THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 15, 1994 TAG: 9411150434
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Long : 103 lines
The Heisman Trophy talk ended in September for Virginia Tech's Maurice DeShazo. He probably won't even be named the All-Big East quarterback. It's unlikely he'll win the Dudley Award as the Commonwealth's best college football player.
But the Hokies have won eight games this year and could get No. 9 Saturday when they host Virginia. That, coach Frank Beamer said, is the key stat for his quarterback.
``Last year at this time we'd lost three ballgames, and this year we've lost two ballgames,'' Beamer said. ``I still think for a quarterback it's how many did you win? To me, that's a stat Maurice should be proud of.''
DeShazo is 19-12-1 in three years as a starter, an impressive 17-5 the last two seasons.
Little else he has done this season has matched up to his junior year.
DeShazo came into the season as a fringe Heisman Trophy candidate and unanimous preseason all-conference quarterback. He was fifth in Division I-A a year ago in passing efficiency. with a rating of 157.53.
After a good outing Saturday in a victory over Rutgers that earned DeShazo Big East player of the week honors, DeShazo has climbed from eighth to seventh in passing efficiency with a 122.06 rating.
That's seventh in the eight-team Big East, not the country. DeShazo isn't even in the top 50 nationally.
Only six returning quarterbacks in the nation threw for more than the 22 touchdowns DeShazo tossed last season. Three Big East quarterbacks have more than his 11 touchdown throws this season.
``Maurice's whole thing this year is he may be pressing a little bit because he wants the offense to work,'' offensive guard Chris Malone said. ``He knows it can work because of what we did last year. When you try too hard at something, it just backfires.''
DeShazo admitted he succumbed to the pressure early in the season. He got off to a bad start, and things got worse before they got better.
After Tech won big on ESPN against West Virginia, DeShazo was disconsolate because he had played poorly, throwing three interceptions and completing just 12 of 32 passes.
``Sometimes I get so hard on myself, coach (Billy) Hite has to tell me, `Ease up, we're winning,' '' DeShazo said. ``That's all that matters to me. You can get selfish and say `I'm not doing this or that,' but it doesn't matter.''
DeShazo said he's gotten beyond those emotions: ``I just sat down and said, `Look, 'Reece, you can't control everything, you can't do everything.' ''
Besides the Miami game - in which he was 14-of-29 for 134 yards with an interception - DeShazo has played well since the West Virginia outing. He's completed 56 percent of his passes and thrown for six touchdowns with just two interceptions in his last six games. Take away the Miami game, and DeShazo has completed 58 percent of his passes since Oct. 1.
``It's been a frustrating year for Maurice,'' wide receiver Antonio Freeman said. ``Early in the year he hung his head and got down on himself, but we stayed behind him and worked through it and he seems to have his confidence back. I'm sure Maurice expected to improve on his numbers from last year.''
What's the difference between last year and this one?
It's clear DeShazo has not played as well. He's routinely missed open receivers, particularly on the long ball. He's had a spate of nagging injuries and appears less mobile than in the past. And the offense, despite having all the key skill position players from last year back, is a mere shadow of its record-setting self in 1993.
The Hokies averaged 36.4 points and 444 yards per game last season. They're averaging 28.1 points and 364 yards this season. Tech is 8-2 and ranked 14th by the Associated Press largely because its defense has taken an upturn comparable to the offense's downturn.
After the Hokies second-best offensive performance of the season Saturday, Beamer said, ``It's good to see that offense come alive.''
Which indicates that, at times, it's been close to comatose.
Not all the blame can be laid at DeShazo's feet. The offensive line was a strength last year, with both center Jim Pyne and tight end John Burke moving on to the NFL after the season. This year's line has been marked by inexperience, inconsistency and injuries.
That means DeShazo has had less time to operate, and he has not had a running game that could take the pressure off him this season. Tech was 10th nationally last year in rushing with 242.8 yards per game. The Hokies are 52nd this season at 169.2 yards. DeShazo has faced plenty of third-and-longs in 1994.
``He's taking a lot of shots this year he probably didn't take the year before,'' Malone said. ``And the gaping big running holes aren't there like last year because of the young people and inexperience.''
The new people aren't only in the offensive line. There's also one on the sideline in offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill, who hasn't changed things dramatically but has instituted a slightly more complex system.
All of it adds up to a senior season unlike the one DeShazo expected. But he won't leave Virginia Tech without leaving his mark.
He has the school's career record for touchdown passes (45); is three yards shy of the total offense record (5,871, held by Don Strock); and with 5,485 passing yards will likely finish third behind Strock (6,009) and Will Furrer (5,915).
``We're playing for the highest ranking a Tech football team has ever had and the most prestigious bowl we could ever go to,'' Beamer said. ``Our quarterback, no matter what you want to say, has led us to a great position for our football team right now.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Paul Aiken
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