By Matt Schulz
FANSonly.com

ATLANTA -- The Peach Bowl must've seemed like a bad dream for Texas QB Major Applewhite. However, the beating that Corey Moore and Virginia Tech put on the Longhorns was very real.

In their 41-20 Peach Bowl win, the Hokies allowed just one offensive touchdown and 60 yards passing, forced five fumbles and sacked Applewhite seven times. Meanwhile, Shyrone Stith had 320 total yards (133 rushing) and four touchdowns, including a back-breaking 90-yard kickoff return shortly after halftime.

Corey Moore led the Hokie defense with four sacks, helping Virginia Tech advance to the Virtual Championship Series second round against Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl. Wisconsin beat Florida yesterday.

Despite the large final margin, the game was very much in doubt at halftime. Virginia Tech blew out to a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter, with the last two scores coming on TD runs by Stith.

However, with just 1:24 left in the half, Applewhite and Hodges Mitchell led Texas deep into Hokie territory. Texas would eventually stall, settling for a 35-yard field goal, but the lead had been trimmed. The Longhorns defense then followed with a stand against Michael Vick (6-of-12, 131 yds., 1 TD, 0 INT; 50 yds. rushing) and the Hokies' potent two-minute offense.

Momentum seemed to be shifting to the Longhorns' side of the field. And when Jeremy Jones opened the second half with an electrifying 90-yard TD kickoff return -- cutting Virginia Tech's lead to four at 21-17 -- Texas appeared to take control.

But Texas didn't get to enjoy the success for long.

On the following kickoff, Stith matched Jones with a 90-yard TD run of his own. Texas could never recover and was outscored 13-3 the rest of the way.

Texas simply could never get its vaunted offense on track. Mitchell ran for 141 yards, but Applewhite failed to complete any of six passes for more than 14 yards.