ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, October 17, 1996 TAG: 9610170015
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: COLLEGE NOTEBOOK
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY
A call to Ferrum football coach Dave Davis somehow was routed to the school chaplain Wednesday.
``That's exactly what I need,'' said Davis, trying to deal with the Panthers' 0-5 start.
There is one good omen for Ferrum as it entertains Chowan (1-4) at 1:30 p.m. at Adams Stadium on Saturday. The Panthers have been 0-5 on two other occasions - in 1956 and 1986 - and won their sixth game in both instances.
Davis thought the first win would have come before now.
``We should have won 'em all - except the [obvious] two,'' said Davis, whose young team faced a pair of 1995 playoff teams, Wesley and Division III runner-up Rowan, in the first three weeks.
``We should have beaten Newport News [Apprentice]. We went up and down the field on them. We fumbled a punt on the 18-yard line; that's how they won. They never would have scored.''
The Builders defeated Ferrum 7-6 despite being outgained 254-185 and the Panthers fell to Clinch Valley, 17-14, after an apparent touchdown was nullified by a holding penalty.
``It was killing me until the Guilford game,'' said Davis, in his third season as Ferrum's head coach after 10 seasons as a Panthers assistant. ``I just realized that my expectations were higher than what we were capable of doing.
``Guilford changed its whole offense and defense and our kids just threw the switch. They can only do what we tell them to do during the week and any change just blows their mind. They're still playing hard, still practicing hard. They know they're young.''
The Panthers start four seniors and six juniors. There are 18 freshmen on the first or second team.
``To make a long story short, we don't have many seniors this year,'' Davis said. ``When I first took over, we had some kids who weren't doing the things we wanted them to do. They weren't going to class, they weren't doing things academically and I got rid of 29 of them.
``That class was this year's seniors and that's why there's not many of them. The last two classes are very talented. If they stay, they're going to give us a very fine football team. One of my main concerns is retention and that's a concern of the entire school.''
One of the Panthers' few seniors was quarterback Josh Whitley, unbeaten in six 1995 starts. However, Whitley was lost for the season after suffering a torn rotator cuff in the second game.
Freshman Keith Campbell, recruited as Whitley's successor, played for the first time last week and will see increased duty. The starter has been junior Brith Osinkosky, who was not recruited by the Panthers before arriving on campus in the fall of 1994.
``He'd never taken a snap [in college] till this year,'' Davis said. ``Losing Whitley was a big blow, but I'm playing that down. I'll admit, we weren't planning to be in this position.''
* A close call against Ferrum did not slow Clinch Valley, which last Saturday raised its record to 6-0 with a 27-14 victory over Cumberland (Ky.) College. The Highland Cavaliers are ranked sixth in NAIA Division II.
IN THE BIG EAST: Rutgers quarterback Corey Valentine left the team last week, only days after starting against Navy. Valentine began the season as the Scarlet Knights' No.1 quarterback, lost his job, then returned to the starting lineup when Mike Stephans was injured.
IN THE ACC: Duke coach Fred Goldsmith, whose Blue Devils (0-6) are off this week, said junior David Green would be the Blue Devils' starting quarterback if 100 percent, but Green has been hobbled by an ankle injury since the opening game.
``I felt Matt Rader was a better quarterback at 100 percent than David Green at less than 100 percent,'' said Goldsmith, who did not use Green on Saturday in a 13-7 loss to Clemson. ``I told 'em whoever plays better in practice and gets me the most excited will be the starter.''
* Kendall Ogle, who starts at outside linebacker for Maryland, has been getting some playing time at running back in short-yardage situations. In his former job at Holy Cross, Terrapins coach Mark Duffner used Heisman Trophy contender Gordie Lockbaum on offense and defense.
BY THE NUMBERS: The team that leads the ACC in total offense, Virginia, ranks only 46th in Division I-A with 382 yards per game. However, four ACC teams rank among the top 25 in I-A in total defense, including No.1 North Carolina, yielding 199 yards per game, and No.2 Florida State (203.8).
BASKETBALL RECRUITING: Virginia will entertain two men's basketball prospects this weekend, 6-9 Aron McMillian from Greensboro, N.C., and point guard Chezley Watson from Gainesville, Fla. McMillian has narrowed his choices to UVa and Wake Forest, where his sister, Emon, is on the women's team.
* N.C. State has received a commitment, its fourth, from 6-11 Cornelius Williams from Jacksonville, Ala. Williams reportedly picked the Wolfpack over Penn State, Wake Forest and Maryland.
* Richmond has received a commitment from 6-4 Rick Houston, who averaged 21 points last year for Bartlett High School in Memphis, Tenn. Houston also considered UNC Charlotte and Arkansas State.
NON-REVENUE: Freshman goalie Michael Creasey from William Byrd High School was named men's student athlete of the week at Lynchburg College after stopping 16 shots in his first shutout, a 1-0 victory over 18th-ranked Virginia Wesleyan.
* Washington and Lee has a 21-3 record in volleyball and has moved up to No.5 in the South Region, its first ranking ever. Averett has won 55 consecutive Dixie Conference volleyball matches in a streak dating back to 1984.
LENGTH: Medium: 100 linesby CNB