ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, November 21, 1996 TAG: 9611210031
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: College Notebook
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY
The end could be near for fifth-year Maryland football coach Mark Duffner, whose Terrapins end the season Saturday with a match-up not likely to produce favorable results.
Maryland, which has won three of its past four games to reach the .500 mark, visits unbeaten and No.3-ranked Florida State at Pro Player Stadium in Miami.
As originally scheduled, the Seminoles would have come to Maryland this year, but the Terrapins accepted $1 million to move the game to Florida.
It wasn't a bad move, considering the Terrapins have been averaging fewer than 30,000 for their home games. The gaps in the crowd never were more noticeable than for a recent Thursday night ESPN game with Georgia Tech, when the attendance was announced at 22,500.
That kind of apathy, as much as anything, probably has sealed Duffner's fate. Maryland averaged 42,121 spectators for its home games last year following a major Byrd Stadium expansion.
Athletic director Debbie Yow offered Duffner a contract extension, which he rejected, after the 1995 season. The Terrapins had just finished 6-5 and, presumably, Duffner felt he would have more bargaining power after another successful season.
It didn't happen. Maryland started the season with expected victories over Northern Illinois and Alabama-Birmingham, but that was followed by a four-game losing streak, which coincided with injuries to quarterback Brian Cummings and running back Buddy Rodgers.
As a result, Duffner has one more year remaining on a contract that pays a reported $132,000. Even if Yow pays the staff for the remainder of the school year, the total bill will not exceed $1 million, which will be covered by this weekend's visit to Florida.
REDEMPTION: When North Carolina stuffed Clemson 45-0 in the first game of the season, nobody looked worse than first-year Tigers offensive coordinator Darrell Moody, who had left UNC after eight years over a difference in offensive philosophy.
Now, Clemson is on a five-game winning streak and has rushed for 248 yards or more in each of its past four games. North Carolina, on the other hand, rushed for 20 yards two weeks ago against Louisville and had 11 yards on the ground Saturday at Virginia.
The rushing statistics from the UVa-Carolina game are somewhat misleading because quarterback Chris Keldorf was sacked seven times; indeed, UNC quarterbacks have been sacked 44 times this season. However, the Tar Heels did not have a first down in five fourth-quarter series.
BOWDEN ON HOLTZ: ``I'm 67 and I'm seeing Jim Sweeney get out [at Fresno State] and Lou Holtz get out [at Notre Dame] and it's like the end of an era,'' Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said. ``It's going to be strange to be coaching and have Lou Holtz not be out there.
``I don't believe I could stand it at Notre Dame. This kind of pressure here, I can handle. It's 10 times worse at Notre Dame. Look at [Randy] Moss. Notre Dame said it couldn't take him. We took a chance. Lou didn't have a chance to take a chance.''
Moss, starring for Division I-AA power Marshall, originally signed with Notre Dame. When he was arrested, Notre Dame would not let Moss enroll and Holtz recommended him to Florida State. Moss spent a redshirt season at FSU before violating terms of his probation.
BIG EAST EXPANSION: Virginia Tech athletic director Dave Braine said Big East football officials talked Monday about a possible move from Division I-AA to Division I-A by Big East basketball members Villanova and Connecticut, at which point there was some discussion of Army, Navy and East Carolina. But, any extensive expansion talks would wait until the spring.
RECRUIT GETS DEVIL: Brigham Young men's basketball coach Roger Reid has apologized to 6-foot-10 Duke basketball signee Chris Burgess and his family for saying that Burgess had let nine million Mormons down by not signing with the Cougars.
Burgess, from Woodbridge High School in Irvine, Calif., is rated the No.2 prospect in the country by recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons. The Blue Devils also received commitments from No.3 Elton Brand, No.7 Shane Battier and No.12 William Avery.
Burgess and Battier have signed. Brand and Avery have committed orally, but did not sign during the fall period that ended Wednesday, presumably while waiting to meet NCAA eligibility guidelines. No other school signed more than two players off Gibbons' top 50.
MORE RECRUITING Virginia brought 6-9 Cedric Suitt to campus for an official visit, but Suitt, from Mays High School in Atlanta, was not expected to sign early. That buys time for the Cavaliers, said to be among the leaders for another likely spring signee, Rafael Vidauretta, a 6-8 Spaniard who plays at New Hampton (N.H.) Prep.
nGeorgia Tech signed one of its primary recruiting targets, 6-10 Alvin Jones from Lakeland, Fla., who picked the Yellow Jackets over Florida. Jones was No.70 on Gibbons' list after his junior year. ... Florida State signed 7-foot Karim Shabazz from Woodmere, N.Y., and point guard Delvon Arrington from St. Anthony's High School in Jersey City.
HOKIES MILESTONE: The men's soccer team at Virginia Tech set a school record for victories when it finished 12-8. The Hokies were 5-7 before embarking on a seven-game winning streak that lasted until the semifinals of the Atlantic-10 tournament.
LOCAL UPDATE: Slick-fielding Cave Spring High School first baseman Dave Trumbower has signed a letter-of-intent to play baseball for Longwood College. He will be re-united with ex-Knights teammate Robey Caldwell and Doug Kenney.
Tony Joyce, a former Roanoke Catholic quarterback, finished fourth in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in interceptions with five. Dusty Beekman, from Cave Spring, had four interceptions for Randolph-Macon.
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