DATE: Sunday, October 5, 1997               TAG: 9710050192

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: HARRY MINIUM

DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                        LENGTH:   61 lines

VIRGINIA TECH REPORT

Tech assistant taken to the hospital after suffering chest pains

Virginia Tech offensive line coach J.B. Grimes left Lane Stadium in an ambulance Saturday after suffering chest pains during the first quarter of the Tech-Miami of Ohio football game.

Grimes was admitted to Montgomery County Regional Hospital in Christiansburg. An EKG was negative, but Grimes was kept overnight by doctors as a precaution, Tech officials said.

Grimes had pains early Saturday morning but felt better after taking medication, assistant athletic director Danny Monk said. ``I shook his hand before the game and didn't know he was having any problems,'' Monk said. ``We were all shocked when we heard he'd gone to the hospital.''

There was an even more tragic event in the stands prior to the game, which Miami won 24-17. A fan whom officials would not identify had an apparent heart attack and died, Monk said.

Redhawks coach red-faced in his postgame interview

Miami coach Randy Walker was doing a radio interview in the end zone at Lane Stadium when the Virginia Tech Highty-Tighties Marching Band began its usual postgame parade.

Walker was standing in their path, and a while most of the band members walked around him, a trumpet player bumped his shoulder. Incensed, Walker lowered his shoulder and bumped two band members in succession, nearly knocking over a tuba player.

``I'm glad their band plays better than their football team,'' he shouted into the microphone.

Not only was his remark heard in Ohio, Virginia Tech radio broadcaster Bill Roth obtained a copy of the interview tape and played it on the Tech network.

``We had a Miami fan call in and apologize for their coach,'' Roth said.

No word yet on an apology from Walker. Band members reported the incident to police, but no arrest was made.

Tech offensive line porous

Tech's offensive linemen played poorly in the loss to Miami - quarterback Al Clark was sacked six times - and that may have been in part because of their concern over Grimes. They didn't know until after the game how serious his condition was.

``We didn't know anything at all, we just knew he'd left and was sick,'' guard Gennaro DiNapoli said. ``It bothered me in particular.

``But we can't blame the loss, or how we played, on that.''

Beamer hopeful Hokies recover in time for bowl

Northwestern, the last ranked team to fall to Miami, recovered and went on to win the Big Ten title and play in the Rose Bowl two years ago.

That's how Tech coach Frank Beamer is hoping the Hokies will respond to Saturday's loss.

``We can do the same thing,'' he said. ``The only good news today is that this wasn't a Big East game. We can still win the Big East and go to an Alliance Bowl.''

The Big East champion receives an automatic Alliance Bowl bid.

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