Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, April 16, 1994                   TAG: 9404160059
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

TECH WON'T SHOW MUCH IN SCRIMMAGE

New offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill, a 29-year veteran of college coaching, swears his side never has won ("Bet against me," he says); and it takes Tranquill more time to hoist his feet onto his desk than to list what wisdom he expects to derive from the souped-up scrimmage that kicks off at 7 p.m. at Salem Stadium - "Nothing."

Well, not really nothing. But, he says, last week's scrimmage was more important in terms of evaluation and understanding how far his first Hokies offense has come in the past few weeks.

And he saw at least one thing he'd been waiting to see.

"From a pass-offense point of view, we improved," he said, noting that his biggest change has been the passing-game terminology. "[Quarterback] Maurice [DeShazo] finally looked like he had a feel for what we were trying to do."

Tech's efforts include more formations than the Hokies have run in the past. Those who pay $4 per ticket to watch tonight's game, Tranquill said, might see some new wrinkles - such as some one-back sets - but Tranquill won't unwrap the whole package publicly until September.

He will disclose some of his thoughts, though.

"From a defensive point of view, there may be 15 different ways I can run off-tackle or 10 different ways I can throw the same pass," said Tranquill, who joined Tech's staff after three years as quarterbacks coach of the NFL's Cleveland Browns. "[Defenses] work against what they've seen, and next week you do the same thing from a different formation."

Tranquill's first spring at Tech hasn't been the same in one way. Tranquill said defensive coordinator Phil Elmassian's schemes are particular enough that Tech's offense is unlikely to see them from an opponent. Thus, DeShazo and crew can't practice against what Tranquill calls "vanilla" defenses.

"We're trying to do a lot of things that are not any good against our defense," Tranquill said.

Fall practice, Tranquill said, will help whittle parts of what he tried to install this spring.

"We really flooded 'em," Tranquill said. "You couldn't do everything we tried to do in spring in half a season. We'll make some evaluations based on what we feel like we can execute and what we have and go that way."

\ INJURIES, ETC.: Scratched from the spring game are: defensive tackle J.C. Price (back), offensive lineman Mike Bianchin (sprained ankle), linebacker George DelRicco (recovering from wrist surgery), receiver Jermaine Holmes (hamstring), cornerback Okesa Smith (back) and fullback Tewon Stevens (bruised calf). Tight end Bryan Jennings, who has been bothered by tendinitis in a knee, is scheduled to play. . . . Tech will honor Hank Norton, Ferrum College's former coach, in a ceremony at halftime. Norton, who coached the Panthers from 1960-1993 and won four junior college national championships, will be cited for his contributions to college football.