Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, September 19, 1994 TAG: 9409210012
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
After their 12-7 victory at Boston College on Saturday, the Hokies (3-0) rose four spots to No.14 Sunday in The Associated Press' Top 25 poll, matching the highest ranking for a Tech team (1954). If the Hokies win the 40th meeting with the Mountaineers at Lane Stadium on Thursday night (7:56, ESPN cable), the 1994 Hokies probably will be the highest-ranked Tech team of all-time - at least for 11/2 weeks.
``It's exciting,'' Tech coach Frank Beamer said Sunday afternoon. ``I think we've talked about trying to go to a new level, and we're headed in that direction. I like the rankings. I like the recognition and respect that goes with it. [But] the only thing we really need to do is focus on West Virginia.''
A victory over struggling WVU (1-3) would be Tech's seventh in a row, which would match the school's longest winning streak since the 1967 team, including a defensive back named Frank Beamer, went 7-0.
Tech has had a couple of other seven- and eight-game winning streaks, including the 1966 team on which Beamer played. The school-record streak is 11 games covering the 1918 season (7-0) and parts of the 1917 and 1919 campaigns.
While Tech's AP ranking matches its best ever, its No.12 ranking in Sunday's USA Today/CNN coaches' poll is its highest ranking in any balloting.
In the AP poll, Tech has risen from preseason No.22. On Sunday, the Hokies took advantage of big losses by No.13 UCLA (49-21 to No.2 Nebraska), No.15 Tennessee (31-0 to No.1 Florida) and No.10 Wisconsin (55-17 to No.7 Colorado) to move from No.18 past those schools and idle Texas, which rose from No.17 to No.15.
Tech's third victory this year means Beamer, in his eighth season, is halfway to securing a new five-year contract that would come with a winning record in the regular season. He called the BC victory significant to the program, but his mind wasn't totally on his job security or the rankings.
``My thinking is, if you can finish at the top of the Big East, you're going to finish in the top of the country,'' he said. ``We beat the team that most people picked second or third [in the league].''
TIME OUT: Tech lengthened an already-long game Saturday at BC by calling two timeouts in the last 32 seconds as the Eagles were trying for their first score. That at least gave the Hokies, who used only a handful of defensive reserves, a chance to preserve the shutout.
``I was intent on getting our defensive personnel [in the game],'' Beamer said. ``I thought we were dead tired. We were having trouble getting calls. ... We played too many plays in that series. Their knees were buckling, and so were ours.''
ETC: Offensive tackle Mike Bianchin's injured hand was to be examined Sunday to determine his availability for the WVU game. ... Tech dropped from second to third in NCAA Division I-A total defense. The Hokies are giving up 188 yards per game and trail Illinois and Miami. ... Tech is tied for seventh with Florida in scoring defense, giving up 9.3 points per game. ... The Hokies' pass-efficiency defense is ranked second nationally, behind Mississippi and just ahead of Miami. Tech has given up 328 yards on 40-of-101 passing.
by CNB