ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, September 29, 1996 TAG: 9609300143
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-8 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: LEXINGTON
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
On Saturday, it returned, although a victory didn't come with it. The Keydets fell 31-14 to No.18 Furman at Alumni Memorial Field.
``We just didn't play as well as we fought,'' VMI coach Bill Stewart said.
Stewart didn't see much fight last week when his Keydets lost 38-0 at East Tennessee State. But they fought hard enough against Furman (3-1 overall, 1-0 Southern Conference) for the game to come down to one play.
With 12 minutes, 24 seconds left in the game and VMI trailing 17-14, Thomas Haskins took a handoff and ran to the left side. The Keydets needed just about a foot to get first and 10 at Furman's 38-yard line. Haskins popped around tackle Heath Edmiston and could see the mark just in front of his nose.
But out of nowhere, Furman linebacker Orlando Ruff slid and pushed him back. VMI, just inches short, was out of downs. The Paladins took over and five plays later scored a touchdown.
``I don't know what happened,'' Ruff said. ``That put us over the top.''
Ruff was at a loss to explain matters because the last time VMI ran the play, Haskins was stopped only by the end zone. Maybe it was too much of a mirror image.
The Keydets tied the game at 14-14 with 8:13 left in the third quarter on a mirror image of the fourth down play. Haskins snuck in behind Edmiston and guard Jason Fletcher, who teamed up to smear Furman's defensive tackle and block out a linebacker. Haskins broke one tackle and swept 28 yards to the touchdown.
``It was the same play, same block,'' Edmiston said.
``Sometimes it goes inside, sometimes outside,'' Haskins said.
Both teams seemed to go inside when the other went outside and vice versa. VMI (0-4, 0-2) totaled 335 yards of offense after averaging 185.6 in its previous three games.
``Averaging 180 yards is not us,'' Haskins said.
Haskins, a 1995 all-American, had his best day of the season, gaining 134 yards on 24 carries. Quarterback Al Lester also enjoyed his best day of 1996, completing 7 of 14 passes for 95 yards.
Coming into the game, the Keydets had just three plays of 25 yards or more. Haskins had two such plays against Furman.
``They didn't have us running for our lives today,'' Stewart said.
The problem was that the Paladins were moving the ball just as well. Led by third-string tailback Stuart Rentz, a non-recruited freshman walk-on pressed into duty because of injuries, Furman totaled 433 yards of offense. Rentz set a Furman freshman record with 166 yards rushing.
Rentz grew up a Furman fan at nearby Pickens High School in South Carolina. ``This is something you always dream of,'' he said.
Quarterback Braniff Bonaventure missed just six passes out of 25 attempts, most of which went to receiver Josh Cole. Cole had eight receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns.
``I guess that's why they're 18th ranked and we're 0-4,'' Stewart said.
VMI fell to the Paladins for the 15th straight meeting. The Keydets last beat the Paladins in 1979.
That one is in the deep past, in the same place VMI wants to put the season's first three games. The Keydets said this one wasn't like the East Tennessee State game. This one was one to build on.
``It's totally different,'' Stewart said. ``If we had the time and the lights, I'd say 'Hey, let's go out and play again.'''
``We've got a bunch of guys here that if you cut 'em up, not only red comes out, but a lot of white and yellow.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 68 linesby CNB