THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 23, 1994 TAG: 9410230193
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
Ryan Williams didn't seem too excited.
No matter how many ways and how many times he was asked what it meant to have become Virginia Tech's career scoring leader during the Hokies' 45-7 victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday, Williams seemed non-plussed.
``I'm happy I broke it, but it's not going to help me against Miami next week,'' the senior kicker from Suffolk said. ``It's just one less thing I've got to think about, because it is something that's been on my mind. . . . I feel good that I broke it, but I really don't know what to say about it.''
Williams, the only straight-on kicker in major-college football, lost half of his kicking foot in a lawnmower accident as a youth. Thus, he has been a popular story both locally and nationally during his four years at Tech.
But the story at the beginning of this season was that he was in danger of losing his job as Tech's placekicker. Williams had a shaky junior season, prompting Tech to sign a scholarship kicker for the first time in Frank Beamer's tenure and to bring in a transfer as well. Beamer made it be known there would be competition this season for the kicking job.
Williams responded. He is 13-of-15 in field-goal attempts this season - with his only misses coming from beyond 40 yards - and 20-of-21 on extra-point tries.
He has 235 career points, eclipsing the 234 points kicker Chris Kinzer scored from 1985-88.
``Anything good is better than what I did last year,'' Williams said.
BROWN BROTHERS: The matchup between Pitt offensive tackle Reuben Brown and his baby brother, Tech defensive end Cornell Brown, fizzled somewhat Saturday. Cornell lined up on Reuben's side of the field about 10 times in the first half, then sat on the bench most of the second half with a knee injury.
Beamer said Cornell injured the knee in the East Carolina game last week and reinjured it during the week in practice.
``He was slow in there,'' Beamer said. ``He wasn't moving. We needed to get him rested. There's no place to be moving slow next weekend at Miami.''
MORE RECORDS: Tech quarterback Maurice DeShazo threw two touchdown passes, tying Will Furrer for the school record with 43.
Antonio Freeman's returned seven punts for a school and Big East single-game record 164 yards. Freeman has 423 total yards in punt returns this season, another school record.
Frank Loria set both the old Tech records.
``I was one of the guys up front blocking for Frank Loria,'' Beamer said. by CNB