THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 30, 1994 TAG: 9410300187
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MIAMI LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines
Miami put a rush job on Virginia Tech Saturday at the Orange Bowl.
The Hokies ran backward (minus-14 yards rushing), which is also the direction they will surely go in the polls and in the eyes of bowl folks. No. 6 Miami was as dominant as ever, beating Tech, 24-3.
``We got our tails kicked,'' Hokies defensive tackle J.C. Price said.
Virginia Tech's 157 yards of total offense was its lowest total since the Hokies gained 60 against Clemson in Frank Beamer's first game as Tech's coach eight seasons ago. Tech's minus-14 rushing yards is the school's worst on record, although the school's records on that statistic date back only to 1976. Tech did not make one first down rushing.
``That's what you're supposed to do when you're the best and you've won championship after championship - you're supposed to come out and dominate teams,'' Hokies safety Antonio Banks said.
Miami's defense offered a better show of domination Saturday than the movie ``Exit to Eden.''
That was most evident on the 13th-ranked Hokies' first-down plays. Tech's offense gained 20 yards on 21 first-down snaps. In the first half, Tech wasn't much better on second down, gaining 15 yards on 10 plays.
Third-and-long doesn't get it done against a Hurricanes defense ranked first in the nation against the pass and third in total defense.
``Just a domination by our defense,'' Miami coach Dennis Erickson said.
Tech's defense wasn't bad. Miami's 363 yards total offense matched its season low (against Florida State), and 119 of those came in the fourth quarter, with the game decided and Tech's defense spent.
``Offensively, we couldn't get enough going to keep our defense off the field, and we just got wore down,'' Beamer said.
The Hurricanes (6-1, 3-0 Big East) sacked Tech quarterbacks six times for losses of 35 yards and recorded another three tackles for losses. Miami sophomore middle linebacker Ray Lewis had 17 tackles, an interception, four passes broken up and half a sack.
``We tried to block him, but I'm not sure we ever touched him,'' Beamer said.
Virginia Tech (7-2, 4-2) rarely reached Miami territory. The Hokies did it twice in the first quarter, with Michael Williams' blocked punt giving Tech possession on Miami's 30. Three runs got Tech to the 21, and Ryan Williams made a 38-yard field goal to put Tech on top, 3-0.
Tech didn't cross midfield again until late in the third quarter, when it got to the 33. There, on fourth-and-3 Lewis picked off a Maurice DeShazo pass.
In the fourth quarter, Tech's deepest penetration was Miami's 29.
``They have a whole lot of talented defensive players who harass the quarterback,'' Tech receiver Antonio Freeman said. ``It's hard to make completions against those guys.''
The play that most exasperated the Hokies, however, was a pass DeShazo was not trying to complete.
A 4-yard Larry Jones touchdown run midway through the second quarter and a 33-yard Dane Prewitt field goal with 1:16 left in the first half - a score set up by a DeShazo fumble - put Miami up, 10-3.
On first down on Tech's next series, DeShazo was scrambling away from a rush on a screen pass and threw the ball into the turf near tailback Dwayne Thomas. An official called intentional grounding, and suddenly with the loss of down, Tech had second-and-27 at its own 4.
Beamer screamed at officials about the play for the better part of five minutes, and walked to the center of the field to argue some more when the half ended.
``I never got an explanation,'' Beamer said. ``To me, it's incompetence. I don't understand it. . . . The official told me Maurice wanted to throw the ball away. Of course he wanted to throw it away; that's what you do on a screen when the receiver is covered.''
Miami stuffed two running plays, and after a punt the 'Canes got the ball with 42 seconds left at Tech's 43.
Miami quarterback Frank Costa threw 25 yards to Yatil Green, who outleaped Tech's William Yarborough for a touchdown grab with one second left in the first half that gave Miami a 17-3 halftime lead.
``He made a great throw, I made a great catch,'' Green said.
And with Miami's defense playing great, the Hokies had little chance of mounting a second-half comeback.
The Tech offense did better in the final two periods, gaining 134 of its 157 yards, but never threatening to score. Miami added a fourth-quarter touchdown that was set up by Lewis' interception.
``They might end up winning the national championship,'' Price said of the 'Canes. ``Obviously we're not there yet. They must be a notch above us.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
PAUL AIKEN/Staff
Miami linebacker Ray Lewis' big day - 17 tackles, one interception -
contributed to the Hokies' woes.
by CNB