THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 10, 1994 TAG: 9411100760
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
Bowl selection day is Dec. 4, but the Big East could ferret out the bowl contenders from the pretenders Saturday.
That is unless Rutgers beats Virginia Tech and Boston College bumps off Syracuse, which could turn the bowl picture in the Big East into a big beast.
``Saturday for us is a very critical day,'' Big East commissioner Michael Tranghese said.
Critical is the condition Rutgers' and BC's bowl aspirations could be in if they lose. Both face top-tier teams in Virginia Tech and Syracuse, the only league teams besides Miami that appear in this week's Bowl Coalition Poll. Tech takes on Rutgers at Lane Stadium at 1 p.m., while Boston College hosts Syracuse at noon (WTKR).
``I think Rutgers needs to win,'' Tranghese said. ``Boston College's chances would be hurt, but I don't think they'd be eliminated with a loss.''
A team that doesn't grab one of the Big East's guaranteed top three spots can only hope for one of just four bowl slots not tied up by predetermined pairings agreements. Those openings are in the Independence Bowl (two at-large slots), Aloha (one) and Liberty (one).
Miami, of course, is the Big East's top-shelf bowler and appears headed to the Orange Bowl against Nebraska. The Fiesta professes an interest in the Big East's second team, to face probably Colorado. If that doesn't happen, the Gator or Sun bowls most likely would snatch up the Big East's second entrant.
With victories Saturday, Virginia Tech (7-2) and Syracuse (6-2) would establish themselves as the league's second and third bowl teams - one as the Big East No. 2 pick in the Coalition and one as the league's entrant in the Carquest. Much still has to be hashed out to determine who ends up where.
``If Syracuse wins this weekend and Virginia Tech wins this weekend, it looks very favorable for us to have Virginia Tech in our game,'' Carquest Bowl executive director Brian Flajole said.
The consensus among bowl people is that Syracuse at 9-2 or even 8-3 is likely to be chosen ahead of Virginia Tech as the Coalition pick, even if the Hokies beat Rutgers and Virginia to finish 9-2. Syracuse is regarded as a bigger name that would produce better television ratings, but Tech likely would bring more fans.
Gator Bowl executive director Rick Catlett, however, said national rankings will mean a lot when his game picks a Coalition team to face a third team from the Southeastern Conference. Of the six teams the Gator is considering - Virginia Tech, Virginia, Syracuse, Boston College, North Carolina State and Duke - the Hokies have the highest ranking in the Bowl Coalition poll this week at No. 14.
``There's a pretty big ballgame at the end of the year between Virginia and Virginia Tech that could determine a lot,'' Catlett said.
TECH-U.VA. ON TV: That big game between the state's Division I-A intrastate rivals Nov. 19 in Blacksburg will be televised by the Big East Football Network at noon (WTKR).
RUTGERS RUSHER: Rutgers' Terrell Willis gained more than one-fourth of his nine-game total of 856 rushing yards last week against Temple. The Scarlet Knights sophomore rushed for 232 yards - the most ever in a league game - on 35 carries with two touchdowns to earn Big East offensive player-of-the-week honors.
``He put up a lot of yardage and didn't really have a long run,'' Rutgers coach Doug Graber said.
Willis ran for more yards last season against Tech (155) than any other back.
QUICK HITS: Big East teams in the Bowl Coalition Poll, which combines point totals from The Associated Press and USA Today-CNN polls: Miami, No. 4; Virginia Tech, No. 14; and Syracuse, No. 17. ... The only touchdown Miami has allowed against four Big East foes came on a botched punt attempt. ... The Big East was a mediocre 12-11 in non-conference play on Oct. 1 but has won eight in a row against non-league foes and is now 20-11 (.645). ... Tech placekicker Ryan Williams, who is from Suffolk, is one of 20 finalists for the Lou Groza Collegiate Placekicker Award. ... Temple's streak of Big East futility since the league was formed in 1991 hit 0-23 Saturday and could reach 25 consecutive league losses by season's end. by CNB