THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 28, 1996 TAG: 9610280131
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 95 lines
FLORIDA STATE 31 VIRGINIA 24 Faked punt looks bad only because it failed to work
Considering the consequences, it is easy to fault Virginia coach George Welsh for the fake punt call that backfired against Florida State on Saturday.
Instead of picking up a first down, the Cavaliers turned the ball over to the Seminoles at midfield and four plays later they had what proved to be the winning touchdown.
Hindsight is an amazing thing. Even Welsh said it was a bad call after the 31-24 defeat was in the books.
But a deeper look at the situation might reveal it wasn't such a bad call at the time.
The Cavaliers' offense was sluggish most of the second half. Momentum was clearly on the side of the Seminoles, who had come from 3 down at intermission to lead by 7.
If there had been only a couple of minutes to play, the faked punt would not have been much of a surprise. It had a better chance of working with eight minutes left.
If it had worked, Virginia might be celebrating another win over Florida State.
But it didn't work, and credit must go to the Seminoles for being alert to the ploy.
As for the Cavaliers, they didn't leave anything on the sidelines. This was a game they were not going to win even up.
And you don't usually beat a superior team on its home field by being shy and conservative.
While Virginia fans did not like the results, they should admire the team's go-for-broke spirit.
Next game: Saturday at Duke, 1:30 p.m.
- FRANK VEHORN
VIRGINIA TECH 34 PITTSBURGH 17
November's games loom large in Tech's bid for a bowl game
Usually by November, a college football team's season is winding down and many of the questions about that team have been answered.
Virginia Tech's season essentially is just beginning, and questions abound.
The Hokies' ho-hum performance in a 34-17 victory over Pittsburgh Saturday marked the midway point of their season. There were no surprises in the schedule's first half. Tech (5-1) won the games it was expected to - although not always as convincingly as expected - and lost at preseason conference favorite Syracuse, no shocker there.
Virginia Tech has played well for the most part, although that's hard to gauge given the mediocrity of their opponents. The combined record of the teams Tech has beaten is 12-29.
Sure the Hokies have a 4-1 conference mark with two Big East games to play. But that's 4-0 against the teams that comprise the bottom half of the league and 0-1 against the top half.
Chilly November will determine which holiday hotspot, if any, the Hokies get to visit for a bowl. Tech only needs one win in its remaining five games to qualify.
But Tech will be a prohibitive favorite in just one of its five remaining games. Southwestern Louisiana is 4-4, including an impressive win over Texas A&M.
Following that, the Hokies have four weeks of trial by fire - East Carolina and nationally ranked Miami, West Virginia and Virginia. Those four are a combined 21-7. That stretch of games will define Tech's season.
Next game: Saturday at home vs. Southwestern Louisiana, 1 p.m.
- STEVE CARLSON
NORFOLK STATE 14 ELIZABETH CITY STATE 7 NSU ground game is slowly making significant strides
A common misperception about Darnell Moore-coached teams is that they are pass-happy by nature.
The highlights of his coaching career - two state titles at Portsmouth's Wilson High and back-to-back 7-3 records in his first two seasons as Norfolk State's head coach - have been dominated by teams that flourished through the air.
But much of that was because of Aaron Sparrow's presence. Moore had a talent in his midst and used it to full advantage.
He may never have another quarterback with an arm like Sparrow's. But that doesn't mean Moore's teams will suffer.
Here's a little secret: Moore likes to run the ball. Whether intentional or not, the Spartans ran the ball 38 times Saturday and threw it an equal number.
Moore has yet to have the personnel to run a high-octane rushing attack at NSU, one that can run over a defense that knows what's coming. But what the Spartans have done this season with what they have is indicative of the future.
John Quinerly has run for 850 yards in eight games - he had 114 ground yards Saturday - and is in line to become NSU's first 1,000-yard rusher since Tony Johnson in 1984. Quinerly is a senior, but the Spartans intend to keep on running.
Sophomore fullback DeAngelo Hodges has shown sparks of brilliance in a limited number of carries.
While the Spartans still throw for more yardage than they run for - 1,463 passing yards to 1,012 on the ground - the tide is shifting. A 50-50 split could be on the horizon.
Next game: Saturday at Howard, 1 p.m.
- RICH RADFORD by CNB