they gave us," said Ken Oxendine, Virginia Tech's season-leading rusher who was held to just 39 yards. "Every turnover we had they either put points on the board or capitalized on it some way."
North Carolina came into the game with a bigger agenda than just a victory.
The Tar Heels, whose only loss came to Florida State, were passed over by the alliance while Kansas State and Ohio State - both ranked below the Tar Heels - were chosen as the two at-large teams for the major bowls.
And North Carolina needed to overcome the distraction of having seven players - including defensive starters Mays, Greg Williams and Robert Williams - charged in a Dec. 5 brawl outside a nightclub.
The game also was the debut of coach Carl Torbush, who took the job three weeks ago after Mack Brown left for Texas.
"We can't control Mack Brown leaving. We can't control the alliance bowl and things like that," said senior center Jeff Saturday. "I think we proved ... we're a great football team regardless of adversity."
The loss was Virginia Tech's third in a row and dropped the Big East's postseason record to 0-4.
Tar Heel quarterback Chris Keldorf, who missed last year's Gator Bowl win over West Virginia with a broken ankle, finished 17 of 28 for 290 yards and three scores.
All-America cornerback Dre' Bly, who intercepted two passes in last year's bowl, blocked one punt and recovered another blocked punt for a score. And fellow All-American Greg Ellis recovered a fumble in the end zone that gave the Tar Heels a 22-0 lead 15:07 into the game.
"They're physical," Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said of North Carolina's stifling defense. "They just get right in your face and take you right back."
Keldorf threw for 161 yards in the first quarter, including passes of 31 and 27 yards in the opening series. Tailback Jonathan Linton, who strained a ligament in his right knee Tuesday in practice, earned 68 yards on the ground and 81 in the air.
The Hokies' attempts to try to run the ball against one of the nation's toughest rush defenses proved fruitless.
"Teams still put it in the paper (that) they are going to run the football on us," Ellis said. "To me, it don't make any sense. Teams don't rush the football on us."
Josh McGee's 29-yard field goal opened the Tar Heels' scoring.
A series later, Keldorf hooked up with Octavus Barnes on a 62-yard scoring pass that stunned the Hokies. It was the senior's third TD catch in four bowl games. He added a 14-yard scoring pass four seconds into the final quarter. North Carolina then scored twice in a span of 1:10.
Quinton Savage blocked Jimmy Kibble's punt with 1:03 left in the opening quarter and Bly scooped it up and raced untouched 6 yards. It was the fifth blocked punt against the Hokies this season and third North Carolina block returned for a score.
On the next series, Brian Simmons got to Al Clark as he was about to hand off, forcing a fumble in the end zone that Ellis recovered seven seconds into the second quarter to make it 22-0.
Torbush make his first trick call on North Carolina's opening drive of the second half as Brian Schmitz faked a punt and hit Simmons for a 28-yard completion that led to Linton's 1-yard scoring run for a 28-0 lead.
Virginia Tech avoided the shutout with a 40-yard field goal late in the third quarter by Shayne Graham.
Keldorf added TD passes of 14 yards to Barnes and 4 yards to Jamie Carrick in the fourth quarter.
The Gator Bowl was sponsored by Toyota.