Late-Season Slide Continues for Virginia, 38-13 : Cavaliers: Loss to Virginia Tech is the third in the last four games for former No. 1 team.

Virginia Tech’s reward for a 38-13 victory over Sugar Bowl-bound Virginia was not exactly what Coach Frank Beamer had in mind.

“We deserve to be in a bowl,” Beamer said Saturday after the Hokies (6-5) beat the 17th-ranked Cavaliers and then had no bowl scout visit the dressing room. “This just shows how far off our bowl systems are.

“At the end, you would think we were one of the better teams in the country. We beat three teams going to bowls . . . and lost to Georgia Tech in the last 10 seconds.”

Virginia (8-3), which lost three of its last four games, is headed for New Orleans to meet the Southeastern Conference champion.

The Cavaliers are the first team since Nebraska in 1974 to go to the Sugar Bowl with three losses.

A somber Virginia Coach George Welsh accepted the Sugar Bowl invitation.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Welsh said. “We need to patch some things up, and I think we’ll be a better team in a couple more weeks. We accept with a great deal of pride.”

The game drew 54,157 to Lane Stadium, the largest crowd to ever see a football game inVirginia.

Virginia Tech quarterback Will Furrer completed 10 of 12 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns in the first 25 minutes as the Hokies built a 24-0 lead. He finished with 254 yards and three touchdowns.

Virginia Tech had 421 yards and recovered all three Virginia fumbles.

Matt Blundin started at quarterback for Virginia in place of Shawn Moore, the nation’s passing-efficiency leader who dislocated the thumb on his throwing hand last week in a 35-30 loss to Maryland.

Blundin completed 21 of 34 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns. He had three passes intercepted.