THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 29, 1996 TAG: 9609290197
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SYRACUSE, N.Y. LENGTH: 88 lines
Here's a safe bet: Frank Beamer will never suggest Virginia Tech needs a domed stadium to improve its football program.
There was no place like dome Saturday for Syracuse, which humbled 18th-ranked Virginia Tech 52-21 at the Carrier Dome. Tech (3-1, 2-1 Big East) has lost four in a row here, and two of its most impressive recent winning streaks - Division I-A's longest at 13 games before Saturday, and seven in a row in 1994 - have come to die under the Teflon.
``We didn't come out and play ball today,'' Tech defensive end Cornell Brown said. ``That's what happens in this defense, if you don't come out and execute, they run the ball for 300 yards on us.''
Actually, it was 338 rushing yards against a Tech team that came in ranked second nationally against the run. The Hokies' average rushing yards allowed jumped from 42 to 116.
The last team to run for more against Tech was Navy with 345 in 1987. Syracuse quarterback Donovan McNabb (127 yards rushing, 123 passing with two touchdowns) was the first player to run and pass for more than 100 yards on the Hokies since Clemson's Steve Fuller in 1978.
It was Tech's worst loss in a Big East game - the previous was a 21-point decision by Miami two years ago - and the 52 points was the most Tech has allowed a Big East opponent.
The last team to score more was Tulane, with 57 against Beamer's first Tech team in 1987.
In the Superdome, of course.
``Syracuse is a good football team and they took it right to us,'' said Beamer, 1-5 at Tech in domes - although the one win was in the Sugar Bowl. The Hokies are 4-7 all time in domes, surrendering an average of 44 points in those losses.
``This is the first time I've lost by this much here at Virginia Tech,'' offensive tackle Jay Hagood said. ``It's a heartbreaker.''
Backbreaker would be the way to describe what happened to Tech in a third-quarter Syracuse possession that turned the game around.
The Hokies trailed by 10 at the half, but cut the Orangemen's advantage to 24-21 with an impressive 67-yard scoring drive in their first third-quarter possession. Syracuse then got the ball, and faced a third-and-17 at its 44.
McNabb found Jim Turner in single coverage on cornerback Loren Johnson, and dropped a 48-yard pass right into Turner's hands. Three plays later, McNabb was flushed from the pocket, took off like he was going to run and then hit Quinton Spotwood in the back of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown pass and 31-21 lead with 3:44 left in the third quarter.
It would be the first of four Syracuse touchdowns in the game's final 19 minutes. The Hokies had allowed just 28 points in the fourth quarter of their previous 15 games. Saturday, they gave up 21.
``We came out in the third quarter and ran the ball well on that drive and things were falling right back into place,'' Beamer said. ``Then we couldn't stop them defensively. They made two great plays against us, and then after that it got kind of crazy.''
Crazy indeed. The Hokies were tied for 12th nationally in total defense coming in, while Syracuse (1-2, 1-0) ranked 75th nationally in total offense. Syracuse ended up with 461 yards of total offense compared with Tech's 268.
``Everyone was talking about how powerful their defense was and throwing us back in the pack offensively,'' McNabb said.
``People started to get down on this team and on Donovan McNabb,'' Syracuse offensive guard Shelton Prescott said. ``But McNabb just came into this game with determination that we were going to get this turned around. He's a very tough guy.''
And the Hokies' defense wasn't tough enough.
``If we missed one tackle tonight, we missed 30 tackles tonight,'' Beamer said.
And they made costly turnovers. Tech threw three interceptions - one was returned for Syracuse's final touchdown and another set up a touchdown - lost a fumble that led to a touchdown and had a punt blocked that Syracuse returned for a touchdown. Tech's Cornelius White also blocked a punt that he virtually caught off the foot of the Syracuse punter and returned 60 yards for Tech's first touchdown.
Syracuse had the better field position all night, and also converted 13 of 18 times on third down. The Orangemen held Tech to 111 yards rushing, half its average.
Tech has a week off before facing Temple, and its only other game in October is against Pittsburgh. The loss severely damages the Hokies' chances of winning the Big East, but they know from last year that what happens in September does not define your season.
``Yeah, we'll recover,'' tailback Ken Oxendine said. ``Gotta bounce back from this bad news, bad luck - bad everything.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
ASOCIATED PRESS
Syracuse's Antwaune Ponds and Anthony Walker wrap up Virginia Tech's
Ken Oxendine in the fourth quarter. by CNB