Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, September 12, 1995 TAG: 9509120096
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
As if losing its season opener already wasn't costly enough, Virginia Tech found another huge price tag Monday on its 20-14 loss to Boston College.
The Hokies' upset home loss - they were 21/2-point favorites over the Eagles - evidently turned off ESPN. The network announced Monday that it will telecast Rutgers-Penn State rather than Miami-Tech on Saturday, Sept. 23, despite the Scarlet Knights' opening loss to Duke.
An ESPN official conceded Monday that Tech's loss had a definite impact on the network's decision.
ESPN's decision will cost Tech and Miami $365,000 each in rights fees awarded by the network under its Saturday night College Football Association (CFA) package. The Hokies banked $351,250 in rights fees for the BC game.
Shunned by ESPN, the Miami-Tech game will now be aired as part of the Big East Conference TV package. Game time will be noon instead of 7:30 p.m., ESPN's time slot.
THE BIG LEAST: Thus far, that's just what the Big East has been this football season.
Entering this week's play, the Big East has been anything but a beast. The league's teams are a combined 4-6 in nonconference games, including a pair of embarrassing nationally-televised routs sustained by Boston College (38-6 to Ohio State) and Miami (31-8 at UCLA).
With the exception of Pittsburgh (2-0), every Big East team already has at least one loss, and it's not even mid-September.
For the first time since the league was formed in 1991, the Big East has only one member - Miami at 19th - ranked in The Associated Press' poll. In addition to Miami, which has dropped from its No.11 preseason ranking, BC (22nd), West Virginia (23rd) and Virginia Tech (tie for 24th) had been ranked in the AP poll.
So what gives? The Big East coaches offered these comments Monday on the league conference call:
``I think that's just the way college football is these days,'' said Tech's Frank Beamer. ``Some things happen that shouldn't happen, particularly early in the year. I think the Big East is strong. Remember, it's not how you start, it's how you finish, and I think the Big East will be there at the end.''
``I thought Pitt had a nice win over Washington State, and I thought we had a nice win over North Carolina,'' said Syracuse's Paul Pasqualoni. ``So I don't see [the Big East] being that far out of whack. I think it will all come out in the wash at the end.''
``The entire league is better from top to bottom,'' said BC's Dan Henning. ``Pitt is better, Syracuse is 1-1 playing two bowl teams from last year, West Virginia lost to a good team [Purdue] and Miami lost to a good team [UCLA]. There are no gimmes in the league this year.''
PHANTOM DOWN CONTROVERSY: If you thought you were the only one that missed the mistaken fifth down the officials gave Tech in its last-minute drive against BC, think again. Neither Beamer nor Henning noticed the error at the time, either.
``I look to the officials to take care of that business,'' Henning said Monday.
``Since it was an extra down, it's disappointing. That certainly needs to be addressed by the head of officials [Roanoke's Dan Wooldridge] and his guys.''
What if Tech had scored on the extra down and won the game?
``Yes, I would have been upset,'' Henning said. ``I would have been upset with anything but a win coming out of Blacksburg.''
When asked about the fifth down after the game, Beamer shook his head at an inquiring reporter and said, ``What? I don't know anything about that.''
by CNB