THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 12, 1996 TAG: 9611120378
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 69 lines
It was hard to know what to make of Virginia Tech or Miami when they met early last season.
Virginia Tech was reeling at 0-2 when it played the Hurricanes. Miami was 1-1, but had been crushed by UCLA.
Since Tech's 13-7 win last Sept. 23, the Hokies and 'Canes have been the two best teams in the Big East. Including that game, Tech has won 17 of its last 18, highlighted by a Sugar Bowl victory. Miami fell to 1-2 with the loss in Blacksburg, but is 13-3 since. Since that same weekend, Syracuse is 13-4.
When they meet Saturday in the Orange Bowl (3:30, WTKR), Tech and Miami will harbor hopes of a bowl alliance spot. The Hokies (7-1, 4-1 Big East) fall out of the running with a loss, but Miami (6-2, 4-0) would not.
The Hurricanes meet Syracuse (6-2, 5-0) Nov. 30. If Tech beats Miami and Miami beats Syracuse - and all three win their one other remaining league game - a three-way tie would occur at 6-1. The bowl alliance representative would be the team with the best average ranking between the Associated Press and USA Today/CNN polls.
``Certainly since the Big East was formed (the Hurricanes) have been the team to beat, and as far as I'm concerned they still are,'' Tech coach Frank Beamer said.
That Tech finally beat Miami after 12 losses helps the Hokies' confidence. But Hurricanes coach Butch Davis said his team is much different than it was last year when it met Tech.
``I think our football team has a better concept of what we would like to do offensively, defensively and on special teams,'' Davis said. ``At the time when we played Virginia Tech last year, we virtually had very little confidence in our own abilities. We'd lost a bad game to UCLA, had won against Florida A&M but still didn't really know who or what we were or what it was going to take to win.
``Since that time, we've had some tough ballgames and we've grown and developed a little bit of character.''
FOREMAN ON THE JOB: West Virginia receiver Shawn Foreman, a sophomore from Chesapeake's Indian River High, got his first start and had the best game of his career Saturday in the Mountaineers' 55-14 victory at Rutgers. Foreman grabbed six passes for 164 yards, including first-quarter touchdown receptions of 48 and 23 yards from Chad Johnston.
``Shawn Foreman is a real good, solid football player,'' West Virginia coach Don Nehlen said. ``He's invaluable to this team. He's on special teams, he's a split end - he plays all the time.''
Foreman, who was converted from safety in the middle of last season, is third on the team with 21 receptions for 371 yards (17.7 per reception) and three touchdowns.
AGE SPOTS: Beamer on reaching his 100th coaching win Saturday, 58 of which have come in 10 seasons at Tech: ``I've had a lot of good players. I've had good coaches, and this staff right here is absolutely the best. And probably the third thing it says is I'm getting old.''
BC UPDATE: Boston College coach Dan Henning said he doesn't know if any of the 13 players suspended for last week's game because of a gambling scandal will be reinstated in time for Saturday's Temple game.
``That business is in the hands of the investigators here, the university and the NCAA,'' Henning said. ``I'm not concerned about that right now. I'm concerned about the players who are here and are working and practicing.''
QUICK HITS: Virginia Tech's 591 total offensive yards last week were the sixth-most ever in a game by a Hokie team. ... It turns out Syracuse's non-conference schedule, once regarded as easy, wasn't after all. Syracuse opened by losing to North Carolina, which has climbed to a tie for No. 6 in the AP poll, and this week hosts No. 22 Army (9-0). ... Notre Dame might as well join the Big East for football, too. The Irish play their second of three consecutive Big East opponents - all bottom feeders - Saturday when they meet Pittsburgh. They already beat BC and play Rutgers next week. East Carolina is the only other non-conference team to meet three Big East foes. by CNB