Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 10, 1995 TAG: 9509120024
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JAMES C. BLACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LEXINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Not the threat of rain nor a tired Liberty squad could stop the VMI Keydets in the fourth quarter Saturday afternoon.
The Keydets scored 29 consecutive points in the game's final 6:54, and Thomas Haskins finished with 186 rushing yards as VMI upset Liberty 50-31 at Alumni Memorial Field.
The Keydets (1-1) trailed 31-21 against the nation's 20th-ranked Division I-AA team with 11:42 left in the game before scoring on four consecutive possessions to dim the Flames' hope.
``There was never a point where I thought we were out of the game,'' said VMI quarterback Al Lester.
Lester's 1-yard touchdown run on a keeper with 4:56 left gave VMI its first lead of the game, 37-31. He also completed 12 of 25 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, he had 34 yards.
``In the fourth quarter, we came out and capitalized on the big breaks,'' Lester said.
And the breaks were many for VMI.
Liberty fumbled on consecutive kickoffs, then threw interceptions on the next two possessions. And all of this happened in a span of 5:43, resulting in 21 VMI points.
``There are times when things go in a very positive direction and, unfortunately, in a very negative direction,'' said Sam Rutigliano, Liberty's coach. ``It was just a series of events - fumbles, interceptions - and those things can happen in clumps."
That wasn't quite the way they happened for the Flames (1-1) on Sept.2 during a 76-6 victory at home against West Virginia Tech. Liberty scored on all but three possessions in that game.
And maybe that result, combined with VMI's 51-28 loss at Richmond, had Flames players thinking they were 2-0 before the game even started.
``We were looking ahead to next week'' against Morgan State, said Liberty tailback Lawrence Worthington, who finished with 53 yards on 10 carries and one touchdown. ``I thought we had it under control. I thought we were going to win.''
Haskins, who tied a school record for points (28) and touchdowns in one game, was the complete package for VMI.
The junior tailback scored on touchdown runs of 3 and 6 yards in the second quarter. He also scored on running plays twice for two-point conversions in the fourth quarter. His four touchdowns tied Bobby Jordan's mark established in 1956 against Stetson.
``It was a shock,'' Haskins said of the fourth-quarter spurt that gave the Keydets their second consecutive victory over a ranked team, following up last year's season-ending upset of Appalachian State. ``It's like boxing; the last punch is the best punch.''
VMI went 80 yards on eight plays in the second quarter to tie the score at 7. The key play of that drive came on fourth-and-one at the Liberty 29, when Lester picked up 2 yards on a quarterback sneak. That drive culminated in Haskins' 3-yard run.
Later in that quarter, Lester scrambled for 2 yards on fourth-and-one from his own 37 to sustain a drive. That led to VMI's second score, a 34-yard pass play from Lester to Marlon Anderson.
In all, VMI converted on all five of its fourth-down attempts.
``I felt we had a scheme and we were going to go for it,'' said coach Bill Stewart. ``It was a calculated risk from hours and hours of practice.''
NOTES: The game will be replayed Monday at 1 p.m. on Home Team Sports cable. ... The 50 points were the most VMI has scored since a 66-27 victory over West Virginia Tech in 1990.
see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB