Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, September 25, 1995 TAG: 9509250122
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The fire behind Virginia Tech's revitalizing 13-7 upset of 17th-ranked Miami was stoked long before Saturday.
The spark apparently was supplied in a team meeting Friday night.
``Coach [Frank Beamer] just went around the room and asked a couple people to speak out,'' said J.C. Price, a senior defense tackle.
``I can't even remember who talked. All I know is that everybody felt pretty much the same thing. We all felt we were a good team and it was about time to show it.''
The Hokies finally revealed some evidence Saturday, rising from the ashes of a 16-0 embarrassment to Cincinnati to beat Miami for the first time in 13 tries.
``We had to grow up and we did,'' said Chris Malone, a Tech guard. ``We needed some guys to assume some maturity.''
Malone had criticized the team's preparation in print earlier in the week, saying ``some of the guys are practicing to just get practice over and not practicing to get better ... to hell with this, it's time to grow up.''
Somebody must have heard him. It was a different Tech team that showed up for Miami.
``I felt like I had to say something,'' Malone said. ``Practice isn't fun, but we had to do it better. That's what we were missing. We went out focused, we executed, and we got it done.''
The victory ended Tech's four-game losing streak dating to last year. Tech is 1-1 and right back in the wide-open Big East Conference race.
``This win is huge,'' Malone said. ``It wipes the last two [losses] out. It seems now like we never even played the first two.''
Now, Tech has to play the last eight, six of which come away from home. The road games start Saturday at Pittsburgh (2-2).
``Hopefully, we can take this and get better,'' Beamer said. ``I think we've found this team now, the one we knew we had the potential to be.''
DEFENSIVE KUDOS: Tech's defense, fueled by a career performance by Price, stood tall once again.
The swarming Hokies owned the line of scrimmage, stuffed the 'Canes' running game, and recorded six sacks for 51 yards in losses. Miami threw for 320 yards against the constantly blitzing Hokies, but scored only once.
Price, jacked up and pursuing like a mad man on every snap, nabbed the Miami quarterback three times. His 10-yard sack of scrambling Ryan Clement with 29 seconds left was key in Tech's game-saving defensive stand.
``I don't care if I had to chase [Clement] to the parking lot and when he went to the bathroom,'' Price said. ``I was going to do everything in my power to make sure we won this game. This was a must ballgame.''
Junior linebacker Myron New-some, who struggled against Boston College and played sparingly against Cincinnati, came up big, recording a key sack and another tackle for a loss.
Tech, ranked sixth nationally in rushing defense entering the game, did a number on Miami, holding the 'Canes to 51 net yards on 36 attempts. In three games, Tech has yielded just 199 yards rushing on 116 attempts (1.7 yards per rush).
STAND BY YOUR MAN: Beamer maintained he plans to stick with struggling kicker Atle Larsen. The senior made it tough on the Hokies by converting only two of six field-goal attempts.
Larsen, 0-for-2 in Tech's first two games, made field goals of 44 and 20 yards, but misfired on attempts of 35, 48 and 42 and saw a 25-yarder blocked.
Larsen, in particular, has had problems on shorter kicks. The Norwegian is only 1-for-5 this year and 2-for-8 for his career inside 40 yards. Last year, Tech's No.1 kicker Ryan Williams was 16-for-16 inside the 40.
Larsen's backup, freshman Jimmy Kibble, has warmed up at halftime the past two weeks, but has yet to get a call from the bullpen. Beamer remains sold on Larsen.
``I told Atle, `This is the last bad one you're going to have,''' Beamer said. ``He's too good a kicker to not make more than he did. Atle will come back and he'll kick for us.''
TECH TIDBITS: Larsen's six field-goal attempts in a game tied the Tech record shared by Wayne Lattimer (1973) and Mickey Thomas (1989). ... Quarterback Jim Druckenmiller, terrible against Cincinnati, bounced back with an efficient performance. Druckenmiller did what he had to do against Miami, completing nine of 16 passes for 97 yards. The junior made good decisions, didn't turn over the ball, and was sacked only once. ... Tech intercepted two Miami passes, its first picks since November 1994 against Rutgers. Opposing quarterbacks had thrown 126 consecutive passes without an interception until linebacker Brandon Semones picked off Ryan Collins early in the second quarter. William Yarborough had Tech's other interception.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB