Virginia Tech 13, Rutgers 10 (OT)
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Virginia Tech came back from 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat Rutgers 13-10 in overtime Friday night in the Russell Athletic Bowl at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium.
Hokies junior quarterback Logan Thomas passed for 193 yards and connected with senior wide receiver Corey Fuller for a game-tying 21-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter.
Cody Journell kicked a go-ahead 22-yard field goal in overtime.
Rutgers' attempt to tie the game in overtime was unsuccessful, as Nick Borgese's 42-yard field goal try sailed wide right.
Virginia Tech broke a two-game bowl losing streak, and ended Rutgers' five-game bowl win streak. The Hokies have beaten the Scarlet Knights 12 straight times.
The Hokies (7-6), who lost six of eight games in the middle of the season, avoided their first sub-.500 season since 1992. Virginia Tech ended the season on a three-game winning streak.
The Hokies' defense carried the team for most of the game. Virginia Tech held Rutgers to 196 total yards and forced two fourth-quarter turnovers.
Hokies junior cornerback Antone Exum, the game's most valuable player, set up Fuller's game-tying touchdown with a critical interception and 32-yard return to the Rutgers' 21-yard line with 11:11 left in the fourth quarter.
Virginia Tech was held scoreless for the first three quarters before Journell connected on a 25-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
21.
There wasn't much offense from either team in the first half, but Rutgers took advantage of a few big plays to take a 10-0 lead into the locker room at the break.
The Scarlet Knights went ahead 7-0 only 17 seconds into the contest on a fumble recovery in the end zone by linebacker Khaseem Greene.
Virginia Tech center Caleb Farris sent a snap past Thomas, who recovered the ball and tried to extend it over the goal line to avoid a safety. The ball came loose and Greene recovered for an early lead.
Replays showed Thomas may have been down by contact before the fumble, but the replay official did not overturn the ruling on the field, and the Hokies didn't challenge the call.
Rutgers took a 10-0 lead with 2:38 remaining in the first quarter on Borgese's 36-yard field goal.
The Scarlet Knights started the drive from Virginia Tech's 46-yard line, thanks to a personal foul penalty against freshman Kevin Asante during the Hokies' punt.
Rutgers got into field goal range on its first play of the possession. Wide receiver Miles Shuler gained 25 yards on a run on a reverse to get the Scarlet Knights to the Hokies' 21.
Borgese split the uprights on his kick a short time later to give Rutgers a 10-0 advantage.
NOTES: Virginia Tech was 3-0 in overtime games in 2012. ... Journell had three game-winning field goals this season -- against Georgia Tech, Virginia and Rutgers. ... Rutgers had as many touchdowns on defense this season (six) as it does rushing. ... Rutgers' first-quarter touchdown was only the fifth non-offensive touchdown scored against the Hokies in a bowl game. The last time it happened was in the 1998 Gator Bowl when North Carolina's Greg Ellis recovered a fumble for a score. ... The Hokies trailed at halftime in 10 of their 13 games this season.
