ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, December 19, 1995 TAG: 9512190063
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: TECH NOTES
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: By RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
Since ending the regular season a month ago, Virginia Tech's Sugar Bowl-bound football team has been dealt more than its share of distractions.
First, there were reports out of Atlanta that Hokies coach Frank Beamer was among the top candidates for the Georgia coaching post.
Then came word Dec.13 that Beamer had suspended sophomore linebacker Tony Morrison and redshirt freshman receiver James Crawford for the bowl game after each was arrested by Blacksburg police.
Those off-the-field developments were not exactly the prescribed medicine for Tech - or, for that matter, any other school - gearing up for its first major bowl game.
Just how will the Tech football team handle all the peripheral buzzards that have been hovering around during the past weeks? And what effect will it have on its Dec.31 Sugar Bowl date with Texas?
"Well, we'll see,'' Beamer said Monday.
"With the coaching thing [the Georgia job that went to Kansas' Glen Mason on Monday], I've made the statements all along, which were true statements, that I was not offered the job and that I want to stay at Virginia Tech. And that's what I plan to do.
"For the kids [Morrison and Crawford], I feel badly for them and I feel badly for our football team.
"We did what we felt we needed to do and I think in the end it's the best thing for our football team. All my decisions have to be what's best for the football team.
``We'll see, but I think distractions are part of life, adversity is part of life.''
Beamer noted that this team has faced adversity before and responded emphatically.
"We were distracted when were 0-2 and getting ready to play against Miami,'' Beamer said. "We stayed right to the business. A lot of people kind of got to writing stuff and talking about all these different things, but our football team stayed right there and practiced hard and kept its mind on what's important and what it controlled.
"So we'll see. But I believe in these kids.''
Tech senior flanker Bryan Still said the timing of the distractions, especially the suspension of the two players, was unfortunate. Morrison's loss was more crucial for the Hokies on the field, as Crawford is a bit player as a backup receiver.
"We'll miss those guys, but we'll just have to overcome it and try to move forward as much as possible,'' Still said.
"We tried to warn people not to go out and do stupid things, but sometimes you just can't control it.
"The coaches talked about this. When we have time off, it's a chance for people to get in trouble. Like at the end of a season, like now, he'll remind us just to be smart.''
Still said the speculation linking Beamer with the Georgia job wasn't as severe a blow.
"I don't think anybody really thought Coach Beamer would really leave,'' he said. "It seemed like the newspapers and such made a bigger deal out of it than we did. Coach Beamer talked to us about it [Friday] and we just basically took his word for it.''
MORRISON FILL-INS: Beamer said Morrison's spot, which served as a frequent backup to both Myron Newsome and George DelRicco, will be inherited by redshirt freshman Jason Berish and redshirt sophomore Steve Tate.
Berish, playing mostly on special teams, had seven tackles in eight games. Tate saw a little time at linebacker as well as special teams, recording 10 tackles.
Morrison was Tech's ninth-leading tackler, making 53 tackles in 11 games.
"Jason Berish will step up and he's a guy I think who has the potential to be a really good linebacker,'' Beamer said. "Steve Tate was injured before the Virginia game, but he's back practicing now and he'll help us. Those two kids will see some action in the game.''
CONATY UPDATE: Beamer said he's hopeful that junior center Billy Conaty, who underwent surgery Nov.21 for a fractured right ankle sustained in the Virginia victory, will be able to play against Texas.
Conaty is snapping some balls in practice but is not participating in full drills.
"I'm hoping to be able to practice in New Orleans when we get down there,'' Conaty said. "We have more than a week before then, so that will help me.''
"It's amazing with the surgery, and a pin and a plate, I might be able to play. If not for that, I'd have a cast on this thing for 12 weeks.''
TECH TIDBITS: Tech athletic director Dave Braine confirmed Monday that Southwestern Louisiana has been added to the Hokies' 1996 schedule. The Ragin' Cajuns were 6-5 this season. The Big West school replaces Cincinnati on Tech's '96 schedule. The Hokies will play seven home games next season for the first time since 1986. ... The Hokies, who started bowl drills Friday, will practice through Thursday. The players will then go home for Christmas before returning to depart for New Orleans on Dec.26. ... Tech ticket office manager Tom McNeer said Monday that the school has sold its entire allotment of tickets for the Dec.28 basketball game against Virginia in Roanoke. McNeer said the Roanoke Civic Center, as of late Monday, had approximately 70 single tickets left for sale. The tickets may be purchased at the civic center box office only.
LENGTH: Medium: 96 linesby CNB