Indian QB Brett Smith shocked the home crowd,
keeping the ball up the middle... 

...cutting to the sideline behind a nice downfield block,
going all the way for a 66-yard score.
Smith would have around 150 yards rushing,
in the first 4 minutes of the game.
The Cougars trailed for the frist time in 2001,
7-0, with barely a minute played.

After a Blacksburg fumble inside the Cougar 5,
PC gave it right back a few plays later,
and the Indians made the Cougars pay for their
first turnover of the season, recovering the ball
in the endzone.  14-0 Blacksburg.

Late in the quarter, special teams came to the rescue.
This punt block by Chris Denny nearly got PC
a touchdown, but...

...Smith (who also punts for the Indians)
recovered, limiting the damage.
Cougars on the board, now trailing 14-2.

Alan Wheeling, surrounded by defenders...

...apparently smothered by no fewer than 4 tacklers...

...toughing his way out, and headed for 6!
PC within 5 points, at 14-9.

After Smith scored his second TD,
Denny blocked the PAT, making it 20-9 Indians,
with 3:42 left in the half.

With about a minute left before the break,
Wheeling came through once again.
On 3rd-and-4 from the PC 38, Alan kept right,
made his way to the sideline, and the race was on.

A last grasp tackle by Scott Sterrett failed, and...

...Wheeling's 62-yard run, capping off a 91-yard drive,
plus Josh Calfee's two point conversion, made it
Indians 20, Cougars 17, as the teams headed
for their respective lockerrooms.
It was an exciting 24 minutes of football,
but the fireworks were far from over.

Big play early in the 3rd Quarter:
Gordon Cross picks off an errant Smith pass,
which was tipped by Chris Hardin.

Soon afterward, Jeremy Porter, who had a fantastic game,
takes it off tackle...

...and in for six.
The Cougars lead for the first time in the game,
24-20.

This 60-yard bomb from Smith to Sterrett on 3rd-and-5,
gave the Indians the ball on the Cougar 15.
Two plays later...

...Smith hits Troy Price in the corner of the endzone,
giving Blacksburg the lead back, at 27-24,
with 4:38 left in the 3rd.

Jeremy Porter once again.
Here, he takes it up the middle...

...using the Cougar flag to ward off the defender,
going 41 yards for the score, making it 31-27,
with 1:22 left in the 3rd.
John Hedge added a field goal with 7:52 left in the game,
upping the lead to seven points.

Wheeling has perfect position on Sterrett,
nearly picking off this deep pass.

Joey Radcliffe breaks up this 3rd-and-5 pass,
focing Blacksburg to punt.

After a John Hedge punt that rolled dead at the 50,
a Smith pass goes off the receiver's hands,
as he was hit by a Cougar defender.
Radcliffe dived and caught the deflection,
giving PC possession with about 2 minutes to go.

Wheeling kept on 3rd-and-8 from the Cougar 34,
stiff-armed a would-be tackler, and got the
game-clinching first down.
 

Blacksburg was unable to get the ball back, and
the Cougars had won a thriller!