ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 9, 1996 TAG: 9611110107
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
There may not be two major college football teams in the country with bigger chips on their shoulders than the ones bellying up tonight in Blacksburg.
East Carolina (5-2), which, despite impressive victories at Miami and South Carolina, remains unranked, and No. 25 Virginia Tech (6-1), eager to prove it can beat a good team, will unleash their frustrations in front of an expected crowd of 45,000 fans and a national cable television audience. (7 p.m., ESPN2 cable).
``Frank Beamer [Tech coach] and I are pretty good friends,'' said Pirates coach Steve Logan, ``and what we're fighting is pretty much the same. Tech is getting a little more respect now since they joined the Big East, but it's still ridiculous.
``I'm telling you, that football [team] right there is one of the best in the country. Beamer up there has won 33 of 43 football games and 18 of 19 and they're [No.] 25? Put a brand name on that and you'd be in the top five.''
ECU would take the top 25, thank you. The Pirates are ranked No.26 in the Associated Press poll and 28th in the CNN-USA Today poll, despite winning 31-6 at Miami on Oct.19, the Hurricanes' worst home loss since 1984.
``I'm not perplexed about it because the people who vote on that are clueless,'' Logan said. ``It's almost an insult.''
Beamer maintained that ECU should be in the top 25 and would be if it were not an independent.
``They deserve to be in the poll,'' Beamer said. ``If they were in a conference with some others, they would. I know they're top 25 material, and I think our kids know it. They sure won't sneak up on us.''
Tech, which hasn't beaten a team with a winning record all season, was a 5 1/2-point favorite Friday. The spread has fluctuated up and down all week because of personnel question marks on both sides.
Logan said Thursday his call at quarterback will be a game-time decision. Starter Marcus Crandell, who has smashed most of Jeff Blake's ECU career passing records, has been hobbled all week by a strained ligament in his left knee.
``Marcus has practiced some, but he's just real, real sore,'' Logan said. ``It's going to go right up to game time on him and see how he feels.''
If Crandell can't go - ``don't worry, he'll play,'' a Tech assistant coach said - backup Danny Gonzalez will get the nod. Gonzalez has played in all seven ECU games, but has thrown only 22 passes.
``Danny is very good and he's capable,'' Logan said. ``No matter what, [we] won't scale back the game plan at all.''
Tech has multiple personnel problems. Seven Hokies, including All-America defensive end Cornell Brown, will sit out the game for suspensions handed down Wednesday.
``I guess we'll find out what we're made of now,'' said Brandon Semones, a Tech linebacker. ``Everybody else is going to have to step it up a level. I think we can rally together.''
Unlike some others in Greenville, N.C., on Wednesday afternoon, Logan wasn't turning cartwheels when hearing about the Tech suspensions.
``Yeah, a guy like Cornell Brown does present you a lot of problems and all that,'' Logan said. ``But know what? I'd rather try to compete against somebody at their best.
``You know, every time East Carolina wins a game there's always this deep, dark mystery about why we won. Now this will be the mystery if we happen to be fortunate enough to win, which we probably won't, because this is the best team we've played all year, period.
``They're more talented than Miami and West Virginia. But now if we win, well, there's why. You know, we beat Miami because they were broken-hearted about getting beat by Florida State and all that . We can't win for losing down here.''
Tech must win to shut up the nay sayers who contend - and accurately so - it hasn't beaten anybody. The Hokies lost 52-21 to Syracuse, the only team among its first seven opponents with a winning record.
The Hokies' best chance to win, considering their holes on defense (especially in the line) will be to run and control the ball on offense. Tech is ranked 10th in the nation in rushing (245 yards per game).
``We need to pound and pound the ball on 'em,'' said Jay Hagood, a Tech offensive tackle. ``If we do what we're supposed to do, we can handle East Carolina.''
In addition to Crandell and a group of talented receivers, ECU can run via a Harley. Pirates sophomore fullback Scott Harley's 990 yards rushing ranks third in Division I.
``They can attack you so many ways,'' Semones said. ``People say we haven't been tested that much. Well, this is a test, I guarantee it.''
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