Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, September 18, 1995 TAG: 9509180148
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Virginia Tech Hokies awakened Sunday with their supposed get-well pill still stuck in their throats.
Saturday's 16-0 gagger to 14 1/2 point-underdog Cincinnati at Lane Stadium has Tech gasping for air only two games into the 1995 football season.
A team that two weeks ago was ranked No.24 in the country is 0-2 with a Hurricane on the horizon as 17th-ranked Miami blows into Blacksburg on Saturday.
The Hokies, who have opened a season with two home losses for the first time in school history, will have to get their act together quickly or forget about a third consecutive bowl bid.
``I know we've lost a lot of respect we've been working on the past two years,'' said Billy Conaty, a junior center for Tech. ``Now, no one is going to think we're any good.
``But we have nine more games to prove we're a good team. Somehow, we've got to play through it, fight through it. I think everyone here is mature enough and been around long enough to realize that you can't let this leave you in the dumps.''
Against Cincinnati (1-2), the Hokies committed five turnovers, including three in the second quarter that produced or set up all of the Bearcats' points. Basically, Tech couldn't block, throw, catch or run in the Worsham Field mud.
A Hokies team that had scored 500 points in its past 13 home games (38.6 average) inexplicably couldn't scratch against a Cincinnati club that had yielded 28 points a game in its past 13 starts.
Junior quarterback Jim Druckenmiller, strong in his starting debut against Boston College, had a woeful day, throwing three interceptions. The first pick, returned 71 yards for a touchdown by Brad Jackson, gave Cincinnati the first and only score it would need.
``Just terrible execution on offense,'' said Frank Beamer, Tech's coach. ``I believe it would help if we'd get somebody blocked up front, run the ball and hold on to it and get somebody to catch some passes.''
In being shut out at home for the first time in 79 games, the Hokies managed only 77 net yards rushing on 40 attempts (1.9 yards per carry). In its first two games, Tech has 199 yards rushing on 74 attempts (2.7 yards per carry).
With no running game, the Hokies have been forced to throw more than Beamer would have preferred with a new quarterback. In two games, Tech has put the ball in the air 82 times, completing 37 passes.
The Hokies' defense played much better than it had against BC and played well enough to win most games. It limited the Bearcats to 103 yards rushing on 48 attempts. Cincinnati had 197 yards passing, 106 of those on three long completions.
``Still, we didn't make any big plays,'' Beamer said. ``We had a couple of chances for interceptions and dropped 'em.''
Can Tech possibly right the ship during a Hurricane watch? Remember, Miami has not lost to Tech in 12 meetings.
``We'd better recover,'' Druckenmiller said. ``We've got to get this thing turned around ... and I believe we will.''
TECH TIDBITS: The Hokies aren't winning the field-position battle, either. Of Tech's 32 drives in two games, only once have the Hokies started in the opponent's half of the field. ... Tech has committed six turnovers compared with one for its opponents. The opposition has cashed in on all but two of the Hokies' miscues, leading to 23 of Tech's 36 points allowed. ... Tech is 10-of-37 on third-down conversions. ... Tech's rush defense has been stifling in the two losses, yielding 148 yards on 80 carries (1.85 yards per attempt). ... Talk about ugly games, the Cincinnati-Tech game had seven more punts (23) than points (16). ... Tech's John I. Thomas punted 11 times, three short of Jack Simscak's school record set in 1968 vs. Alabama. ... The Hokies weren't the only Big East team down Sunday. The league was a combined 1-5 against non-conference opponents Saturday and is 5-11 vs. outside foes this season.
by CNB