ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, November 3, 1996 TAG: 9611050025
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-5 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: LEXINGTON
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
VMI SLEEPWALKS through three quarters in a 17-14 Southern Conference loss to Western Carolina.
It is a curious principle of VMI that when the football team works hard and wins, the workload on the rest of the corps lessens. Beat an opponent, and the student body is free for the weekend. The military term is "lifting restrictions."
So the corps had ulterior motives when Western Carolina came in with its longest Southern Conference losing streak (eight games) ever. If the Keydets extend the streak, it's a weekend pass for everybody.
Unfortunately for the corps and the rest of the VMI family, the football team showed up late for work Saturday at Alumni Memorial Field. One hundred eighty-nine of the Keydets' 246 total yards came in the fourth quarter. So did all of their points.
The Catamounts held off VMI 17-14 and matched it in the Southern Conference win column.
``We had 20 plays in the first half," said Keydets coach Bill Stewart. ``We did not execute in any way."
It didn't look like the VMI team that had dominated the time of possession in its past three games, including one against No.1 Marshall. Western Carolina (3-6 overall, 1-6 Southern) had the look instead.
The Catamounts had the ball for 17:47 in the first half and amassed 293 yards. Still, the score was just 10-0.
``We should have had more points," said Steve Hodgin, Western Carolina's coach.
Tailback Thomas Haskins provided the Keydets (1-7, 1-5) with their first points when he followed Heath Edmiston's block, broke a tackle and skipped into the end zone with 12:12 left in the fourth quarter. VMI got its other points when quarterback Al Lester, with two Catamounts on his shoulder pads, heaved a pass from the 20-yard line that fluttered into the hands of fullback Jason White. That came with 2:04 left.
On the next possession, Western Carolina ran out the clock and left the Keydets with the fruits of a half-day's labor.
``I have no answer to what happened offensively," said Haskins, who had 86 of his 146 rushing yards in the fourth quarter.
The explanation could lie in the Keydets' schedule. For the second straight year, a bye week preceded VMI's game against a struggling Western Carolina team. Like last year, the Keydets fell to the Catamounts, although this one wasn't nearly as bad as that 31-14 shortfall.
At this point, however, it hurts just as bad.
``I guess open dates just don't do well for us," Stewart said. ``Maybe we need to go back and look at that."
When Stewart and his assistants go back to look at the film of this one, they'll see an unheralded quarterback, Western Carolina's Josh Brooks, who was running his offense long before VMI's got cranking.
Brooks is from Sylva, N.C., at 2,800 the largest town in the Cullowhee, N.C., area. He and his twin brother, Catamounts tight end Jay Brooks, played for their father, Lionel, at Smoky Mountain High School.
Josh didn't look to Jay often against the Keydets, but he found enough other receivers to complete 15 of 29 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown.
Lester was steady, completing 9-of-15 for 70 yards. Nevertheless, 50 of Lester's 70 yards passing came in the fourth quarter. Too late for a VMI victory.
``We're not going to take that woe-is-me attitude,'' Stewart said. ``This is not the end of the world and the sky is certainly not falling. If the sun doesn't come up tomorrow shining, well, eventually it will, Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday."
Stewart spent Saturday night at the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital, visiting two of his players. Free safety Ron Hill strained ligaments in his left knee in the first quarter and tight end Justin Molloy broke his collarbone late in the third.
``I'd rather lose that game by 70 than to lose players to injuries," Stewart said.
KEY NOTES: Northside High School graduate Jack Beason, a sophomore center, made his second consecutive start. It also was the second of his career. ... Strong safety Cornell Lewis made his team-high third interception of the year in the first quarter. ... With his 70 yards passing, Lester moved into fifth place on the VMI career passing yardage list. He is at 2,760 yards, 11 away from fourth-place Hill Ellett (1964-66).
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 84 linesby CNB