THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 13, 1994 TAG: 9411130227
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines
If you like gobs of offense, high-scoring games and drama in the final minutes, circle Nov. 11, 1995, on your calendar.
That's the next time Virginia Tech and Rutgers play football.
It seems that wild games are the only kind the two Big East teams know how to play. For the third consecutive year, they spent the afternoon blazing up and down the field. The 16th-ranked Hokies held on for a 41-34 victory at Lane Stadium after leading by 28 points at the end of three quarters.
``If they had gotten the ball again, they probably would have scored,'' Hokies defensive coordinator Phil Elmassian said. ``We couldn't stop them.''
Nobody has stopped much of anything in this series in the last three years. In three games, the teams have combined to average 88 points, 1,035 yards of total offense and 49 first downs per game. At least 10 points have been scored in each of the 12 quarters.
``I guess after three times, it's not a coincidence anymore,'' Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said. ``I don't quite understand it, to be honest with you.''
Understand this about the Hokies: It would seem that virtually nothing could stop Virginia Tech (8-2, 5-2) from earning one of the Big East's guaranteed bowl spots. Whether it be as the league's No. 2 spot in the Bowl Coalition or the third league team that is guaranteed a Carquest Bowl spot, the Hokies are going bowling in back-to-back seasons for the first time.
Virginia Tech is in second place in the league with only a non-conference game at home next week with Virginia remaining. They've clinched at least a tie for third place, and the best either Syracuse (6-3, 4-2) or Boston College (6-2-1, 3-1-1) can do is match Tech's victory total if the Hokies lose next week.
``If we have a dream team, we'd like to have it be Virginia Tech,'' Carquest Bowl scout Keyna Cory said as the final seconds ticked off the clock Saturday.
It wasn't until those final seconds that the Hokies could be sure Saturday wouldn't turn into a nightmare. Just like in last year's 49-42 Hokie win, they had to recover an onside kick in the game's closing minutes to secure the victory. Antonio Freeman covered the kick after Rutgers scored on a 1-yard touchdown pass with 1:54 to play to pull within seven.
Neither this year's nor last year's ending matched 1992, however, when Rutgers scored on the last play of the game to win, 50-49.
``It's one of those natural phenomena you can't really explain,'' Tech linebacker Ken Brown said of the wacky series.
Additional ironies:
Last year, Tech stopped Rutgers on the Hokies' 1 on the final play of the first half. Saturday, Tech blocked a field-goal attempt on the final play of the first half.
Both last year and Saturday, Tech led by 28 points at the end of the third quarter before the Scarlet Knights reeled off 21 unanswered points.
``To come down here and lose basically the same game two years in a row is incredible,'' said coach Doug Graber of Rutgers (5-4-1, 2-3-1), whose dicey bowl hopes withered Saturday.
It was a day of superlatives for the offenses, expletives for the defenses.
``It was bad,'' said Elmassian, whose defense came into the game nationally ranked against the pass (third), in total defense (10th) and scoring defense (11th). ``Lousy tackling.''
After managing just 157 yards in its last outing against Miami, the Hokies totaled 470 against Rutgers, the second-highest total this season.
However, Rutgers' 474 yards was the most Tech has allowed this season. Rutgers quarterback Ray Lucas threw for a career-high 374 yards and had touchdown passes covering 66, 63, 15 and 1 yards. Tech had only allowed four touchdowns total in its previous four home games this season.
``The way they score and score so fast, I said to myself, `We're going to have to put 50 on the board to win,' '' Tech quarterback Maurice DeShazo said.
Tech tailback Dwayne Thomas opened the scoring with a 34-yard run on an option pitch left on the Hokies' first possession. It was the beginning of a big day for Thomas, who ran for a career-high 172 yards on 28 carries. DeShazo (12 of 15, 186 yards, two touchdowns passing, one rushing and no interceptions) and wide receiver Bryan Still (touchdown catches of 34 and 37 yards) also starred offensively for the Hokies.
Defensive stars? Well . . .
``It just seemed like there were a whole lot of holes in the defense,'' cornerback William Yarborough said.
Which led to an unholy amount of offense. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
KEITH GREENE/Landmark News Service
Michael Williams atoned for an earlier penalty by blocking a Rutgers
field-goal attempt on the last play of the first half.
by CNB