DATE: Sunday, September 14, 1997            TAG: 9709140250

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                        LENGTH:   74 lines

TECH BOTTLES UP MCNABB, SYRACUSE HOKIES HOLD ORANGEMEN'S QB IN CHECK AND AVENGE LAST YEAR'S LOSS.

Syracuse and its escape-artist quarterback Donovan McNabb came into Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium on Saturday having scored 30 or more points in 14 straight games.

So much for that little streak.

Virginia Tech, in as solid a display of fundamental defense as you're likely to see, bottled up McNabb and the rest of the Orangemen, holding them to a mere field goal in a 31-3 win in front of a sell-out crowd of 50,137.

The utterly dominant performance had Tech coach Frank Beamer searching for superlatives. He settled for calling it perhaps ``the best defensive performance against a really good football team that we've ever had here at Virginia Tech.

``It's kind of what you visualize Virginia Tech football being,'' Beamer added. ``I said after we played in the Sugar Bowl and then the Orange Bowl that I felt the best was still ahead for Virginia Tech football. I saw some signs tonight that show that may be the case.''

Most of them were on defense. But the No. 22 Hokies (2-0, 2-0 Big East) also got an impressive performance from their offensive line, which pushed Syracuse around all evening, particularly in the second half, when tailback Ken Oxendine ran for 61 of his 104 yards.

Oxendine had 28 carries on a night when the theme was ball control. Hokies quarterback Al Clark attempted just 11 passes, completing five. He picked his spots well, however, and averaged better than 20 yards per completion.

Clark found Shawn Scales for a 22-yard touchdown on the second play of the second quarter, then set up Tech's next score with a 51-yard completion to Scales in the third quarter.

From then on Oxendine carried much of the offensive load. After a Syracuse field goal, Tech added a field goal of its own to make it 17-3.

The Hokies put it out of reach after a Larry Green interception gave them the ball on the Syracuse 19 with 6:25 left. Oxendine scored from 5 yards out two plays later.

Icing came when Tech's Pierson Prioleau picked off a Keith Downing pass and returned it 73 yards to the Syracuse 5. Lamont Pegues scored on the next play to make it 31-3.

By then, McNabb had already retired to the sidelines with a shoulder ``stinger.'' The injury is not expected to keep him out of next Saturday's game with Tulane.

McNabb finished with 198 yards passing, but he was sacked four times and never broke one of his signature big plays.

``Syracuse has an explosive offense,'' Prioleau said. ``We just used a lot of containment and did a better job of tackling.''

A better job than last year, when Syracuse humiliated the Hokies 52-21 at the Carrier Dome. The game was the get-well pill that turned the Orangemen's season around. Syracuse came in 0-2 but finished 9-3.

Saturday's loss left the Orangemen reeling at 1-3, 0-1 in the Big East.

``I don't know about getting even,'' Tech cornerback Loren Johnson said. ``It's just playing football.''

Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster didn't know about getting even, either. He did want to purge memories of last year, though.

``We were part of their (14-game) streak,'' Foster said. ``But we had our moment tonight.''

Tech's defense lost six starters from a year ago, including five players who were in NFL camps.

Nominations are being accepted for this year's ``no-name'' squad.

``How about 11 guys who fly to the football?'' Beamer said.

McNabb and company might second that nomination. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

VICKI CRONIS/The Virginian-Pilot

Virginia Tech made life miserable for Donovan McNabb...

Photo

VICKI CRONIS/The Virginian-Pilot

Tech's Ken Oxendine...

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