Daily Press from Newport News, Virginia • Page 24

College football C2 Daily PressTimes-Herald, Saturday, Nov. 14, 1987 MAIHII.l.liH..H Football no game of compassion Holy Cross 45, 17: Just scoring on A at Holy Cross 1:00 nd so it has come to pass, from pee-wee to professional, running up the score is one of the biggest sins in foot- ball. Skip Miller Executive Sports Editor 0 Where: Fitton Field, Worcester, Mass. 0 Record: William and Mary is 4-5 after beating Bucknell 31-6; Holy Cross is 9-0 after beating Harvard 41-6. 0 Series: Holy Cross won the only game in the series last year in Williamsburg, 31-7.

0 Analysis: William and Mary apparently has put the pieces together, winning two straight games for the first time all year. The Indians have gotten solid defensive play for three straight weeks, holding each opponent (James Madison, VMI, Bucknell) under its season average for total offense. Offensively, the Indians' air-oriented attack has developed a new look with successful running by first Eddie Davis (121 yards against VMI) and then Erick Elliott (118 against Bucknell). But Holy Cross appears to be more than even a much- improved team can handle. The Crusaders have been ranked No.

1 for six successive weeks and lead every college team in total offense. The Crusaders, who average 48 points a game offensively, have won 18 straight games against l-AA opponents. They are as imposing on defense as they are on offense. Only one l-AA opponent in the last three years (Massachusetts this fall) has rushed for more than 100 yards and only one (Dartmouth this fall) has scored more than 14 points against Holy Cross over that span. Ail-American Gordie Lock-baum is a threat whenever he touches the ball as a pass receiver, kick returner and runner.

He also threw his first career TD pass last week. And quarterback Jeff Wiley leads the nation with 30 TD passes. 0 Radio: WMBG 740 AM, WPEX 1490 AM. the undefeated Crusaders should be a moral victory for William and Mary. Miami 50, Virginia Tech 10: The opening line on this game made undefeated Miami a 38-point favorite.

Richmond 28, Villanova 14: Upstart Villa-nova is no match for an established program like North Carolina 17, Virginia 7: Somewhere I was reading that Virginia could have a shot at a bowl bid if it beats North Carolina. Sure. And the cow jumped over the moon. East Tennessee 35, VMI 10: East Tennessee State polishes its act in preparation of the Division I-AA playoffs. Others Apprentice over Wingate, Norfolk State over St.

Paul's, Washington Lee over Georgetown, Hampden-Sydney over Randolph-Macon, Emory Henry over Maryville, Bridgewater over Tennessee Wesleyan, Virginia Union over Elizabeth City, Towson State over Liberty. The ACC And Area Clemson over Maryland, North Carolina State over Duke, Eastern Carolina over Southern Mississippi, South Carolina over Wake Forest, Winston-Salem over Livingstone, J.C. Smith over Fayetteville State, North Carolina over North Carolina Central, Catawba over Davidson, Appalachian over Citadel, Howard over Morgan State, Marshall over Western Carolina. The Top 20 Oklahoma over Missouri, Nebraska over Colorado, Florida State over Furman, UCLA over Washington, Syracuse over Boston College, Notre Dame over Alabama, Auburn over Georgia, LSU over Mississippi State, Michigan State over Indiana, Penn State over Pitt, Oklahoma State over Kansas, Tennessee over Mississippi, Texas over Arkansas. The Others Army over Lafayette, Delaware over Navy, Temple over Houston, West Virginia over Rutgers, Florida over Kentucky, Tu-lane over Southwestern Louisiana, Kansas State over Iowa State, Minnesota over Wisconsin, Iowa over Ohio State, Purdue over Northwestern, Baylor over Rice, Texas over Texas Christian, Brigham Young over Texas-El Paso, Arizona State over California, Air Force over New Mexico, Stanford over Oregon State, Southern Cal over Airzo-na, Wyoming over Utah, Oregon over Washington State.

Va. Tech at Miami 7:30 Score enough touchdowns to win. Perish the thought of scoring enough to humiliate. Sounds nice. But it won't work.

Football is not an exercise in compassion. It is a collision of grinding heels. Even at its base level. Many years ago I played in a sandlot game that turned into a brutal struggle. We got up a neighborhood team and we challenged some guys from River Flats to meet us on a dormitory lawn at the local college.

We had Jon Hicks and Scott Banks and Jere Thompson and Richard Sweeney. They had Joe Cerio and Dave Ciccone and John Natoli and Benny Mancuso. It would be tackle football, eight players to a side with no substitutes. The dormitories were the sidelines. A row of elms was one goal line, a sidewalk was the other.

We would meet at 1:30 and play until the college chimes signaled the four o'clock opening of the student dining hall. All of us were in organized football, either youth league or junior high school. We knew enough to have proper offensive and defensive formations and we were in shape. For the first hour there was no score. Jon Hicks intercepted a pass at the sidewalk to snuff the only real scoring threat.

Everybody sported a scrape and a ripped shirt and nobody smiled. There was much at stake here. Neighborhood bragging rights. Schoolyard respect. Maybe a starting position when we all joined the junior varsity team.

Definitely a date with somebody like Rena Goodrich or Linda Falso. By three o'clock our game was attracting a crowd. We first noticed it when Dave Ciccone made a diving catch and there was a cheer. Then we saw the students hanging out the dormitory windows. The game became even more intense.

A 4-yard gain was an exceptional running play. Very few passes were completed. Jon Hicks and Benny Mancuso got into a fist fight. As four o'clock approached it was obvious the game was going to end in a tie. There were two more fist fights and one long run by Scott Banks.

The chimes sounded and the game ended. There were cheers and we were too tired to even argue with each other. As we started to leave, a man in sweats and a baseball cap called us over. He introduced himself as Roger Robinson. We knew of him.

He was the coach of the college team. Most of us were classmates of his daughters. "That's how football should be played!" he barked. We shuffled our feet and griped about the tie. I have not forgotten what he told us next.

"Every successful play starts with a mistake," he said. "A missed block. Somebody slow in reacting. Somebody going with a fake. Somebody not carrying out a fake.

A little mistake that became an advantage for the other team. "All you kids have the talent to play high school ball. Maybe some college ball. You remember that football is an unforgiving sport. You will pay for your mistakes." A number of years later, after I had dated one of his daughters and started a career in journalism, I asked Roger Robinson if he had remembered that Sunday afternoon game.

He nodded. "You played for quite a few years after that," he said. "Did you ever again match the intensity you had that day?" No, I never did. Another one of those weeks in the college football predictions. We had a 42-12 record but were successful on all 13 Top 20 picks.

We're at 391-132 (74 percent) for the season. Here's how we see it today: The State Hampton U. 21, Virginia State 20: This game holds the CIAA playoff berth in the balance. yards rushing and 241 .3 total yards a game. Miami's Steve Walsh (111-for-188, 1,418 yards, 14 touchdowns) is the fourth quarterback rated in the top 15 in the nation Tech will face this year.

Tech's main problems are simply depth and experience eight of 11 defensive starters are either freshmen or sophomores and must face Walsh, fullback Melvin Bratton and two of the best receivers in the country in Michael Irvin and Brian Blades. Tech has not been able to run the ball (2.9 yards per carry) and QB Erik Chapman (1 02-for-205, 1,144 yards) has been only average. Miami defensive end Daniel Stubbs is a monster, middle linebacker George Mira Jr. is excellent and free safety Bennie Blades is probably the best in the nation. The 'Canes will win by as many as they want.

0 Radio: WNIS 850 AM. 0 Where: Orange Bowl, Miami, Fla. 0 Records: Virginia Tech is 1-8 after last week 28-16 loss to West Virginia. Miami is 7-0 after last week's 54-3 victory over Miami of Ohio. 0 Series: Miami leads the series 8-0, but the two teams have not played since the Hurricanes' 14-8 win in Blacksburg in 1982.

0 Analysis: The Hokies are 37-point underdogs and rightfully so; third-ranked Miami may be the best team in the nation and Virginia Tech is finishing a brutal four-game road stretch. Some comparative numbers: Miami is third in the nation in scoring offense (42.4), Tech is giving up 28.8 points a game; the Hurricanes are averaging 411 total yards a game, Tech is giving up 398 and averaging only 252.8 itself; Miami is giving up only 9.7 points, 88.3 UNC at Virginia 1:00 urting Sooner meet Cowboys Derrick Fenner rushed for a conference record 328 yards. UNC's rushing attack has been nowhere near as effective as last year due to Fanner's off-field problems and injuries; that should improve with the return of Torin Dorn (6.4 yards per carry) from an ankle injury because the Tar Heels have a quality offensive line. Once again, pressure rests on Virginia's lines: the offensive line must give QB Scott Secules (128-for-210, 1,714 yards; 11th in the nation in passing efficiency) time to throw against UNC's aggressive defense; the defensive line must occupy UNC's big, experienced offensive line to allow linebackers Phil Thomas and Jeff Lageman to plug holes. 0 Radio: WGH 1310 AM.

0 Where: Scott Stadium, Charlottesville 0 Records: North Carolina 3-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, 5-4 overall after last week's 13-10 loss to Clemson. Virginia 3-2 in the ACC, 5-4 overall after last week's 23-14 win over Georgia Tech. 0 Series: North Carolina leads the series 51-36-4, including last year's 27-7 victory in Chapel Hill, N.C. 0 Analysis: Virginia has two things going for it: the Cavaliers have won the last two meetings in Charlottesville and generally play North Carolina tough at home; the Tar Heels' motivation may be waning after last week's emotional loss to Clemson. Virginia certainly isn't hurting for motivation after last year's game, perhaps a low-water mark for the Cavaliers' defense as ented players to replace Jamelle and Lydell, but they are not experienced," Coach Barry Switzer says of redshirt freshman quarterback Charles Thompson and junior fullback Rotnei Anderson.

"We believe in them. If they believe in themselves, they will be a key factor in our season." You gotta believe, and halfback Patrick Collins does. "It hurts to lose two great players," he says. "But at Oklahoma, you can replace great players with great players." Oklahoma's Thompson is faster than Holieway and has seen enough action most of it in mop-up roles to rank as the Sooners' third leading rusher with 514 yards on 62 carries, an 8.3 average. "I can't predict how I'll feel when the game begins," Thompson says.

"I'll just do the things I can and hope that things happen for the best." Anderson, who rushed for 191 yards against Oklahoma State after Carr was hurt, says he "knew it was my turn to prove to By HERSC1IEL NISSENSON AP Football Writer Top-ranked Oklahoma will unveil its version of the replacement Sooners on Saturday. Oklahoma's top two rushers, quarterback Jamelle Holieway and fullback Lydell Carr, suffered knee injuries against Oklahoma State last week and will be on the sidelines when the Sooners host Missouri, their final tuneup before next week's showdown against No. 2 Nebraska, which is idle. "We have good, young, tal myself and to the coaches that I could play as well as he does. Me and Lydell are similar, although he is bigger and stronger.

But I'm just as tough." Switzer says the Sooners "believe in ourselves" and thinks they "will respond positively. We think we're a good football team." UCLA hopes to have star tailback Gaston Green against Washington today. Green suffered a pinched nerve in his neck two weeks ago and missed last week's game with Oregon State. UNC, Virginia in eliminator game 1:30 Va. State at HU David Teel teJ College Notebook both teams seem to think the key to the game will be HU's defense against Virginia State's offense.

Strength against strength. HU's rushing defense has allowed an average of 101 yards a game; Virginia State has rushed for 254 a game. The Trojans' leading rusher is wingback Danny Boynton with 824 yards on 124 carries. Quarterback Rudy Elliot heads the Trojans' Wing-T which has averaged 29 points a game. Elliot's strength is his versatility.

He has thrown for 1,188 yards and rushed for 213 and nine touchdowns. Fullback Demetrius Hall will start for HU, giving the Pirates a nice complement to tailback Carl Painter (786 yards). Hall (519 yards, 7.1 average) saved the Pirates against Elizabeth City and Tuskegee in the second half. 0 Radio: WHOV 88.3 FM. Tape delayed broadcast at 5 p.m.

0 Where: Armstrong Field, Hampton 0 Records: Virginia State is 9-1-1, 5-0 in the CIAA after defeating Norfolk State 35-10. HU is 8-2, 5-1, after defeating St. Paul's 68-0. 0 Series: Virginia State leads 42-24-5. Virginia State won last year 41-15.

0 Analysis: Because the CIAA Northern Division title is on the line, the game is significant for both teams, for the winner advances to the CIAA championship against Winston-Salem State. The winner of that game probably will receive a bid to the Division II football playoffs. Since HU lost to Virginia Union 14-7, it needs to win. Virginia State, 5-0 in the CIAA, only needs to tie. Given that, late-game strategies should prove interesting.

HU will play to win. But willVirginia State play for the tie in a close game? Opposing coaches who have played 13-5-2 but faded late in the season. Two years ago ODU finished 16-1-3 and defeated Virginia, only to be doomed by an otherwise weak schedule. The Monarchs have not made the NCAAs since joining Division I in 1976. SHORT TAKES: Andrew Kennedy, who seemed assured of a position with the Philadelphia 76ers last week, is out of a job.

The Sixers signed Cliff Robinson and dropped Kennedy, a rookie forward from N.C. State quarterback Preston Poag is out for the season following knee surgery this week. Shane Montgomery, who started the first three games this season (all losses), replaces Clemson kicker David Tread-well (17-of-20 field goals including two game-winners in the final seconds) is a legitimate Ail-American Georgia Tech forward Tom Hammonds is questionable for the Yellow Jackets' basketball opener Friday against Alcorn State because of a broken and Maryland, with Georgia Tech and Syracuse longshots. Georgetown is considered the favorite for several reasons: Hoyas' Coach John Thompson will coach the 1988 Olympic team, on which Mourning hopes to play. Thompson runs a very structured program, much like Indian River Coach Bill Lassit-er.

Mourning models his play after former Georgetown AU-American Patrick Ewing. Since completing his campus visits last weekend, Mourning has spoken with the respective coaches by phone. EAST CAROLINA can claim its first winning football season since 1983 today against Southern Mississippi. The Pirates are 5-5 after three consecutive 2-9 seasons. Last season ECU lost to Southern Miss on a final-play field goal after an official awarded Southern Miss an extra play after time had expired.

The official erroneously ruled that a game can not end on an offensive penalty. After the field goal, an irate ECU fan tackled the offending official on the field. OLD DOMINION is the odd team out of the NCAA soccer tournament for the third consecutive year. The Monarchs finished 14-3-2 this season and won the Sun Belt Conference championship. But Virginia, Loyola, William and Mary and George Mason were selected from the South Atlantic Region to the 24-team field.

Loyola and William and Mary received automatic bids because of conference titles. Virginia was a lock, which left Mason and ODU. 4, They did not play. Against six common opponents. Mason was 5-1, ODU 4-0-2.

Last year the Monarchs were Clemson, Wake Forest and the winner of the North Carolina-Virginia game will remain in the scrambled bowl hunt after today's games. Scouts from the Independence and Ail-American bowls will attend the North Carolina-Virginia contest at Scott Stadium. Both teams are 5-4, and Independence officials say the winner will remain on their list. The AU-American bowl reportedly is more interested in North Carolina than Virginia. The Bluebonnet Bowl has not eliminated the Tar Heels but will not scout today's game.

Virginia must win today and next week at North Carolina State to merit serious bowl consideration. Given their choice, the Cavaliers would prefer not to play in the Independence Bowl because its Dec. 19 date falls during final exams. The Ail-American Bowl is Dec. 31.

The Peach Bowl is Wake Forest, which hasn't been in a postseason game since the 1979 Tangerine Bowl. The 6-3 Deacons (seventh winning season in 35 years) need to win either today against South Carolina or next week against Georgia Tech. The Peach would prefer South Carolina, but the 6-2 Gamecocks are likely to accept a Gator Bowl bid if they win today. Clemson, 8-1 and ranked ninth nationally, would like to play in the Florida Citrus Bowl. The Tigers first must defeat Maryland today to clinch the Atlantic Coast Conference championship and then hope the Citrus doesn't opt for the Southeastern Conference runner-up.

The Citrus also is expected to invite Penn State if it defeats Pittsburgh today. The Sugar Bowl ajso will scout Clemson today, although the Tigers would sneak in there only if Syracuse loses today to Boston College. If Syracuse State, ACC games: wins, it likely will play the SEC champion in the Sugar. The other major bowls: Michigan State and UCLA can clinch Rose Bowl berths today. Miami will play the Oklahoma-Nebraska winner in the Orange Bowl.

The Oklahoma-Nebraska loser likely will face Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl. The Cotton Bowl wants Notre Dame to play the Southwest Conference champion. Arkansas can clinch a tie for the SWC title today. VIRGINIA TECH'S Board of Visitors is expected to discuss the school's athletic director search at its Monday meeting. Kansas State AD Larry Travis and Marshall AD David Braine are the finalists and have been interviewed by a search committee and Tech President William Lavery, who is expected to inform the board of his choice Monday.

Travis interviewed for the position when Dutch Baughman was hired last December. The board also is expected to debate Lavery's plan to disband the Virginia Tech Athletic Association. GEORGETOWN REMAINS the acknowledged frontrunner in the Alonzo Mourning Derby. Mourning, the 6-fooM0 center from Indian River High, is considering the Hoyas, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia Tech and Syracuse. He will announce his decision Wednesday.

The recruiting grapevine (Mourning isn't talking) has Georgetown leading Virginia N. Carolina St. at Duke South Carolina at Wake Forest Villanova at Richmond Northeastern at James Madison East Tennessee St. at VMI Towson State at Liberty Elizabeth City at Virginia Union St Paul's at Norfolk State Hampden-Sydney at Randolph-Macon Emory Henry at Maryville Georgetown at Washington Lee Tenn. Wesleyan at Bridgewater Apprentice School at Wingate Top 20 games: If you purchased a new Chevette, from 1981-1986 or New Cavalier from 1982-1986 and presently owned the vehicle you may be entitled to a CASH REBATE! i nr Maryland at No.

9 Clemson Mississippi State at No. 10 LSU No. 16 Indiana at No. 13 Michigan State No 14 South Carolina at Wake Forest No. 15 Penn State at Pittsburgh No.

17 Oklahoma State at Kansas Mississippi at No 18 Tennessee No. 20 Arkansas at No 19 Texas Missouri at No. 1 Oklahoma No. 2 Nebraska at Colorado Virginia Tech at No. 3 Miami (Fla) Furman at No.

4 Florida State Washington at No. 5 UCLA Boston College at No 6 Syracuse Nv 11 Alabama at flo. 7 Notre Dame No 12 Auburn at No 8 Georgia For information to see if you qualify.