THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 15, 1995 TAG: 9511150355
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
Chris Malone doesn't like to talk about it. Almost refuses to talk about it, actually.
``Bad luck,'' Virginia Tech's offensive left guard said.
Malone, a fifth-year senior, has had very little of that the past four years.
His final regular-season start Saturday at Virginia will be his 46th in a row. Malone set a Hokie record last week against Temple. Former Hokie defensive end Jimmy Whitten started 44 straight games.
``I couldn't imagine going that many games,'' said quarterback Jim Druckenmiller, Malone's roommate. ``It's rough. I've gone (10) games and my body hurts.
``He's dependable, but you got to tell him when to pay the rent and pay the bills.''
Malone, an Emporia native who went to high school at Brunswick Academy, has started every Tech game at guard since the 1992 season opener with James Madison. That's not exactly Cal Ripken material, but it's an impressive streak.
``It's something I'm going to look back at when it's over with and be proud I did it,'' Malone said. ``It's not something that was a goal, it's just something that happened.''
TAILBACK TALE: Virginia Tech senior running back Dwayne Thomas, a starter since his sophomore year, may miss the Virginia game Saturday. Thomas, who wore a heavy wrap on his leg after last Saturday's Temple game, has a bruised thigh and was listed as questionable Tuesday by coach Frank Beamer.
``It's very sore,'' Beamer said. ``He's made progress. I just don't know if he's going to make enough.''
Thomas gained 3 yards on six carries against Temple. Backup Ken Oxendine has out-rushed Thomas 182-42 yards in the last two games and has a 5.8-yards-per-carry average for the season, compared Thomas' 4.1.
THE STATE OF FOOTBALL: Virginia-Virginia Tech, normally a game of regional significance, pits a pair of nationally ranked and bowl-bound teams against each other Saturday when they meet in Charlottesville at noon.
ABC will broadcast the game to 19.5 percent of the nation. All of Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama will get the broadcast, as well as parts of Florida, Kentucky and Mississippi. Baltimore and Washington, D.C., will also get Tech-Virginia, while the rest of the nation will see Michigan-Penn State.
``New things are happening in our program and this is probably a new thing for the whole state of Virginia,'' Beamer said. ``I guess it's the first time we've met when we've both been at least co-champions of our league, and this is the third time we've met in a row when we're both going to a bowl.''
MOUNTAINEER CLIMBING: West Virginia's slim bowl hopes will be extinguished Saturday unless the Mountaineers can win at Miami. West Virginia also needs to beat Pittsburgh to reach the six wins needed to qualify for a bowl.
``Most everyone has had us buried, and every time they have us buried we climb out of the well,'' coach Don Nehlen said.
PONDS OUT: Syracuse sophomore linebacker Antwaune Ponds is out for the season after suffering multiple fractures of his left leg Saturday during the Orangemen's victory over Pittsburgh. Ponds, Syracuse's leading tackler, will undergo surgery to repair the leg, which also may have suffered ligament damage.
Ponds had a team-best 107 tackles, 79 of them solo.
``It's hard when you lose that type of productivity,'' coach Paul Pasqualoni said.
QUICK HITS: Virginia Tech's William Yarborough - with two interceptions, eight tackles and two passes broken up - extended the Hokies' string of Big East defensive players of the week to four in a row. ... Tech is now second in the nation in both rushing and scoring defense. by CNB