ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, November 29, 1996 TAG: 9611290053
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
In a football series in which the visitor has gone home victorious the past four years, Virginia Tech's Billy Conaty would give his right leg for a season-ending triumph over Virginia.
And, in some respects, the senior already has.
The Hokies trailed Virginia 29-15 early in the second half last year in Charlottesville when Conaty was caught under a pile, suffered a broken leg and had to be helped to the locker room.
``I'm thinking, `The game's over,''' said Conaty, the Hokies' center. ``I take a shower, get my cast on, come back out on crutches. I'm thinking, `Horrible day, broke my leg, lost to Virginia.'
``Then I see Druck [quarterback Jim Druckenmiller] driving, down six, and I'm like, `Whew, oh my God.' Then, he throws that pass to Jermaine Holmes and I about had a heart attack.
``I was happy. I didn't care if I broke my leg. I'd take that if we beat Virginia.''
This was from a kid from Pennsauken, N.J., who didn't know a whole lot about Tech and knew even less about the Tech-UVa rivalry when he arrived in Blacksburg in the fall of 1992.
That was the year Terry Kirby, sidelined for four games because of a fractured shoulder blade, came into Lane Stadium and rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns as the Cavaliers won 41-38.
No home team has won since, a trend the Hokies hope to reverse at 2:30 p.m. today before a sellout crowd in excess of 50,000 fans and a regional television audience on CBS (WDBJ Channel 7).
``What should be an advantage, the home field, hasn't been,'' said Frank Beamer, Tech's coach. ``When teams are fairly even, as they have been the past few years, it comes down to who makes plays on game day.''
Last year, it was Druckenmiller and Holmes, who connected on the go-ahead touchdown pass with 47 seconds to play. And Antonio Banks, whose interception and 65-yard touchdown return preserved the Hokies' 36-29 victory.
Two years ago, it was a Virginia defense that intercepted five passes. In 1993, it was a fumble return for a touchdown by unheralded Tech defensive tackle Jeff Holland. In 1992, Cavaliers linebacker Randy Neal returned two interceptions for touchdowns.
Turnovers could hold the key again today. Virginia's Tim Sherman and Aaron Brooks have thrown more interceptions, 17, than the quarterbacks for any other ACC team. On the other hand, UVa has intercepted more passes, 20, than all but one NCAA Division I-A team.
Although Tech is given the edge at quarterback because of Druckenmiller, Sherman would have been the star of last year's game if not for the Hokies' stirring comeback. After replacing injured Mike Groh, Sherman completed eight of 10 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
``That was tough,'' said Sherman, who was knocked unconscious on a hit by Tech linebacker George DelRicco during that game. ``That was my first extensive playing time and it would have been great to get in, play well and come away with a win.
``I came in the game and we were losing and I left and we were up by eight [15-7]. It was a game we let slip away at the end and it left a sour taste in our mouths. It put a taint on our season.''
The Hokies (9-1) enter today's game on a seven-game winning streak and have won 19 of 20 games during the past two years, although they will not know their postseason destination until after Miami plays at Syracuse on Saturday.
If the Hurricanes upset Syracuse, it would create a three-way tie for the Big East Conference championship. The team with the highest ranking would get the Big East spot in the Bowl Alliance, which would require No. 17 Tech to beat Virginia.
Virginia (7-3) already has been extended a bid to the Carquest Bowl, where it will meet the loser of the Miami-Syracuse game, but coach George Welsh denies No. 20 UVa will have any less motivation than the Hokies.
``To me, this is one of those games where you get great satisfaction just from winning,'' Welsh said. ``It makes the winter shorter. I know it has some impact on the national rankings, but, other than that, I don't know.''
The game marks the final in-state appearance for a large group of seniors from both teams, including two of the most celebrated players to come through either program, All-America defensive end Cornell Brown for Tech and two-time All-ACC tailback Tiki Barber for UVa.
``It really didn't hit me until about a week ago,'' said Barber, who can break the UVa career rushing record if he gets 125 yards. ``It seems like my four years here just flew by. It seems like I just got here.''
Barber realizes the difficulty of his task against a Hokies defense that has given up one 100-yard rushing game this season, that by Syracuse quarterback Donovan McNabb. Barber rushed for 58 yards against Tech last year, the low in his past 25 games.
``They'll be waiting for us,'' said Barber, injured at Lane Stadium during UVa's 42-23 victory in 1994. ``It's hard to play at home when we play these guys. It seems like [the Tech fans] take up half of the stands.
``They're going to be loud if we let them.''
There was a time when Welsh lobbied to have the game moved to the middle of the season and the ACC office has urged its teams to finish the season with a conference game, but such talk has died down.
``I've given up on that,'' Welsh said. ``I've had my say. I guess it's where it is right now and that's where it's going to stay for a long time.''
LENGTH: Long : 107 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 1. & 2. DON PETERSEN AND GENE DALTON STAFF Virginiaby CNBTech fans storm the field to celebrate last season's 36-29 victory
over Virginia at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville. In the above
photo, Virginia fans whoop it up near the end of UVa's 42-23 victory
in 1994 at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg. color
3. DON PETERSEN STAFF Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer (right)
congratulates his Virginia counterpart, George Welsh, after the
Cavaliers' 42-23 victory in 1994 at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg.
color
4. chart - Fast Facts. KEYWORDS: MGR