ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, September 9, 1996 TAG: 9609090161
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Virginia Tech team physicians said Sunday that running back Ken Oxendine will be lost for at least three weeks with a separated right shoulder.
The loss of Oxendine may force coach Frank Beamer to make a call soon on suspended tailback Marcus Parker. Beamer would not say if Parker will be available Saturday, when the Hokies visit Boston College.
If Beamer doesn't bring Parker back, Tech will have senior fullback Brian Edmonds, who was suspended for the Akron game, and a host of freshmen. True freshman Shyrone Stith carried 21 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-18 victory over Akron.
``We need to get all our people back on the field and not be playing freshmen before they're ready to play,'' Beamer said. ``Stith is a good runner. He's just too young to be in there playing. He's going to be a heck of a player one of these days.''
TOUGH NIGHT: Quarterback Jim Druckenmiller, battling swirling winds and some butterfingered receivers, threw for only 81 yards - his lowest total since becoming Tech's starter last year.
After missing on his first seven passes - two were dropped and two others were catchable - Druckenmiller hit 11 of his last 15 passes, all on short routes. His lowest output last year was 88 yards (10 of 19) in a 14-0 win at Navy.
NOTHING SPECIAL: It definitely would have been out of character for George Welsh to be overjoyed about his latest coaching milestone.
Virginia's season-opening 55-21 victory over Central Michigan was Welsh's 99th as the Cavaliers' coach, moving him out of a tie with Bill Dooley.
Dooley had a record of 98-89-4 in his 17 seasons as an ACC coach, including 11 at North Carolina and six at Wake Forest. Welsh is beginning his 15th year at Virginia, where he is 99-63-3.
``Nobody stayed around in the ACC,'' said Welsh, who ranks fourth in games coached among ACC coaches and will trail only Dooley by the end of the season. ``It's no big deal.''
MORE INJURIES: Junior safety Joe Williams had his jersey off during the second half of Saturday night's game, raising questions about the Cavaliers' ACC opener this Saturday against Maryland.
Welsh said after the game that Williams had a strained groin. Reserves who had to be helped from the field were defensive tackle Mo Anderson (ankle) and back-up center Matt Link (elbow).
NOT HOLDING BACK: The Cavaliers appeared to be fairly basic on offense, but they blitzed more than usual on defense and Welsh denied that he was trying to save anything for second-game opponent Maryland.
``Are you kidding?'' he asked. ``We showed a lot. We used a lot of our defense and our offense. I think that's normal. I never like to say we're saving something for next week.''
FAINT PRAISE: VMI outscored Mississippi 7-3 in the second half of its 31-7 loss Saturday night in Jackson, Miss. Afterward, friends of the VMI program told coach Bill Stewart, ``Well, at least you won the second half.''
That didn't give the Keydets any consolation in a game decided by three punt returns that resulted in 160 yards and two touchdowns. ``It's hidden yardage,'' Stewart said. ``Maybe now we'll have [the players'] attention when we talk about running and blocking lanes.''
LENGTH: Medium: 63 linesby CNB