ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, September 8, 1996 TAG: 9609090142
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: METRO
THINNING OUT: Tech, already thin at running back, got thinner Saturday.
Junior tailback Ken Oxendine suffered a separated right shoulder on the final play of the first quarter and never returned to the game.
Oxendine was injured carrying the ball on a 5-yard sweep that took the Hokies to the Akron 2-yard line. Fullback Shelly Ellison fumbled on the next play, thwarting a Tech scoring chance.
Oxendine was examined by a doctor after the game, and Hokies trainer Eddie Ferrell said the tailback likely would be sidelined for two to four weeks.
Tech went into Saturday's game without tailback Marcus Parker and fullback Brian Edmonds, both of whom were suspended for violating team policy.
Edmonds will be back for Boston College, while Parker's status remains in limbo. Parker was suspended on Aug. 13 for an indefinite period.
With Oxendine out, Tech coach Frank Beamer turned to redshirt freshman Marcus Gildersleeve and true freshman Shyrone Stith at tailback.
Stith was particularly impressive in the second quarter. The Chesapeake native ran six times for 26 yards and scored Tech's first touchdown on a 1-yard run.
WHAT ELSE CAN HAPPEN? After a chaos-filled week that included the one-game suspension of Edmonds and reports of an alleged brawl involving at least a dozen players, the Hokies were forced to endure an additional mini-crisis before leaving Roanoke.
The Hokies' flight to Akron was delayed when the plane that was supposed to carry them blew a tire landing at Roanoke's Regional Airport.
``At least the tire blew before we got on. So it could have been worse,'' Beamer noted.
After a 90-minute wait, the Hokies were put on a backup plane. By that point, Beamer, who needed some cheering up, couldn't resist having some good-natured fun at the expense of center Billy Conaty and linebacker Myron Newsome.
``Billy and Myron hate to fly,'' Beamer said. ``They were already all shook up about the blown tire on the first plane.
``So when we got on the second plane, I told John Ballein [Beamer's assistant] to tell Bill and Myron there was another problem and we'd have to get off.
``As John told 'em, I was just standing there looking. You should have seen the looks on those two guys' faces. It was priceless.''
HOLMES BACK: Former split end Jermaine Holmes, one of the final preseason cuts of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has resurfaced with the Hokies' program.
Holmes has been added as a graduate assistant to John Ballein, departmental recruiting coordinator.
Regarding Holmes' new position, one Tech athletic department official noted: ``Jermaine probably didn't realize that if you catch the winning touchdown pass to beat Virginia [which Holmes did last November] that you've probably got a job for life at Virginia Tech.''
INJURY REPORT
Besides Oxendine's shoulder, Tech escaped relatively unscathed.
Star defensive end Cornell Brown ran off the field limping early in the second quarter but returned to the game two plays later.
NEXT OPPONENT
Tech opens defense of its Big East title when it travels to Boston College. Kickoff is 12:30 p.m. for the game, which will be televised by ESPN.
The contest has some interesting subplots. First, the Eagles' defense is now headed by Phil Elmassian, who was defensive coordinator at Tech in 1993-94. Second, BC beat Tech 20-14 on national TV in last year's season opener in Blacksburg.
The Eagles had the week off after winning at Hawaii 24-21 last Saturday.
The Hokies' only victory in the three-game series was a 12-7 verdict in 1994. Ironically, it was Elmassian's Tech defense that stopped BC that day.
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines KEYWORDS: FOOTBALLby CNB