THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 9, 1994 TAG: 9410090194
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
Frank Beamer can relate to what Ron Dickerson is going through at Temple.
Beamer may never have had it as bad at Virginia Tech as Dickerson did when he took over the Owls program, but it was close. Beamer won two games in his first season and three in his second with a probation-scarred program back in the late 1980s. He expressed sympathy for Dickerson after the Hokies defeated the Owls, 41-13, before a homecoming crowd of 44,204 at Lane Stadium.
``You'd like to snap your fingers and have it turn around, but I know firsthand it doesn't work that way,'' said Beamer, who posted his 80th career win Saturday, 38 as Tech's coach.
Dickerson won one game last year and two of his first three this year. But he viewed Saturday's game as a setback.
``We made our share of dumb, stupid, undisciplined mistakes,'' Dickerson said. ``We reverted back to our performance of last year.''
CHANGED PLANS: Beamer had said Tuesday Baron Spinner would supplant Larry Green, who struggled last week at Syracuse, as the starting right cornerback this week. But Green got the start and played the bulk of the game.
Beamer said defensive coordinator and secondary coach Phil Elmassian made the decision to stick with Green Wednesday.
``Coach Elmassian had more confidence going into the game Larry should play,'' Beamer said. ``Larry came back and played solid.''
STRONG COMEBACK: Hokies freshman linebacker Tony Morrison from Chesapeake's Indian River High School made a strong return from his one-game suspension for a violation of an undisclosed team rule. Morrison intercepted a pass in the third quarter, one of two by the Hokies. He had another one on Temple's final drive, but it was negated by an offsides call against Tech. Morrison also made three tackles.
REALIGNMENT UPDATE: Hokies athletic director Dave Braine met on the roof of Lane Stadium's press box with the Temple athletic director before Saturday's game to discuss what's going to happen to the two schools' conference situation in sports other than football. The Hokies likely will end up in the Colonial Athletic Association or with Temple in the Atlantic 10 once the Metro implodes because of the formation of a new football league.
Wherever Tech goes, it will remain with Metro schools Virginia Commonwealth, UNC Charlotte and South Florida for financial reasons because those four will own what is in the Metro's coffers. But they can't do anything until the other schools pull out.
Tech will remain in the Big East for football.
``We have a couple of places to go,'' Braine said. ``Whatever we do, not everyone is going to be happy, that's for sure.''
QUICK HITS: Virginia Tech's Homecoming queen was Amy Bullock from Chesapeake's Western Branch High School. . . . Virginia Tech has won nine in a row at Lane Stadium, dating to the final game of the 1992 season. . . . A scout from the Carquest Bowl in Miami attended Saturday's game. The Big East sends two teams to the bowl coalition and by contractual agreement the Carquest gets to select a third Big East team. . . . Hokies kicker Ryan Williams of Suffolk missed his first field-goal try Saturday, a 43-yarder that snapped a streak of eight successful attempts. He connected later from 30 and 39 yards. . . . Temple is 0-19 against league foes since the Big East was formed in 1991. . . . The Hokies lost three fumbles in the game. When Beamer overturned a Pepsi can on the podium during postgame interviews, he blurted out: ``There's another fumble.'' by CNB