Georgia Tech quarterback Joe Hamilton, left, is sacked by West Virginia's Jason Williams Monday, Dec. 29, 1997, during the Carquest Bowl in Pro Player Stadium.THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The victory came a month to the day after the Jackets blew a three-point lead in the final minute against archrival Georgia

Web posted December 30, 1997

By Tony Fabrizio
Morris News Service

MIAMI -- Georgia Tech had a ton of offense for West Virginia in Monday night's Carquest Bowl, and it was barely enough for a 35-30 victory.

Quarterback Joe Hamilton ran for two touchdown passes and threw for another, as the Yellow Jackets (7-5) scored a Carquest Bowl-record five touchdowns. West Virginia (7-5) got two touchdown passes from Marc Bulger and two TD runs from sophomore sensation Amos Zereoue.

Tech opened a 35-24 lead with 4:44 left on a five-yard run by Charles Wiley. But the Jackets' maligned secondary then surrendered a 74-yard touchdown pass from Bulger to Jerry Porter. The game wasn't decided until Hamilton converted a third-and-4 from his 41 by scampering 16 yards with 1:21 remaining.

The victory came a month to the day after the Jackets blew a three-point lead in the final minute against archrival Georgia. Tech finished with seven wins for the first time since 1991.

The eighth Carquest Bowl could have been dubbed the Fanquest bowl, since only 28,262 fans showed up at 75,000-seat Pro Player Stadium on a 60-degree night. The crowd was the smallest in the bowl's history by more than 6,000 fans.

The game was a shootout from the onset, and Tech had the most bullets.

Hamilton, who selected the game's MVP, took his team 80 yards for a touchdown on the game's opening possession, keeping the drive alive with a 21-yard run on fourth and 16 from the West Virginia 29. Freshman fullback Ed Wilder scored four plays later on fourth and goal from the 1.

West Virginia was equally impressive on its opening series, moving 61 yards on seven plays for a touchdown. Zereoue's first touchdown came on a 14-yard sweep to the right side.

Tech then opened a two-touchdown lead with a 30-yard scoring run by Hamilton on quarterback draw late in the first quarter and a 3-yard touchdown pass from Hamilton to tight end Mike Lillie early in the second period.

After West Virginia came back with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Marc Bulger to split end Pat Greene, Tech made it 28-14 just before halftime with a 74-yard drive capped by a 9-yard touchdown run by Hamilton on another draw.

Zereoue broke loose in the third quarter with a 19-yard touchdown run and a 31-yard run to set up a 21-yard field goal by Jay Taylor, cutting Tech's lead to 28-24 with 42 seconds left in the period.

Tech coach George O'Leary made a major change on offense and defense because of disciplinary suspensions. Redshirt freshman Chris Brown started for senior Ken Celaj at left offensive tackle, and senior defensive end Ralph Hughes was replaced by redshirt freshman Felipe Claybrooks. Celaj and Hughes were benched for violating a team rule.

O'Leary faces tough decisions within the next few weeks regarding his defensive coaching staff. In addition to blowing late leads in three games, the Jackets finished 98th in the nation in total defense and allowed 3,259 passing yards, the most in Division I-A.

There has been speculation that O'Leary will replace defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable and reassign defensive backs coach John Anselmo, a valuable recruiter. Tight ends coach Eddie Wilson also will be nudged out, insiders say.

Tech played in its first bowl game since 1991, when the Bobby Ross-coached Jackets defeated Dennis Green's Stanford Cardinal 18-17 in the Aloha Bowl.