THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 2, 1994 TAG: 9410020201
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SYRACUSE, N.Y. LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
Sometimes you win football games with talent and hustle. Virginia Tech discovered Saturday it also helps to use your noggin.
Stymied by their own mental mistakes, and overwhelmed in the fourth quarter by an inspired Syracuse offense, the Hokies fell to the Orangemen, 28-20, before a fired-up, sellout crowd of 47,635 at the Carrier Dome and a regional television audience.
The loss ended Tech's eight-game winning streak and bumped the 14th-ranked Hokies (4-1 overall, 2-1 Big East) from first to second in the league standings. Unranked Syracuse (4-1, 2-0) moved into first.
Tech shot itself in the foot over and over with what coach Frank Beamer called ``silly mistakes.'' Tech was penalized 12 times, the most for the Hokies in six seasons, and blew numerous scoring opportunities by dropping balls, overthrowing open receivers and jumping offsides.
``We were our own worst enemies,'' said quarter
back Maurice DeShazo, who put up his best passing numbers of the season, but acknowledge making several critical mistakes.
``Give Syracuse credit for playing well. They played with a lot of heart. But if we don't make stupid mistakes, we win.''
Some of the most damaging mistakes:
Tech drove within the Syracuse 6 twice in the first half. But an offsides penalty and a dropped pass at the goal line on one drive, and then a overthrown pass and a dropped pass at the goal line on the second, forced the Hokies to settle for Ryan Williams field goals.
Twice on Syracuse touchdown drives Tech defenders simply fell down on long pass completions.
Syracuse scored its second touchdown on a drive salvaged by two encroachment penalties inside the 10. Had it not been for the second penalty, the Orange would have attempted a field goal.
Most of the penalties were called on Tech blockers, including two clips that nullified long gains and forced the Hokies to punt.
``We played hard,'' Beamer said. ``We busted out guts. We just didn't play well.''
Tech led, 20-14, in spite of its mistakes early in the fourth quarter and was dominating statistically.
Tech's defense, ranked second in the nation, smothered the Orange in the third quarter, limiting Syracuse to 48 yards and four first downs.
But the Hokies couldn't stop the Orange in the fourth quarter.
After Tech took the lead on a 62-yard touchdown run from Ken Oxendine with 31 seconds left in the third quarter, the Hokies' defense was uncharacteristically porous.
Syracuse drove from its 17 to the Tech 10 on its first fourth-quarter possession, only to watch Sean Reali missed a 27-yard field goal.
``We dodged a bullet there,'' Beamer said.
The next two bullets were to score direct hits. Tech quickly punted back to Syracuse, which drove 78 yards in six plays to take the lead.
Kirby Dar Dar scored his third touchdown of the game, a career high, on a 34-yard run for a 21-20 lead with 5:42 remaining.
Tech then turned over the ball quickly again when DeShazo threw into triple coverage, and had the ball intercepted on a shoestring catch by Bryce Bevill.
This time Syracuse drove 57 yards in four plays, with Malcolm Thomas sprinting 42 yards for a touchdown.
``To do this against a defense like Virginia Tech means a lot,'' Dar Dar said. ``We knew Tech's defense was maybe the best in the country, but we were determined to run the ball.''
Thomas rushed 15 times for 145 yards and a touchdown. As a team, Syracuse rushed for 278 yards and had 461 total, more than twice the average allowed by the Hokies.
How did Syracuse shred a defense ranked second nationally?
``Missed tackles,'' Tech roverback Torrian Gray said. ``I can't believe how many times we missed people. We were arm tackling and just missing people.''
If there was a bright spot for Tech it was DeShazo. He completed 20 of 37 passes for 290 yards in spite of having to dodge blitzing Orangemen.
Tech rolled to 486 offensive yards, a season high, and wide receiver Antonio Freeman hauled in eight receptions.
``But you don't win if you can't put it in the end zone,'' Freeman said. ``You don't win without touchdowns.''
Or without using your head. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Syracuse linebacker Chris Marques goes low to bring down Virginia
Tech's Tommy Edwards after a short gain Saturday at the Carrier
Dome.
Photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Syracuse's Bryce Bevill, left, moves in to defend against Virginia
Tech's Antonio Freeman.
by CNB