THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 5, 1995 TAG: 9511050225
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
Add Syracuse receiver Marvin Harrison and quarterback Donovan McNabb to the list of players with gaudy stats that Virginia Tech's defense has made look ordinary this season.
Tech shut down the Orangemen's two offensive catalyst in a 31-7 victory Saturday at Lane Stadium.
McNabb, second in the nation in passing efficiency coming into the game, completed 12 of 24 passes for a season-low 113 yards and no touchdowns and was held to minus 13 yards rushing on 12 carries. Harrison, fourth in the nation with 129.4 receiving yards per game, was held to a season-low 51 yards on two catches.
``We felt the quarterback and Harrison were the key,'' Tech co-defensive coordinator Bud Foster said.
Tech double-teamed Harrison all day, effectively eliminating from the offense the player who had almost half of Syracuse's receptions.
``The quarterback had to go to somebody he's not used to,'' Hokie rover Torrian Gray said.
Tech's nationally ranked defense has done this before.
Navy quarterback Chris McCoy was 10th nationally in rushing when he faced Tech, and was held to 1 yard rushing on 21 carries.
Rutgers tailback Terrell Willis was the Big East's leading rusher when he met the Hokies, who held him to minus 2 yards rushing.
Syracuse's 7 points and 167 total yards were season lows. The Orangemen's previous lows were 20 points and 240 yards against North Carolina.
OX CHARGE: Tech's two-headed tailback system worked to perfection Saturday.
Senior Dwayne Thomas had an off day, with 39 yards on 15 carries to go along with four catches for 37 yards and a touchdown.
But sophomore backup Ken Oxendine stepped in and gained 118 yards on 19 carries.
``He got hot, boy,'' Tech offensive coordinator Rickey Bustle said of Oxendine.
``We've got a good thing going right now.''
Bustle said he is not considering starting Oxendine in place of Thomas.
BOWL CHATTER: Bowl scouts from the Sugar, Orange, Gator and Carquest bowls talked and talked and talked Saturday about potential scenarios to reporters in the Lane Stadium press box.
The most lucid thing to come out of it was this:
``So much of this is just speculation right now,'' said Jeff Hundley, associate executive director of the Sugar Bowl.
NEW BUILDING: Tech officially announced Saturday long-discussed plans for a new facility to house weight-training facilities, locker rooms, meeting rooms, an academic center and sports medicine complex.
It will be built adjacent to the Jamerson Center, the athletic complex which is just north of Lane Stadium.
The $6 million facility will be named for the family of F.W. (Sonny) Merryman Jr. of Rustburg, Va., which presented a large gift for the project.
A total of $3.7 million has already been raised. by CNB