THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 26, 1995 TAG: 9510260578
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
Syracuse, picked to finish fifth in the Big East in the preseason, is in first place, 6-1 and nationally ranked.
Orangemen coach Paul Pasqualoni doesn't want his players to get too excited yet.
Syracuse was in a similar position last year. The Orangemen lost three of their last four and did not get a bowl bid for the second consecutive season.
``I hope I don't even have to say it to them,'' said Pasqualoni, who began the season on the hot seat. ``I felt pretty good last year at this time, I'm going to be honest with you.
``We were playing pretty good football and we were 6-1 going into the month of November and things didn't work out. We're less-experienced this year than last year, and we've got a long way to go.''
Syracuse is off this week and travels to Virginia Tech Nov. 4.
BOOB TUBE: If the Hokies win Saturday at West Virginia, Virginia Tech's home game next week with Syracuse could play a big role in determining the Big East title and the league's participant in the Sugar Bowl or Orange Bowl. ABC will broadcast Syracuse-Tech regionally at 3:30 p.m.
The telecast will net each team $365,000, but Tech coach Frank Beamer said the benefits can be far greater.
``If you play well, it's great,'' Beamer said. ``All the recruits and all the alumni we're trying to get to give us some money for this new football facility, all those people are seeing Virginia Tech and being very proud of Virginia Tech.''
Tech is raising money for a complex containing locker rooms, meeting rooms and weight-training facilities.
The Hokies were on two ABC regional telecasts last year and lost - at Syracuse and at Miami. The football broadcast will be the first by one of the three major networks originating from Blacksburg since 1982, when Miami at Tech was shown regionally by CBS.
SCORING OUTBURST: For the first five weeks of the season, Virginia Tech languished at the bottom of the league and among the lowest-ranked teams nationally in scoring offense. But in the past two weeks, the Hokies have scored 122 points, the most ever for Tech in back-to-back games.
The Hokies are second in the league and 38th nationally in scoring with 27 points per game. Just two weeks ago, they ranked 104th nationally and last in the Big East with 13.4 points per game.
KNIGHT FRIGHT: During the Big East coaches' teleconference this week, Rutgers coach Doug Graber was talking when a secretary broke in ``Scarlet Knight football . . . am I on the wrong line?''
``That's pretty much the state of our program right now,'' Graber said after she hung up. ``We're having a tough time answering the phone.'' Rutgers is 1-5 and Graber's job reportedly is in jeopardy.
QUICK HITS: Virginia Tech's five-game winning streak in the same season is its longest during Beamer's nine-year tenure. The last time the Hokies won six in a row in the same season was 1967, when they opened 7-0. . . .
Tech linebacker Myron Newsome was the Big East defensive player of the week with 10 tackles, a sack, a pass broken up and a touchdown returned 71 yards for a touchdown in the Hokies' victory at Rutgers. . . .
Temple's defense was on the field for 94 snaps last week in a loss to East Carolina, and coach Ron Dickerson said several players cramped up and required intravenous feedings on the flight home. . . .
Army's 49-7 drubbing of Boston College was BC's worst home loss in 50 years. The Eagles (2-5) play this week at Notre Dame. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni was 6-1 last year, too, but ended 7-4
- and out of a bowl.
by CNB