THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 15, 1995 TAG: 9510150277
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
On another rainy day at Lane Stadium, thousands of Virginia Tech football fans streamed out the exits at halftime because of the Hokies' performance against a lowly team from Ohio.
This time, they left because Tech was already up 47-0 over Akron. Tech eased off a bit in the second half, beating the aptly named Zips 77-27 in the highest-scoring game either school had ever been involved in.
Unlike the 16-0 debacle here a month ago against Cincinnati, the 40,688 Hokies fans had plenty to cheer before deciding to come in out of the rain. Tech (4-2) showered touchdown after touchdown on the hapless Zips (1-5) in the opening 30 minutes.
``I felt like it was getting a little ridiculous toward the end,'' offensive guard Chris Malone said. ``But I'd rather it be that way than be on the other end of it.''
The 77 points were the most by a Hokie team in the modern era and the most ever scored at Lane Stadium. Tech's all-time high is 99 points against Emory and Henry in 1919. Twice before 1912 Tech surpassed 77 points.
The onslaught will pull Tech up in the national scoring statistics. It came into the game averaging 13.4 points per game, 104th of 108 Division I-A teams.
Akron was a good antidote for that stat. The Zips ranked 102 out of 108 Division I-A teams in rushing defense, 87th in passing defense, 100th in total defense and 102nd in scoring defense.
``It might not have been the best team in the world, but any time you put that many points up on the board and see the backups scoring, it has to mean something,'' Tech quarterback Jim Druckenmiller said.
It means the Hokies' season scoring average nearly doubled, jumping to 24. Tech's seven first-half touchdowns matched the number it scored in the first five games. The Hokies' 638 yards total offense was their third-highest ever.
``I really felt we came out sharp,'' coach Frank Beamer said. ``. . . I'm sorry about the score, to be honest with you. We were in there trying to keep doing what we do. I think most of the last scores were off runs. We certainly weren't trying to run up the score.''
The Hokies, winners of four in a row, had two touchdowns after just 43 seconds of possession. Hokie Okesa Smith blocked Akron punter Lloyd Kessler's first attempt and Tech's Jermaine Holmes fell on it in the end zone for a touchdown just over a minute into the game.
``The avalanche started then and never stopped,'' Akron coach Lee Owens said.
Druckenmiller threw a perfect strike about 60 yards in the air on the Hokies' second play from scrimmage, and Cornelius White hauled it in for a 68-yard touchdown pass with 9:49 left in the first quarter. Tech led 12-0, having failed on both point-after attempts - one kick was blocked, and a two-pointer failed.
They were about all that failed offensively for Tech.
By the end of the first quarter, the only drama that remained was whether the Hokies could record their first back-to-back shutouts since 1983. That fell through in the third quarter, when the Zips scored touchdowns on four successive possessions - a 25-yard reverse, a 61-yard pass and two short TD tosses. That closed the gap to merely 63-27 early in the fourth quarter. Two of the touchdowns were set up by Tech turnovers.
``We played better in the third and fourth quarters, but it still doesn't make up for the disastrous first half,'' Akron quarterback Mike Junko said.
By then, Tech had long-ago inserted second- and third-teamers. Druckenmiller (5 of 7, 119 yards, two touchdowns) gave way to backup Al Clark early in the second quarter. Clark finished 6 of 9 for 57 yards and ran for 120 yards on six carries. He had option touchdown runs of 48 and 58 yards in becoming the first Hokies quarterback to rush for 100 yards since Mark Cox in 1983.
Clark, who gave way to third-stringer Cody Whipple midway through the third quarter, refused to come to the postgame interview room.
The first teamers on Tech's defense, which was fourth nationally allowing just 11.8 points per game, didn't cotton to the Zips' offensive explosion while they watched from the sidelines.
``It was real frustrating,'' defensive end Lawrence Lewis said. ``You practice and play a great game and then you see stuff out there that's really maddening. We take pride in stopping people from scoring and running. You start to see them doing that on you and you're like `Hey, stop taking advantage of our young guys.' ''
The Zips probably had similar thoughts just 10 minutes into the game. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Virginia Tech backup quarterback Al Clark scoots through the Akron
defense for a 48-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Clark ran
for 120 yards and passed for 57.
by CNB