Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 4, 1994 TAG: 9409070092
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Long
Gee, that 34-7 victory over Arkansas State was swell, but ...
``We slacked off,'' said Tech center Billy Conaty. ``We had a long way to go.''
The Hokies unwrapped three first-quarter touchdowns - one running and two passing by quarterback Maurice DeShazo - before their offense glided through the rest of the day. In the second and third quarters, Tech scored once in four trips past the 50 and took six plays from the 15-yard line to score a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Arkansas State, rated by one national magazine as one of the nation's worst Division I-A teams, suffocated in its own territory, starting at its 20 or inside on 10 of 14 possessions. Tech, ranked 21st in the nation, held Arkansas State to 177 total yards (57 on one running play) and blocked a field-goal attempt in winning its opener before a crowd of 38,626 at Lane Stadium.
Tech's seventh consecutive home victory marked the seventh time in the past eight games the Hokies have scored more than 30 points, but new offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill's unit was the problem child Saturday.
Tenth nationally in rushing last year (242.8 yards per game), Tech gained 163 as its rebuilt offensive line sometimes struggled against Arkansas State's capable front four. Seven of the Hokies' 12 penalties were illegal procedure on offensive linemen.
``I am concerned about our inconsistency and concerned we didn't run the football better,'' said Frank Beamer, Tech's coach. ``Offensively, we just couldn't get in a rhythm in the second half.
``Our guys were saying one of their guys was calling our cadence [which led to the penalties], but we've been down that road, too. We've got a lot of work to do. I think it's quite obvious.''
John Bobo, Arkansas State's coach, mentioned his school's $200,000 check from Tech several times after the game, as well as what he thought of the Indians' performance.
``They're on our schedule for a reason [money], and we're on their schedule for a reason [a victory],'' Bobo said, declaring the game ``mutually beneficial'' and that he couldn't be more proud of his group.
``Everything they got on us in the first quarter, we screwed up. ... And their quarterback is as good as they come. We're not going to see anybody like him in the Big West Conference.''
DeShazo's doings included creating the Hokies' first touchdown from confusion. On first-and-goal from the 3, DeShazo said, Arkansas State's defenders were hollering to interrupt his cadence.
When Conaty snapped early, DeShazo took off to the left - the way the play was supposed to go.
``I couldn't get up to give it to the back,'' DeShazo said. ``I just tried to get on the corner.''
Where an Indians defender was awaiting his arrival. DeShazo headed for the the end zone's front corner and stuck the arm with the ball straight out.
``I didn't try to overpower him, just stretched the ball across the plane,'' DeShazo said.
On the next series, a DeShazo-to-Jermaine Holmes 50-yard pass put Tech at the Indians' 24. Four plays later, DeShazo threw to tight end Kevin Martin - a first-time starter - for an 11-yard touchdown as Tech took a 14-0 lead with 6:03 left in the quarter.
A running-into-the-kicker penalty revived Tech's next drive at the Hokies' 38, and the first play was a DeShazo-to-Antonio Freeman 44-yard pass. DeShazo finished the drive with a 7-yard toss to tight end Bryan Jennings as Tech took a 21-0 lead with 24 seconds left in the half.
Meanwhile, the Hokies were crunching Arkansas State's running game and watching Indians quarterback Johnny Covington throw wide, high or both on the three-step-drop, 5- or 10-yard out patterns that seemed to comprise Arkansas State's passing game.
The Indians' only break came when Rodney Hawthorne recovered Freeman's fumbled on a punt return at the Tech 11. Zoe Freeman scored on a 9-yard run off an option pitch as Arkansas State closed to 21-7 with 13:18 left in the first half.
The Hokies gave up 150 yards rushing, 57 on one burst by fullback Austin Tinsley, and Covington was 4-of-13 for 29 yards.
Defensive end Cornell Brown blocked Jim Tarle's 53-yard field-goal attempt with six minutes left in the first half to kill Arkansas State's other scoring threat.
``We're where we want to be as a defensive unit,'' said linebacker Ken Brown, who had 10 tackles.
The offense, however, remains at large. Frustration showed when Tech, leading 24-7, had a first down at the Indians' 15 late in the third quarter. Five plays later, it was fourth-and-goal at the 1 and the Hokies were hopping mad, literally.
``I said, `I'm tired of this [expletive],''' DeShazo said. ``We need to get the ball in the end zone. Ranall [White] got me hyped, Kevin [Martin] got me hyped, all those guys got hyped together.''
Tommy Edwards leaped over the goal line, making the hyper guys happy and adding to Tech's fourth consecutive season-opening victory.
``I think we were anxious for the first game to come under Coach Tranquill's offense,'' Antonio Freeman said. ``We did try a little too hard to make things happen, and that's when things started to go bad for us. But we fought through it.''
Memo: ***CORRECTION***