Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 30, 1995 TAG: 9510300042
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
DATELINE: MORGANTOWN, W.VA. LENGTH: Medium
He can zero in on Saturday's Big East Football Conference showdown at Lane Stadium like no one else. What other coach has watched his team come up empty on the scoreboard against the conference leaders in consecutive weeks?
One week after the Orangemen rolled to a 22-0 victory over West Virginia at the Carrier Dome, the Hokies left Mountaineer Field with an impressive 27-0 triumph Saturday.
Nehlen certainly isn't a rich man this football season, but ...
``If I had a dime ... well, you never know,'' he said, ``but the fact the game is down at Tech ... ''
He really wasn't hedging on Saturday's 3:30 p.m. kickoff, the first ABC (WSET Channel 13) regional telecast at Lane Stadium since VMI's stunning 6-0 victory over Tech in 1981.
Nehlen, the dean of Big East coaches, likes 20th-ranked Syracuse. He really likes the Hokies.
``Virginia Tech is a good football team, the best team we've played, by far, this year,'' Nehlen said.
West Virginia thought its 178 yards against Syracuse (6-1) were meager until the Mountaineers netted 138 against Tech (6-2). Although Syracuse has a veteran offensive line, Nehlen likes the Hokies' strength up front on both sides of the ball.
``Tech's defense is more dominant, even just from a statistical standpoint,'' he said. ``What Tech will have to do is control the big plays of Syracuse, and [Donovan] McNabb is a dynamite quarterback.''
Tech has won six in a row, Syracuse five. The Orangemen's only loss was a 27-24 setback to East Carolina, which, were it in the league, would share the Big East lead at 3-0 with Syracuse. The Pirates also have victories over WVU and Temple.
The Orangemen were idle Saturday, and McNabb was ranked second in NCAA Division I-A in passing efficiency heading into the weekend. He has thrown only three interceptions to go with 10 touchdowns in 127 attempts.
Yes, the Hokies are a big-play team. They've scored 12 touchdowns on plays of 37 yards or longer this season. Syracuse is a really big-play team, led by the redshirt freshman quarterback's connections with wideout Marvin Harrison, who is averaging 23.2 yards on 39 catches.
``Syracuse is going to present Tech a lot more problems offensively than we did, because they have great speed on the flanks and the QB is outstanding,'' Nehlen said. ``They're different teams. It should be a real good game, but it is down there'' in Blacksburg.
It's also a huge game in the Big East's bowl pecking order, and a must-win matchup for Tech if the Hokies are thinking Big East title and an alliance slot - likely in the Sugar Bowl.
The Gator and Carquest bowls, which take second and third Big East teams, respectively, will scout the game. Miami is the third team in this picture.
With a victory, Tech is likely to finish 6-1 in the Big East, since only Temple at RFK Stadium on Nov.11 would remain. Syracuse visits Miami on Nov.25 in the last game of the league season, and the Orangemen also have Boston College to play. Miami must visit BC (2-6), which incredibly still could win the league title outright at 6-1, but already is eliminated from bowl consideration because it can finish no better than 6-6 and a winning record is required - along with six Division I-A victories - to qualify for postseason play.
One opinion among the Tech contingent is the Hokies must finish 9-2, with victories over Syracuse, Temple and Virginia to get the alliance bowl berth. Some Hokies already are floating a notion the Gator Bowl wants Tech against North Carolina in a New Year's Day battle of traveling fans.
The Carquest has wanted the Hokies - who took about 18,000 fans to last year's Gator Bowl - since before Tech's 0-2 start. If the Hokies beat Syracuse, however, they should be bowling somewhere other than at Joe Robbie Stadium.
Syracuse and Tech are the top two scoring teams in the Big East, the Orange having a 29-27 edge in average points per game. Syracuse is the only club in the league on the positive side in turnover margin this season, at plus-11.
Tech is giving up 1.93 yards per rush, or 615 yards in eight games. Syracuse is the Big East's best in third-down conversions; Tech is tops in preventing first downs on those plays.
``If you can't run the ball - and we tried everything - it's tough,'' Nehlen said of the Hokies, who have 55 tackles behind the line of scrimmage in the past four games, including 24 sacks.
``Tech's defense can get on you,'' Nehlen said, ``but McNabb, he's going to go back there a few times and somebody's going to be on his tail, and all of a sudden he's gone for 30.
``Really, it should be quite a game.''
by CNB