(Sports Network) - Darren Evans gained 153 yards and a touchdown on
28 carries and Cody Grimm had the game-sealing interception, as No. 21
Virginia Tech crushed 12th-ranked Cincinnati, 20-7, in the 75th edition of the
Orange Bowl.

Virginia Tech, which is 8-14 in postseason play, was making its second
straight appearance in the Orange Bowl as champion of the ACC for a second
consecutive season. The Hokies dropped a 24-21 decision to Kansas in last
year's Orange Bowl.

Tyrod Taylor threw for 140 yards and was picked off once on 13-of-22 passing
and rushed for 47 yards and a score on 15 carries for the Hokies (10-4), who
won their final four games to record their fifth straight 10-win season, a
current streak only matched by Texas and Southern California. Danny Coale had
52 yards on three grabs in the win.

"I think this is the best football 'team' we've ever had," said Tech head
coach Frank Beamer. "We had some tough losses [this season], but no one
slipped up. We hung in there together. We always practiced hard. I can't say
enough about our players and our coaches.

"We have [had] some great, great seasons here at Virginia Tech. But I believe
this is the best team we've ever had."

Tony Pike threw for 239 yards with a TD but was picked off four times on 16-
of-33 efficiency for the Bearcats (11-3), who saw their six-game win streak
come to an end. Jacob Ramsey tallied 34 yards on four touches while Mardy
Gilyard logged 158 yards and a TD on seven catches for Cincinnati, which
registered 11 wins for the first time in school history.

The Bearcats were playing in their first January 1st bowl since 1951 after
capturing their first-ever Big East title and subsequent BCS Bowl bid.
Cincinnati was playing in its 11th bowl game all-time (6-5) and had been solid
in the postseason, winning three straight bowl games coming in, including last
year's 31-21 decision over Southern Miss in the Papajohns.com Bowl.

"You work out in the summer and preseason camp to get an opportunity to get to
this point," said Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly about his team's season.
"But you want to finish it off, so there's a lot of disappointment, obviously,
in our locker room."

The Hokies got the ball first in the third quarter and drove all the way from
their 14 to the Bearcats 18, where the drive stalled. Dustin Keys then snuck a
35-yard field goal inside the left upright for a 13-7 lead with 8:32 left in
the frame.

The teams traded punts and Cincinnati took over at its own 14. Isaiah Pead
rushed for three yards on first down but Pike was picked off on second down
and Tech started at Cincy's 10.

It took Evans three plays to find the end zone as his six-yard score with
11:29 left in the game put the Hokies up 20-7.

The Bearcats then drove from their 40 all the way down to the Virginia Tech
red zone and Pike converted on 4th-and-5 from the 11 with a seven-yard pass
to Dominick Goodman. Then, on 4th-and-goal from the one, Pike was stopped and
Virginia Tech took over on downs.

The Hokies were held to a three-and-out, but John Goebel was called for
roughing the kicker on fourth down and Virginia Tech got a new set of downs at
the 21. The team was eventually stopped and Cincinnati got the ball back at
its own 48. However, Grimm picked off Pike on first down to all but seal the
deal.

"We didn't score enough points," Kelly added. "We moved the ball, did the
things that we wanted to do, but didn't put points on the board. Seven points
is not enough to win against any team."

The Bearcats' opening possession went six plays, spanned 72 yards, lasted just
under two minutes and resulted in a 7-0 lead. Pike hit Gilyard twice on the
drive, the first time for a 38-yard gain and the second for a 15-yard
touchdown.

Each school registered a missed field goal and a punt on the next four
possessions, and the Hokies took over at their own 27 on a drive that bridged
the first two quarters.

Taylor closed out the nine-play, 73-yard trek with a 17-yard scramble through
the Cincinnati defense and into paydirt to tie the game with 13 minutes left
in the half.

The next five drives produced little offense and Keys hit a 43-yard field
goal as time expired to give Virginia Tech a 10-7 lead at the intermission.


Game Notes

Virginia Tech snapped the ACC's eight-game losing streak in BCS bowls...These
teams had met eight previous times and the series was knotted at four wins
apiece coming in. The last meeting took place in 2006, as the Hokies posted a
29-13 at home.



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