Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 109

PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17. 1997 PAGE 109 lHflrtM mt" i mi I inirnmiminnnp I nniirii mil Dejected Bobby Hoying heads Bobby Hoying became the ninth first-time more than a dozen years ago. Here's off a GEORGE REYNOLDS DAILY NEWS field after just missing Chad Lewis with second-quarter pass IT'S A START starting quarterback for the Eagles since Randall Cunningham made his debut look at those quarterbacks and how they did in their first start as an Eagle: stood deep in the pocket and tried to find a receiver. "This is the NFL, and they're going to bring the heat," Hoying said. "I've got to stand in there and take the licks.

But I have to learn to throw the ball away a little bit." Following Ty Detmer and Rodney Peete into the starting lineup, you had to wonder how the rest of the team would respond to the leadership of a kid. Detmer and, especially, Peete define veteran presence. Hoying was untested, unproven, all of that. He hadn't even taken practice snaps with the No. 1 offense before this But Hoying seemed particularly pleased with how that end of things went.

"I made some steps today," he said. "When you have two veteran quarterbacks in front of you, it's hard to Ibe a leader. But today, a lot was said in the huddle. I felt good about how they reacted to me in the huddle." Meanwhile, up in the stands, his father watched and beamed. Vera Hoying was part of a group of eight that flew in to Baltimore yesterday morning from Ohio to see his son's professional starting debut.

And afterward, in a hallway under Memorial Stadium, father and son hugged and exchanged confidences. "He held his composure in there," Vern said. "He got beat around a bit, but I don't think he got hit really hard. And he's going to learn from it. That's the kind of player he is I think Rodney and Ty have helped him a lot, both last year and this year.

He's learned the system, and it's helped him." And you, Dad? "For me? It was. tense," Vern Hoying said. "It was like two or three years ago that's what the feeling was like. It was like it was before the big Saturday games at Name Date Opponent Yds. Int.

TO ftesull Randall Cunningham 91585 vs. Rams 14-34 211 4 0 6-17 Matt Cavanaugh 101986 vs. Cowboys 3-10 32 0 0 14-17 Jim McMahon 9 891 vs. Cardinals 19-34 173 0 0 10-26 Brad Goebel 10 691 at Buccaneers 9-20 62 2 0 13-14 Jeff Kemp 121591 vs. Cowboys 18-37 150 2 1 13-25 Bubby Brister 101093 vs.

Bears 18-33 209 2 1 6-17 Ken O'Brien 103193 vs. Cowboys 11-24 107 0 1 10-23 Rodney Peete 10 895 at Saints 18-28 173 0 0 15-10 Ty Detmer 101396 at Giants 18-33 170 0 0 19-10 Bobby Hoying 111697 at Ravens 26-38 276 0 0 10-10 by Rich Hofmann Daily News Sports Columnist BALTIMORE Bobby Hoying leaves you wanting to see more. It's that simple. There is no higher compliment you can pay to a first-time starting quarterback in the National Football League, but it fit Hoying exactly. It would be idiotic to go overboard after one game.

Still, it was what it was. He got sacked nine times and was probably guilty of holding the ball too long on about four of them. He completed 26 of 38 passes for 276 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions and a lost fumble. He hung in. He was accurate.

He was mobile enough. He played tough. And he drove his team 60 yards in the final 3:40 of regulation time to forge the tie against the Baltimore Ravens that ended up being the final score, 10-10. "Taking the team down on a 60-yard scoring drive at the end of the game to tie the game, and then to put us in position to win twice in overtime is a hell of a beginning for a guy who has a bright future," Eagles offensive coordinator Jon Gruden said. "Bobby Hoying has the right look in his eye.

He's going to be fine. We all have to do a better job finding ways to help him, and we have to make some plays around him, too." After the game, Hoying was self-effacing and unscarred by the beating he endured. He said that the Ravens' defense was stacked against the run and almost daring him to pass. And the heat was, well, hot. Nine sacks were an explosion for a Baltimore team that had only 20 sacks in its first 10 games.

But the Eagles' line is patchwork at this point, and it showed. And a bunch of the sacks were looong sacks, as Hoying TIE Continued from Page 110 ens' 2. From there Charlie Garner not Watters plunged in to knot the score at 10-10 with 1:25 to play. Coming off the field Garner passed a peeved Watters, hands on hips. "Don't even ask me," Watters replied tersely when asked afterward why he wasn't in the game at that point.

He finished with 36 yards on 12 carries, both season lows. The Ravens managed little the Ohio State. But I settled down once the game started." Which, as it turns out, is exactly what the son said. Nerves were not an issue. Instead, they were replaced by overall efficiency.

As Freddie Solomon, who darted from behind DeRon Jenkins 18 yards downfield to make the catch. "I was going to bring my route back out," Solomon explained, "but Bobby had already read it." Dumpoffs to Garner and Watters gave the Eagles a first down, barely, at the Ravens' 17 with about 25 seconds left. The Eagles had exhausted their timeouts. Confusion ensued. The field goal team was instructed to take the field immediately if the play to Watters did not produce a first down.

Some of the unit believed it was short, and rushed on. Some say they were first steps go, well, he's still standing, isn't he? Again, one week is just one week. But the very fact that everyone was left wanting to see a lot more, well, that speaks vol told to go. "The coaches told us to go out there," said holderpunter Tommy Hutton, "and I don't think we realized we made a first down. We just do what the coaches tell us to do, and they all told us to go out there, so we rushed out there." Regardless, they then rushed off, but not before about 20 seconds had elapsed.

Hoying lined up the team to spike the ball, but the Birds lacked an eligible receiver on the left side of the field. The penalty stopped the clock with five seconds left and cost the team 5 precious yards, kicking into a strong wind. "I take responsibility for that," umes about where Bobby Hoying is right now. Overall? "Just a long, frustrating day," Hoying said. That, and so much more.

Rhodes said. Boniol then missed the fourth of his last nine field goal tries, the wind pushing it wide right. It was about the only poor special-teams play of Ihe day something of an achievement for the Eagles. Boniol did not stick around afterward to talk about it. Hoying, on the other hand, was understandably excited if a bit puzzled.

"I don't know how to eel about this," he said, giddy with his relative success, straining to say something humble. "It's the farthest thing away from a win." Spoken like a quarterback who has never lost a pro game. rest of the game. Their final possession in regulation ended at the Eagles' 37, when the Birds' defense stopped them on third-and-1 and fourth-and-1. Their first overtime possession ended at the Birds' 36 on a fourth-and-6 sack by Thomas, who had a drive-killing interception earlier in the game.

The Ravens' final threat of overtime ended when Stover his 55-yard field goal attempt wide right. That set up the Eagles' final scene. The Birds got the ball on their 43 with 2:21 to play in OT. Hoying hit Turner, then Fryar, then, after one of Mayberry's false starts..