Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 12, 1994 TAG: 9410120050
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Virginia may be for lovers, but it's not as much for tackles and flankers as it once was.
Tech and UVa are winning and increasingly keeping players in-state, but the College Football Association's third survey on the home states of Division I-A players reveals that in the past three seasons, only Ohio, Texas and California had bigger losses than the Old Dominion.
The state players in I-A fell from 276 to 179.
Of the 30 states that sent 100 or more players to I-A football in 1991, Virginia has the largest percentage drop, 35.1. The only states falling farther were New Mexico (46.5 percent) and West Virginia (36.6). While some dropoff is to be expected because the grant-in-aid maximum has been lowered from 95 to 85 in the past three years, the state fell from No.13 in I-A players produced in 1991 to 16th this year, dropping behind Mississippi, Oklahoma and Indiana.
The CFA survey includes walk-ons, but the drop in players per team from 1991 to '94 is due to the 10-scholarship trimming - from 108.1 players per team to 97.1 - or 10,397 on preseason rosters. There are 1,062 fewer I-A players at 107 schools now than on 106 teams in '91.
Louisiana, one of 10 states (and the District of Columbia) that produced more players than three years ago, had the biggest climb in I-A players since 1991, with 81 (23.5 percent). Every state has at least one player (Vermont 1, Alaska, Maine 2). Navy (32) and Army and Nebraska (31) have the most home-state players on their rosters, followed by Air Force and Notre Dame (30). Texas A&M has 84 players - 81 from Texas, three from Louisiana.
SEEKING SEVEN: Roanoke Catholic's 6-0 start has assured the startling Celtics their first winning season since 1968, but it's the school's best start since who knows when.
Mike Burnop, Virginia Tech's radio analyst, was a senior on that '68 Catholic team, which opened with a loss to Cave Spring, then finished 7-1-2. Catholic's best record was 9-1 in 1965. The Celtics have had four .500 seasons since '68.
The Celtics go for their seventh victory Saturday against Lynchburg Christian at Victory Stadium. To count the last seven victories before this season, they must go back to the 1989 finale, a stretch that sandwiches 0-10 finishes in 1990 and '91.
``It's great to see them back on track,'' Burnop said. ``It's amazing. We only had 24 or 25 players. They have fewer players (21) than we did.''
EXPECTING: Washington & Jefferson, which lost in the Division III football semifinals last season, has started 5-0 and is ranked first in the South Region. The Presidents figure they have a good shot at a Stagg Bowl berth in Salem in December.
That's why the school called the Sheraton Inn to reserve 100 rooms for alumni and fans - the week before the season began. Stagg Bowl coordinator Carey Harveycutter said the reservation request was politely refused, because the Sheraton is the team headquarters for the North-West semifinal winner.
AIR HEATH: In Washington's offensively efficient loss to Philadelphia on Sunday night, Heath Shuler and Tydus Winans became the first Redskins rookies to combine for two touchdown passes in the same game. The 'Skins hadn't had a rookie touchdown hookup since Norm Snead threw to Jim Cunningham against the Eagles in 1961.
On the dubious side, the Redskins' defense could challenge the NFL record for rushing touchdowns allowed in a season. Opponents have 11 in six games. The modern NFL high is 31, against the Giants in 1980 and Tampa Bay in '86. The NFL record, which was established in the AFL before the merger, is 36 ground touchdowns allowed by Oakland in 1961.
FRUSTRATION: It appears VMI has two chances to avoid its first winless season since 1969. A visit to Tennessee-Chattanooga this weekend is one. The other is the Nov.12 Oyster Bowl against The Citadel. In the past 21/2 seasons, VMI is 2-22 against Division I-AA opponents - both overtime wins over Chattanooga.
Outscored 143-14 the past three weeks, the Keydets have 27 freshmen and sophomores in their 44-man two deep roster, and first-year coach Bill Stewart already has noticeably chafed at a couple of postgame questions by state writers.
Relax, coach. You said you thought the VMI job was ``the best coaching job in America.'' As your predecessors in the past decade have learned, it's also the toughest.
by CNB