University of Virginia Library

Keydets Fall, 45-14

VMI Surrenders To Gardner's Assault

By DOUG DOUGHTY

Coming off the bench to
play in his first varsity football
game, first-year quarterback
Scott Gardner scored two
touchdowns and passed for
two more in leading Virginia
over VMI, 45-14, at Scott
Stadium Saturday.

With 9:44 left in the second
quarter Gardner was sent in to
replace starter George Allen,
who had completed seven of
nine passes for 80 yards.

Allen, however, had been
unsuccessful in moving the
team and on only one occasion
had he led it to paydirt. VMI,
the heavy underdog, had also
scored and with 21 minutes
gone it was 7-7.

Actually, no starter had
been announced prior to the
contest and Gardner was
expected by some to get the
starting nod.

"We had planned to play
George the first quarter and
Scott the second. George had
played most of the West
Virginia and all of the
Vanderbilt game and we knew
what he could do. Gardner
needed the experience," was
Coach Don Lawrence's version
of the substitution.

Virginia had touched off the
scoring on an eight-yard toss
from Allen to Mike Lacika
with 11:19 gone in the first
quarter. The drive covered 57
yards in five plays, highlighted
by 14 and 21 yard strikes to
Dave Sullivan. Lacika's score
was followed by a Billy
Maxwell conversion. Maxwell
on the day was six for six on
point-after attempts.

The Keydets scored on the
first possession of the second
quarter, driving 66 yards in 12
yards, with the touchdown
coming on a seven-yard pass
from VMI's good sophomore
QB Tom Schultze to flanker
Allen Morgan.

After Allen was intercepted
the next time the Cavaliers had
the ball, it was Gardner's turn.

The 6-3, 190 pound
Gardner, who found Virginia
more appealing than the
Kansas City Royals baseball
team, from whom he received a
$30,000 contract offer, and
Baylor and Yale, which also
sought his services, gave no
portent of things to come on
his first series.

Gardner overthrew Sullivan
twice and the Cavaliers had to
kick away. But the next series
of downs was different, as
Gardner either ran or passed
each play to the VMI six, from
where tailback John Rainey
scooted to the score.

On the five-play drive,
Gardner hit Chuck Belic twice
and Mike McGugan but the big
play was a 16-yard quarterback
sneak on which Gardner
showed uncommon speed and
shiftiness.

Although intercepted the
next set, Gardner put the
'Hoos on the board once more
before the half, on a 39-yard
bomb to Sullivan who left the
Keydet defender dead in his
tracks while making the
reception.

Gardner came right back
after intermission to lead the
club to two more scores. The
first score of the half, a
nine-yard sneak by Gardner,
was set up by a 33-yard punt
return by Gerard Mullins, who
became the Mullins of old on
the four punts he returned for
a 39.2 yard average.

Gardner scored the next
time on a two-yarder, capping
a six-play, 39-yard drive.
Gardner's passing statistics,
10-19 for 186 yards were
augmented by his rushing
figures. He led the team in
rushing with 61 yards on 12
carries. The 247 yards total
offense was the 15th best
effort in Virginia history

Schultze wasn't dead yet, as
he moved his club 73 penalty

aided yards to the second
score.

Just into the final period
Gardner passed 14 yards for a
score to Belic and later, leading
a team of second-stringers and
first-year men, Gardner moved
the club to a 25-yard field goal
by Maxwell with 8:25 on the
clock.

This was his last series of
downs, as he was to be
replaced by another first-year
man, Jim Pruner.