THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 15, 1994 TAG: 9409150634
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
West Virginia coach Don Nehlen seemed bemused to learn that his 1-2 Mountaineers received votes in the recent Associated Press poll.
``We got votes?'' Nehlen said. Pause. ``Did my wife vote?''
The Big East seems to be popular with the pollsters. Only Miami (No. 5) and Virginia Tech (No. 18) are in the AP top 25, but also receiving votes this week were Boston College (28th overall), Syracuse (33rd), Rutgers and West Virginia (tied for 38th) and Pittsburgh (44th). Only Temple did not receive a vote.
``These are all good football teams in this league,'' Rutgers coach Doug Graber said.
``No one had to tell me the Big East is a great football conference,'' Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said.
``We're happy to be up there ourselves, but it's very obvious we're going to have to play like heck to stay there.''
BIG GAME: The Hokies will have to do just that Saturday at Boston College (noon, WTKR), which opened as a six-point favorite in this meeting of 1993 bowl teams. The two teams are regarded as the top challengers to Miami.
Boston College will unveil renovated Alumni Stadium, where seating capacity was increased by 12,500 seats to 44,500. And it will be the home debut of new coach Dan Henning.
``But I'm more concerned with the fact they've had two weeks to prepare,'' Beamer said. ``After your opening ballgame and then going back and being able to have time, that's a great asset. I've always said you make your most improvement from the first week to the second week.''
After their 34-26 loss at Michigan on Sept. 3, the Eagles have concentrated on fundamentals and have used the time as an extended fall camp, Henning said.
``It could be an advantage that (Virginia Tech) had an opportunity to play two games and iron out the kinks,'' Henning said. ``I don't think it makes a difference one way or another.''
BC LOSES STARTER: Cornerback Joe Kamara, who started for Boston College against Michigan, has left the team to ``move on with his life,'' Henning said. The fifth-year senior and returning starter told the coaches of his decision to quit the day after the opener.
``It wasn't a case where we had any forewarning,'' said Henning, adding that Kamara had been lethargic in both the spring and fall. ``It was strictly in the mind of the individual. I'm a little disappointed for us and disappointed for him.''
Sophomore Daryl Porter will move into Kamara's spot.
PITT ON THE RUN: Pittsburgh star senior tailback Curtis Martin sprained his ankle in the second quarter against Ohio University on Saturday.
All sophomore backup Billy West did was run 26 times for 226 yards, the third-highest total in the Big East's four-year history.
Martin had set the record the week before with 251 yards against Texas. It marked the first time since 1976 that Pitt has had back-to-back 200-yard rushing performances.
WVU CAN'T RUN: West Virginia was ninth nationally and first in the Big East last year with 244 yards rushing per game. Through three games, the Mountaineers are last in the Big East and 85th out of 107 teams in Division I-A with a 101.7-yard average. Tailback Robert Walker, second in the league and 14th nationally last year with 108.3 yards per game, is averaging 51.7.
``We have to be able to run the ball with more authority than we're doing right now,'' Nehlen said. ``Until we can get in there and block some people and move the football, that's a problem.''
QUICK HITS: When West Virginia plays at Virginia Tech a week from today on ESPN, it will be the Mountaineers' fifth game in 26 days. . . . Pittsburgh all-conference tackle Reuben Brown from Lynchburg - brother of Tech defensive end Cornell Brown - had surgery on his hand eight days ago and will miss his second consecutive game Saturday. . . . Syracuse sophomore linebacker Nate Hemsley, the team's leading tackler last year, is out for the season following knee surgery last week. by CNB