2002 Gator Bowl The 2002 Gator Bowl was a post - season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Florida State Seminoles at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville , Florida on January 1 , 2002 . The game was the final contest of the 2001 NCAA Division I - A football season for both teams , and ended in a 30 - 17 victory for Florida State . Virginia Tech was selected to play in the 2002 Gator Bowl with an 8 – 3 regular - season record despite having just played in Jacksonville at the end of the previous year . The selection of Virginia Tech over the Syracuse Orangemen ( now just the " Orange " ) despite losing head - to - head and Syracuse having better conference and overall records was controversial . Florida State , who had failed to win at least a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference title for the first time since joining the league in 1992 , and who had played in all three BCS National Championship games held to that point , was selected as the opponent . The 2002 Gator Bowl kicked off on January 1 , 2002 at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville , Florida , exactly one year since the Hokies had last played in the game . The game ' s early going seemed promising for the defense - minded Hokies . In the first quarter , Tech held Florida State scoreless despite only managing a single field goal on offense . In the second quarter , however , Florida State began to find gaps in the Hokie defense and scored 10 points . At halftime , Florida State held a 10 – 3 lead . In the third quarter , Tech struck back . The Hokies scored 14 points in the quarter , while Florida State managed just a field goal . The Hokies ' All - American tailback Lee Suggs had suffered a season - ending injury in the first game of the season , but freshman Kevin Jones had carried the offense for the season , and continued to perform well in the post - season Gator Bowl game . With a 5 - yard run from Jones and a 55 - yard pass from Grant Noel to André Davis , Tech took a 17 – 13 lead going into the fourth quarter . But the lead quickly evaporated on a 77 - yard catch and run from Chris Rix to Javon Walker . Florida State added ten more points after the long touchdown pass , and the Seminoles went on to win the game , 30 – 17 . Team selection . At the start of the 2001 college football season , the Gator Bowl Committee held contracts with the Atlantic Coast Conference , Big East Conference , and Notre Dame , allowing the committee to select either Notre Dame or a team from each of the conferences to fill the two available slots . According to contract , the committee had the first selection of teams from each of the two conferences after the conferences ' champions were given automatic bids to a Bowl Championship Series game . According to contract , the Gator Bowl was allowed to select any bowl - eligible Big East team as long as it was within two wins of the second - place team in the conference . This clause generated controversy when Virginia Tech ( 8 – 3 record ) received the Big East ' s Gator Bowl spot instead of Syracuse ( 9 – 2 record ) . Syracuse fans , coaches , and players protested the selection of the third - place Hokies ahead of second - place Syracuse . Representing the Atlantic Coast conference was Florida State , which finished second in its conference with a record of 7 – 4 . Florida State . Florida State entered the 2001 college football season after a 13 – 2 loss to Oklahoma in the national championship game . The loss was just the second for the Seminoles that season , and they finished with an 11 – 2 record . Despite their appearance in the previous year ' s national championship game , the Seminoles were ranked as the No . 5 team in the country in the " USA Today " college football preseason poll . Florida State , which had a 70 – 2 record in Atlantic Coast Conference games since joining the conference , was again favored to win the ACC , but the Seminoles faced challenges replacing Heisman Trophy - winning quarterback Chris Weinke and 14 other starters from the previous year ' s team . Adding to the Seminoles ' challenges in the 2001 season was the loss of two starting wide receivers : Robert Morgan and Anquan Boldin , both of whom suffered season - ending injuries before the first game of the season . The bad omens of the preseason were discarded in the Seminoles ' first two games of the season : a 55 – 13 win against Duke and a 29 – 7 victory over Alabama - Birmingham . In their third game of the season , however , Florida State suffered what was then the worst defeat in its history of play as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , a 41 – 9 loss to North Carolina . Florida State recovered from the loss by beating Wake Forest , 48 – 24 , but lost to No . 2 Miami in the following week , 49 – 27 . Three wins followed the loss to Miami , but two losses followed the brief winning streak : to Atlantic Coast Conference rival NC State , 34 – 28 , and in - state rival Florida , 37 – 13 . The loss to NC State was the Seminoles ' first home defeat at the hands of an ACC opponent and dropped the Seminoles out of contention for the ACC championship . Following the loss to Florida , the Seminoles accepted a bid to the Gator Bowl . Florida State ' s final game , a win against ACC opponent Georgia Tech , had no effect other than to improve Florida State ' s regular - season record , and the Seminoles began to prepare for the Gator Bowl . Virginia Tech . The Virginia Tech Hokies began the 2001 season having gone 11 – 1 the previous season , ending with a 41 – 20 victory in the 2001 Gator Bowl against Clemson . Fans ' hopes for the new season were not as high as the previous year , however . Star quarterback Michael Vick was selected with the first pick in the 2001 NFL Draft , and there were questions about how well the team would cope with the loss of Vick and several other important players . Despite those fears , the Hokies began the 2001 season ranked No . 9 in the coaches ' poll and were picked in the annual poll of media covering the Big East to finish second in that conference . In the opening game of the season , Virginia Tech defeated Connecticut , 52 – 10 , but lost starting running back Lee Suggs , who tore his anterior cruciate ligament during the game . Suggs ' absence did not affect the Hokies in their next game , as they defeated Western Michigan , 31 – 0 . The Hokies continued their winning streak through the first Virginia Tech games of the season , heading into a conference contest against Syracuse with a 6 – 0 record and ranked No . 5 in the country . On October 27 , however , Syracuse ended Tech ' s 16 - game home winning streak by defeating the Hokies , 22 – 14 , in Lane Stadium . The loss to Syracuse was followed by another to Pittsburgh in the following week . The twin losses effectively knocked Tech out of contention for the Big East championship , as the Hokies were then two games behind first - place Miami . Tech won its next two games of the season , but because Miami remained undefeated , the matchup between No . 1 Miami and No . 14 Virginia Tech was played without conference title implications . Before the Miami game , Virginia Tech accepted a bid to the Gator Bowl , which had the first pick of Big East teams after the Bowl Championship Series gave an automatic bid to the Big East champion . Miami defeated Tech in the final regular - season game for both teams , 26 – 24 , and the Hokies began preparations for the Gator Bowl . Controversy . Virginia Tech ' s selection for the Gator Bowl was not without controversy . The Hokies ' three Big East losses pushed them to third place in the conference , behind Miami ( which earned an automatic bid to the national championship game ) and Syracuse , which lost only one Big East Conference game . Instead of attending the Gator Bowl , Syracuse earned a bid to the 2002 Insight Bowl , considered to be a less prestigious game due to its lesser payout and shorter history . Syracuse fans , coaches , and players were offended that Virginia Tech was awarded a bid to the Gator Bowl despite Syracuse ' s better record due to Tech ' s reputation for bringing large numbers of fans to bowl games . In the wake of Tech ' s selection , Syracuse athletic director Jake Crouthamel vowed to lobby for changes in the way the Gator Bowl ' s Big East selection was made . Pregame buildup . The Florida State / Virginia Tech matchup was the 31st game between the two teams since they first met in 1955 . At the time , Florida State held the advantage in wins , with a 19 – 10 – 1 record against Virginia Tech . Heading into the 2002 Gator Bowl , however , spread bettors predicted a reversal of that trend as Virginia Tech was favored to win by two points on Dec . 10 . This was reflective of an overall feeling of pessimism toward the Seminoles , who hadn ' t finished out of first place in the ACC since joining the league in 1992 , and would not participate in the national championship game for the first time in four years . Because of this decline in stature , the fact that the game was a rematch of the 2000 national championship game received less coverage than it would have otherwise . Ticket sales for the game were relatively rapid . By Dec . 7 , Virginia Tech had sold almost its entire initial allotment of 12 , 500 tickets , Florida State fans had purchased approximately 6 , 800 tickets , and total ticket sales neared the 50 , 000 mark . Tech ' s sales increased to more than 13 , 000 by Dec . 14 , and Virginia Tech officials requested an initial allotment from the Gator Bowl . Four days later , more than 60 , 000 tickets had been sold , and there were expectations that the game would be a sellout . The growing demand for tickets was demonstrated by an incident in which nearly 200 all - access passes to the game were stolen in transit from the printer and resold , causing a police search for the culprits . Florida State offense . At the conclusion of the regular season , Florida State was ranked No . 26 in total offense , averaging 426 . 09 yards per game . The Seminoles ' rushing offense was ranked No . 55 ( 159 . 64 yards per game ) , but their passing offense was No . 26 ( 266 . 45 ypg ) and their scoring offense was No . 21 , averaging 33 . 91 points per game on average . On the field , the Seminoles ' offense was led by quarterback Chris Rix , whose passer rating of 150 . 76 was the seventh - highest in the country . Rix completed 165 of his 286 pass attempts for 2 , 734 yards and 24 touchdowns , setting an Atlantic Coast Conference record for total offense by a freshman . In recognition of the achievement , he was named the ACC Freshman of the Year . Rix ' s preferred passing target was wide receiver Javon Walker , who led the team by catching 45 passes for 944 yards and seven touchdowns . Fellow wide receiver Talman Gardner outpaced Walker in touchdowns , catching 11 during the season , enough for No . 5 in Florida State history to that point . The Seminoles ' ground offense was led by running back Greg Jones , who finished the regular season with 713 yards and six rushing touchdowns . Florida State ' s rushing game also was assisted by the mobility of Chris Rix , who gained 389 yards during the regular season , enough for No . 3 on the team in rushing yards . The Seminoles ' kicking game was run by placekicker Xavier Beitia , who successfully kicked 13 of 14 field goals and 44 of 48 extra points during the season for a total of 83 points . Virginia Tech offense . Virginia Tech ' s offense was slightly worse than the national average during the regular season . The Hokies were ranked No . 64 in total offense , averaging 374 . 09 yards per game . In particular , Tech ' s passing offense was lacking . That segment of the offense was ranked No . 86 , averaging 179 . 36 yards . This figure was somewhat balanced by the Hokies ' rushing attack , which was ranked No . 55 ( 194 . 73 ypg ) . Despite the worse - than - average yardage totals , Tech was ranked No . 25 in scoring offense , or 32 . 64 points per game . Prior to the Gator Bowl , it was announced that Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Rickey Bustle would be leaving the team to take the same position at the Louisiana - Lafayette . Despite the move , he confirmed he would coach the Hokies during the bowl game in his last act as a Virginia Tech coach . On the field , the Hokies were led by quarterback Grant Noel , who completed 146 of his 254 pass attempts for 1 , 826 passing yards , 16 touchdowns , and 11 interceptions . Noel ' s favorite passing target was André Davis , who caught 39 passes for 623 yards and seven touchdowns . In recognition of his success , Davis was named a first - team all - Big East selection . Fullback Jarrett Ferguson also set three single - season receiving records by catching 25 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns , all of which were school records for a fullback . Despite those numbers , most of Virginia Tech ' s offense was gained on the ground . At the beginning of the season , running back Lee Suggs was the leader of the Hokies ' rushing offense . He set Virginia Tech records for career rushing touchdowns and career touchdowns before suffering a season - ending injury in the Hokies ' game against Connecticut . Following Suggs ' injury , his role was taken up by freshman running back Kevin Jones , who set a Tech freshman running record by accumulating 957 yards . That figure also was the fifth most in Division I - A , and he was named Big East rookie of the year and an All - American by " The Sporting News " . Florida State defense . Florida State ' s defense was ranked No . 43 in the country at the conclusion of the regular season . The Seminoles allowed 356 . 36 yards per game , on average . State ' s rushing defense was ranked No . 32 ( 126 ypg ) , while its passing defense was ranked No . 76 ( 230 . 36 ypg ) . The Seminoles ' defensive squad was led by middle linebacker Bradley Jennings , who had 121 tackles during the regular season — the most on the team . Defensive tackle Darnell Dockett also was a standout performer statistically for the Seminoles , leading the team in tackles for loss and setting the single - season and single - game Florida State records in that category . Virginia Tech defense . During the 2001 regular season , the Hokies ' defense was the second - best in the country , allowing 237 . 91 yards per game . In no defensive statistical category were the Hokies worse than No . 10 , and that ranking came in punt return defense , where Tech allowed 13 . 33 yards per return . The Hokies were No . 2 in rushing defense ( 71 . 64 ypg ) and No . 8 in passing defense ( 166 . 27 ypg ) . Defensively , the Hokies were led by linebacker Ben Taylor , who had 121 tackles ( the most on the team ) and was named a semifinalist for the Butkus Award , given annually to the best linebacker in the country . Free safety Willie Pile was the team ' s No . 2 tackler , accumulating 94 tackles , four interceptions , and two fumble recoveries . Unexpectedly , linebacker Chad Cooper was diagnosed with Guillain - Barré syndrome and had to be hospitalized prior to the game . Game summary . The 2002 Gator Bowl kicked off at 12 : 30 p . m . EST on January 1 , 2002 , at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville , Florida . The in - person attendance was announced as 72 , 202 , and the television broadcast earned a Nielsen rating of 6 . 9 . The Gator Bowl was the only New Year ' s Day bowl game in 2002 to see a ratings increase over the previous year . The broadcast was provided by NBC , and Tom Hammond , Pat Haden , and Chris Wragge were the sportscaster s . Country music artist Lee Greenwood performed his song " God Bless the USA " prior to the game , and sang the traditional pre - game national anthem . At kickoff , the weather was sunny with variable winds at . The temperature was , and the humidity was 42 percent . David Witvoet was the referee . In exchange for playing in the game , the two teams split a payout of $ 3 , 212 , 364 . Virginia Tech won the traditional pre - game coin toss to determine first possession and elected to kick off to Florida State to begin the state . First quarter . The kickoff was fielded near the Florida State six - yard line and returned 16 yards to the State 22 - yard line . The first play of the game was a long pass by quarterback Chris Rix , but the throw was not caught . On the second play , Rix was sacked for a loss of nine yards . A third - down pass was incomplete , and Florida State punted . Virginia Tech returned the kick into Florida State territory , and the Hokies ' offense began Tech ' s first possession of the game at the State 48 - yard line . The Hokies ' first play was an 18 - yard pass from quarterback Grant Noel to tight end Bob Slowikowski , long enough for a first down at the Florida State 29 - yard line . From there , running back Kevin Jones gained 12 yards and a first down on a run up the middle of the field . Jones gained three yards on the next play , then Noel was sacked by the Seminoles for a loss of nine yards . On third down , Jones regained some of the lost yardage but was unable to pick up a first down . Facing fourth down , Tech sent in kicker Carter Warley to attempt a 36 - yard field goal . The kick was successful , and with 10 : 56 remaining in the first quarter , Virginia Tech took a 3 – 0 lead . Virginia Tech ' s post - score kickoff was downed in the end zone for a touchback , and Florida State ' s second possession of the game began at its 20 - yard line . On first down , running back Greg Jones gained four yards . A second - down pass from Rix to Gardner gained 11 yards and the Seminoles ' first first down of the game . They were unable to gain another first down , however , and punted for the second time in the game . During the return , Florida State was penalized five yards for violating the halo rule that required two yards between the player catching the ball and the nearest defender . The rule has since been rescinded . Virginia Tech ' s second drive of the game started at its 28 - yard line after the penalty . Jones was stopped for little or no gain on the first two plays of the drive , then Noel completed a long pass to wide receiver Andre Davis , who dodged defenders and advanced the ball to the Florida State 17 - yard line , a gain of 55 yards and a first down . Two running plays after the long play gained little yardage , then Tech appeared to gain a touchdown on a passing play from Noel to wide receiver Ernst Wilford . During the play , however , a Tech offensive lineman committed a holding penalty that negated the score . After a 10 - yard penalty , Noel fumbled the ball . The loose ball was recovered by Florida State at the State 45 - yard line , and Tech was denied a chance to score . On State ' s first play after the turnover , Rix was sacked for a four - yard loss . On the next play , Virginia Tech defender Eric Green jumped in front of an errant Rix pass and intercepted it . Green returned the ball to the State 44 - yard line , and the Hokies ' offense started a drive inside Florida State territory . On the first play of the drive , Tech attempted a reverse pass , but the ball fell incomplete . Two subsequent plays were stopped for no gain , and Tech punted for the first time in the game . The kick was stopped at the State five - yard line , and with 3 : 56 remaining in the first quarter , State was pinned deep in its half of the field . After a running play gained four yards , State earned a first down at the 11 - yard line with a seven - yard pass . After the first down , Rix fumbled the ball , recovered it , and was sacked by the Tech defense at the State nine - yard line . Two long rushing plays made up the lost yardage , and State earned a first down at their 27 - yard line . From there , Rix completed a 44 - yard pass to Javon Walker for a first down at the Tech 29 - yard line . In the final seconds of the quarter , Rix attempted a touchdown pass , but the ball fell incomplete . With one quarter elapsed , Virginia Tech led , 3 – 0 . Second quarter . The second quarter of the Gator Bowl began with the Seminoles facing third down and 12 from the Virginia Tech 30 - yard line . The first play of the quarter resulted in the third Virginia Tech sack of the game as Nathaniel Adibi tackled Rix for a long loss . The sack pushed Florida State out of field goal range , and the Seminoles punted . The ball bounced out of bounds at the Tech 11 - yard line , and the Hokies began their first possession of the second quarter . After a running play that was stopped for no gain , Noel completed a 20 - yard pass to Slowikowski for a first down at their 31 - yard line . Tech fumbled on the first play after the first down , Noel threw an incomplete pass , were pushed back five yards by a false start penalty , then had a first - down run negated by a 10 - yard holding penalty . Tech was unable to gain a first down after the penalties , and punted . With 11 : 23 remaining in the first half , Florida State returned the kick to its 18 - yard line and began its first full possession of the second quarter . After a running play was stopped for no gain , Florida State gained a first down on a short pass and a short run . After a 10 - yard holding penalty against the Seminoles , Rix scrambled for eight yards and completed a 19 - yard pass for a first down at the 50 - yard line . After Rix gained five yards on another scramble , he threw two incomplete passes and the Seminoles punted . The ball rolled into the end zone , and Tech ' s offense began a drive at its 20 - yard line with 7 : 43 remaining in the first quarter . Two incomplete passes and a one - yard run later , Tech prepared to punt the ball away . During the kick , Florida State ' s defense broke through the Virginia Tech offensive line and blocked the kick . The ball rolled inside the one - yard line , where Florida State ' s offense took over . On the first play after the block , Rix leaped across the goal line for the game ' s first touchdown . The extra point attempt was a success , and with 6 : 32 remaining in the first half , Florida State took a 7 – 3 lead . The post - score kickoff was returned to the Tech 34 - yard line , and the Hokies began another drive . Two rushing plays resulted in a first down for the Hokies at their 49 - yard line . The Hokies were unable to enter Florida State ' s half of the field , however , as two incomplete passes and a running play resulted in a loss of yardage . Florida State ' s offense returned to the game at their 30 - yard line following the kick with 4 : 17 remaining in the first half . On the first play of the drive , Rix completed a 42 - yard pass to Craphonso Thorpe . On the next play , the Seminoles advanced the ball 11 more yards on a running play . From the Tech 18 - yard line , the Seminoles were stopped for no gain , endured a sack of Rix , then committed a five - yard false start penalty . After being pushed back to the Tech 34 - yard line , the Seminoles were unable to get a first down and elected to try a long field goal kick . Florida State placekicker Xavier Beitia entered the game to attempt a 50 - yard kick . The kick was successful , and with 1 : 27 remaining in the first half , Florida State extended its lead to 10 – 3 . After Virginia Tech went three - and - out , the Hokies punted to Florida State , who proceeded to run out the remaining seconds on the clock . The first half ended with Florida State leading , 10 – 3 . Third quarter . Because Florida State received the ball to begin the game , Virginia Tech received the ball to begin the second half . Florida State ' s kickoff was returned to their 29 - yard line , and Virginia Tech ' s offense had the first possession of the second half . Jones rushed for six yards , then Noel completed a first - down pass to Andre Davis at the Florida State 45 - yard line . The Seminoles sacked Noel , but Noel regained the lost yardage and earned a first down with a completed pass to the 20 - yard line . Three Tech rushes advanced the ball to the nine - yard line and earned a first down . Two plays later , Jones dashed across the goal line for the first Tech touchdown of the game . The extra point kick was good , and Tech tied the score , 10 – 10 , with 10 : 02 remaining in the third quarter . Florida State received the Tech kickoff and returned it to their 23 - yard line . After an incomplete pass from Rix , Virginia Tech ' s defense was caught offsides , resulting in a five - yard gain for Florida State . A short run after the penalty gained a first down , but on the first play after the first down , the Seminoles fumbled the ball . The loose ball was recovered by Virginia Tech ' s defense , and the Hokies began their second possession of the second half at the State 31 - yard line . Tech was unable to capitalize on the field position , however . Noel threw an incomplete pass , was sacked , then threw a pass for a loss of yardage . Tech punted the ball , which was downed at the Florida State 12 - yard line . The Seminoles ' second possession of the second half began with more success than their first possession . State gained a first down on two running plays , then Rix completed a 14 - yard pass for another first down . Now at their 36 - yard line , the Seminoles advanced the ball for short ground gains on the next two plays , then Rix completed a 30 - yard pass to Bell . Following the pass and first down , the Seminoles were at the Tech 34 - yard line . Two short gains and an incomplete pass failed to gain another first down , so State head coach Bobby Bowden ordered kicker Beitia into the game to attempt a 47 - yard field goal . The kick attempt was successful , and Beitia gave Florida State a 13 – 10 lead with 1 : 42 remaining in the quarter . Following Florida State ' s kickoff and a 38 - yard return , Virginia Tech ' s offense began work at its 45 - yard line . On the second play of the drive , Noel completed a 55 - yard pass to Andre Davis , who ran into the end zone for Virginia Tech ' s second touchdown of the game . The extra point kick was good , and Virginia Tech regained the lead , 17 – 13 , with 40 seconds remaining in the quarter . Virginia Tech kicked the ball off , and Florida State returned the kick 12 yards to its 18 - yard line . The Seminoles gained five yards on two rushing plays before time ran out on the quarter , which ended with Virginia Tech leading , 17 – 13 . Fourth quarter . The fourth quarter began with Florida State in possession of the ball and facing a third down and five yards . On the first play of the quarter , Rix was hit by a Virginia Tech defender , but not before he released a 77 - yard pass to Walker , who ran into the end zone for a touchdown . The extra point try was good , and Florida State regained the lead , 20 – 17 , with 14 : 48 remaining in the game . Florida State ' s post - score kickoff sailed through the end zone for a touchback , and Tech ' s offense began its first drive of the quarter from its 20 - yard line . Tech ' s first play of the quarter was a 15 - yard completed pass by Noel for a first down . That was followed by an 11 - yard run by Jones for another first down . After an incomplete pass , Noel ran for a first down at the State 41 - yard line . Inside Florida State territory , gaining ground became much more difficult . The next three plays netted Tech only nine yards , setting up a critical fourth - and - one play . With Virginia Tech outside field goal range and trailing , the Hokies needed another first down to move within potential scoring range . But on fourth down , Jones was stopped for no gain on a running play , and the Hokies turned the ball over on downs . The play later was cited as the game ' s turning point . After the turnover , Florida State received the ball at its 32 - yard line with a 20 – 17 lead and 12 : 08 remaining in the game . On the first play after the turnover , Rix completed a 51 - yard pass to Walker for a first down at the Tech 18 - yard line . The three plays that followed netted only three yards , and Beitia was sent into the game to attempt a 35 - yard field goal . The kick ricocheted off one of the uprights but through the goal posts , extending the Seminoles ' lead to 23 – 17 with 10 : 13 remaining in the game . Florida State ' s kickoff was fielded inside the Virginia Tech five - yard line and returned to the Tech eight - yard line . Tech gained five yards on two running plays , then Noel completed a 15 - yard pass to Davis for a first down at the Tech 28 - yard line . Noel and Jones each carried the ball , together gaining enough for a first down at the Tech 39 - yard line . A completed pass and a short run by Jones resulted in another first down , this time at the 50 - yard line . Florida State committed a five - yard offsides penalty , but the Hokies were unable to gain a first down on the Seminoles ' side of the field . Rather than attempt to convert another fourth down , the Hokies punted the ball . The kick was downed by Virginia Tech at the State 22 - yard line with 5 : 22 remaining in the game . On the first play of the drive , Jones gained 13 yards and a first down at the 45 - yard line of Florida State . This was followed by a 22 - yard run and a first down by Jones at the Tech 33 - yard line . Three more runs by Jones gained another nine yards , but rather than attempt a field goal , Bowden ordered his offense to attempt to convert the first down . A quarterback sneak resulted in just enough of a gain for a first down , and State ' s drive continued . On the first play after the conversion , Rix completed a 23 - yard pass to Walker for a touchdown . The score and subsequent extra point gave State a 30 – 17 lead with 2 : 14 remaining in the game . Virginia Tech returned Florida State ' s kickoff to their 23 - yard line . After an incomplete pass , the Hokies gained a first down at their 33 - yard line with a short pass . After the first down , Noel was sacked on successive plays . During the second sack , Florida State lineman Darnell Dockett collided with Noel ' s helmet , twisting Dockett ' s knee . Following the injury , Tech sent in backup quarterback Bryan Randall to attempt a long pass . The pass was intercepted by Florida State with 19 seconds remaining in the game . Following the interception , the Seminoles ran out the clock and secured a 30 – 17 win . Statistical summary . In recognition of their performances during the game , Florida State wide receiver Javon Walker was named the most valuable player of the winning team , and Virginia Tech wide receiver André Davis was named the most valuable player of the losing team . Walker finished the game with 195 receiving yards on just four receptions , an average of almost 50 yards — half the field — per reception . On the opposite side of the ball , Davis caught five passes for 158 yards , an average of more than 31 yards per catch . The two teams ' quarterbacks benefited from their receivers ' success in eluding the opposing defenses . Florida State quarterback Chris Rix completed 12 of his 25 pass attempts for two touchdowns , 269 yards , and one interception . Rix also ran the ball 12 times during the game . Although he lost a total of 19 yards , one of his positive rushes resulted in a rushing touchdown . Despite that score , the game marked the first time all season that Rix had been held to negative rushing yardage . For Virginia Tech , quarterback Grant Noel completed 15 of 27 pass attempts for 269 yards and a touchdown . Backup quarterback Bryan Randall threw an interception on his only pass attempt of the game , and wide receiver Richard Johnson ' s trick pass attempt fell incomplete . On the ground , Florida State running back Greg Jones led all players with 23 carries for 120 yards . Virginia Tech running back Kevin Jones was second in overall rushing , having carried the ball 23 times for 55 yards and a touchdown . Defensively , Florida State had 12 tackles for loss , causing the Hokies negating 66 yards of offense . Virginia Tech had eight tackles for loss , encompassing 48 yards of loss . Five of Virginia Tech ' s tackles for loss were sacks , while four of Florida State ' s tackles for loss were sacks . Beitia ' s three successful field goals tied a Gator Bowl record . Rix ' s 326 passing yards were the sixth - most recorded in Gator Bowl history to that point , and Javon Walker ' s 195 receiving yards were the second - most ever recorded in a Gator Bowl . The 77 - yard pass from Rix to Walker was the third - longest in Gator Bowl history . On the opposite side of the ball , Davis ' 158 receiving yards were the ninth - most recorded in Gator Bowl history , and his 55 - yard reception from Noel was the ninth - longest in Gator Bowl history . The two receivers ' totals also were Virginia Tech bowl - game records : in one case , for receiving yards gained by a single player , in the other , for receiving yards allowed by a single player . Postgame effects . Florida State ' s victory raised it to a final record of 8 – 4 , and Virginia Tech ' s loss brought it also to a final record of 8 – 4 . Following the loss , the Hokies had a 5 – 10 record in bowl games , including 1 – 3 in the Gator Bowl and 4 – 5 in bowl games under head coach Frank Beamer . Florida State ' s victory gave Seminoles head coach Bobby Bowden the 322nd win of his career , tying him for second in the overall Division I career wins list with Bear Bryant . 2002 NFL Draft . Because of their strong performance in college and during the 2002 Gator Bowl , several players from each team were selected to play in the National Football League during the 2002 NFL Draft . Florida State had three players selected , led by wide receiver Javon Walker , who was picked in the first round ( 20th overall ) by the Green Bay Packers . Following Walker were defensive back Chris Hope ( 94th ) and Milford Brown , who was taken in the supplemental draft by the expansion Houston Texans . In addition to the Seminoles who were drafted , Florida State running back Eric Shelton transferred from the team because of a lack of playing time . Virginia Tech had eight players selected in the 2002 draft . The first of these was wide receiver Andre Davis , who was selected in the second round ( 47th overall ) , by the Cleveland Browns . Following Davis were linebacker Ben Taylor ( 111th ) , defensive back Kevin McAdam ( 148th ) , David Pugh ( 182nd ) , Bob Slowikowski ( 211th ) , Chad Beasley ( 218th ) , Derrius Monroe ( 224th ) , and Jarrett Ferguson ( 251st ) . Coaching changes . Following the Gator Bowl loss , Virginia Tech offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Rickey Bustle became the head coach at Louisiana - Lafayette as had been announced prior to the game . His position offensive coordinator was filled by then - offensive line coach Bryan Stinespring . To fill the quarterbacks coach position vacated by Bustle , Tech hired former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Kevin Rogers .