The Roanoke Times from Roanoke, Virginia • 43

OUTDOORS SPORTS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1987 Roanoke Times -News SECTION Cavaliers destroy Devils UVa airs it out in 42-17 victory By DOUG DOUGHTY Sportswriter CHARLOTTESVILLE No doubt cringing a few times in the process, Virginia coach George Welsh showed Saturday night that two can play "airball." UVa burned previously unbeaten Duke on a pair of long touchdown passes and pulled away for a 42-17 victory before 35,500 fans at Scott Stadium. Quarterback Scott Secules scored twice on 1-yard runs and tossed touchdown passes of 42 and 53 yards to John Ford, the second after Duke had cut UVa's lead to 21-17 early in the third quarter. "I thought we could throw with them if we had to," Secules said. "They completed a lot of passes, but we made the big plays." The big plays weren't limited to the offense. Virginia free safety Kevin Cook intercepted two passes in the second half, and the Cavaliers repeatedly stymied Duke in short-yardage situations.

Blue Devils quarterback Steve Slayden finished 26- of-44 for 236 yards, but he completed just three of his last 13 attempts. That was after a 14-of-15 start. "Is that what they were?" asked Cook, who also had a crucial goal-line deflection late in the first half. "There was no way they could keep that up for four quarters. If they do, they deserve to win the game." Secules finished 13-of-20 for 221 yards, and Ford had seven catches for 163 yards, career highs in both categories.

Duke cornerback Eric Volk, son of former Baltimore Colts standout Rick Volk, was no match for Ford in single coverage. "You see them in man coverage and it's like, 'Don't fall down; don't drop the Secules said. "You almost have to lick your chops. "I'm still surprised sometimes that we're able to get the ball to him deep as much as we do." Duke came into the game with the more potent offense and added to the confusion by going without a huddle, but Virginia never trailed after taking just nine to go 74 yards on its first possession. The Cavaliers, who were one-point favorites despite losing two of their first three games, grabbed a 21-10 halftime lead using a balanced offense that finished with 267 yards on the ground and 221 in the air.

Junior tailback Kevin Morgan carried 18 times for 127 yards, and redshirt freshman Marcus Wilson added 10 carries for 57 yards and two touchdowns. Wilson and Morgan fumbled on back-to-back possessions with Virginia clinging to a four-point lead in the third quarter, but the defense came up with big plays the first of Cook's interceptions and a sack by Ray Savage. "When you play a passing team like Duke, it's hard to be as aggressive as you'd like, but we really kept after them," said defensive end Sean Scott, who played most of the way despite a shoulder injury that ended his streak of 36 starts. Welsh had indicated his best defense would be a ball-control offense, but the Cavaliers effectively mixed in the pass, as Secules went 4-of-4 on two first-quarter touchdown drives. With the Cavaliers leading 14-10, Secules executed a nifty play-action fake and hit Ford in full stride for a 42-yard touchdown pass.

Ford's two TD catches gave him five this season and 17 for his career. Duke favored a shorter passing game and did not have a completion of more than 21 yards. The no-huddle look was a first for the Blue Devils this season, although coach Steve Spurrier had used it as Duke's offensive coordinator in a 1980 win at Clemson. "I was concerned because I wasn't sure we'd be ready for that," Welsh said. "We were stuck in the wrong defense for three or four plays, but after that, we worked our signals out." Welsh didn't make a big deal about his team's passing success and indicated that the team had stressed the running game in practice.

Indeed, Secules threw only six passes in the second half, completing five for 109 yards Please see Cavaliers, Page C14 INSIDE VIn game dominated by offense, UVa's defense made its stand C7 Blue Jays score three runs in final at-bat to beat Tigers 10-9 Associated Press TORONTO It was a fight between two heavyweights Saturday, and Toronto pinch-hitter Juan Beniquez landed the punch that sent the Detroit Tigers reeling. It may have been a mortal wound. Beniquez hit a bases-loaded triple in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Toronto a 10-9 victory over the Tigers as the Blue Jays increased their lead to games in the American League East. "We're very, very disappointed but we're not going to give up," said Detroit shortstop Alan Trammell, who extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a 4-for-4 afternoon. "We'll come back tomorrow and try to knock off a game.

Please see Jays, Page C10 INSIDE Cardinals, assisted by Pirates, reduce magic number to five in NL East C2 931 Virginia Tech's Jon Jeffries can't shake Syracuse's Brian LeBaron No run no fun for Virginia Hokies run out of juice in second half, fall to Orange By BLAIR KERKHOFF Sportswriter BLACKSBURG Two things that Virginia Tech traditionally has done well run and stop the run continued to miserably fail the Hokies on Saturday. Syracuse kept Tech winless with a 35-21 victory that was marked by the Orangemen's dominating play in the second half. Tech (0-3) led 21-7 at halftime but was outgained 385-123 after the first quarter. The Orangemen (4-0) scored 14 points apiece in the third and fourth quarters. "We left the defense on the field too long again," Tech coach Frank Beamer lamented.

The defense couldn't rest because of the Hokies' poor rushing a attack, which actually was a retreat a net minus-1 when 66 yards worth of sacks are figured in. Hokies' three downs-and-punt second-half offense hardly allowed the defenders time to sit down. The result was a crushing Orange attack that moved with more ease every series. The tying score came with 1:16 remaining in the third on a 17-yard pass from Don McPherson to Tommy Kane. Tech quarterback Erik Chapman had his next pass intercepted, and Orange tailback Robert Drummond went 51 yards two plays later for the go-ahead score.

"We played bad in the second half, and there are no excuses," said linebacker Victor Jones, who played sparingly in the second half on an injured ankle: "I'm going to say we wore out, but something went wrong. "Maybe we had the effort, but sometimes effort good The effort was good enough for a half, and at halftime, it appeared Beamer was on his way to his first win as the Hokies' coach. Despite being outgained, Tech had a two-touchdown lead because of excellent special-teams play, a stunting defense and a big play. The big play was Tech's first play of the day. Chapman found receiver Myron Richardson for a 50-yard gain that took the Hokies to the Orange 10.

On third and eight, Chapman hit Steve Johnson for a touchdown. Moments later, Syracuse long snapper Brian Fetherolf rolled a snap, and Tech's Darwin Herdman recovered at the Orange 9. From there, Chapman found Richardson for a 14-0 lead. Please see Tech, Page C14 AP Detroit's Alan Trammell leaps over a sliding George Bell of Toronto STEPHANIE These aren't the best of times for Frank Beamer BLACKSBURG can't hide. Coach Frank Beamer's former, and he refuses to do the latter.

The Hokies, in starting 0-3 after a euphoric end to the 1986 season, have gone from the New Peach Bowl to peach fuzz. And not only did former coach Bill Dooley depart Tech with a legacy of triumph, he also left a file folder of toughened future schedules. Syracuse might be headed for the Top Twenty after Saturday's 35-21 victory over Tech. And after following a 14-0 lead in the to wonder about Tech has Clemson, state fense. The Hokies West Virginia and will be the first ranks 19th cade.

Beamer has swigs from his could have imagined alma mater has has not lost hope. "Frank doesn't son," Beamer's Tech's dressing-room the things he has those things. He "Any pressure people here, the derful. Of course, moon. It might Beamer zer's toe had booted And the ink had breach-of-contract started investigating Sweep? Bodine, Martinsville to break Earnhardt's hold on By RANDY KING Sportswriter STEPHANIE Frank Beamer isn't accustomed to losing INSIDE Mast outruns Hensley for second straight Grand National victory C10 lar reason we've done so well on the short tracks this year," said the 35- year-old Kannapolis, N.C., native.

"Everywhere we go, big track or little track, we just race hard." And race fast. At all but the spring event at Bristol, Earnhardt has led more laps than any other driver. If Earnhardt wins today and next Sunday at North Wilkesboro, N.C., he will become the first driver to score a season sweep on the short tracks. Darrell Waltrip (1982) and Cale Yarborough (1976) have come the closest, each winning seven of 10 in one season. "I wouldn't have thought that Tech Tech can't run and it football team needs to do the JACK BOGACZYK the Hokies went downhill first five minutes, it is logical their destiny.

stutter-stepped against top 10-ranked rival Virginia and a stiff Syracuse destill have South Carolina, Kentucky, Miami on the road, and it appears this losing season of the '80s for a school that nationally in winning percentage in this de- tried to concentrate on football between bottle of Maalox. But there is no way he the nightmare that the return to his become. He has lost three games, but he complain; he's not a negative perwife, Cheryl, said between smiles outside door. "Everything that's happened, no control over, he doesn't worry about just does the best he can. he feels, he puts on himself.

The fans, the sportswriters, have been wonit's early, and he's still on his honeybe different later in the season." arrived on Dooley's heels after Chris KinTech football to its greatest heights. barely dried on Dooley's settlement to his lawsuit when Tech's administration the basketball program. Please see Beamer, Page C14 field will try short-track racing MARTINSVILLE Can anybody stop Dale Earnhardt? It's a question that 30 other drivers and 42,000 fans will be asking when they file into Martinsville Speedway for today's running of the $364,130 Goody's 500. Earnhardt, the man who has gripped big-time stock car racing in a hammer-lock hold so far in 1987, will be gunning for a NASCAR-record seventh straight short-track victory when the green flag falls at 12:30 p.m. Earnhardt, a winner in 11 of 23 races this season, enters the grueling 500-lap, game of bump 'n shove with a perfect '87 record on tracks of a mile or less.

Six short tracks, six Earnhardt wins. "Really, there's not one particu- would have been possible considering the competition out here," said Richard Childress, Earnhardt's car owner. "But really, we haven't talked about We're just out to win races, and if we break records along the way, that's fine." If anything can stop Earnhardt, it may Martinsville. Childress conceded that of the four NASCAR bull rings, H. Clay Earles' place presents his team with the most problems.

"This is probably the toughest for us," Childress said. "We were lucky to win here the first time." Earnhardt's April victory in the Sovran Bank 500 was a gift. Geoff Bodine had the race in his back pocket with 17 laps to go when his Chevrolet tangled with the lapped Ford of Kyle Petty and spun. Earn- BELL 77 Please see Racing, Page C10.