Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 21, 1995 TAG: 9510220002
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Virginia and Virginia Tech return today to the origin of some painful football memories, the Hokies' more recent than the Cavaliers'.
Tech, searching for its fifth straight victory, makes its first visit to Rutgers Stadium since dropping a 50-49 decision to the Scarlet Knights in 1992.
Virginia will be making only its second trip to Austin, Texas, where the Longhorns demolished UVa 68-0 in 1977, Earl Campbell's Heisman Trophy-winning season.
It will be Virginia's third appearance this season in a stadium seating 75,000 or more, surroundings that frequently bring out the best in UVa. The Cavaliers lost on the last play at Michigan Stadium, 18-17, and beat Clemson 22-3 in ``Death Valley.''
Tech will be pleased to hear that it will not be playing at the exact site of its 1992 debacle, although the playing field has been moved only 25 feet. Rutgers Stadium, which previously held 23,000, was rebuilt and enlarged to its present capacity of 41,500 after the '92 season.
That hasn't prevented the Scarlet Knights from preserving their home-field advantage. Rutgers, which plays some of its games at Giants Stadium, has a 15-2 record under coach Doug Graber when playing at its on-campus stadium in Piscataway, N.J.
The last two Tech-Rutgers games have been held in Blacksburg, with almost as many fireworks as the 1992 affair. The Hokies beat the Scarlet Knights for the first time two years ago, 49-42, before prevailing 41-34 last season.
``Our games with Rutgers have been wild and crazy, and I expect this one to be the same,'' said Tech coach Frank Beamer, whose Hokies are favored by 61/2 points. ``They've got the same quarterback, tight ends and most of the offensive line [and] running backs that did it to us before.
``They're a team that scares you to death.''
However, that's about all the Scarlet Knights (1-4 overall, 0-2 Big East) have been doing. Although they lead the Big East in total offense and rushing, they rank last in scoring defense and pass-efficiency defense.
Rutgers is giving up 36.6 points per game, much of it the result of losses to Penn State (59-34) and Miami (56-21).
``Now, we've got the team that beat Miami coming in,'' said Graber, trying to avoid a third straight losing season and the fourth of his seven-year tenure. ``It's a reality check for us. We're in a survival state: Play 'em one at a time and fight like crazy.''
The Hokies (4-2, 2-1) need a win in order to stay within sight of Big East front-runners Syracuse and West Virginia, who take 2-0 conference records into their meeting today at the Carrier Dome.
Kickoff at Rutgers is at 1 p.m., the same time that 16th-ranked Texas (4-1-1) entertains No.14 Virginia (6-2) in a game that will be televised on the Southwest Conference network at noon Central Standard Time.
The Cavaliers are coming off the biggest comeback in school history - a 44-30 victory over Duke in a game the Blue Devils led 21-3 in the second quarter. Texas, on the other hand, has been trying to figure out how it squandered a 21-0 lead in a 24-24 tie with Oklahoma in Dallas.
On top of his preparations for Virginia, Texas coach John Mackovic has been answering questions all week about his decision to go for a first down on fourth-and-1 at the Sooners' 11-yard line with 9:17 remaining and the score tied. Quarterback James Brown was smothered on an option.
``It's never a good call if it doesn't work,'' said Mackovic, second-guessed by everybody from Brown to Dallas Cowboys coach Barry Switzer. ``That was not one that we talked over. I had a feeling, and it didn't work. You can't say, `Well, someone in the press box called that one.'''
Brown is expected to play today, although he suffered a sprained knee against Oklahoma and also has a sore shoulder and aching back. Texas bills Brown and running backs Shon Mitchell and Ricky Williams as the ``Ultimate Driving Machine'' backfield.
``They're more multiple than anybody we've played,'' said UVa coach George Welsh, who also has to worry about Texas junior Mike Adams, one of the most dangerous wide receivers in the country.
``They've got more runs to defense and more passes to defense. We're hanging our hats on about five runs. They must have 10. I don't know how they practice them all.''
Washington and Lee (2-2-1) doesn't have as far to go as Virginia, but the Generals' trip will take longer. W&L will board a bus this morning for a nine-hour ride to Sewanee (1-5), although the Generals will stop in Knoxville, Tenn., for an afternoon practice.
Ferrum (5-2) will play its final home game of the season when it entertains Methodist (4-2) at 1:30 p.m. at W.B. Adams Stadium. The Panthers are 3-0 against Chowan, Guilford and Newport News Apprentice - common opponents that are 1-1-1 against Methodist.
by CNB