Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, December 22, 1993 TAG: 9312220133
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Long
The Hokies followed their open week Oct. 9 by allowing hapless Temple to rush for 213 yards and hold the ball for almost 33 minutes. Phil Elmassian, Virginia Tech's defensive coordinator, recently said he remembers the defenders had all but decided they were going to be rusty, and they were. And if he had it to do again, he said, the Hokies would scrimmage instead of having a weekend off.
"I know exactly what he's talking about," senior linebacker DeWayne Knight said Tuesday at a news conference as Tech prepares for the Poulan/Weed Eater Independence Bowl on Dec. 31. "I don't think we knew we were rusty. We thought we were pretty good at that time. We played horribly defensively. We sort of got ripe and rotten."
Tech hasn't played since beating Virginia on Nov. 20. But it has tried to extend its shelf life with six workouts, ending today, that correspond to an off-week during the season. Although the Hokies aren't scrimmaging, they are hitting more than they did before the Temple game. The scout team is home for the holidays, and practices have been full of first team-vs.-first team live drills.
"So we won't get sloppy," Knight said.
Tech faces a statistically mild Indiana offense, but video-watching has given the Hokies an appreciation for the strong arm of Hoosiers quarterback John Paci, the running of tailback Jermaine Chaney and a big, experienced offensive line.
Frank Beamer, Tech's head coach, said the game plan for Indiana is in place and the week of practices ending today is more important than the four workouts during bowl week.
"We haven't practiced real long, but our practices have been real good and each one seemed to get better," Beamer said.
Receiver Antonio Freeman likened this team's first December practices to spring or early fall drills.
"There's competition in practice between the offense and the defense," he said. "Every day before practice, it's who has the bragging rights?"
End J.C. Price remembered several players with minor injuries missing practices before the Temple game, but few Hokies have missed drills during the past week.
"We haven't had letups," he said. "It's definitely different this week."
\ IN PASSING: Indiana coach Bill Mallory, who spoke to reporters in Blacksburg on Tuesday via a teleconference, hinted that the Hokies may see both Hoosiers quarterbacks: Paci (pronounced PAY-see) and Chris Dittoe.
Dittoe, a 6-foot-6, 218-pound redshirt freshman, filled in when Paci was sidelined with a shoulder injury. Mallory said Paci, a 6-3, 210-pound fourth-year junior, will start if he's healthy.
"Dittoe had a lot to do with us winning the [Purdue] game," Mallory said. "Certainly, we'll probably use Dittoe in there a little bit more."
\ TALL GUYS: Indiana's starting offensive line includes three players listed at 6-6, and starting tight end Ross Hales is 6-7. Six of Tech's top eight defensive linemen are 6-3 or shorter.
"You like to say it doesn't affect you mentally," said Price, listed at 6-3. "But you just see a guy that stands across from you and dwarfs you, and it's just mentally puzzling."
\ UP FRONT: Beamer noted Indiana's size on the defensive line - each starter is listed at 6-4 or taller and weighs at least 253 pounds - and other Hokies think a key on New Year's Eve is how Tech handles Indiana's linemen and linebackers.
"They have some holes in their defense," said receiver Antonio Freeman. "Some in the secondary. We feel like our receivers can make some catches and make them miss some tackles and get some big gains. It's important we contain their front seven and give Maurice [DeShazo] a chance to throw the ball downfield."
Added center Jim Pyne: "There's always a couple guys making good plays. I think if we do what we can do, we'll be all right."
\ ON SCHEDULE: The Tech-West Virginia game at Lane Stadium officially has been moved to Thursday, Sept. 22 for an ESPN broadcast. The WVU game originally was scheduled for Oct. 15, opening a three-game mid- to late-October stretch in which Tech played the Mountaineers, Boston College and Miami - the three Big East Conference rivals that beat the Hokies this year. That didn't make the Hokies too happy, so athletic director Dave Braine said Tech "asked for some relief" from the Big East. Now, Tech plays BC, WVU and Syracuse consecutively.
The Hokies' schedule: Sept. 3, James Madison; Sept. 10, at Southern Mississippi; Sept. 17, at BC; Sept. 22, WVU; Oct. 1, at Syracuse; Oct. 8, Temple; Oct. 15, at East Carolina; Oct. 22, Pittsburgh; Oct. 29, at Miami; Nov. 12, Rutgers; and Nov. 19, Virginia.
\ INJURIES: Beamer said All-Big East cornerback Tyronne Drakeford "looks fine." Drakeford is recovering from a broken ankle suffered Oct. 23 in the Rutgers game and is expected to play against Indiana. . . . Several reserves suffered nicks during recent workouts, Beamer said. One of offensive tackle Mike Bianchin's shoulders popped out of joint; receiver Cornelius White had a "slight shoulder separation;" linebacker Vernon Dozier has been battling a sore shoulder; and linebacker Marcus McClung has been ill. Beamer said all four should be fine by Dec. 31.
by CNB