THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 3, 1994 TAG: 9410030161
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: HARRY MINIUM
DATELINE: SYRACUSE, N.Y. LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
It's fortunate for Virginia Tech that the Hokies host Big East cream puff Temple on Saturday, for they left central New York a dispirited lot.
``We're devastated,'' roverback Torrian Gray said following the Hokies' 28-20 loss to Syracuse, in which Tech's vaunted defense surrendered two touchdowns in the final eight minutes.
Why devastated? Isn't Tech off to a 4-1 start, its best under Frank Beamer?
Yes, but the Hokies had hoped for more. Some, including Gray, were thinking national championship.
That might sound crazy, but not to Tech's players, who watched West Virginia, a program they consider an equal, compete for national titles twice in recent years.
They thought Tech's turn would come this season, but the loss to Syracuse ended any such hopes.
``We know we've got to get back up, to get this out of our minds,''
Gray said. ``We've got to forget this and focus on Temple. But it's going to be tough considering the goals we'd set for ourselves. It's going to be real tough.''
There is still much to play for, Gray acknowledged. The Hokies can win the Big East title, have their first top-10 finish and garner a New Year's Day bowl bid.
It won't happen, however, if Tech plays defense as porously as it did against Syracuse.
Tech easily won its first four games by putting so much pressure on the opposing quarterback that the defensive backs had minimal time to cover receivers.
Syracuse's offensive line held off the Hokie onslaught long enough for quarterback Kevin Mason to pick Tech's man-for-man coverage apart.
Most disconcerting to Beamer was Syracuse's dominance in the fourth quarter, when the Orange ran for 176 yards. That's nearly the average of combined passing and rushing yards Tech had been allowing per game.
``Syracuse did some things to hurt us, and I'm sure we'll see the same things again this season,'' Beamer said.
``We've got some work to do.''
And some spirits to lift. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Syracuse's Malcolm Thomas eludes Virginia Tech's Brandon Semones
(21) and Larry Green to seal Saturday's 28-20 win.
by CNB