Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 26, 1993 TAG: 9309260089
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Long
"I think we did pretty good . . . occasionally," said the Virginia Tech linebacker.
A defensive stop here and there met the Hokies' needs Saturday, and Tech used a four-touchdown second quarter to trample Maryland 55-28 before 38,829 rain gear-clad spectators.
Terrapins quarterback Scott Milanovich set the school record for passing yards in a game (498), and Maryland had 649 total yards - the second-most ever against Tech.
But the Hokies weren't defenseless - or offense-less. Maryland didn't score on five of its nine drives that ended at the Tech 26 or closer; three of those ended with missed field-goal attempts.
Maurice DeShazo's four touchdown passes tied Don Strock's school record, tailback Tommy Edwards gained 144 yards and scored twice, and split end Antonio Freeman had 122 receiving yards and two scores as the Hokies punctured Maryland's accommodating defense.
Tech is 3-1 for the first time in coach Frank Beamer's seven years at the school, and has scored 50 or more points twice in the same season for the first time since 1917. Maryland, for the second consecutive year, has lost its first four games.
"I know they got a lot of yardage, and there were a couple of big plays," Beamer said of Maryland. "But I thought when they got closer to the goal line, we tightened it down and did a pretty good job."
Freshman free safety Antonio Banks stopped two Terrapins drives with interceptions. One came in the end zone with 9 minutes, 13 seconds left in the game and Maryland trying to shave Tech's 20-point lead.
The other may have been more important. With the score tied at 7 and less than a minute left in the first quarter, DeShazo's weak pass was picked off at the Maryland 25 by Andreal Johnson.
On Maryland's first play following the turnover, Banks cut in front of a Terps receiver for the first interception of his career and returned it 21 yards to the Maryland 15-yard line. Three plays later, Edwards took a pitch right and scored when Dwayne Thomas cut down Maryland's Lamont Gore with a block on the corner.
"They thought we were in man," Banks said of the coverage on his interception. "We gave them a good disguise."
Tech only rarely stopped Milanovich, who bothered the Hokies by sliding out of the pocket to gain 53 yards on scrambles.
"We expected him to get out of the pocket," DelRicco said of the sophomore quarterback. "We didn't expect him to get downfield."
Milanovich had three interceptions and refused to blame a defense that entered the game giving up an average of 576 yards and 48 points per contest.
"I think the offense cost us today," Milanovich said. "We had our opportunities. I threw the pick, we [lost a] fumble and the next thing we know, we're down 35-14."
The Terps entered the game missing three defensive starters, and a couple more were hobbled during the game - as if the nation's worst scoring defense needed more holes.
Tech's 641 total yards were its second-best total ever, behind its 675 against Pittsburgh on Sept. 11. And Tech zipped over the Lane Stadium muck with proper timing, scoring in the fourth quarter on Freeman's 57-yard reception less than a minute after Maryland had cut a 24-point deficit to 13.
"We all kind of looked at each other and said, `We don't need a field goal. We need another touchdown,' " said Freeman, who hurdled center Jim Pyne to break loose. " `This Maryland offense can strike at any time.' "
Both teams struck just before halftime - blows, that is. DelRicco blocked Ken Lytle's 24-yard field-goal attempt - with his gut - and Tech's Tyronne Drakeford and Maryland's Sharrod Mack tussled for the ball.
Too vigorously, it turned out. Players tried to part the two but soon began pushing and swinging. Tech's Kevin Martin, a reserve tight end, and starting tailback Thomas were ejected; Maryland lost starting linebacker Jaime Flores and backup receiver Jermaine Stewart.
Both head coaches said they regretted the fight, and players from both sides pretty much shrugged it off.
The Hokies couldn't shake Maryland that easily. Tech lost a fumble on its first possession of the third quarter and couldn't find the end zone after Edwards' 51-yard run put the ball at the Maryland 24 later in the quarter. Ryan Williams' first field goal of the season, a 34-yarder, made it 38-14 with 10:10 left.
Maryland drove from its 22 to the Tech 5, but Kameron Williams lost 2 yards on an option pitch, and Milanovich threw an incompletion before Cornell Brown chased him out of bounds for a 1-yard loss on third down. Lytle's 25-yard field-goal attempt was wide right.
Milanovich and Russ Weaver combined on a 13-yard touchdown pass with 14:52 left in the game to make it 38-21. Williams' 27-yard field goal gave Tech a 41-21 lead with 12:01 left.
Thirty-five seconds later, Milanovich's perfect toss to Walt Williams over freshman Larry Green's head gave Maryland a 67-yard touchdown play and cut Tech's lead to 41-28.
Forty-five seconds after that, DeShazo completed a screen to Freeman, who cut inside one block before leaping over Pyne, who was hiding a Maryland defender underneath him.
"I thought in my mind, `Nothing is going to stop me,' " Freeman said. \
see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB