ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, October 12, 1996 TAG: 9610150025
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
VIRGINIA TECH MEETS Temple for homecoming today in its first game since getting shelled at Syracuse.
The schedule says Temple. But listen to Frank Beamer and you'd swear Virginia Tech's football team could be facing a Temple of Doom at 1 p.m. today at Lane Stadium.
Forget that the Owls (1-4 overall, 0-1 Big East) have lost four straight games, 33 of their past 38, and come to Blacksburg as a hefty 23-point underdog, the Hokies' coach warned.
"I'm serious now when I say this,'' said Beamer, "this team coming in here has got me scared to death.''
And it's 19 days to Halloween.
Likely, it's his team's current costume that has Beamer so concerned. After all, Tech was a mere imposter in its last outing, a 52-21 undressing in Syracuse two Saturdays ago.
Now, after a week off to recover, the Hokies find themselves in worse shape, at least physically.
Since the horror show in Syracuse, Tech has lost its best player - All-America defensive end Cornell Brown - to knee surgery. And two other defensive starters, senior tackle Waverly Jackson (strained back) and linebacker Tony Morrison (foot), may not play today.
A homecoming crowd of some 45,000 fans should get a read today on what may be down the road for a Tech club that's been consistently inconsistent to this point.
"I think there's a sense of urgency with this football team right now,'' Beamer said.
"I told our guys that right now we're not a good football team. We do some things very well, we've got some good players, but as far as overall being a really consistent and a good football team, we're not. We've got to get better, that's all there is to it.''
The schedule certainly plays into the Hokies' hands the rest of the way. Today's contest starts a four-game homestand that runs through Nov.16, when the Hokies travel to Miami.
First things first, though. Tech had better give a hoot about the Owls, Beamer said.
Temple, coming off a heartbreaking 53-52 loss at Pittsburgh last week that prompted coach Ron Dickerson's 18-hour resignation, will provide a test for Tech's ailing defense. The Owls' big weapon is quarterback Henry Burris, who erupted for a Big East-record 495 yards total offense against Pitt.
"I think they're dangerous,'' Beamer said. "They've got the ability to score points and [Burris] is playing great. He's got two recievers [Van Johnson and Troy Kersey] who average over 20 yards a catch. They scored 52 points last week, so they're dangerous.
"We had a tough time with them last year [a 38-16 Tech victory in Washington, D.C.] and this Temple team is better than that one. We'd better be ready to play.''
Tech receiver Shawn Scales contends the Hokies realize what's on the line today. Tech's slip in Syracuse was enough for one season, he said.
"We kind of let ourselves down at Syracuse,'' Scales said. "That's history now. We can't stay down.
"I definitely think we're going to respond [to Syracuse loss]. We've got to respond. We're a much better team than that.
"While I don't think it's possible we can win [the Big East title] outright now, we definitely can share it. If we win the rest of games, which I think we will, that will say who's the best team in the Big East.''
Meanwhile, winless VMI faces another Herculean task. It's another week and another opponent that has not lost a I-AA game for the Keydets (0-5, 0-3 Southern Conference) as No.1-ranked Marshall makes its final appearance at Alumni Memorial Field as a Southern Conference member at 1 p.m. today.
The Thundering Herd (5-0, 2-0) hasn't been out of the top 20 since the end of the 1990 season and is making its third consecutive appearance in Lexington as the nation's top team.
On Tuesday, Keydets coach Bill Stewart said, ``Right now, the way they're playing, the Buckeyes of Ohio State are the only team that could beat 'em.''
The next day, he amended that statement.
``There's only two teams in this great country that can beat Marshall. One's in Columbus [Ohio], the other's in Lexington, Virginia.''
Ferrum (0-4) hopes to continue a trend at 2 p.m. today in Greensboro. After losing the first two games in their series with Guilford, the Panthers have won seven straight by an average of 29 points.
Washington and Lee (1-3) puts a four-game non-conference win streak on the line when it visits Davidson (2-2) at 1:30. W&L has won the past two meetings, but Davidson edged the Generals in the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings of the nation's best liberal arts colleges. Davidson was No.11, W&L was No.13.
Virginia, a 13-7 loser at Georgia Tech last Saturday, is idle today.
LENGTH: Medium: 89 linesby CNB