THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 8, 1994 TAG: 9410080440
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
Virginia Tech's football team goes from a Syracuse loss that's hard to get over to an opponent that's hard to get up for.
The 20th-ranked Hokies host Temple at 1 p.m. today at Lane Stadium. The Owls have not been a Temple of doom for Big East foes, going 0-18 against the league since it was formed in 1991. Virginia Tech has beaten Temple by a combined score of 78-7 in the teams' last two games at Lane.
``The thing we talked about after the Syracuse game is, regardless of who we're playing this week, Tech's got to get better and do some things we didn't get done last week,'' Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said. ``I thought maybe we assumed some things were going to get done in the game. Syracuse was playing with great intensity and all of a sudden we were not tackling as well as we have in the past, and some other things happened in the ballgame as well.''
Among ``other things'' were a rash of penalties - 12 for 94 yards. The Hokies are the most-penalized team in college football with 51.
``We have to concentrate on diminishing mental errors,'' receiver Antonio Freeman said.
After dropping six spots in The Associated Press poll, the Hokies (4-1, 2-1 Big East) will be favored the next three weeks as they try to enhance their status in the minds of the pollsters.
``There's a lot of games, a lot of plays to be played yet,'' Beamer said. ``Certainly how we're thought of this season is not going to be determined now, it's going to be determined later on.''
The Hokies will have a new starting tailback today in freshman Ken Oxendine in place of injured Dwayne Thomas; Beamer promised freshman Marcus Parker would see more time at fullback, also. Jared Hamlin will start again at right guard in place of injured Damien McMahon, and redshirt freshman Baron Spinner will get his first start at right cornerback in place of Larry Green.
The Hokies may have another cause for lineup juggling as well. Team doctor Duane Lagan treated 15 Hokies for flu symptoms this week. Although as of Friday no starters were expected to miss the game, the illness could limit some players' stamina.
In Temple (2-2, 0-0), the Hokies face a program that was ill for a long time, but is showing signs of recovery.
The Owls opened the season 2-1 for the first time in seven seasons. Although the teams they defeated - Akron and Army - aren't exactly New Year's Day bowl material, both defeated the Owls a year ago. Temple's victories were on the road.
And last week, TV viewers and fans in football stadiums nationwide blinked hard when the second-quarter score ``Temple 6, Penn State 0'' was posted. It was the first time this season Penn State trailed in a game. The Nittany Lions won, 48-21, but Temple came out of the game with renewed confidence.
Temple was last or second-to-last in the Big East in eight major statistical categories last season. This season they hold one of the bottom spots in four of the eight categories and have the league's second-best passing offense, led by sophomore quarterback Henry Burris.
Burris threw for a school-record 323 yards against Penn State and has passed for more than 200 yards in three consecutive games.
``There's no doubt he can throw the football,'' Temple coach Ron Dickerson said. ``He has a tremendous arm and he has gotten better week after week.''
The Hokies, however, lead the nation in pass defense and are 10th in total defense. ILLUSTRATION: GAMEWATCH
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by CNB