THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 8, 1995 TAG: 9510080175
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ANNAPOLIS, MD. LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
Virginia Tech beat Navy in a one-sided football game Saturday.
Both teams played well on one side of the ball.
The Hokies (3-2) were impotent offensively, but the defense posted Tech's first shutout in 64 games for a 14-0 victory at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Hokies didn't have a secure lead until tailback Dwayne Thomas scored Tech's second touchdown on a 28-yard run with 1:55 remaining.
``We figured as long as (the offense) doesn't put us in a big hole, we'll be all right,'' Tech defensive end Cornell Brown said.
The last Hokies shutout was 18-0 over Vanderbilt in 1989. Tech's last road shutout was 48-0 over Virginia in 1983.
The Hokies limited Navy's ground game - which came in No. 8 nationally with 273.5 yards per game - to 126 yards. Midshipmen quarterback Chris McCoy carried 21 times and finished with 1 net yard rushing, or 132 below his average. He was 10th in the nation and the country's top running quarterback before the game.
Tech recorded seven sacks for minus-56 yards and 11 tackles-for-loss. Brown had 4.5 sacks and 13 tackles, many of them coming when he burst down the line and caught the quarterback or running back in Navy's option offense from behind. The Hokies dominated the line play and only got caught by surprise a couple times by the option.
``We concentrated on everybody staying home and being disciplined,'' said defensive tackle J.C. Price, who had two sacks and eight tackles. ``Our defense is an attacking defense and everyone talks about our defensive front flying around and being undisciplined. A lot of times we are.''
Not this time. Tech's offense, however, was a different story.
The Hokies managed just 273 yards total offense and 185 rushing. Eighty total yards, including 76 rushing, came on the Hokies' final drive of the day.
``Any time you play that poor, it's lucky when you come out with a win,'' said quarterback Jim Druckenmiller, who threw two interceptions and was 10 of 19 for 88 yards.
Hokies coach Frank Beamer was as disgusted with his offense as he was elated with his defense. He hopes to revive an offense that was 104th of 108 teams nationally in scoring coming into the game.
``We're going to look at this video real closely, I can tell you,'' Beamer said. ``We had drops, missed routes, poor throws, people in the quarterback's face. I don't think it's one thing right now.''
Druckenmiller knows of one thing that's lacking: emotion.
``I just wish some of the players would pick it up,'' Druckenmiller said. ``Get intense out there, show some emotion. I think there was a lack of emotion offensively. It's frustrating at times for me.''
Just like in Tech's shutout loss to Cincinnati, in which Tech gained just 239 yards, the Hokies sleepwalked offensively. Druckenmiller said Tech players have trouble getting excited, even when someone makes a big play.
``We've gotta get ourselves ready to play,'' said Thomas, who ran 21 times for 92 yards but also lost two fumbles. ``I think a lot of people wait for other people to do something to get us started up.''
Both offenses looked like ships that had dropped anchors, just lurching back and forth in the waves between the 30s. Navy (2-3) only breached the Hokie 30 once - when it reached the 28 in the second quarter. The Middies' Jason Covarrubias missed a 46-yard field goal try wide right in what would be Navy's only scoring opportunity.
The Hokies, meanwhile, only ventured inside Navy's 30 once in the game's first 58 minutes, thanks in part to a roughing-the-punter call that gave Tech a first down at its own 39.
``The roughing-the-punter call was a good call,'' Navy coach Charlie Weatherbie said. ``We still had a chance to stop them and didn't.''
After the penalty, Druckenmiller connected on four passes totaling 65 of his 88 yards. On third-and-14 at his 46, Druckenmiller found Jermaine Holmes over the middle for 31 yards. Two plays later, Druckenmiller hit Holmes for a 16-yard touchdown with 14:55 left in the second quarter.
A win's a win, even if only half of the team is satisfied with its play.
``The whole team felt we should have come out and blown them out,'' Thomas said. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Navy's defensive back Sean Andrews breaks up a Jim Drukenmiller pass
to Bryan Still in the second quarter. Virginia Tech's offense
struggled Saturday, scoring just two touchdowns and staying outside
the 30-yard line for most of the game. Still, who separated his
shoulder in the season opener, reinjured it later in the game
Saturday.
by CNB