THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 13, 1994 TAG: 9411130224
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHARLIE DENN, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
Despite playing for the team that was blown out in the 48th annual Oyster Bowl, Virginia Military Institute tailback Thomas Haskins won the Melvin P. Blassingham award as the most valuable player.
The sophomore rushed for 250 yards on 32 carries, including a 78-yard run, to set a VMI single-season record in the Keydets' 58-14 loss. He now has 1,284 yards rushing in 1994 with one game to play.
The old record was set in 1980 by Floyd Allen, who amassed 1,276 yards.
``I'm just going to keep doing the things I've been doing and try to get better,'' Haskins said.
Haskins nearly shattered his own one-game school record. He rushed for 251 yards in the season-opener against Richmond and was actually around 255 yards on Saturday before two losses on consecutive plays in the fourth quarter brought his final total down.
TD RECORD: The Citadel's Terrance Rivers equaled the school record for most touchdowns in a season when he scored three times to share the mark of 15 with Jack Douglas (1992) and Gene Brown (1988). Rivers had TD runs of eight, 45 and one yard. The senior has one game remaining to get the record when The Citadel hosts Georgia Southern next week.
The Bulldogs also set a record for most points in a season. Their 58 points gave them 371, breaking the 1971 record of 366 points.
MAGIC NUMBER: The Bulldogs gained 506 yards rushing against VMI, marking the fifth time this year they've gone over the 400-yard mark. Not surprisingly, they are 5-0 in those games.
It also was the 11th time in head coach Charlie Taaffe's career The Citadel has reached that figure. They are 11-0 in those games.
'95 MATCHUP: Oyster Bowl officials announced that the 1995 Oyster Bowl game will be played Nov. 18 and will match VMI against Georgia Southern.
It will be the sixth consecutive year the Keydets have hosted the game.
MISSED KICK: After The Citadel's last scoring play, placekicker Justin Skinner missed the point after touchdown which denied the team a share of the Oyster Bowl scoring record.
William and Mary set the record of 59 points in the 1990 game, also against VMI. The difference was the Keydets scored 47 points in that game.
BIG DAY AGAIN: Last week The Citadel fullback Travis Jervey had a career-best day with 195 yards rushing against Tennessee-Chattanooga. But he bettered that showing against the Keydets.
Jervey amassed 224 yards on just 10 carries, the fourth-best single-game total in school history. He also was near the Southern Conference record for highest average per carry with a 22.4 average.
The record of 29.8 yards-per-carry was set by The Citadel's Joe Bedenbaugh in 1970. He gained 179 yards on six carries for a 29.8 per-carry average. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
LAWRENCE JACKSON/Staff
It was a good day to be a Bulldog, as freshman James Garetson and
mascot Brutus basked in The Citadel's 58-14 win over VMI.
by CNB