DATE: Sunday, September 14, 1997            TAG: 9709140252

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C6   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: TOM ROBINSON

DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                        LENGTH:   62 lines

TECH'S BIG QB SHOES FIT CLARK SNUGGLY

Virginia Tech's coaches will dissect their game tapes and find something wrong with the performance their new quarterback, Al Clark, gave Saturday night against Syracuse.

Coaches must do these things.

They pick and poke and press the reverse button over and over until the flaws surface. Annoying perfectionists that they are, they will inevitably note that, like any player, Clark had his failings in Tech's 31-3 victory.

I would love to know what they were.

Billed well beneath Syracuse's Donovan McNabb on the pregame marquee, Clark did not defeat McNabb, because quarterbacks do not battle other quarterbacks. They attack defenses designed to confuse and confound, and Tech's swarming bunch made McNabb's three hours at Lane Stadium misery.

But in only his second college start, Clark, admittedly jazzed by McNabb's presence and 50,000 people in the seats, directed Tech's conservative offense with such fundamental precision that you have to wonder what all the fuss was about when Jim Druckenmiller departed.

Which is not to blaspheme the guy who happened to start for the San Francisco 49ers last week.

Clark, a 22-year-old redshirt junior, isn't Druckenmiller. He is smaller and faster and, because he is starting again for the first time since high school, Tech has closed ranks on offense.

Blessed with a punishing backfield of Ken Oxendine and Marcus Parker, Tech has essentially asked Clark to just not mess up. Hand it off cleanly. Throw when necessary. Nothing too risky.

Most importantly, treat the football like gold.

After two impressive triumphs, Clark's own worth is coming clear.

``Al Clark,'' coach Frank Beamer crowed, ``is legit.''

His modest numbers Saturday don't knock you over: 5-for-11 passing for 103 yards and one touchdown; five runs for 31 yards. Nothing like two weeks ago against Rutgers, when he became the first Hokie quarterback in 19 years to rush and pass for 100 yards in a game, and the first in 45 years to produce two plays of 80 yards.

But watching Clark - who threw no interceptions, didn't fumble and had at least two passes dropped by receivers - play was a surprising, simple pleasure.

He extends the ball on handoffs, a little mechanically maybe, but the way they teach it in quarterback school. He sells play fakes all the way, stays cool in the pocket, shows a minimum of happy feet while searching for a receiver.

A thing you really have to like about him, too, is that he acts as if he's been there before, which shows and inspires confidence as a leader. Halfway through the second quarter, Clark hit Shawn Scales with a 22-yard touchdown pass. He celebrated by jogging to Scales, hugging him and trotting to the bench.

``As a quarterback, he can't get too excited,'' Scales said. ``He has to come out and do it again.''

Clark understands. He knows Tech will let out his leash later, but for good reason is being worked in slowly.

Pressed for an instant self-analysis, Clark said he was pleased, but then spilled his guts: He'd blown a couple of defensive reads that led to incorrect audibles.

``I'd like to have those plays back,'' Clark said.

His nit-picking coaches will be proud.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu