THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 23, 1994 TAG: 9409230698
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BOB MOLINARO
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
With ESPN's cameras looking in Thursday night, Virginia Tech showed a cable-ready nation how far a good defense and better scheduling can carry a football team.
The Hokies defense was overwhelming when it had to be. West Virginia, the gracious patsy, was sufficiently underwhelming when it should have been.
The combination of hard tackling and soft opponent allowed Virginia Tech to survive the play of quarterback Maurice DeShazo, a whelming presence in the Hokies backfield.
In the first half, DeShazo threw two interceptions, and was lucky not to have had two more passes picked off. He also lost a fumble.
In the second half, he wasn't much better.
DeShazo is not the only problem with the Hokies' offense, just the most conspicuous.
``It's still early,'' a DeShazo defender said in the press box at Lane Stadium.
Yes. But not as early as last week.
Still, Virginia Tech was never in jeopardy against its long-time rival. Thanks to its defense, which took back two interceptions, recovered a fumble and put up a goal line stand in the first half.
As the game wore on, West Virginia wore down, and Tech coasted, 34-6, to its fourth consecutive victory. That three have come against ciphers seems not to greatly concern
the Hokies, or the pollsters, who have Frank Beamer's team at No. 14 in the rankings.
In West Virginia, Tech beat a team that is clearly inexperienced, except at losing.
Last Saturday, hapless Maryland beat the Mountaineers in Morgantown, a more discouraging loss for West Virginia than the one suffered at the hands of Rutgers.
West Virginia's single victory this year is a two-point decision over Ball State, David Letterman's school.
At this rate, the Mountaineers could make somebody's Bottom Ten list.
Will Tech move up a notch or two in the polls for beating a team that lost to Maryland, which was hammered by Duke?
They say timing is everything. If so, DeShazo has picked a good time to struggle, as Tech has fought through the mostly soft underbelly of its schedule.
Last Saturday's victory at Boston College was a morale booster. It's unclear what victories over Arkansas State, Southern Mississippi and now West Virginia tell us about the Hokies.
Or the Big East.
If Thursday's televised game was intended to show the country that the league is more than Miami, it was a wasted effort.
Still, as the night's only game in TV land, the action served up those precious highlights that run from coast to coast and provide a school valuable moments of free publicity.
The game more than served Tech's purpose. But the TV appearance Virginia Tech covets most is against Miami on Oct. 29. All the better if the Hokies visit the Orange Bowl undefeated.
If they do, it will be because of their defense.
The defense is savvy, agile and attractively aggressive. Most of all, it doesn't suffer from the indecision that seems to be hindering DeShazo.
Midway through the third quarter, DeShazo faded back deep in Tech territory and threw another ball into the hands of a West Virginia defender, who dropped it.
Later in the third period, after Antonio Freeman returned a punt to the seven, DeShazo threw into the end zone.
Another interception.
For the game, DeShazo completed only 12 passes, 15 if you count the balls caught by West Virginia.
This sort of shaky play from the offense demands resiliency from Tech's defense.
The defense appears to be more than up to the task.
But for how long? by CNB