DATE: Wednesday, November 5, 1997           TAG: 9711050821

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C7   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: STEVE CARLSON

DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                        LENGTH:   83 lines

VIRGINIA TECH REPORT

Remaining focused is Virginia Tech's major game plan

It's November, time for Virginia Tech to play mind games as well as football games.

The Hokies have played football quite well in November recently. g1scvt05 Frank

Beamer Tech coach Frank Beamer said Tuesday that's because they have handled the mental aspect well.

``I don't think we've got our minds going every which direction and talking about this or that,'' Beamer said. ``We only talk about the team we're getting ready to play and make the very best preparation.

`` ... I think the mind is a large part of this game. What you think about, how you think about it and how much you think about it, I think, determines a lot how you play on Saturday.''

Tech is 9-0 in November in 1995, '96 and so far in '97.

``We call it the big push around here,'' center Todd Washington said of the season's final month.

The Hokies begin a potential push toward a third-consecutive Bowl Alliance bid Saturday when they host Miami (6 p.m., ESPN2). But Beamer said all the permutations and possibilities of another league title are not at the forefront of the Hokies' minds.

``I think when you start talking about the Alliance Bowl you're not talking about Miami, and we need to focus our attention on Miami,'' Beamer said. ``We don't need to talk about that. We just need to take care of our business and see where everything works out.''

Beamer is heading for Tech's Hall of Fame

Beamer will be one of six inductees into Virginia Tech's Sports Hall of Fame Friday night, becoming the first active coach to be enshrined. He will be presented by Jerry Claiborne, the coach when Beamer played for the Hokies. The inductees will be introduced at halftime of the Miami game, although Beamer will be in the locker room with his team.

``Depending on how the game goes, I might be the only inductee that's cheered and booed in the same day,'' Beamer said.

Among the other inductees are Tech career rushing leader Cyrus Lawrence and career leading tackler Rick Razzano.

Charlton to continue playing both sides of ball

Redshirt freshman Ike Charlton, who last Saturday became Tech's first two-way player during Beamer's tenure and is believed to be the first since the late 1970s, will continue working on both offense and defense. Charlton played 20 snaps at receiver, 17 at cornerback and 19 on special teams against Alabama-Birmingham. He caught one pass for 6 yards and ran for 16 on a reverse.

On the season, Charlton has 17 tackles, is second on the team in pass interceptions with two and is tied for second in passes broken up with four. He's also returned seven kickoffs, averaging 22.4 yards per return.

``This is our first, but I'll say this: it may not be our last,'' Beamer said, noting more players may be used both ways with the 85 scholarship limit.

Charlton, who is from Orlando, said he was recruited by Miami but had no interest in becoming a Hurricane.

``I didn't like the program,'' Charlton said. ``Being from Florida, I looked at the news and read the paper. There was a lot of things going on. My whole family, which is coming up this weekend, is all Miami fans. I can't wait for this game.''

Quick hits

The preliminary talks Tech had about a series with Nebraska apparently are dead. Hokies athletic director Jim Weaver said he received a call from Big East associate commissioner Tom Odjakjian Monday informing him Nebraska was about to announce a home-and-home series with California. ... The Fiesta, Orange, Sugar and Carquest bowls are sending scouts to Lane Stadium Saturday. earlier this season to the other Miami, the one in Ohio. They have also won 16 of their last 18 Big East conference games. ... Tech punter Jimmy Kibble's Big East-leading 45.1-yard average ranks 11th nationally. The Tech single-season record is Dave Smigelsky's 42.3 average in 1979. West Virginia's Todd Sauerbrun has the two best punting averages in Big East history, 48.4 yards in 1994 and 45.1 in 1993. ... Saturday's game is a sellout, with a crowd of 53,125 expected. Tech added 3,000 temporary bleacher seats in the North end zone.

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