Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 28, 1994 TAG: 9410030028
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Long
Beamer, whose unbeaten Hokies are ranked No.14 in The Associated Press Top 25 and receiving unprecedented exposure, wants better facilities, a larger academic advising staff and assurances his staff ``is taken care of.''
Those are at least some of the subjects he expects his lawyer to discuss with Dave Braine, Tech's athletic director, as they work out the details of the new five-year contract Beamer was awarded Friday.
``What that contract is is a starting point,'' said Beamer, who regularly has advocated such things as improved facilities at Tech.
Beamer said he doesn't know whether his desires can be written into a contract and said he won't become directly involved in the negotiations other than to tell his lawyer, Craig Kelly, what he wants. Beamer added he doesn't think anything on his wish list - such as a new football-only building next to Lane Stadium that would house sky boxes, a weight room and other facilities - will be opposed by the athletic department or by school administrators.
But, Beamer apparently wants more than just somebody's word and a handshake.
``When you talk about long-term things, you want to make sure you have an understanding,'' Beamer said. ``Our program has a chance to take some steps. It helps if it's clearly understood what we're going to do next.''
Among Beamer's interests are a larger academic advising staff (the office has three full-timers) to pay ``more attention to problem areas.'' Derita Ratcliffe, Tech's assistant director of student life, will be doing some work with athletes who need more intense academic counseling.
``The more we can do to aid student-athletes, the better off we all are,'' Beamer said.
Beamer never has been in better position to advance his agenda. The fallout from Tech's 4-0 start has included a previously unscheduled television appearance (against Syracuse, an ABC regional game at 3:30 p.m. Saturday), a cover story in USA Today's Tuesday sports section and even a live Saturday afternoon appearance by defensive tackle J.C. Price on ESPN2.
INJURIES: Beamer said tailback Dwayne Thomas is doubtful for the Syracuse game because of the left ankle he sprained Thursday against West Virginia.
Tommy Edwards (123 yards, two touchdowns) would start, backed up by freshman Ken Oxendine.
``I believe he's about ready,'' Beamer said of Oxendine. ``He's going to get some playing time there Saturday.''
REPLAYS: West Virginia coach Don Nehlen bemoaned Bryan Still's 35-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter of Thursday's game, claiming Still ran out of bounds and back on the field before making the catch, which would be illegal. The score made it 27-6 Tech and came on the possession following a WVU drive that stalled on fourth down at the Tech 22-yard line.
``If we had pushed that ball in the end zone, it would've been a completely different game,'' Nehlen said. ``Then they hit that long pass where the officials let that guy run out of bounds and come back in on it. Our man pushed him, then he [Still] ran 3 more yards to the sideline.''
Beamer, not surprisingly, agreed with the no-call.
``Bryan was knocked off-balance and was continuing to run off-balance when he ran out of bounds,'' Beamer said. adding with a grin, ``He's a little, light fella. It doesn't take much to knock Bryan off his route.''
Dan Wooldridge, the Big East Football Conference's coordinator of officials, reviewed the play on tape - not at Nehlen's request - and backed up the side judge's decision.
``I asked the official about the play. He said [Still] was bumped out,'' Wooldridge said. ``I think the contact caused [Still] to go out of bounds. I do not think it was a mis-call.''
WEAPONS: The four-wide receiver set is expected to make a comeback in Tech's offense Saturday. The Hokies have used the shotgun formation plenty this year but almost always with three wide receivers. Flanker Cornelius White said Tech will use four receivers at times against Syracuse.
``We've been talking about that since two-a-days,'' White said of the receivers. ``The coaches [said] we have to learn the other stuff first.''
The receivers' reaction to this week's news?
``Oh, finally,'' White said.
Perhaps that formation could be a tonic for quarterback Maurice DeShazo, whose early-season inconsistency has dropped him from fifth nationally in passing efficiency last year to fourth in the Big East this year. Against a weak Temple secondary last year, DeShazo was 11-of-15 for 179 yards with two touchdowns and an interception out of the four-receiver shotgun. Syracuse's pass defense ranks seventh in the Big East.
NO LETUP: Defensive tackle Jim Baron (23 tackles, four sacks) said the Hokies' defensive performances haven't softened coordinator Phil Elmassian.
``He's still pushing us,'' Baron said. ``He always says, `You've got to stay green, 'cause if you're ripe, you rot.'''
ETC.: Beamer will be in the catering business again today, this time delivering 40 dozen doughnuts (plus coffee) to students camped near Tech's ticket office, awaiting pick-up for tickets to the Virginia game Nov.19. Last week, Beamer delivered pizzas to campers before the WVU game. ... Tech leads the Big East in every major defensive category - rushing (81.5 yards per game), passing, total defense (200.5 yards per game) and scoring defense (8.5 points per game). Passing stats are ranked using a rating system. For example, Tech's yards per game (119) is second to Temple's 97.7, but the Hokies are giving up a league-low 39 percent completion rate.
... Tech also leads the Big East in third-down conversion defense (12 of 62, 19.4 percent), sacks (16) and first downs given up per game (10.5).
by CNB