Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 13, 1994 TAG: 9411230017
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Long
The Hokies won 41-34 in a game they once led by four touchdowns, a game they didn't secure until Antonio Freeman recovered a Rutgers onside kick with 1 minute, 54 seconds left.
Strange. Last year on the same Lane Stadium turf, Tech led 49-21 with a quarter left and won 49-42 when the Scarlet Knights' onside kick rolled out of bounds with 57 seconds to go.
Odd, too. Two years ago, Rutgers beat the Hokies 50-49 in Piscataway, N.J., with a touchdown pass on the game's last play.
``To come down here and lose basically the same game two years in a row is just incredible,'' said coach Doug Graber, who was convinced his Scarlet Knights were ready to play well.
But Rutgers (5-4-1 overall, 2-3-1 in the Big East) fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter on two 34-yard touchdown plays (a Dwayne Thomas run and a Bryan Still touchdown catch). Sixteenth-ranked Tech led 31-13 at halftime.
``I'm mystified as to why we didn't play any better than that in the first half,'' Graber said. `` ... It almost seems like it just really doesn't matter in this game who's playing good defense or who's playing good offense. It doesn't make a [difference] because it's going to be a shootout.''
Frank Beamer, Tech's coach, had sworn the guns would be holstered. Well ...
``I guess three times it's not a coincidence anymore,'' Beamer said. ``I don't quite understand it, to be honest with you.''
Some things were clear after the Hokies improved their record to 8-2 overall and finished their Big East season at 5-2 before a crowd of 44,171.
Maurice DeShazo's two touchdown passes give him 45, the Tech career record. Antonio Freeman's two catches put him atop the Tech career chart with 115 receptions.
Some more tangible stuff: Tech has won at least eight games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1983-84 and the second time in history. And, the Hokies can't finish any worse than a tie for third place in their second round-robin Big East season.
Perhaps most importantly, Tech secured at least the Big East's third bowl slot, which would mean a Jan.2 date and $1 million payoff at the Carquest Bowl in Miami.
Last year, a 10th-game victory improved Tech's record to 7-3 and the Hokies accepted an Independence Bowl bid. They knew a 10th-game victory this season would mean something, too.
``The whole week [we were] so loose, I was worried,'' said guard Chris Malone. ``We were just too relaxed. I'm just like, `Something's going to happen.'''
Something did. Tech, which backpedaled for minus-14 yards rushing against Miami on Oct.29, gained 172 on the ground in the first half Saturday. Thomas, who finished with a career-high 172 yards, had 102 at the break.
The Hokies' first second-half possession added 73 more rushing yards and seven points to Tech's scoreboard as DeShazo's 4-yard draw made it 38-13 with 9:10 left in the third quarter.
A 32-yard Ryan Williams field goal put Tech ahead 41-13 with 2:11 left in the third.
Then, something else happened.
``We weren't executing,'' Hokies cornerback William Yarborough said. ``Our tackling was starting to get real poor.''
Rutgers went 80 yards in 10 plays, the last a Ray Lucas 15-yard touchdown pass to Chris Hutton. It was 41-20 Tech with 13:41 left.
DeShazo fumbled while being sacked on the Hokies' next series and Rutgers recovered at the Tech 32. Seven plays later, Terrell Willis crossed the goal line from the 1. After the conversion kick, Rutgers trailed 41-27 with 9:11 to go.
Tech chugged to the Rutgers 32 before Thomas, after taking a third-down screen pass, was tripped and landed a yard short.
Hokies fans urged a fourth-down try. Punter Robbie Colley trotted out. Hokies fans booed. After a Tech timeout, Colley trotted off and Williams trotted on for a 49-yard field-goal try. Hokies fans cheered. Williams squibbed a line drive. Hokies fans ... bit their tongues.
``I wanted to go for it,'' Beamer said. ``Some of our coaches felt like we shouldn't. Our first instinct was to punt 'em deep and try to get 'em inside the 10-yard line. Then [receivers coach] Terry Strock said we should be able to hit a field goal from there, and we should. Ryan just didn't have a very good kick.''
So the Hokies remained two touchdowns ahead with six minutes left. Rutgers whizzed downfield, getting Lucas completions of 8, 10, 17, 7 and 12 yards and Willis runs of 14 and 8 before Lucas hit Marco Battaglia for a 1-yard touchdown pass and it was 41-34 with 1:54 left.
The Hokies almost put away the game before the onside kick. On the third play of the Scarlet Knights' drive, Lucas fumbled at about the Rutgers 45 after being hit by Jeff Holland. Tech's Lawrence Lewis had a clear path to the ball but slipped, and the Scarlet Knights' Chris Kennedy recovered.
It was a typical play in what has become a freaky series.
``They adjusted well to what we were doing all day,'' Tech linebacker George DelRicco said. ``Our offense played well enough to where we could afford giving up so many points.
``I don't know what it is,'' DelRicco said.
see microfilm for box score
by CNB