Richmond Times-Dispatch from Richmond, Virginia • 37

zxr 'f XT 'Jr rtr A- vrwv'v rr-rt-t- i Wctmond Tlmee-Diepatch College Football Sunday Augret 6 2000 DV mm- AP PRESEASON TOP 25 4-y Nebraska given APs top ranking (nrrt-ptec votes In LNetnski(36) 12-1 2 FiortdiSt (29) 12-1 4 Wisconsin (IlZZZZ U-2 5 Miami lMicNganlt- Virginia Tech to start season at No 11 TUa AancuiiD Passe first team to be ranked No 1 from start to finish collected 29 first-place votes and 1720 points' The 12-point difference is one of the closest the tightest preaea-son poll was 1994 when Florida edged Notre Dame by two points Florida State coach Bobby Bowden wanted the top spot for one reason see how long we could go wire to wire and keep it going nice to be No 2 though You want to stay visible he said in the Top 10 visible Other than that it really matter until Alabama the defending Southeastern Conference champion is No 3 the Crimson highest preseason ranking since a No 2 start in 1993 The Tide re ceived three first-place votes and 1570 points Wisconsin the twotime Rose Bowl winner and defending Big Ten champion is No 4 followed by No 5 Miami No 6 Michigan No 7 Texas No 8 Kansu State No 9 Florida and No 10 Georgia Wisconsin with its highest preseason ranking had one first-place vote Texas had two first-place votes Solich believes the Seminoles deserve the top spot: "Them winning it all and the number of players they have returning in my mind they are No 1 until someone unseats Conspicuous by its absence is Notre Dame unranked in the preaeaaon poll for the first time since 1986 very strongly at the end of last year and felt we could (day with anyone in the country How it all plays out this year well The Huakers start on top for the sixth time since the APs first preseason poll hi 1950 An ominous note for Nebraska fans though: The Comhuskers have won four AP national titles since then but none in years they started Nol 1 Coming off a strong 12-1 season and No 3 find ranking the defending Big 12 champion Huakers received 36 first-place votes and 1732 points from the 71 sports writers and broadcasters on the AP paneL The Seminoles 12-0 last season and the Juat like every other college football fan Nebraska coach Frank Solich was ea-pr to know how highly his Comhuskers would be ranked to open the season Well they're No 1 and defending national champion Florida State is a rim No 2 in The Associated Press Top 25 pre-season college football polL Virginia Tech a 46-29 loser to Florida State in the national title game at the Stig-ar Bowl after going 11-0 in "99 Is No 11 appreciate the fact that enough people think so highly of our program to put us at No Solich said finished Othws ncaMng votes Texas UCU US Eaat CaraSna 7S Oragon Mbvfli Colorado St 25 MMaiippI St Wall Notra Dame 32 Vfrgtaia at Manhal 21 Ah i 22 Georgia Ttdi 10 LSU It SyranM 1 BVU 7 Minnesota 1 Boston CsScgo I Kan-tacky Toxao Tech 1 Toledo 2 Stanford 2 Art-zona St 1 Oregon St 1 Upper D1 Policy appears to keep Monroe off field BY MIKE HARRIS TaarihseATCH Star Warns Lane expansion accelerated Virginia Hokies begin preseason work today in preparation for their opener Aug 27 against Georgia Tech at Lane Stadium TFPH Defensive end wn NOTES Beamer said yesterday at Tech's media-day festivities "There are Just so many question marks for us right now not nearly as many definites as we had lari year at this time" The freshmen have had a few days of work already Two from Richmond figure in playing plans this year Tkavls Conway is a long-snapper from JJL Tucker High Jbu Davts is a defensive lineman from Highland Springs who did a year at Fork Union before coming to Tech Conway is 6-5 235 pounds "We actually recruited him as a snapper" Beamer said gotten big enough that going to help us on the offensive line before it is all Davis a 6-5 245-pounder also has worked his way into the playing picture "That year out of high school has allowed him to said Charley WHos the Tech assistant in charge of the defensive fine "I think you can look for him to help us this year at either of the end positional uncle Andy Hrw-vak was punter in 1971 and 72 BY MIKE HARRIS Tnat-DBFATCH Star Wutu BLACXSBIHK2 Jim Weaver have to move very far to check the progress of Virginia Lane Stadium expansion project The Hokies' athletic director only has to turn around in his chair and look out his office window "It will look a lot different for our opener Aug 27 and a whole lot different for next Weaver said The timetable has been accelerated for completion of the project Weaver hopes the expan- sion is complete for the start of the 2002 season That's a year earlier than originally planned When done Lane Stadium wfll seat between 67000 and 70000 Capacity for this year will be about 55000 This year the changes will be small but significant Olid among than will be the addition of a jumbo scoreboard on the north end of the stadium The smaller scoreboard on the south end will remain operational for the 2000 season The north end zone seats have been expanded by about 2800 seats for this season In the south end zone a total of 1672 seats are being taken out and replaced with a bleacher setup that will seat about 3200 people Next year the south end xone will be redone It will contain about 11500 new seats and 15 luxury suites The original plan was to have the south end zone completed for the 2002 season The biggest change will be on the west (press box) side of the stadium New seating will be minimal in the stands but a new press box and 36 luxury suites are part of the dan That will give the Hokies a total of 51 luxury suites Weaver said the cost of expansion will be between $65-70 millioa That cost will be defrayed through private donations seat licf)M1 suite rentals and the increased revenue the extra seat- be on the field It doesn't appear likely hell be able to return suspension will continue pending a review by Tech Athletic Director Jlu Weaver after court appearance Friday But Comprehensive Action Flan established in 1997 appear to give Weaver any choice Weaver said he will review the matter this week Monroe a senior from Tallahassee Fit admitted to a felony but hasn't been convicted of one He was charged with distribution of cocaine On Friday he entered a guilty idea to a reduced charge of possession of cocaine Like the original charge a felony But Judge Ray Grubbs deferred Judgment for two yean allowable under a statute for first-time offenders Monroe is on probation He hu to stay alcohol free and drug free pay a $100 fine and do 100 hours of community service If he meets all requirements record is cleared Tech's Comprehensive Action Plan says any athlete who is con- uff JtcD rilin' on these Hokies like a pair of lead shoulder pads even thougtr they figure to be plenty good again lllrl Here's what learned about the Hokies for the bettef10' part (rf a decade: stalkers with attitude They Florida State not Nebraska nor Wolverines nor Gators noru! Vols They aren't college football royalty in other words ped greed and perennial since Bean 3 Cook was in knee pads They've been climbing in that direction But the hunt over And tbcys do like to hunt This about the lack-of-fe spect mantra at least a couple nLjl players trotted out yesterday! about stages of development for a rising power The Hokies went 11-1 last season and wound up No 2 to national champ FSU 11 and now been picked to finish second in the Big East be hind Miami and placed 11th ill'0'1 the introductory AP poll and realistically and psychologically they be positioned befe' -H ter "It keeps us ofienslvri tackle Dave Kadela said "Beinf fo picked No 2 it gives us thing to shoot for We need toyv prove ourselves all over agrinTih think up to the task" 1 Could be But you look st schedule that includes treacherous road tests at East Carolina mi Boston College Syracuse and Miami and nine or 10 wins and IJ0 nice bowl seem about right aa prelude toward a 2001 rocket x-jl launch with a maturing defense and (keep your fingers crossed) Vick still at the joystick The off" er part of the equation is the Hokies specialize in vaulting opinion polls conceivable dottajpun "I kind of wish we had the guns to be picked in the tup head man Frank Beamer said "Where picked is kind of realistic But Fd rather be picked first every time Fd rather have the goods to defend But he What he has is a defense missing eight starters What he havnis stifling hubbub and hype Let n- and Noles live with heavy burdens Let Tech be Tech Of late been good enough Contact BoO Upper at (804) 6496555 or blipperftinwdispatclum OEAN HOffMEYEJVTIMES-DtSPATCH mw Dfwcnerv wv dni mia uno Stadfom to expand and zona seating ing will provide Tech's success in recent yean has led to record demand for tickets and the seats will sell easily if Tech continues to win When all the work is done Lane Stadium will be about as big as it can get only thing we can do long-term not In my lifetime I think is the same kind of thing doing on the south end in the north Weaver arid "But that would only give us another 5500 seats Fm not sure that would be worth the cost" or no contest to such a charge is removed from the program Given plea the outcome seems clear Monroe was in on 20 tackles aa a Junior strength training program has several levels players can achieve The elite level combines strength work with things like vertical Jump and 40-yard time Strength coach Mho Gentry said senior guard Matt Lehr is the first offensive lineman to reach that leveL Gentry calls Lehr self-made Coaches generally like their players to return bigger Not always Manta Urquhart a redshirt freshman fullback left after spring drills at 279 pounds and came back at 250 pounds "That young man has shown me he wants to play football running backs coach BMy HRs the sophomore walk-on is a fulltime comerback now Hell back up Larry Austin is secondary coach Lorenzo Ward said wants to be in this Coming soon to a Department of Motor Vehicles office near you is a cutout of Beamer holding one of the Virginia Tech license plates available Photos were taken this week said Conversely tailback Las Suggs has grown from 180 to 210 Hite said "He is chiseled" Hite said "He really looks good Fm expecting big things out of Lee Suggs" Bifiy Hardee spent most of spring drills at free safety and part at comerback He had an excellent spring ipune at safety But Rankings: The Dallas Morning News has revealed its preseason Top 25 in a series of daily articles done countdown style The Hokies showed up at a lofty No 2 Tech was listed 11th in the preseason poll by The Associated Press released yesterday Contact Mite Haris it (804) 649-6839 or mharrisBUnesdispatctuom Tech goes into the season with an interesting streak The Hokies have finished higher than projected in the Big East preseoaon poll for seven straight yean The only way to keep that alive this year is to win another Kg East title Tech was picked second behind Miami a prognostication Hokies coach Frai Reamer dispute "Were going to have to work like heck to finish second 5 "Rudio Express YAMAHA NILES MONSTER MITSUBISHI BOSTON ACOUSTIC KLIPSCH SONY raaco EQUBWOn HO! 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