ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, October 14, 1996 TAG: 9610150083
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: monday morning quarterback
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS
Virginia Tech's second idle week in a span of 21 days undoubtedly will be much less taxing than the first one.
Saturday's 38-0 romp over Temple ensured the Hokies that their second week of October vacation will be a cruise job compared to the rugged seven-day furlough that followed their 52-21 loss at Syracuse.
``After Syracuse we had the whole week to sit around and think about how we messed that game up,'' said Billy Conaty, Tech's senior center.
``Coming off this [Temple] game, things should be much easier for us to handle. At least we won't have to sit around and think about about everything we did wrong.''
If the Hokies had their druthers, they'd prefer to tee it up again this Saturday. Playing well and winning does that for a team.
``Hopefully,'' said Tech coach Frank Beamer, ``we can use this off week to our advantage. I'm not sure I want another off week right now, but that will give us some time to bring some of young guys along and get some people healthy.''
Tech obviously took advantage of the break after the Syracuse game and it showed against Temple.
``We worked hard after Syracuse,'' Conaty said. ``We all knew we had to go out and get better. I think we did.''
Where's Cornell?
Tech All-American defensive end Cornell Brown was conspicuously absent Saturday. Brown, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last Monday, wasn't on the Hokies' sideline.
``I don't know where Cornell was,'' said Danny Wheel, Tech's other starting end. ``Maybe he was in the stands or something. Maybe he wasn't here. I know it would be tough for him to sit and watch a game.''
``We just knew we had to take it to another level without Cornell being there,'' Wheel continued. ``He's our emotional leader, he's our sack leader and he makes the big plays most of the time. I just tried to play as good as he played.''
Wheel said Brown did the right thing by getting his knee taken care of now.
``I'm glad he's sitting out now,'' Wheel said. ``We're going to need him late for that run of tough games we've got.''
Primed to go
Tech quarterback Jim Druckenmiller wasn't surprised by Marcus Parker's showing Saturday. The junior tailback ran for a career-high 90 yards on just six carries in his first game back from suspension.
``I could tell Marcus was ready to go,'' Druckenmiller said. ``I told him not to hold anything back. I told him he needed to have a big game, come out with a bang the first game and show 'em what he could do. I think he did it. I think he made a statement.''
Hokie highs
Junior wide receiver Shawn Scales had two receptions for 96 yards, including a 64-yarder for his first collegiate touchdown, Tech's longest pass play of the season. In a new offensive twist, Scales lined up at tailback in one four-receiver formation. He took a pitch from Druckenmiller and gained 13 yards. Tech registered seven sacks of Temple quarterback Henry Burris, running its season total to 26. West Virginia leads the Big East Conference with 35 sacks in six games. Ken Oxendine's 163-yard rushing day was the most for Tech since Dwayne Thomas rumbled for 172 in Tech's win over Rutgers in 1994. Oxendine's previous best was 135 yards vs. Akron last year. He has three 100-yard days in his career and 1,129 rushing yards total.
Pounding the ball
``I don't know,'' said VMI quarterback Al Lester, ``Last year I don't believe those kicks would have made it.''
Lester was talking Saturday of Mike Harris' 47- and 49-yard field goals in VMI's 45-20 loss to No.1 Marshall. They were the longest kicks of Harris' college career and both cleared the crossbar with ample room.
Harris added power to his kicks by adding pounds to his body. Harris was a skinny 6-2,195 pounds last season, but pumped up to 215 over the summer. Now he's back down to 205, but doesn't resemble the person that kicked for the Keydets in 1995. Harris is a kicker who actually gets into lifting weights. ``That's a rarity,'' said VMI sports information director Wade Branner.
Harris got the idea from associate head coach Donnie Ross. Ross' brother, Bobby, coach of the San Diego Chargers, asked the Chargers' kicker, John Carney, to put weight on in hopes it would help his kickoffs. Apparently it helped him, and now it's helping Harris.
``I feel like I'm getting more power into the ball,'' Harris said.
Crowded at the top
The crowd of 9,165 at VMI's Alumni Memorial Field was the fifth-largest in stadium history. That showing, as well as the second- and third-best crowds, came against Marshall.
``They need to have Marshall in here every week,'' said Thundering Herd coach Bob Pruett.
Although VMI coach Bill Stewart pretty much got his wish with most of Marshall's green-clad fans sequestered on the visitors' side, somebody should have gotten the word up to Mary Baldwin College. Cadets from the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership showed up in their dress green jackets.
Dear John
Washington and Lee's flop-haired John Benazzi is listed as a cornerback. It's a total slight of his job description.
Benazzi, a junior from Glen Cove, N.Y., entered Saturday's game at Davidson as the Old Dominion Athletic Conference's kickoff return leader (27 yards per return). He picked up a new duty against the Wildcats, catching his first two passes of the season.
Then, late in the third quarter, he made an interception on his own goal line. It ended a certain scoring threat for Davidson. Unfortunately, it also led Wildcats coach Tim Landis to change quarterbacks. The second-stringer, Tommy Dugan, promptly led his team to two fourth-quarter touchdowns and a 23-12 victory.
A peek at `Beek'
Randolph-Macon defensive back Dusty Beekman, a sophomore from Cave Spring High School, earned ODAC player of the week honors one week after he turned around a game at W&L.
Beekman on Saturday had six tackles, one tackle for loss, five pass breakups, an interception and a fumble recovery as Randolph-Macon shut out Gettysburg 27-0. A week ago, while trailing 10-0 at W&L, he tackled Generals punter Matt Holbrook just before halftime to set up R-MC at the Generals' 12-yard-line. Randolph-Macon scored on that possession and held W&L scoreless the rest of the way in a 21-10 victory.
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