THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 30, 1994 TAG: 9410300217
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MIAMI LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
Virginia Tech defensive tackle Jeff Holland spent the night Saturday in a Miami hospital and did not return to Blacksburg on the Hokies' chartered plane.
Virginia Tech team doctor Duane Lagan said Holland, a junior from Chesapeake's Western Branch High School, had a sprain in the lumbar region of his spine. Lagan said X-rays taken in Tech's locker room appeared normal, but Holland was in excruciating pain and was wheeled out of the locker room, headed for Doctors' Hospital in Miami.
Holland spent about 10 minutes face-down on the Orange Bowl turf in at the start of the third quarter of the Hokies' 24-3 loss to Miami. He was removed from the field on a board, and well over an hour later he was still lying in the same position. He was, however, able to move his upper and lower body.
``He's still prone,'' Lagan said. ``We were unable to get him even on his back or sitting up. It hurt real bad. But there's no neurological problem.''
Lagan said a graduate assistant trainer will stay in Miami with Holland until Holland is able to come home.
Replays didn't indicate how Holland was injured.
``He doesn't know,'' Lagan said. ``He felt something pop, he said.''
Hokie offensive tackle Jay Hagood also left the field on crutches with what Lagan said was a sprained right ankle.
BIG-TIME 'CANES: Virginia Tech's awful offensive showing was punctuated by minus-24 yards of total offense in the second quarter.
Miami is now 12-0 against Tech, 7-0 in the Orange Bowl, where the Hurricanes have outscored the Hokies 146-47 (or an average of 20.9 to 6.7). Tech lost here a year ago, 21-2.
Virginia Tech safety Antonio Banks said Miami's impressive performance Saturday was partly because of the 'Canes' familiarity with playing in championship-caliber games.
``They're used to playing in big-time situations,'' Banks said. ``They play big games week in and week out.''
QUICK HITS: Virginia Tech is now 1-15 against top 10 teams during Frank Beamer's eight seasons as the Hokies' head coach. . . . The game was attended by scouts from the Orange, Sugar and Carquest bowls. . . . Miami is now 20-0 against the state of Virginia - 12-0 against Tech, 2-0 against Virginia Military Institute, 2-0 against Washington & Lee, 2-0 against William and Mary, 1-0 against Richmond and 1-0 against the Norfolk Division of William and Maryu (now Old Dominion). . . . Antonio Freeman's five catches Saturday tied him with Ricky Scales for the Hokies career reception record of 113. . . . Miami lost linebacker Rohan Marley for the rest of the season with a torn knee ligament. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
PAUL AIKEN/Staff
Miami QB Frank Costa fumbles after being hit by Tech's Hank
Coleman.
Hokies quarterback Maurice DeShazo is downcast after an
interception, one of three Hokies turnovers.
The Hokies' Torrian Gray, left, and William Yarborough were unable
to dislodge the ball from Miami's Yatil Green.
by CNB