Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 18, 1994 TAG: 9409210009
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESTNUT HILL, MASS. LENGTH: Medium
"[Defensive coordinator Phil Elmassian] put a lot of stress on me, because he had faith in my ability,'' Brown said. "I had the worst game of my career.
"It was sort of my fault. [And] he was basically just learning throughout the season.''
Beaten on single-coverage pass patterns last year, Brown was Tech's double-coverage help for most of Saturday's rematch. He had eight tackles, two for losses totaling 12 yards, a sack, a forced fumble and at least one pass breakup.
"[Today Elmassian] allowed me to be myself,'' Brown said.
That mildly surprised Boston College.
"[Brown is] supposed to be their best player,'' Eagles reserve quarterback Jeff Ryan said. ``We thought he'd match up [with tight end Pete Mitchell] one-on-one. But they ran some combo [coverages].''
Brown said BC's offense was basically the same as last year's; Tech's preparation and game plan, he said, helped Tech avoid a repeat of Glenn Foley's 448 passing yards and three touchdowns in last year's game. Even Brown could appreciate Foley's impeccable touch that day, when he completed 21 of 29 throws.
"They were just in a zone last year,'' Brown said. "It was beautiful. Glenn throwing the ball, there was just so much timing, so much grace to it.''
Sophomore Mark Hartsell managed none of that Saturday, thanks to Tech's shifty coverages. Then again, Brown said, "I knew he wasn't no Glenn Foley.''
FINGERED: Hartsell said he doesn't know how he hurt two fingers on his throwing hand in the second quarter, an injury that will force him to miss at least one game.
``I looked down, and there was blood squirting everywhere,'' he said. ``I thought I jammed my fingers. I opened this one up [the cut middle finger] and saw the white of the bone. I knew it was pretty deep.''
GET SERIOUS: Tech quarterback Maurice DeShazo said fullback Brian Edmonds played the entire game with a folded-up copy of the Roanoke Times & World-News sports section under his helmet. The edition included the college football picks. The five newspaper staffers and guest picker all chose BC to win.
Edmonds pulled out the paper during the fourth quarter and asked in the huddle if his teammates remembered. "We remember that ...,'' DeShazo said the players responded.
CATCHING IT: Kevin Martin's five catches for 62 yards represented one of the best performances for a Tech tight end under coach Frank Beamer.
"We didn't really set out saying I was going to catch as many passes as I caught,'' said Martin, a senior. "All those passes were in the game plan. I don't know if we particularly knew they were going to be open. Maurice [DeShazo] and I were on the same page.''
STARTS: Boston College has started the season 0-2 for the second straight year and the fifth time in the past six seasons. Last year, BC lost to Miami and Northwestern, then won eight in a row to finish third in the Big East.
KICKS: Place-kicker Atle Larsen was 2-for-4 on field goals in his first collegiate start, and the two he made were crucial to Tech's victory.
"I feel good about that part,'' he said. "I should've made at least one of the other two. And I had one terrible kickoff. That bugs me.''
CORRECTION: A quote by Tech defensive coordinator Phil Elmassian was characterized incorrectly in Saturday's editions. Elmassian, complimenting BC, said anybody who voted Tech ahead of BC "ought to be drug-tested.''
NEXT UP: Tech plays struggling West Virginia on Thursday at Lane Stadium. Kickoff for the ESPN game is 7:55 p.m. WVU (1-3) lost to Maryland 24-13 on Saturday.
by CNB