All-American Bowl : Georgia Tech Beats Michigan State, 17-14

For Georgia Tech quarterback Todd Rampley, starting his first collegiate game was elementary.

Rampley led Georgia Tech to a 17-14 comeback victory over Michigan State Tuesday night in the All-American Bowl.

“We scored 17 points and they had 14 and that’s the bottom line,” said Rampley, given the job after Coach Bill Curry dismissed quarterback John Dewberry and three other players for missing a curfew last Friday night.

Rampley, a sophomore, wasn’t spectacular but he was steady.

“In the second half, I felt I was making winning decisions instead of just reacting,” he said.

He scored on a one-yard sneak to help tie the game at 7-7 in the third period. After Michigan State went ahead, 14-7, on Dave Yarema’s second touchdown pass to Mark Ingram, Rampley led the Yellow Jackets to a field goal and a touchdown in the final quarter. Malcolm King scored the winning touchdown from the five-yard line with less than two minutes left.

King led Georgia Tech’s runners with 122 yards in 16 carries, most of them up the middle from his fullback slot.

Lorenzo White, the nation’s leading rusher, got 158 yards in 33 carries for Michigan State, giving him 2,066 in his sophomore season.

He had more than 100 yards in 11 games for the Spartans (7-5).

Georgia Tech finished this season at 9-2-1 and is 15-8 in bowl games. Michigan State’s bowl mark is 2-4.

Georgia Tech moved 57 yards to set up a 40-yard field goal by David Bell to make it 14-10 with seven minutes left in the game. Three plays later, Tech’s Pat Swilling recovered a White fumble at the Michigan State 42 and the Yellow Jackets moved methodically to the 5, setting up King’s winning run.

Yarema connected with Ingram on scoring passes of 6 and 27 yards but Sammy Lilly intercepted Yarema’s last pass and Georgia Tech ran out the clock.

MSU’s first touchdown came after Tim Moore intercepted at the Tech 48. Yarema hit Ingram on a 37-yard pass to the 11 and three plays later they teamed again for the score.

King ran 56 yards to the Michigan State one and Rampley sneaked over for the touchdown.

“This was a hard fought game the whole way,” said State Coach George Perles. “Just as always in a close game, the breaks made the difference and tonight was no exception.”

Georgia Tech got a big break on its winning drive when a Michigan State interception was nullified by a 15-yard penalty for roughing Rampley.