Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 18, 1994 TAG: 9409210006
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Jack Bogaczyk
DATELINE: CHESTNUT HILL, MASS. LENGTH: Long
Elmassian, a native of nearby Wellesley who wears cowboy boots, has the persuasiveness of a lawyer. He's often given to statements bordering on the outrageous, but he isn't exaggerating when he remarks - with a respect bordering on amazement - on Virginia Tech's defense.
``In all of my years of coaching, I've never seen anything like this,'' said the Hokies' defensive coordinator. ``I've never seen a defense play like we're playing.''
For 59 minutes, 54 seconds Saturday on the carpet of sold-out Alumni Stadium, Tech had blanked what was supposed to be one of the nation's best offenses, a Boston College attack that scored 26 points and gained 503 yards in a season-opening loss at Michigan.
No team had zeroed BC in 159 games, since George Welsh-coached Navy in 1980, and the Eagles were having trouble crossing midfield, much less the goal line.
It wasn't until Tech's defense was on its last gasp that BC scored, but that only matched a touchdown the Hokies' defense scored in the third quarter on rover Torrian Gray's third interception of the season.
In a 12-7 victory, Tech's defense produced the visitors' lone touchdown. Tech hasn't won without an offensive touchdown since Mickey Thomas kicked six field goals in an 18-0 victory over Vanderbilt in 1989.
In a Big East Football Conference game that figures to figure in bowl complications, the score and statistics lied. It wasn't that close. BC didn't just lose its second consecutive game to a ranked team, it was dominated.
In the first 55 minutes, Tech held the Eagles to one third-down conversion. BC's yardage in Hokies territory until the final 5:30 was minus-11. The Eagles didn't cross Tech's 46 until the next-to-last drive of the afternoon. BC got 100 of its 244 total yards on its final two possessions.
Tech hasn't seen defense so impressive since a decade ago, when Bruce Smith, Ashley Lee and Jesse Penn were leading a unit that swamped VMI, Duke, William and Mary, Temple and Tulane in succession.
The current Hokies have more talent, just as the opponents are tougher today.
The Hokies have given up only four touchdowns in three victories, but the three in the first two games came from a combined 16 yards on three drives following Hokies turnovers.
However, BC is a better opponent than Arkansas State or Southern Mississippi. It's a conference road victory over a team Tech couldn't stop last season.
``It's a very significant win in our program,'' said Frank Beamer, the Hokies' head coach.
Beamer said that in the same room in the bowels of the BC stadium where in November 1993, after BC torched Tech for 617 yards in a 48-34 shootout, Elmassian said, ``If I could have fired myself, I would have.''
Tech entered Saturday's game ranked second to Illinois in total defense among 107 Division I-A teams, but Elmassian doesn't play the numbers game much. After 20 years of coaching at William and Mary, Richmond, Ferrum, East Carolina, Minnesota, Tech, Virginia, Syracuse and Tech again, Elmassian doesn't want his defense played on paper.
``We had a decent game plan that we executed well this year,'' Elmassian said. ``Last year, we had a bad one executed poorly.''
Elmassian was surprised by one part of BC's game plan - the decision by new coach Dan Henning to come out running. ``He's always started series by throwing the deep ball,'' Elmassian said. ``Even when he was an assistant coach at Tech [1971 and '73]CQ, was in NFL in '72.''
Tech - to no one's surprise - stuffed the run. The Hokies also bent, folded and mutilated BC's game plan by stopping All-America tight end Pete Mitchell, playing the safeties up to double-team the senior who had 10 catches in the Michigan loss.
As superb as Tech's defense was, the Hokies' offense was inconsistent for the third consecutive game. BC's defense took away the option and harassed Maurice DeShazo into erratic throws early.
Gary Tranquill, Tech's offensive coordinator, called the Hokies' three points on 42 first-half snaps ``ridiculous,'' and that's a good word to describe how dominant the Hokies were without the ball, too.
Tech likely will move up from its No.18 ranking in the Associated Press poll, closing in on the school-best No.14 spot with a 5-0 start in 1954. If the Hokies are going to keep living in that neighborhood, the defense must rest occasionally.
``When BC scored, the kids were mad,'' Elmassian said. ``They also were exhausted. I don't know how they've played the way they have, because the last two games they've been exhausted.
``We've played two games like that on the road, and now we have to come right back [Thursday night at Lane Stadium against sinking West Virginia]. It's going to be hard to rise to the occasion ... not emotionally but physically.''
Elmassian may be stunned at some of what he's seeing, but he thinks he knows why it's happening.
``They've accepted the responsibility that goes with winning,'' Elmassian said. ``They've bought into it hook, line and sinker, and that responsibility is reinforced with winning.
``Whatever Coach Henning is selling, he's going to have a tough time selling it with losses. Winning makes a lot of things easier to sell.''
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB