Remember When

K Scott Sisson celebrates game-winning FG

The University of Virginia’s Scott Stadium is not considered one of the tougher places to bring a college football team, yet Georgia Tech had been stymied there eight straight times since winning one of the biggest games in recent school history. The date was November 3, 1990 and coach George Welsh’s Cavaliers were 7-0 and ranked no. 1 in the country. Into Charlottesville arrived a talented bunch of Yellow Jackets, whose only blemish on the season was a tie with North Carolina two weeks prior. As told in the USA Today College Football Encyclopedia, the game proved to be a classic and was our choice as Game of the Year:

Georgia Tech 41 VIRGINIA 38: Virginia (7-1) QB Shawn Moore set school record with 344y on 18-28 passing, WR Herman Moore caught 9/234y, including fake-reverse 63y TD bomb in 3rd Q. All seemed in order for no. 1 Virginia in taking 10-0 lead in 1st Q, 28-14 lead by H. But, resourceful Georgia Tech (7-0-1) took advantage of 2 3rd Q errors to tie it at 28-28. Tech scored four plays after recovering FUM on opening possession of 3rd Q. LB Calvin Tuggle’s INT at Jackets 10YL stopped ensuing Cavs drive; and Georgia Tech gained field position for QB Shawn Jones’ (17-29/257y, 2 TDs) 26y scoring pass to WR Emmett Merchant. Virginia’s Moores then countered with their long TD bomb, but RB William Bell tied it 35-35 with 8y run late in 3rd Q. Tech took its 1st lead on K Scott Sisson’s 35y FG with 7:17 left. Back came Virginia, gaining 1st-and-goal 6 inches from GL, a move sparked by 48y Moore-to-Moore pass. But, Cavs were penalized twice in next 5 plays, once nullifying TE Aaron Mundy’s TD catch. Virginia had to settle for K Jake McInerney’s tying FG with 2:30 to go. Jackets went 56y in 5 plays to position Sisson for game-winning FG with 7 secs left, keys being Jones-to-Bell 23y pass, Bell’s 13y run on which he fell on own FUM, and Jones-to-WR Greg Lester 15y pass.

With Georgia Tech winning yesterday, perhaps they can dream of history repeating itself with another national championship. While that is unlikely, very few people thought that the 1990 team could win a share of the crown as they did after beating Nebraska in the Florida Citrus Bowl on January 1, 1991.