ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, November 11, 1996 TAG: 9611120040
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-5 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Monday Morning Quarterback
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS
The tone for the Virginia-Clemson football game Saturday afternoon may have been set on the first play of the Cavaliers' second drive.
UVa quarterback Tim Sherman pulled away from center without the ball, which was recovered by Clemson middle guard Raymond White at the Cavaliers' 27.
Clemson needed only four plays to score on a 15-yard touchdown run by Raymond Priester. That put the Tigers ahead 7-0 with 10:41 remaining in the first quarter and they led the rest of the way.
``When that happens, the center says he got the ball up, the quarterback says he never had it [and] the right guard says he didn't knock it out,'' offensive coordinator Tom O'Brien said.
``It's one of those things where I have to go look at [it] on the tape. Everybody's got a different story about what happens when that happens. They all gave me a different explanation. I asked all of them.''
Rough play
Virginia might have been able to survive Sherman's first fumble Saturday if not for a personal foul on Todd White that gave Clemson a first down at the Cavaliers' 17.
Middle linebacker Wali Rainer had sacked Clemson quarterback Nealon Greene at the 32 - UVa's only sack, as it turned out - and the Tigers were facing a third-and-15 before White was flagged.
``I'd like to see that again,'' said UVa coach George Welsh on his television show aired Sunday. ``That's [late hit] what they said, but I didn't see it.''
Field position
Clemson sophomore Kevin Laird is the ACC's ninth-rated punter but Virginia started drives at its 4-, 11- and 12-yard lines following Laird punts and fumbled a fourth, which the Tigers recovered at the UVa 1.
Virginia's Will Brice averaged 40 yards on four punts, including a 52-yarder and a 48-yarder that bounced into the end zone, giving Clemson possession at its 20, much to Welsh's chagrin.
``I guess it took off on him,'' said Welsh, who had a brief exchange with an agitated Brice after the second touchback. ``He's not Superman, you know. He can't put 'em all inside the 10.''
Welsh noted that Virginia had the wind in the third quarter and was unable to take advantage of it. A freezing rain in the second quarter was followed by snow squalls in the third quarter, after which it was calm.
Helped by a Midget
When starter Antonio Banks went down with a pulled groin late in the second quarter of Saturday's 35-14 victory over East Carolina, Tech was forced to go with true freshman Anthony Midget at cornerback. Three plays later, Midget got his baptism by fire, getting beat by ECU's Larry Shannon for a 74-yard touchdown pass with 41 seconds left in the half.
``I knew when Banks got hurt they were going to come after me,'' said Midget, a 5-foot-11, 174-pound native of Clewiston, Fla. ``Unfortunately, I missed the read and gave up a long play, but I made up for that.''
Midget redeemed himself with 6:54 left in the game, sealing Tech's victory with an end-zone interception that cut off an ECU drive that could have made it a seven-point game.
``All we told Midget,'' said fellow corner Loren Johnson, ``is that he needs to play ball. We told him just to play like he did in high school and make plays. And he was fine.''
Garth meets a Monk
Virginia Tech associate athletic director Danny Monk presented Garth Brooks with a load of Hokies paraphernalia - hat, T-shirt and Sugar Bowl warm-up suit - before the country music star's Thursday night concert at the Roanoke Civic Center.
According to onlookers, Monk was quick to inform Brooks that Tech had gone 2-8-1 the last time he was in Roanoke (1992), but since had won 33 of 43 games, been to three bowls, and won last year's Sugar Bowl.
After listening to Monk's Tech football infomercial, Brooks had a clever response.
``Well, don't blame me if it all goes to hell now,'' Brooks told Monk.
Coaching milestone
The Hokies' conquest of ECU marked the 100th career coaching victory for Tech's Frank Beamer.
Beamer, in his 10th season, is 58-50-2 at Tech. Earlier, the 50-year-old Hillsville native compiled a 42-23-2 log in six seasons at Murray State.
``It says I've had a lot of good players and coaches, none better than this bunch we have now,'' Beamer noted. ``And the third thing it says is I'm getting old.''
Hokie highs
Tech continues to light up scoreboards, especially the one at Lane Stadium. The Hokies have scored 30 or more points in seven straight home games. They've scored 20 or more points in 14 straight games, a school record. Ken Oxendine had 99 yards rushing on 15 carries. He fell one yard short of becoming the first Hokie to rush for 100 yards in four straight games since 1977. Fullback Brian Edmonds' shovel-pass touchdown reception in the fourth quarter ended a statistical oddity. The touchdown, the 15th of the senior's career, was his first ever in a non-conference game. Quarterback Jim Druckenmiller's 309 yards of total offense (268 passing, 41 rushing) moved him into fifth place on Tech's all-time career yardage list with 3,999. He also jumped to fifth in career passing yards (3,746). His three touchdown passes gave him 29 for his career, tying him with Don Strock and Steve Casey for third on the Hokies' all-time list.
Tug of war
Army's football team has the longest win streak in the nation and is off to its best start (9-0) since 1949 after Saturday's 23-7 victory over Air Force. Earlier this season, Air Force beat Notre Dame. Combined with Navy, which Saturday clinched its first winning season since 1982, the three Division I football-playing military academies are 20-6 this season.
But the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy recognizing service academy supremacy won't be awarded until Army and Navy play Dec.7, Pearl Harbor Day. Until then, next week's matchup in Lexington between VMI and The Citadel will have to suffice for fans of military football.
``Our two schools have been in the paper so much with coeducation and everything,'' said VMI tailback Thomas Haskins. ``You always hear about the Army-Navy rivalry, but this one's where it's at.''
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