Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 30, 1994 TAG: 9411230004
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MIAMI LENGTH: Long
The Hokies arrived here this weekend convinced they could arrive loudly on the college football scene with a victory over sixth-ranked Miami.
That vision evaporated more quickly than sweat into a humid South Florida Saturday night as the Hurricanes halted No.13 Virginia Tech 24-3 before a crowd of 57,618 at the Orange Bowl.
The Hokies (7-2 overall, 4-2 in the Big East Conference) could have vaulted up the polls and solidified their bowl coalition position. Instead, Miami (6-1, 3-0) got those rewards and plays at Syracuse on Nov.5, probably for the Big East championship.
Tech was left feeling like a frustrated inventor: The test run was a flop, and there's more work to do.
``Obviously, we must not be at their level,'' said Hokies defensive tackle J.C. Price.
Miami scored on drives set up or helped by a Tech pass-interference penalty, a Maurice DeShazo fumble and a DeShazo intentional-grounding penalty that led to the Hokies punting from their 5-yard line with 53 seconds left in the first half.
Robbie Colley's 42-yard kick was returned to the Tech 43 by Jammi German. Five plays later, Yatil Green outjumped Tech's William Yarborough in the end zone to catch Frank Costa's 25-yard lob as Miami took a 17-3 lead with one second left.
The grounding call outraged DeShazo and Tech coach Frank Beamer. DeShazo's pass hit the ground a few yards away from Dwayne Thomas on the play that produced the penalty.
``That was bullDeShazo said of the penalty.
Added Beamer: ``I don't understand the call. The official told me that Maurice wanted to throw the ball away. Of course he wanted to throw the ball away. But one call's not going to beat you.''
No, but Miami's defense is. Tech ran 26 times for minus-14 yards, the third consecutive time (fourth overall) a Hurricanes opponent has rushed for 47 yards or fewer.
Tech had 23 total yards at halftime, having gained 9 yards on 10 first-down plays and lost 1 yard on 10 third-down tries. The Hokies' score, a 38-yard Ryan Williams field goal with 58 seconds left in the first quarter, was set up by Michael Williams' block of a Dane Prewitt punt.
Tech's Bryan Still returned the block 10 yards to the Miami 30, but the Hokies soon faced third-and-one. Thomas went left and went down under linebacker Ray Lewis for no gain.
``I saw the play that was coming,'' Lewis said. ``Any time I see the play, I tell my coaches, `I'm going to gamble.' I didn't guess; I just knew the play before it happened.''
Lewis, a sophomore, replaced injured Robert Bass against Tech last year and had 12 tackles. On Saturday, he had 17 tackles, four pass break-ups, half a sack and an interception.
That pickoff came on a fourth-and-three play from the Miami 33 with about three minutes left in the third quarter, ending Tech's last real scoring threat.
``I don't know if we ever touched [Lewis],'' Beamer said of Tech's blockers.
Hurricanes hands were all over DeShazo, tipping several of his passes and sacking him six times despite rollouts and some quick drops. Thomas, who was held to 29 yards rushing, felt pawed over, too.
``We had a lot of problems communicating offensively,'' he said. ``We tried a lot of things that didn't work. ... Things fell down for us.''
Miami, meanwhile, gained 363 total yards - 197 rushing - as it improved its record to 12-0 against Tech and 13-1 against Big East foes.
The Hokies helped Miami overcome Tech's 3-0 lead. After Brandon Semones sacked Costa for an 11-yard loss on second down, Miami faced third-and-21 at the Tech 46. Costa called an audible and threw into the end zone to German, who was bumped by Tech's Torrian Gray.
The penalty gave Miami a first down at the 30. Five plays later, Larry Jones scored from 4 yards as Miami took a 7-3 lead with 8 minutes, 51 seconds left.
``I saw him looking back for the ball, and he was putting his hands up like the ball was there,'' said Gray, who said he never turned to look for the ball. ``I at least wanted to interfere him instead of [letting him] make the catch.''
Later in the second quarter, DeShazo was looking to pass out of the shotgun when Miami's Kenny Holmes whizzed by and poked the ball out of his hands. End Baraka Short recovered at the Tech 13. The Hokies held on three plays, but Prewitt's 33-yard field goal made it 10-3 Miami.
``I can't look at him,'' DeShazo said of the Hurricanes' Holmes. ``As I was looking upfield, he ran by and knocked the ball out of my hands.''
Then came Miami's end-of-the-half touchdown, the one that bound and gagged the Hokies.
Lewis' interception set up the 'Canes at the Tech 45 with 3:06 left in the third quarter. On the first play of the fourth period, Danyell Ferguson scored from 1 yard and the extra-point kick made it 24-3.
Tech now is a remote contender for a bowl-coalition spot, having lost to Big East leaders Syracuse and Miami. A third Big East team goes to the Carquest Bowl - at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami - and that seems to be on at least one Hokie's mind.
``This loss is tough, especially a second loss on national TV,'' said Gray, adding that season-ending victories over Rutgers and Virginia would give Tech something to ``savor'' from the season. ``After today's game, that's the most we can look forward to.''
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by CNB