Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 14, 1995 TAG: 9511150009
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The teams meet in the regular-season finale Saturday at Charlottesville, but neither the outcome nor the polls likely will affect the Gator Bowl's choice, the sources said.
However, a Virginia win coupled with a Clemson loss to South Carolina on Saturday could force the Gator Bowl to take 9-3 Virginia instead of 7-4 Clemson as its ACC representative.
Gator Bowl officials already have said they do not want a Virginia-Virginia Tech rematch. That would leave them with a choice between the two, a choice that has essentially already been made.
The Gator wants to pit the Hokies against Clemson (7-3), which has locked up third place in the ACC. Virginia Tech and Clemson traditionally bring large numbers of fans to bowl games; Virginia does not.
Gator Bowl executive director Rick Catlett would not confirm that the bowl has decided which way it will go if it has to choose between the two Virginia schools. He said Virginia would offer a bigger name and is more attractive for TV, but the Hokies could sell more tickets.
Hokies' Thomas doubtful for game
Virginia Tech may be without the services of leading rusher Dwayne Thomas for Saturday's game.
Thomas, a senior tailback, was listed as questionable Monday due to a pulled right thigh muscle.
``It was quite a bit better from [Sunday] to today, but I'm not sure he's going to make it,'' Tech coach Frank Beamer said on his Monday night radio show.
Thomas suffered his worst game of the season in Tech's 38-16 win over Temple last Saturday, carrying only six times for 3 yards. He has 636 yards rushing on 157 carries (4.1 yards per carry) this season and ranks fourth on Tech's all-time rushing list with 2,658 yards.
Depending on Thomas' status, backup Ken Oxendine could get his first start of the season. After missing Tech's first two games due to a broken hand, Oxendine has averaged 5.8 yards a carry en route to 567 yards rushing.
No-huddle no worry for UVa
Virginia Tech's no-huddle offense will not be a tremendous deviation from what Virginia has seen from its past two opponents, pass-happy Florida State and Maryland.
The Terrapins huddled more often than Florida State, but both teams spent considerable time in the shotgun formation, with Virginia countering by using a three-man rush.
``We used it every single snap in the second half against Florida State,'' UVa defensive coordinator Rick Lantz said Saturday. ``We mixed it up some today; a couple times, we showed 3-4 and played more of a 4-3.''
Looking Back
THE 1930s
The big times for both schools had passed, and they seemed to muddle their way through football after that. ... The series, however did produce sporadic excitement, even if it was laughable at times.
Lambeth Field [in Charlottesville] was a sloppy, muddy mess for the 1933 game, and Virginia held a 6-0 lead until the final two minutes, when Tech drove to the Wahoos' 5. Twice, Tech ran a dive play for no gain. Then, [Tech coach] Puss Redd called on back-up fullback Jim Ottoway.
Virginia captain Ray Burger grabbed Ottoway, College Topics [the UVa newspaper] reported, but he ``spun clear, ran into Johnny Dial, smashed him out of the way, then got under Gene Wager ... and carrying Gene, Burger, Dial and several others, Ottoway took it over to tie the score.''
Now, all Tech needed was an extra point from Red Negri to win it, except that Negri ``hurried the kick off on a tangent.'' and not only missed but missed quite badly, leaving the 'Hoos 'n' Hokies in a tie.
In 1936, the Cavaliers suffered a late loss when Tech scored on a freakish tipped pass play in the third quarter and hit the conversion for a 7-6 margin. ... The close losses only deepened the despair in Charlottesville. The school impaneled a committee to study its football failures and decided to withdraw from the Southern Conference. In their last nine games against Tech, the Wahoos were 0-6-3.
by CNB