Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, November 12, 1994 TAG: 9411170030
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
THE HOKIES AND CAVALIERS will clash in one week, but there's plenty on their agendas today.
Virginia Tech and Virginia will be picking through their respective job-jars today, trying to get caught up before they can gleefully set upon each other a week from now.
Today's tasks, however, come with hazards.
At 1 p.m. in Lane Stadium, No.16 Tech plays Big East Conference opponent Rutgers, which hasn't lost since a 24-3 beating by Miami on Oct.1 brought its losing streak to three. The Scarlet Knights have the league's third-ranked rusher (sophomore Terrell Willis, 95 yards per game) and passer (Ray Lucas, completing 59.5 percent of his passes).
Tech and Rutgers' last two games have produced 190 points, but the Hokies are interested in making a different point today: Hey, Carquest Bowl, stick around. The Jan.2 bowl game, which selects a third Big East team to play a fifth Southeastern Conference school, likes Tech but won't make an invitation today even if the Hokies win.
``Until we know for sure who's going to be picked in the [Big East's] No.2 slot, we really can't [invite] anyone,'' Carquest director Brian Flajole said Friday. ``We're definitely very interested in Tech and are focusing in on them. They need to win, though.''
If Syracuse beats Boston College today and Tech wins, Flajole said he'll ask Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese to try to nail down whether the Fiesta Bowl will take Syracuse as the Big East's No.2 team.
``If Tech wins and we have a guarantee Syracuse is going to be gone, and Tech beats UVa, they're in,'' Flajole said.
No.21 Virginia plays ACC rival Maryland at 1 p.m. in Charlottesville. Only the Peach Bowl, which takes a third ACC team, will be watching the Cavaliers. A November swoon reputation - fed by last week's loss at Duke - is stuck like a leech to UVa, which is at least as concerned about Maryland quarterback Scott Milanovich.
Milanovich, a junior who was benched in favor of Kevin Foley earlier this year, has completed 80 of 104 passes (76.9 percent) in the past three games. Last week he broke a Division I-A record with his 23rd straight completion, including 19 in a row in a 47-45 loss to North Carolina State.
``I didn't think that was possible over a three-week period in college football,'' UVa coach George Welsh said.
Can UVa possibly avoid another late-season stumble? In the past two years, the Cavs have combined to lose eight of their last 11 games. Welsh met with several players this week to share the blame for the Duke loss and try to head off another Saturday stagger. At least one Cavalier has heard enough.
``I think it's a crock,'' Tiki Barber said of predictions UVa may wither this month. ``It's not going to happen.''
Elsewhere today, VMI and The Citadel kick off at 3:30 p.m. at Foreman Field in Norfolk (Home Team Sports). The 48th Oyster Bowl, billed as ``The Military Classic of the South,'' also could be the last chance for VMI and first-year coach Bill Stewart to avoid the first winless season in Lexington since 1969. After facing the Bulldogs (4-5 overall, 2-4 Southern Conference), the 0-9 Keydets finish at Appalachian State, ranked 12th in Division I-AA.
Washington and Lee (4-4), meanwhile, plays at Swarthmore with a chance for its second winning season in the past three years.
The 7-2 Hokies could tie last season's regular-season victory total by beating Rutgers today and would guarantee no worse than a fourth-place Big East finish. Tech coach Frank Beamer says the Hokies' eighth victory guarantees some kind of bowl, if not necessarily the million-dollar Carquest.
``I think Rutgers probably feels the same way. Both of us are playing for a lot,'' Beamer said.
Tech also has a 10-game home winning streak at risk. The Hokies, who have scored 30 or more points in their last 11 home games, are coming off their worst offensive performance of the season two weeks ago at Miami. The Hokies had minus-14 yards rushing; the last time they had fewer, Miami held them to minus-30 in the Orange Bowl in 1968.
Beamer, who is 4-4 at Tech after open dates, worries that the Hokies may have lost their rhythm and can't escape memories of Rutgers' 50-49, last-minute victory over Tech two years ago or of Tech's 49-42 hanging-on win over the Scarlet Knights last year.
``Two years ago was the most unusual game I've ever been in,'' Beamer said. ``Last year was getting close to that same deal. There's a message there.''
It is, says Tech fullback Brian Edmonds, that Rutgers is a ``no-quit team.'' Rutgers has trailed in four of its five victories this year.
Maryland fell behind N.C. State five different times last week before the Terrapins took their last lead, 45-44 with 2 minutes, 19 seconds to play.
``It was like a punch in the stomach,'' Maryland coach Mark Duffner said of the loss, ``but, clearly, the way we played Saturday night, there was a feeling that we're starting to make a turn here.''
Virginia, which blew a 17-7 first-half lead in its game against Duke, wants to turn off the spigot of doubt about what could be its fifth bowl season in the past six.
``Last week, we could have put ourselves in good position,'' defensive end Mike Frederick said. ``I don't like to say `must win,' but if you had to pick one, this would be it. We looked [at November] as a four-game playoff. I'm not sure we had to win 'em all, but we could have made things easier and we didn't.''
by CNB