
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, October 22, 1995                   TAG: 9510230050
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

HOKIES GAME NOTES

Tech played the first half of Saturday's game without the services of its offensive coordinator, Rickey Bustle.

Bustle awakened ill Saturday morning and was taken by team physician Dr. Duane Lagan to the emergency room of St.Peter's Hospital, where the Tech coach was diagnosed as having a kidney stone.

"I woke up at 5:30 in the morning feeling bad,'' Bustle said. "I didn't know what the heck it was. I never have had anything like that ...

"Doc [Lagan] gave me something to take, but it didn't work. I called him back and said, `I don't know if I'm dying or not but it sure feels like it.'''

Once at the hospital, Bustle said "it was killing me because I couldn't get a score on the game. Finally, my wife called me and gave me the score.''

Following an intravenous, X-rays and a couple shots of Demoral, Bustle returned to the stadium at halftime, then called Tech's offensive plays the second half.

"I feel OK now,'' Bustle said after the game. "I get to take [the kidney stone] home with me. I thought I could leave it here in New Jersey.''

Running backs-assistant head coach Billy Hite and receivers coach Terry Strock called the first-half plays.

"The play calling wasn't too conservative,'' said Jim Druckenmiller, Tech's quarterback. "I thought it might be was running backs coach [Hite] calling the plays.''

IRBY STEPS UP

Sophomore Kory Irby, normally a safety, played big at linebacker in relief of starter Brandon Semones, who suffered a slight concussion on a collision near the end of the first half.

"The defense awarded Kory the game ball,'' said Bud Foster, Hokies co-defensive coordinator. "He came in and really stepped up big for us.''

Semones, who starred at Glenvar High, is OK, Foster said.

"He could tell me the score and where he was at,'' Foster said. "He wanted to go back in, but the doc [Lagan] wouldn't allow it.''

ETC.

After scoring 67 points in its first five games, Tech has put up 122 the past two games. ... Tech has won eight of its past 11 Big East games. ... Tech punter John I. Thomas suffered his first blocked kick of the season. The block led to a Rutgers field goal. ... With Saturday's 10 tackles for loss, Tech now has an incredible 38 tackles behind the line of scrimmage the past three games. ... Defensive tackle Jim Baron played sparingly Saturday after missing most of the past three games due to a sprained left ankle.

NEXT OPPONENT

Tech plays West Virginia (3-4, 2-1) on Saturday at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown. Kickoff for the televised game is noon. The game is a sellout.

by CNB