Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 1, 1994 TAG: 9401030283
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SHREVEPORT, LA. LENGTH: Medium
Virginia Tech's normally reserved Frank Beamer caught the bug Friday after Tech's 45-20 romp over Indiana in the Independence Bowl.
Beamer said he hoped Tech could finish higher than 16th in The Associated Press poll, which would make the 1993 Hokies the highest-ranked group at season's end in school history, surpassing the 1954 team.
At least, Tech should finish in the top 20, he said.
"I don't know that we are in effect the best football team," he said. "But I don't think anyone got more out of their ability, and more determination and more effort and more sacrifice than this team had and gave.
"So from that standpoint, I believe they're the best that ever played at Virginia Tech."
\ THE GOV: Virginia's Gov.-elect, George Allen, was with his wife on the sidelines as the clock wound down on Tech's victory.
Tech athletic director Dave Braine wanted to wait for the game to end so a Tech photographer could snap shots of Allen and Beamer, but Independence Bowl chairman Mike McCarthy warned him of the fans rushing on the field - "These goalposts are coming down," McCarthy told Braine - and urged Braine to let Allen and his wife be escorted off.
Allen and his wife left. The goalposts remained.
\ BEAMER STATUS: Beamer finished the third year of a five-year contract with his best season at Tech, and the school could reward him with an extension.
New Tech president Paul Torgersen would not comment on that after the game, nor would Braine. Torgersen did comment on Tech's turnaround.
"Incredible," he said. "A very fine job. We've turned it around. No question, we've turned it around."
\ KICKS: Because of two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on Tech after Antonio Banks' first-half touchdown - one for excessive celebrating and one on Okesa Smith for running over the field judge and an injured IU player - Indiana kicked off from the Tech 40 but did not try an onside kick.
"We discussed it," coach Bill Mallory said, "but we felt we were better off to put them back down there."
\ ETC: The game's officials were from the ACC. . . . Tech won its first national television game since its 38-13 victory over Virginia on ESPN in 1990. . . . Former Tech offensive lineman Calvert Jones will join Tech's staff as a graduate assistant coach next year, Jones said . . . Tech offensive tackle Billy Conaty separated a shoulder in the first half but returned to play ... Indiana quarterback John Paci's right shoulder, which he separated earlier in the season, will be operated on in the off-season. . . . IU lost starting offensive tackle Tom McKinnon to a knee injury at the end of the first half. Starting linebacker Charles Beauchamp already had left the game with an injury to his left knee, the same knee that kept him out of almost all of the 1992 season.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB