THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, November 14, 1994 TAG: 9411140181
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Steve Carlson
LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
BLACKSBURG - Virginia Tech could accomplish more Saturday against Virginia than win nine games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in the program's 102 seasons and vanquish its biggest rival.
The Hokies could claim a win in a big game, one of the few things they haven't done consistently in the last two years.
The Hokies - ranked No. 14 by The Associated Press, No. 11 by USA Today-CNN - have fashioned two good seasons by beating decent teams and bad teams. They have shaken a nasty habit many of coach Frank Beamer's previous six Tech teams had of losing a vast majority of their close games. Virginia Tech has, for the most part, won when it was supposed to.
To take the next step toward continued national prominence, the Hokies must begin to win some games they're not supposed to - or at least ones that are considered a tossup. Tech is 17-5 over the last two seasons, but just 2-4 against nationally ranked opponents.
In Virginia, which visits Lane Stadium Saturday, the Hokies will be seeking their first victory over such a high-ranked opponent in six seasons. The Cavaliers are ranked 16th by The Associated Press, 14th by USA Today-CNN.
The last time Tech beat a higher-ranked opponent was when it beet No. 9 West Virginia in 1989.
Throw out ranking as a criterion, and the Hokies are really 1-2 this season in the big games.
They won at Boston College - unranked at the time, but in the polls now - and lost at Syracuse and Miami.
Saturday with a 41-34 victory over Rutgers, Tech put itself in position for a possible spot in a coalition bowl - which would in all likelihood would be the Gator Bowl. At worst, the Hokies are virtually guaranteed of a trip to the Carquest Bowl as the third team from the Big East. They've had a good season, which has included their highest ranking ever in the polls (No. 10 in USA Today-CNN, No. 13 in the AP).
``We feel very good about where we are,'' coach Frank Beamer said.
The Hokies should. The question now is, can Tech move on to a higher level? by CNB