Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 16, 1995 TAG: 9509170016
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
That is not the only thing the state's two Division I-A football programs will have in common.
Both teams are 141/2-point favorites over visitors coming off near-upsets of nationally-ranked opponents.
Cincinnati, which brings an 0-2 record to Lane Stadium for today's noon kickoff, never trailed against 21st-ranked Kansas State until the Wildcats won 23-21 on a 22-yard touchdown pass as time expired.
UVa has a 1:30 p.m. date with Georgia Tech, which led 17th-ranked Arizona 19-7 before the Wildcats scored twice in the final seven minutes for a 20-19 triumph. The Yellow Jackets outgained Arizona 252-206, including 187-13 on the ground.
Is it any wonder that ESPN has installed Georgia Tech as its upset pick of the week - or ``Mighty Dog'' - for the second year in a row against Virginia?
That didn't prevent a 24-7 UVa romp last year in Atlanta, but there are signs this is a different Georgia Tech team, from the coaching staff to the philosophy.
George O'Leary, who spent the final three games of the 1994 season as interim head coach following the resignation of Bill Lewis, got the job full-time when the Yellow Jackets were unsuccessful in their courtship of former North Carolina State coach Dick Sheridan.
O'Leary, the defensive coordinator when Georgia Tech shared the national championship in 1990, has brought a tough edge that is reflected in the team's new-found running game, its defense against the run and its reaction to a second straight loss to Arizona.
``I thought the way the kids handled it in the locker room was encouraging,'' O'Leary said. ``They didn't hang their heads and feel sorry or carry a tough lower lip. Basically, they were thoroughly annoyed and angry at themselves for losing a game they had pretty much dominated.
``They didn't just fall back and say, `Oh, we worked so hard. We should have won.' It wasn't the same response as last year [when Arizona scored with 29 seconds left to win 19-14]. The kids had their heads high and understood thoroughly what they did and didn't do.''
The Yellow Jackets controlled the line of scrimmage, not surprising considering the background of their offensive and defensive line coaches, Pat Watson and Larry New.
Watson, previously at North Carolina and Virginia Tech, tutored All-America offensive tackle Blake Brockermeyer last year at Texas. New helped coach the nation's No.1-ranked defense last year at Virginia, which couldn't match Georgia Tech's offer without upsetting its salary structure.
The Tech-Cincinnati game does not have similar conference implications, but the Hokies can't afford to slip today if they want to return to the Top 25 and improve their postseason credentials.
The last thing Tech coach Frank Beamer wants is for his team to be dwelling on a season-opening 20-14 loss to Boston College or looking ahead to Miami, which comes to Lane Stadium next week.
``I think I've got smart kids at Virginia Tech,'' Beamer said. ``They can look and see that Cincinnati had the 21st team in the country beat last week [and] lost on the last play of the game.
``Some people say, `Well, they won only two games last year.' Well, they're not playing like a team that won two games. This is a critical game. What's important right now is, do we improve as a football team? We're going to have to improve to have the kind of year we'd like.''
In their opener, the Bearcats lost 23-18 at Kansas, a team that improved to 3-0 with a nationally televised victory over Texas Christian on Thursday night. Cincinnati outgained the Jayhawks 410-280 and controlled the ball for nearly 37 minutes.
``They're [the Bearcats] no slouch,'' Tech offensive tackle Mike Bianchin said. ``I've been playing football since I was 8 years old and they've got people doing things I've never seen. They're running around and who knows who to block? Mentally we've got to be sharp or we're going to be in trouble.''
Other area teams playing at home include VMI, which celebrates homecoming against East Tennessee State at 1:30 p.m., and Ferrum, which meets Cortland State at 1:30. Cortland (2-0) was a preseason top 10 choice in Division III, but Ferrum (1-1) has history on its side. The home team has won all three previous meetings.
VMI, which scored 29 points in the final seven minutes to beat Liberty 50-31, has not won back-to-back games since defeating Lafayette and Richmond in the third and fourth weeks of the 1991 season. Of course, VMI has won only one game in each of the past two seasons.
``They're [the Keydets] probably thinking, `Hell, we can just show up,''' VMI coach Bill Stewart said. ``My job is to make sure that doesn't happen.''
by CNB