Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 13, 1994 TAG: 9411230018
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
He was flagged for a personal foul. Tech coach Frank Beamer met Williams halfway to the sideline and roughly escorted him into a verbal hell.
``I was scared, actually,'' Williams said. ``I didn't know what he had in store for me.
``Coach Beamer let me know it was something I shouldn't have done.''
Beamer still remembers a rash of such transgressions during Tech's 2-8-1 1992 season.
``We've gotten past the personal fouls, and that was uncalled for,'' Beamer said of Williams' actions.
During a several-minute tirade, Beamer at various times grabbed Williams' jersey, pushed him from behind, grabbed his elbow and spun him around.
Thirty-eight seconds of game time later, Williams blocked Eddie Duborg's 27-yard field goal attempt to end the first half.
``I had a lot of adrenaline flowing at the time,'' Williams said. ``I felt like I owed the team. ... I got a good jump and laid out.''
The field goal would have cut Tech's lead to 31-16. Rutgers coach Doug Graber remembered that last year, Tech, leading 35-7, stopped Scarlet Knights runner Bill Bailey on fourth down from the Tech 1 on the last play of the first half.
Both were turning points, Graber indicated.
``The blocked field goal ... was just a very, very, very, very similar - I'd like to cuss right now - pretty damn similar to the first half last year,'' he said.
PAPERWORK: Tech coach Frank Beamer's lawyer, Craig Kelly, on Saturday morning presented Tech athletic director Dave Braine with a proposal for the new five-year contract Tech has agreed to award Beamer. The university will look it over, and Braine said the deal should be done after the Virginia game and before Tech's bowl game.
INJURIES: Senior linebacker Ken Brown strained his right hamstring trying to make a block on Larry Green's return of a blocked Rutgers field goal at the end of the first half. He'll be evaluated today. Brown, who has started 41 straight games, vowed to play against Virginia next week. Offensive tackle Jay Hagood hurt the same achilles tendon he injured two weeks ago against Miami. Both he and Brown will be evaluated today, trainer Eddie Ferrell said.
Sophomore Vernon Dozier replaced Brown, even though Beamer said a few weeks ago that freshman Tony Morrison would be groomed to replace Brown next year.
``I'm not going to sit back and say, `Well, he's going to be the backer,''' Dozier said. ``That's what they say. That ain't what I say.''
NEW PLAY: On Maurice DeShazo's 34-yard touchdown pass to Bryan Still in the first quarter, DeShazo pump-faked a wide-receiver screen - a play Tech uses often - then lobbed long to an open Still.
``That's a play we kind of drew up in the dirt,'' DeShazo said, adding that offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill came up with it early this week. ``Coach Tranquill is so smart, he knows when people cheat.''
RUNNING: Tech's 284 rushing yards were a season high, coming one game after its lowest output (minus-14 yards against Miami) in 26 years.
``We knew we could run on [Rutgers],'' guard Chris Malone said. ``It was just anticipation. Ever since that [Miami] game ended, we were ready to play. I don't think it's the best we've done [blocking] all year, but I think it's the best we've done for four quarters.''
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB