ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, September 25, 1996 TAG: 9609250062
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: TECH NOTES
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
Most everybody around these parts already knew Jim Druckenmiller was tough as nails and could throw a football a country mile.
But nobody realized the hulking Virginia Tech quarterback could run. On second thought, better make that lug the football.
``Yeah, that sounds better,'' Druckenmiller said. ``I don't know if I'm fast enough to call what I do `running the football.'''
While nobody is comparing him to Fran Tarkenton, Druckenmiller startled Rutgers and the Lane Stadium faithful Saturday by running 10 times for a career-high 53 yards.
Druckenmiller's ground steps were key in Tech's 30-14 victory. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound quarterback's 11-yard scramble set up the Hokies' first touchdown. Minutes later, he broke a 23-yard run on an option keeper to the Rutgers' 3 to position Tech for a second score.
On both plays, Druckenmiller lowered his head and took on tacklers instead of looking for a sideline to tiptoe out of bounds. Little doubt, more than one Rutgers defensive back must have wondered where this train came from.
``On one of 'em,'' Druckenmiller said, ``I heard a couple words like `what the heck' out of the defenders. Sometimes, yeah, I think it is a surprise.
``I think I'm just a big guy who's not the fastest afoot. But if I get moving, I have a little bit of weight behind me [and I'm] awful hard to stop.
``I realize those guys' jobs are to hit people and mine is to throw and run our offense. I'm used to taking hits when I'm not looking, so it's actually good to see them coming.''
Does Tech coach Frank Beamer like to see his star quarterback running? Not really. But Beamer has seen enough of Druckenmiller to know he's one tough guy who will do anything to win a football game.
``I think Jim's strong enough to take care of himself,'' Beamer said. ``Sometimes, he has to be smart about it. What I like about it is he's just trying to win.
``I'm used to telling quarterbacks to run out of bounds. But I think you'd be wasting your time with Druck.''
REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY: When analyzing Tech's key Big East Conference matchup at Syracuse on Saturday, most would contend it's the Orangemen (0-2) who have their backs against the proverbial wall.
Not so, Beamer contended.
``People say their backs are to the wall,'' said the Hokies' coach, ``but the way I've got it figured, our backs are to the wall.
``I think any team that's thinking about a [Big East] championship had better think about winning this Saturday. Syracuse started out preseason No.1 in our conference, and right now everything I've seen picks 'em to beat us this Saturday and I don't think anything has changed in that regard. So to me, our backs are against the wall.''
Despite its record, Syracuse is an early 11/2-point favorite over Tech. The Hokies, whose 13-game winning streak is the longest in NCAA Division I-A, have lost in their past three visits to the Carrier Dome.
FLATTERING INK: In a front-page college football story in Monday's USA Today, writer Steve Wieberg picked the Hokies as a ``dark horse'' candidate to win the national championship.
``I appreciate that, but we've got a lot of work to do to get to that point,'' Beamer said on his Monday radio show. ``Now, if we could win all 11 games we should be the national champion.''
Beamer noted Tech's final four opponents - East Carolina, Miami, West Virginia and Virginia - are a combined 12-1. Miami is ranked 10th, UVa 19th and WVU 23rd in this week's Associated Press poll, with East Carolina third in votes among teams not making the Top 25.
GOOD SAMARITANS: To show their appreciation, Beamer and several players passed out 30 dozen doughnuts and 40 gallons of hot chocolate and coffee at 6:45 a.m. Tuesday to students camped out in tents waiting to pick up tickets for the Nov.29 Virginia game.
``Some of 'em accused [313-pound offensive tackle] T.J. Washington and [298-pound defensive tackle] Waverly Jackson of eating the doughnuts,'' said Beamer, who also was joined by defensive end Cornell Brown and fullback Brian Edmonds. ``And some of 'em said that's just the way they wanted to start the day peek out of their tents and see Cornell's smiling face.''
TECH TIDBITS: Speaking of Brown, the Tech All-American recently filmed a public-service announcement for the NCAA on steroid use that is scheduled to start running soon on college football telecasts. The Hokies are getting the job done in the ``red zone.'' Tech has scored on 15 of 18 trips inside the opponent's 20, amassing 11 touchdowns and four field goals.
Also, the Hokies' third-down conversion rate has to rank among the nation's best. Tech has converted 21 of 41 third-down opportunities. Meanwhile, the Hokies' opponents are 10-for-42. On the flip side, Tech has been burned so far in the turnover department. The Hokies have given up the ball seven times (five fumbles, two interceptions) compared with only twice for their opponents. Tech's minus-5 margin ranks last in the Big East and pales in comparison with WVU (plus 8) and Miami (plus 5), the league's two other unbeaten teams.
Saturday's game (3:30 p.m., WDBJ Channel 7) will mark Tech's first appearance on CBS since 1983. CBS' No.1 announcing team of Jim Nantz and Terry Donahue will call the split-national telecast.
LENGTH: Medium: 95 linesby CNB