Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 2, 1995 TAG: 9509060024
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
``With our backfield being so talented, it's not going to be such a big deal missing me,'' said Oxendine, who will sit out Thursday's season opener with a broken right hand.
``Our other three backs [Dwayne Thomas, Brian Edmonds and Marcus Parker] will pick up the load left from me not being out there, I'm sure of it.''
Tech coach Frank Beamer probably wishes he could be so confident.
``It's tough losing Oxendine,'' Beamer said. ``We'd liked to have had [him] for this game or for any game for that matter. It wasn't great timing. But what the heck? You go with what you've got.''
Oxendine sustained the injury Tuesday when he fell on his right hand after being tackled by a defender in Tech's final intrasquad scrimmage of the preseason.
``When it first happened,'' said Oxendine, ``I just thought it was a sprain or a jammed finger or something. The X-rays the next day showed a small break.
``Yeah, I was a little bummed out. All summer, then this happens. It was pretty much a flukish-type thing. There's not much you can say or do. Everything happens for its own reasons.''
Oxendine confessed he's not used to playing the role of cheerleader. He last missed a game when he was a freshman at Thomas Dale High in Chester.
``I'll be back for Cincinnati [Tech's second game on Sept.16], count on it,'' Oxendine said.
Oxendine claimed the Hokies are raring to see the Eagles.
``We're tired of beating up on each other,'' he said. ``We're ready to beat up on somebody else for a change. We've got our guns loaded and we're ready to fire.''
LINE MOVES: A couple of major swaps have been made in the defensive front two deep. Senior Jim Baron has moved ahead of junior Waverly Jackson at tackle, while senior Lewis Lawrence is now No.1 at end ahead of senior Hank Coleman. Jackson started 10 games last year, while Coleman started 11.
``The guys who are the most productive are the guys who start,'' said Todd Grantham, Hokies defensive line coach. ``I give them points for making plays and I take away points for not making plays. So if you want to start, then make more plays than the guy in front of you. That way, it takes us [coaches] out of it.''.
WEAK SLATE: Tech's 1995 schedule is ranked 89th out of the nation's 108 Division I schools in the NCAA's preseason strength of schedule ratings.
Tech's low position in the ratings can be attributed to the presence of lightweights Cincinnati, Akron and Navy on its schedule. The trio was a collective 6-26-1 last season.
Besides West Virginia (70th), the rest of the Big East Conference schools' schedules rank in the top 44. Temple's schedule was rated the country's second toughest behind Michigan State. Other Big East schools and their schedule-strength ratings include Miami (11th), Pittsburgh (15th), Boston College (35th) and Rutgers and Syracuse (tied for 44th).
Virginia's schedule was rated 16th strongest.
LONG ODDS: Tech is currently a 300-to-1 shot to win the national championship, according to oddsmaker Danny Sheridan.
Eighteen schools are listed at 250-to-1 or less. Florida State and Nebraska are the co-favorites at 3:1.
Of Big East schools, only Miami (10:1) has lower odds than Tech and BC, also currently at 300:1. West Virginia is 400:1, while once-beaten Virginia is listed at 500:1.
ON THE AIR: The Frank Beamer Football Show does not begin in local markets until Sunday, Sept.10. The 30-minute show runs every Sunday at 11 a.m. on WSLS (Channel 10) until the season's conclusion.
Turning to radio, Hokie Hotline with Frank Beamer starts Monday on WSLC (610 AM). The 60-minute show runs from 7 to 8 p.m. every Monday.
TECH TIDBITS: Parker, who will back up Thomas at tailback and Edmonds at fullback in Oxendine's absence, will not be 100 percent for BC. The former Salem High standout has a bruised right shoulder. Besides Oxendine, the only other two-deep player who may miss the BC game is defensive tackle Jeff Holland (strained shoulder). ... Redshirt freshman Al Clark has moved back ahead of redshirt sophomore Cody Whipple for the backup spot behind starting quarterback Jim Druckenmiller. ... Four true freshmen - linebacker Tyron Edmond, safety Keion Carpenter, and cornerbacks Pierson Priioleau and Loren Johnson - are listed on Tech's second-team defense.
by CNB