Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 3, 1993 TAG: 9311030044
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Long
Nothing different, say a couple of Tech assistant coaches who have prepared for their share of important encounters. For another, receivers coach Terry Strock, it's what not to do.
"You're going to be a little more edgy, spend a little more time in meetings," said Strock, who has coached in 13 bowl games and was on Georgia Tech's staff when the Yellow Jackets were co-national champions in 1990. "You hope you're not conveying that to the kids [to] where they get uptight."
The Hokies' game at noon Saturday against Boston College (5-2 overall, 3-1 Big East) is for third place in the league and a seat at the front of the bowl-game class. A victory would guarantee 25th-ranked Tech (6-2, 3-2) its best record since 1986, when Billy Hite helped coach the Hokies to a Peach Bowl victory.
Hite, however, believes in repetition and execution - not overkill and mind games to hype the players.
"There are only so many hours in a day," Hite said. "You just can't find other special things to do in preparing for a big football game. . . . Once the game plan is finished on Wednesday, that's the time players really have to start playing.
"A football team that has to count on a coach motivating them every week is not a very good football team."
Sometimes, though, teams seek a spark. For example, Tech wore all-maroon outfits against Virginia in 1990 and orange pants against Rutgers on Oct. 30 - sort of a feel-good, play-good theme.
"I'm sure as many of those have backfired as have worked," Strock said of the gimmicks.
Phil Elmassian, Tech's defensive coordinator and a veteran of six bowl games including Tech's '86 Peach Bowl, met with each player on the defense last week to "learn from them" about their personalities. But in preparing for a game like this one, he likes to stay in a rut, too - as long as it's a good rut.
"[Because] what put you in this position is the last six games. That's why," he said.
And one other thing, Strock said.
"You tell them, `You're not going to play a perfect football game.' " he said. "Some things are going to go wrong. It's something they've got to be able to handle."
\ BRING 'EM ON: Tech center Jim Pyne, a native of Milford, Mass., has been waiting for the BC game. For one thing, he'll have 60 to 70 friends and relatives at Alumni Stadium. And, "I really don't like BC, never did growing up," said the senior, adding that he always wanted to play for a school that would face the Eagles. "I'd love to play BC and beat 'em. I get one shot at it."
\ EXPANSION? Louisville, an independent ranked 13th by The Associated Press, has committed to building a football stadium. Does that mean the Big East Conference is calling? A sports talk-show host on Louisville radio station WHAS-AM hinted at that Saturday when he speculated the "next big announcement" from the school might be its Big East entry.
Kenny Klein, Louisville's assistant athletic director for media relations, said no official overtures have been made either by or to Louisville. "As far as gearing ourselves in any direction, I don't think we've done anything yet," he said.
A Big East source said when the league was formed in 1991 and members were asked about potential candidates for expansion, Louisville was mentioned but hasn't been discussed in a league meeting since.
\ HARD WORK: Tech coach Frank Beamer on the Hokies' three-day-a-week practice of pitting first-team offense against first-team defense, as opposed to Tech's former policy of running first teams against scout teams: "Scout teams get used to taking a beating, and they're not fighting back [near the end of the season]. You end up at the end of the year practicing bad habits. That's always bothered me."
\ ALL TOGETHER: Backup tailback Ranall White described another change in this year's Tech team that apparently has helped the Hokies in their about-face. Past Tech teams had so many individuals, he said, that only about one-third of players would show up Sundays for the team's optional weightlifting and running. Now, he estimates, about 55 of the 60 top players participate.
"No one really took the initiative," he said. "It was a common goal we had. One of the costs to pay [for success] was having to work out on Sundays."
\ TIGHT ENDS: Beamer is concerned about Boston College's use of multiple tight-end formations, which he says are designed to create blocking mismatches, as well as alignment and containment problems for the defense.
"This is like a combination of all the teams we've played, plus they've got a really good pitcher," Elmassian said, referring to Glenn Foley, the Eagles' senior quarterback. "They present a lot of formation problems. Syracuse [in a 33-29 loss to BC] had problems getting lined up to a degree. [Our players] just need a lot of recognition work of what's going to happen."
\ ETC: The Carquest and Independence bowls have passes to scout Saturday's BC-Tech game. . . . A Sports Illustrated story on Pyne ran with a posed picture of the center spattered with mud. He said the shot was the photographer's idea. "I didn't say, `I want to get covered with mud,' " said Pyne, who added that the photographer took "thousands" of shots of him. "I felt like a high-priced model or something." . . . Defensive tackle Bernard Basham (two sprained ankles) is expected to play Saturday, as is linemate Jeff Holland (bruised calf). Free safety Antonio Banks (groin) and cornerback Larry Green, who missed part of the East Carolina game after being knocked woozy during a tackle, are expected to be at full strength.
by CNB