ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, November 17, 1996 TAG: 9611180131
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: LEXINGTON
SOURCE: JOHN A. MONTGOMERY STAFF WRITER
Senior tailback Thomas Haskins has played nearly two dozen football games at VMI's Alumni Memorial Field during his stellar four-year career.
Fittingly, he saved his best effort for last.
Haskins rushed 38 times for a school-record 277 yards and four touchdowns against archrival The Citadel on Saturday, leading the Keydets to a dramatic 34-27 victory in double overtime.
Haskins took a pitchout from Keydet quarterback Al Lester and raced 25 yards on the first play of the second overtime for the clinching score. The Bulldogs, forced to match VMI's touchdown to continue the game, failed to advance the ball on four downs.
The Keydets (3-7 overall, 2-5 Southern Conference) haven't lost an overtime game in four tries.
``Our young men rallied today when they had to,'' said VMI coach Bill Stewart, whose career record at the Lexington school is 8-24. ``I hated to see one team lose today. You talk about a hard fight between two class institutions ''
VMI now leads the all-time series - billed as ``The Military Classic of the South'' - 28-26. There have been two ties.
The Keydets rallied from a 24-17 deficit late in the fourth quarter and from 27-24 down in the first overtime.
Both teams had an opportunity to win the game in regulation but failed to convert long field-goal attempts. Justin Skinner's 42-yard effort with :52 remaining was wide left for The Citadel, and VMI's Mike Harris was short from 52 yards on the last play of the fourth quarter.
Haskins provided most of the excitement for VMI, accounting for 325 all-purpose yards, three short of his school record.
``I apologized to his mom and dad for running him so much today,'' said Stewart. ``Why I waited until the last play to call the speed option, I don't know. But it looks like we'll call it a few times down in Boone [N.C., the site of next Saturday's game against Appalachian State].''
``We just put that play in last week,'' said Haskins, referring to the game-winner. ``With Jason [White] and Ed Pearson blocking, and me running, it works pretty well.''
Haskins' heroics overshadowed two individual performances by players from The Citadel (4-6, 3-5). Bulldog fullback Kanyatta Spruill ran for 161 yards and a touchdown, and freshman redshirt quarterback P.J. Stewart filled in for starter Stanley Myers, who injured his shoulder in the first half. Stewart finished 3 of 10 for 41 yards and an interception.
The previous single-game rushing record at VMI also was set by Haskins (266 yards against University of Tennessee-Chattanooga last season). Haskins now owns seven of the top eight individual game rushing totals. Three of them came against The Citadel.
The first quarter-and-a-half featured considerable offense - but no scoring. The Citadel's opening drive ended when Jordan Clark recovered Spruill's fumble on the Keydets' 25-yard line.
VMI marched 72 yards on 10 plays (with Haskins running the ball five times), but turned over the ball on downs at the Bulldogs' 3.
The Keydets misfired on their second opportunity when Harris' 47-yard field-goal attempt fell short and to the right.
All of the first-half scoring came in the final 5 1/2 minutes of the half. Haskins took an inside handoff into the end zone for VMI's first touchdown, capping a 13-play, 78-yard drive. After Demond Ferebee intercepted Stewart's pass on The Citadel's next play from scrimmage, VMI scored in four plays, with Haskins again taking in the ball from the 16.
Haskins handed the ball to a fan behind the goal posts and was flagged for excessive celebration. The Bulldogs parlayed the penalty into a scoring drive of their own, returning the ensuing kickoff to their own 49-yard line.
Three plays later, Spruill rambled 31 yards for a score.
see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Medium: 75 linesby CNB