Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 12, 1995 TAG: 9511130085
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Virginia Tech must wonder what it did to tick off ESPN.
The Hokies took their third potshot in eight days Thursday from ESPN's college football studio trio of Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Craig James.
First, it was James downing Jim Druckenmiller before the Syracuse game. Then, following Tech's 31-7 romp over the Orangemen, Corso called the Hokies ``the Bowl Alliance's biggest nightmare.''
On Thursday night, Fowler took aim at the Hokies, offering this sterling assessment:
``[The Bowl Alliance's] problem: Virginia Tech is America's least glamorous big-time program. ... The official name, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, is too long to fit on the cover of a bowl game's program. ...
``In a quiz of Big East opposing players, I guarantee half couldn't name Blacksburg, let alone find it on the map or name Coach Frank Beamer, for that matter. ...
``What's a Hokie anyway? Not a castrated turkey as one fan faxed me today. Hokie means nothing. It's a product of one student's imagination in 1896. ... And nobody, not even an expansion hockey team, has copied Tech's gaudy orange-and-maroon color scheme.''
On Saturday morning's ``College GameDay,'' ESPN ran a positive feature on the Hokies' nationally-ranked defense.
Still, the Hokies are far from even.
``Most definitely it's some unfair stuff,'' defensive tackle Jim Baron said.
``I know ESPN is on us a little bit, but I don't apologize for this team one bit,'' Beamer said. ``I don't know what we did, but we must have done something to make 'em mad.''
STINGY, STINGY
Tech continues to own the fourth quarter this season. In 10 games, the Hokies have allowed just 21 fourth-quarter points. The only points scored on Tech in the final quarter were a touchdown by Akron (when the Hokies' starters were long gone), a touchdown by Rutgers after Tech fumbled at its own 11-yard line, and a touchdown pass thrown by Temple with 5:58 left.
Meanwhile, Tech's offense has produced 85 fourth-quarter points. The Hokies' 71-point edge in the fourth quarter is in stark contrast to last year, when Tech was outscored 86-47 in the final quarter.
ETC.
Tech has outscored its opponents 271-90 in its eight-game winning streak. ... Tech has won six straight and 11 of its past 14 Big East games. ... In its seven league games, Tech allowed only nine touchdowns.
NEXT GAME
Tech travels to Charlottesville on Nov.18 to face 14th-ranked Virginia (8-3) at Scott Stadium at noon. The game, which will be televised by ABC (WSET, Channel 13), is sold out.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL VPI
by CNB