ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, December 27, 1995 TAG: 9512270094
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NEW ORLEANS
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
Virginia Tech's football team arrived at one of the world's capitals of decadence and debauchery Tuesday.
That said, forget the game plan for Sunday's Sugar Bowl meeting with Texas.
It's another game plan - just what kind of routes the Hokies will run in the French Quarter at night - that has coach Frank Beamer's most immediate concern.
With the sinful temptations of Bourbon Street lurking only two blocks from his team's downtown hotel, Beamer confessed he's more than a tad concerned over his players' safety.
``I told our guys the other day that there are some things that go on around this place that I haven't seen before,'' Beamer said.
``Now, [the players] might have seen it. [But] I've been up and down Bourbon Street enough myself ... and there ain't none of those in Hillsville, Emporia or Blackstone, let me tell you.''
Therefore, Beamer will have his players on a shorter-than-normal leash this week. After a 2 a.m. curfew for Monday night and tonight, lights will go out at 1 a.m. Thursday and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Several officers from the New Orleans Police Dept. met with the Tech players Tuesday night to discuss the perils of the Big Easy.
``They gave us some local advice,'' Beamer said. ``Like what they can do and what they shouldn't do; where to be and where they shouldn't be.
``I think we need to take all the precautions. Knowledge is a wonderful thing.''
Of course, that hasn't helped the Hokies around Blacksburg lately.
Three Tech players have been involved in scrapes with the law the past four weeks. Two - sophomore linebacker Tony Morrison and redshirt freshman receiver James Crawford - were suspended from the bowl game by Beamer, while another, junior cornerback Antonio Banks, remains on the squad.
``I feel like we've got a mature group,'' said Beamer, ``and I certainly would hope we wouldn't have any problems in that area.''
Chris Malone, a senior offensive tackle, maintained the Hokies didn't come to New Orleans to party.
``We've already laid the laws down about getting out and getting drunk and all that stuff,'' Malone said. ``I don't think you'll see any of that stuff going on. This is a pretty responsible group, I think.
``Myself, I'm just going to use this like a scouting period for Mardi Gras, which comes up in another month.''
While in New Orleans, Tech will conduct its daily workouts at Tulane University's grass practice field before moving indoors on Saturday for a final practice workout inside the Louisiana Superdome.
Meanwhile, Texas will hold all its pregame workouts inside the dome.
Edge to Texas? Not in Beamer's mind.
``We wanted this one,'' said Beamer, pointing at the Green Wave's facility. ``We're going to get inside later in the week and do some things and get used to the dome a little bit.
``But we prefer to work on the grass. Every practice we had in Blacksburg [Dec. 15-21] was inside [the turf-covered Rector Fieldhouse].
``Our kids' legs were taking a pounding on the turf. I could see it in our kids' legs - the soreness.
``Over a period of time, the turf works on you. I had experience before with it when I was at Murray State, and it seemed like when we practiced three or four days straight, our shins started bothering us and our legs started getting sore.
``So I think this is a good set-up for us.''
SUGAR CUBES: Including its scout team, Tech brought 96 players on the trip. favored Miami and Virginia. ... Each school sold approximately 17,400 tickets for the game. Sugar Bowl executive director Troy Mathieu said this year's ticket is one of the toughest finds in the bowl's 61-year history. ... Banks, who despite his recent arrest for assault and battery by Blacksburg Police, will play against Texas at Beamer's decision. Banks, who started the first two games of the season before missing three games due to injury, is listed as the Hokies' backup left corner behind junior Larry Green.
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Tech's Cornell Brown arrives at New Orleansby CNBInternational Airport on Tuesday. Brown and the Hokies are in
Louisiana to play the Texas Longhorns
in Sunday's Sugar Bowl. color. Graphic: Chart by staff. color.