Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 4, 1994 TAG: 9409070089
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LEXINGTON LENGTH: Medium
In the end, however, Stewart's emotional roller coaster ride ended with heartache as he - and the 7,866 fans in attendance - watched the VMI Keydets squander an 18-point lead, losing to the Richmond Spiders 34-31 in a non-conference college football season opener for both teams.
Sophomore tailback Thomas Haskins set a VMI single-game record by rushing for 251 yards, including three touchdowns. After Haskins' final touchdown gave the Keydets a 31-13 lead with 7:10 remaining in the third quarter, the Spiders posted 21 unanswered points.
``It was a fine effort by both teams and I'm proud of the way our guys got after it,'' Stewart said. ``... I'm just as sick as I can be for these young men because it would have been so nice to get a win. That's why they keep score.''
Both teams started out sluggishly before kicker Geoff Goff got the Keydets on the board with a 29-yard field goal with one minute remaining in the first half. Richmond responded on its next possession, capping a 75-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback Jason Gabrels.
After one stalled drive, the Keydets got in a groove.
Senior quarterback Spike Johnson replaced starter Al Lester briefly after the freshman took a hard hit on a 15-yard pass completion.
On first-and-10 at the Richmond 44, junior receiver Timmy Williams found Erik Reynolds on a reverse flea flicker engineered by Johnson. Reynolds leaped in the end zone, shook Spider Shawn Barber and put VMI back on top 10-7 with 5:27 left in the second quarter.
Two plays later, freshman cornerback Torre Costin intercepted a Gabrels pass and returned it to the Richmond 18 to set up Haskins' first touchdown.
After Jack Baker, a former standout at James River High School, advanced the Keydets to the 7-yard line, Haskins took Johnson's handoff, fumbled the ball briefly and recovered in time to find the end zone.
``Thomas Haskins played his heart out,'' Stewart said. ``I couldn't be prouder.''
Haskins' 251 yards on 29 carries broke the previous record of 246 yards set against Furman in 1979 by Floyd Allen, the most prolific runner in VMI history.
``It feels great from an individual standpoint, but I would have traded it for a team victory,'' said Haskins.
Spider running back Uly Scott made it 17-13 on a 5-yard run three minutes into the third quarter, but Haskins responded with two touchdowns in a span of 21/2 minutes.
With a Richmond blitz on, Haskins rumbled 68 yards up the middle on a draw play to make it 24-13. On the next possession, he gave the Keydets their biggest lead by bolting 60 yards, diving into the end zone and just out of the grasp of Scott Burton.
But then it was the Spiders' turn to ignite. Gabrels completed a 45-yard touchdown pass to Rodney Bowens to make it 31-19, but had to leave the game on Richmond's next posession with a hand injury.
Sophomore backup Joe Elrod came in and directed the Spiders on an 84-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by sophomore T.J. McNally - the first of his career - that made it 31-26.
The Spiders went ahead with 2:25 remaining in the game when Scott, a preseason Division I-AA All-American candidate, rushed up the middle for a 10-yard score. Elrod completed a two-point conversion to McNally in the middle of the end zone to provide the final margin.
The Keydets' had one final chance, but on the play after Haskins broke the rushing record, he fumbled and Richmond's Burton recovered.
The Spiders finished with 244 yards passing to VMI's 72. Gabrels completed 8-of-13 for 134 yards; Elrod was 7-of-11 for 110 yards.
``We have two good quarterbacks and I'm proud of both of them,'' said Richmond coach Jim Marshall.
Stewart shook off suggestions that the Keydets defense tired in the second half and attributed the outcome to more of an offensive breakdown than a defensive one.
``Richmond made some great plays and our offense just didn't help us out at the end,'' he said. ``I saw a lot of guys running to the ball, so I don't think the defense was tired at all.''
Lester said: ``After halftime, everything was going good. ... Then things started falling out of place and we just couldn't get back on track.''
GREAT SCOTT: Scott's final touchdown broke the Richmond record for TDs in a career. Scott, who needs just 421 yards break the career rushing record, now has 24 touchdowns, which eclipsed the mark of 23 set by Greg Grooms from 1983-86.
R&R: VMI has two weeks to regroup. The Keydets are off Sept. 10 before traveling to East Tennessee State for their Southern Conference opener Sept. 17.
by CNB