Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 20, 1993 TAG: 9310200093
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Long
Phil Elmassian, Tech's first-year defensive coordinator, rotates three ends and four tackles.
Says head coach Frank Beamer, "Everyone else is kind of in there for the duration."
So much so that rover Stacy Henley is credited with having played 432 snaps on defense; opponents have run only 420 plays. Suffice to say Henley is out there all the time - even though Tech's four victories have been by an average of 33.5 points - and he has a lot of company.
Linebacker Ken Brown has played almost every snap, as has cornerback Tyronne Drakeford. Several others rarely get breaks.
So far, it's worked - although Elmassian notes he hasn't been happy with the overall defensive performance yet in Tech's 4-2 season. The defense is statistically better than last year's unit and has played well against the two best teams it has faced, Miami and West Virginia, holding each below its average in total yards and points.
The defense will be tested at 1 p.m. Saturday by Rutgers, which has the Big East Conference's highest-scoring offense.
"I've just done this forever," Elmassian said. "It's worked because the best people are going to play."
At times in past years Tech has been reluctant to use backups - in part because some of the backups were walk-ons - who sometimes got burned. Henley remembers coming on the field to defend against Rutgers' final drive last year. The Scarlet Knights' touchdown pass with no time left gave them a 50-49 victory.
"A lot of guys were tired, very tired," Henley said. "Scott Jones nearly was hyperventilating, and P.J. Preston also. We were struggling defensively."
But the combination of more rigorous preseason conditioning and a new attitude has helped, Henley said.
"[Elmassian] made you feel if you were the starter, you were special," he said.
Said Elmassian: "In order to learn how to win, you learn to win your position first."
Unless there's an injury, the backups - especially in the secondary - will play rarely. They get some snaps during practice, Elmassian said, but the first-teamers get the teaching and the second-teamers watch, and wait for a chance.
"I'm not here to make them happy. They're here to make me happy," he said.
\ ON THE TUBE: Tech's game at Boston College on Nov. 6 will be televised on the Big East network and kickoff has been changed from 1 p.m. to 12:08 p.m. Tech also is on the Big East network Nov. 13, at home against Syracuse.
\ THE STREAK: Tech's coaches reviewed videotape of the Temple game and decided center Jim Pyne had allowed his man to sack the quarterback for the first time in Pyne's career. On a delayed blitz, Temple's middle linebacker came up the middle and sacked Maurice DeShazo. Beamer explained that in shotgun protection, the guard takes the linebacker; in the usual blocking scheme - which Tech was in on the play in question - the center should take a blitzing linebacker.
Pyne contended the delayed blitz forced him to pick up the nose guard, and the linebacker waltzed through. He was especially galled that it came against Temple.
"I set a goal [not to allow a sack]," said Pyne, in contention for the Lombardi Award and All-America honors. "That's my edge. I go out there and fight and scratch. I don't want to get beat. Temple is one of the worst teams in the country, it's in the third quarter, we're winning [48-7] . . . to end a streak that's been going on for 3 1/2 years, it's tough for me to swallow."
Pyne officially has given up one sack in 2,250 snaps during his career. "Pretty remarkable," Beamer said.
\ BLACK & BLUE KNIGHTS: Beamer called Rutgers, which leads the Big East in scoring (40.3) and rushing (280 yards per game), "the best offensive football team we've faced." The Scarlet Knights' defense may be another matter. Eight defenders are injured. At least five won't play Saturday: linebacker Ibrihim Washington (kidney disease), outside linebacker Rusty Swartz (motorcycle accident), defensive backs Tim Geckeler and Keith Price (broken leg) and inside linebacker George Stewart (broken leg). Star defensive back Malik Jackson (strained knee) may not play, either.
As for Tech, Beamer said injured cornerback Scott Jones (knee) will practice some this week and could play; linebacker Vernon Dozier (shoulder) is available for limited practice; receiver Jermaine Holmes is questionable with a sprained ankle; and tailback Ranall White, who sprained a knee in a collision with Brian Edmonds during practice, is questionable.
\ SHOTGUN: Beamer said the Tech staff is tinkering with its shotgun set in anticipation of how opponents will play against it. "You either rush it or you defend it," he said. "How many people are dropping off? How many people are rushing? Are you good enough to get it out there [to your receivers] one-on-one? [If they defend it], what type of runner do you have in your backfield?"
\ STATS: Tech is second in the Big East in rushing per game (268.2 yards), first in total offense (473.8), second in scoring (36.8), third in rushing defense (140), fifth in total defense (376.5) and second in third-down conversion defense (32.2 percent). . . . Tech's five touchdown passes against Temple (four by Maurice DeShazo) set a school record. . . . Since last season's game against Southern Mississippi, Tech has scored all 20 times it has reached the opponent's 20-yard-line at Lane Stadium (16 touchdowns, four field-goals). . . . Linebacker Ken Brown is averaging 10.7 tackles per game. . . . Former Glenvar High School standout Brandon Semones leads Tech's special teams in tackles with 10.
\ AWARD: Former Hokies offensive lineman William Boatwright, who works in Tech's academic advising office, has been awarded a "Hitachi Promise of Tomorrow" $5,000 teaching scholarship. The award is one of 67 given to students at a College Football Association school who are pursuing careers in education.
by CNB