The Roanoke Times from Roanoke, Virginia • 24

C2 The Roanoke Times Thursday November 2 2000 associated press VV iBrBl gk TjClffi j' lr BL rw rW ilBlRlBl iTPn A) 1 a3 ImV '1 sJ 6 WSj loll iHEk SBmMr fl Cl wPO wii ifpjPWIIkM 1 i SK I 4JvRj tir Bm Wl SSSf UL' War A 1 sJBBfcffc SsiZZZ aWS adv Mi 09 1 St' fi WL i 11 vyr A pj 5 ME i iri ghsrs: Li Ken Dorsey attempting a pass against Louisiana Tech is 9 1 as a starter for Miami the lone loss coming at Washington this season Miami QB has developed quickly uture is now for Dorsey Sophomore Ken Dorsey has completed 581 percent of his passes for 14 TDs and a Big East best 1675 yards By DOUG DOUGHTY THEEOAXOKE TIMES When Virginia Tech football fans got their first look at Ken Dorsey he had replaced an in jured Kenny Kelly at Lane Stadium and was just trying to es cape the clutches of defensive end Corey Moore and Co from one play to the next The Hokies might have real ized they were looking at quarterback of the future but they couldn't have known the fu ture would arrive so quickly: Kelly was scarcely a factor af ter the 1999 Tech Miami game and when the Hurricanes (6 1 overall 3 0 Big East) entertain the Hokies (8 0 6 0) at noon Sat urday in the Orange Bowl Dorsey will be making his 1 1th career start As a true freshman Dorsey had attempted passes in one game when he was thrown into the fray last year at Tech just remember getting in the game and having a tough said Dorsey who was 6 of 17 for 45 yards as Miami was outscored 29 0 in the second half and lost were trying to make sure they stayed up in the BCS so they leave anything back that game I learned a lot and remember a lot of the dif ferent stuff that they were doingand saying They were excited and they were really happy with what they were doing I think the best way to put When Kelly's knee problems persisted Dorsey started the next week against Rutgers and led the Hurricanes on a season ending 1 65 point scoring spree that was the most prolific in school for three games However he shared time with Kelly in the Ga tor Bowl Dorsey did not he was the No 1 quarterback until it was announced before the start of spring practice that Kelly had signed a four year baseball con tract with Tampa Bay I first got here I didn't expect to be where at right said Dorsey a 6 foot 5 200 pounder told me coming in that I would compete for the No 2 and have the oppor tunity not to be redshirt ed prepared myself as if I was the starter not knowing when the chance would arrive When I heard about Kelly I was excit ed naturally that I was the guy At the same time he was a great person and a good teammate and somebody we miss having Unlike Kelly rated one of the top three quarterback prospects in the country when he came out of Tampa Ha in 1997 Dorsey was not an All American us a se nior at Miramonte High School in Orinda Calif He said he picked the Hurri canes over Tennessee Southern California and California the team he had followed as a young ster growing up in the Bay area all the programs I visited vyas most like a he said be going that far away from home that had to be a big Scouting reports questioned mobility but not his arm Miami has favored tall strong armed quarterbacks going back to the days of Jim Kelly and Vinny Testaverde and Dorsey has not disappointed them This sea son he has completed 58 1 per cent of his passes for 14 touch downs and a Big East best 1675 yards He also has a head for the game and considers himself much better prepared for the Hokies than he was last year think the first thing that comes to mind is going to throw a whole bunch of different looks at Dorsey said going to try and confuse you as much as possible something you have to get a feel for as the game goes on think a role that quarterbacks are expected to do more and more if in a bad play making sure you get in the right one something learned to do well as got ten more and more games under my In his 10 starts Dorsey has completed 616 percent of his passes for 2392 yards and 23 touchdowns compared to five in terceptions Three of the inter ceptions came last Saturday in a 42 31 victory over Louisiana Tech that Dorsey considers his worst performance as a collegian week I probably changed my style of play a little said Dorsey who is 9 1 as a starter was trying to force the issue a little bit on some throws and it came back to get me really looking forward this week to going out and re deeming Doug Doughty can be reached at 981 3129 or dougdroanokecom COLLEGE OOTBALL NOTES DuBose to resign after season! EARLESS ORECASTERS HOME TEAM ON RIGHT Va Tech at Miami VMI App State Salisbury errum Malne JMU Richmond Rhode Is Liberty Elon Cookman Hampton Ga Southern urman Duke Wake NC State Maryland Clemson SU UNC Pittsburgh Temple Boston Col Syracuse WVU Tennessee Memphis Michigan N'westdm Mississippi Arkansas Texas Texas Tech Minnesota Wisconsin WIMBISH Guest: 134 46 Va Tech" Add State errum JMU Richmond Hampton Ga Southern Duke NC State SU Pitt Boston Col WVU Tennessee Michigan Mississippi Texas Tech Minnesota KING 131 49 Miami)' App State errum Richmond Elon Hampton Ga Southern Wake NC State SU Pltt Boston Col Syracuse Tennessee Michigan Mississippi Wisconsin iy DOUGHTY 130 50 App State errum Richmond zTEionrr Hampton Ga Southern Wake NC State SU Pitt Boston Col WVU Tennessee Michigan Arkansas Texas Wisconsin BOGACZYK 12654 Miami App State errum JMU Richmond Elon Hampton Ga Wake NC SU Pitt Boston Col Syracuse Tennessee Michigan Mississippi Texas Wisconsin WAUGH 124 56 Miami App State errum'''jmu7 Richmond Elon Hampton Ga Southern Wake 'NC State SU itaM'iiij Boston Col Tennessee tN'westem Arkansas Texas Wisconsin BERMAN 117 63 App State errum Richmond Liberty 7 Cookman Ga Southern Duke SU zrzpttZ3u Boston Col £Syracuse2 Tennessee Michigan Mississippi Texas Tech Minnesota DR PINK WIMBISH III practices podiatry in Roanoke Last week's guest Greg reaney was 18 2 will be looking for coaches that I feel certain will be in bowl the Southeastern Conference South Carolina nose guard Penn State's 45 6 loss at OhL State on Sept 23 HOM ASSOCIA TED DRESS REPORTS The sight of Alabama players sitting on the turf in disbelief after a humiliating homecoming loss was just too much for one of the proudest programs in college football Coach Mike DuBose will resign at the end of the season bringing an end to four turbulent seasons He survived a sexual harassment scandal to lead the Crimson Tide to a conference title last season but watched the team collapse this year thought Monday in my heart and soul that I needed to make a athletic director Mai Moore said Wednesday during a news conference both agreed that new leadership is needed to move the program Alabama was ranked No 3 in the preseason poll with many fans expecting the Tide to roll through their Southeastern Conference opponents and make their way to the national title game But the Tide loss at unranked UCLA were shut out by Southern Mississippi also lost to Arkansas and Tennessee and fell 40 38 on Saturday to Cen tral lorida At 3 5 Alabama needs victories in its final three games to make the SEC championship game and stay alive to qualify for a bowl game DuBose followed Gene Stall ings as coach in 1997 five years after the Tide won their sixth national title Moore said DuBose would be paid his salary and benefits through January 2002 and there would be lump sum DuBose 47 a former Alabama player and longtime assistant coach was under contract through Jan 31 2004 He is 24 20 in four seasons as head coach Moore said he will search for an experienced head coach to replace DuBose who was given the job without college head coaching experience The athletic director said he would pick a successor without a search committee He declined to identify any possible successors but said always have coaches in mind in these He said DuBose would coach the team through a bowl game if it makes it that far Moore wor ried that that might affect the interest of prospective successors games from top programs that have had success and are having success at the Moore said In other college football news: Oregon State: Coach Dennis Erick son has said it loud enough for Los Angeles to hear: He likes his job and plan to leave for Southern California Rumors have abounded that Trojans coach Paul Hackett whose team is 0 5 in the Pac 10 will be fired at the end of the sea son Erickson who has guided the Beavers back to respectability and likely will take them to an unprec edented second straight bowl game has emerged as a possible candidate to replace Hackett The issue was pressed further this week when Torrance (Calif) Daily Breeze columnist Mike Waldner wrote that a deal to bring Erickson to USC was but Erickson angrily dismissed the notion at his weekly media conference amazing in my opinion that people can write things that are totally not he said just hate to see it happen and I don't want my name linked with anything like that happy here as said many Tennessee: Guard Will Ofenheusle has been accused of dirty play by a second opponent this season and could face disciplinary action from Cleveland Pinkney accused Ofen heusle of diving for his left ankle from behind and later throwing an illegal chop block during Tennes 17 14 victory Saturday Georgia defensive tackles Marcus Stroud and Richard Sey mour made similar complaints after the 21 10 victory over the Vols last month was notified about 73 Ofenheusle and they assured me it would be cleaned Bobby Gaston the supervisor of officials told The Tennessean newspaper Ofenheusle had surgery on his fractured wrist on Monday and practice but is expected to play Saturday against Memphis important to know that Will is a good person who plays hard and competes Ten nessee coach Phillip ulmer said think anything that has happened was malicious He was just trying to compete talked to him about it and certainly condone or teach that in any way I know Will will respond in the appropriate ulmer said Penn State: Defensive back Adam Taliaferro might be able to walk out of a rehabilitation center when discharged in about two months his doctor said Taliaferro was unable to move his fingers or legs after he injured his neck making a tackle during The 18 year old freshman waved and smiled as he arrived at a news conference at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital guiding an electric wheelchair and wearing neck brace to protect the site bone graft surgery on his fractured' spine going real welP for me When I first got here I wasn't moving anything and noW: got me moving my arms) legs everything he said Di Taliaferro said he looked for i ward to a one day visit to hts Voorhees NJ home today his first time home since the injury He voiced gratitude for an outpouring of support including more than $94000 from dona tions at Penn State and Ohio State i for the Adam Taliaferro und just want to get back school and pick the direction m' my Taliaferro said lorida State: Receiver Morgan will miss the No 4 Sem( game against No 10 Clen)1 1 son on Saturday after breaking a toe in practice Morgan who has caught 19 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns broke the big toe 'on his left foot went up for a pass canyr down and hurt his coach Bobby Bowden said have to wait and 1 opened with a DuBose ROM Cl Meyer the second half him it was a long awaited Rachel Meyer said dreams to be No 2 Dave has accepted his role as No 2 without hesitation but love to get the chance to play and he finally did on Satur Meyer completed four of five passes and ran twice on final drive which set up Carter winning field goal with 16 seconds left He completed three straight passes to move the Hokies into Pitt territory was feeling the prayers of the saints because I really did not feel the pressure around said Meyer a Ramsey NJ na tive was just playing throw and catch with my on and he re sponded in great Tech coach rank Beamer said Meyer who has made two starts at Tech completed seven of 13 passes for 1 14 yards last weekend 10 of 19 for 152 yards this season and is 45 for 79 in his career He is ready to take center stage Saturday is the most im portant thing at the quarterback Meyer said Pitt game was a definite boost to the confidence and also just to see the way the guys took to me They totally knew I could get the job Ups and downs Meyer a 6 foot 3 201 pounder said he has had some frustrating times at Tech He started against Pitt in place of injured Al Clark as a sophomore in 1998 Meyer suf fered a shoulder injury in that ASSOCIATED PRESS Dave Meyer (13) gets words of encouragement from Grant Noel against Pittsburgh Meyer has made two starts in his Tech career game Clark missed three more games but own iqjury prevented him from capitalizing on the opportunity Vick not Meyer became the starter last season Some quarter backs would have transferred but Meyer liked Tech too much to leave dad said you just say the wrord and I'll put your name on the waiver wire and see if any takers for I Meyer said said this is where I want to Beamer is glad he did Meyer would be a heck of a quarterback if he just got Beamer said tall got legs he probably runs a 45 46 in the 40 yard dash himself he can throw the foot ball and he can But Meyer as good as Vick the most spectacular exciting player in the sport You replace a guy like said Meyer who started in place of an injured Vick against Alabama Birmingham last season at the same time we don't want him out there with a hobbled wheel If not well enough to go in there and give us the best chance to win then going to be Married man time at Tech may not have worked out the way he want ed on the football field but it has in other ways Meyer graduated from Tech in 3'2 years earning a degree in interdisciplinary studies "iiq in December 1999 He had four minors political science psy chology religion and sociology Meyer who wants to be a is now a graduate student work ing on a degree in promotions Meyer also met his wife at Tech Rachel Hash then a junior on the Tech soccer team met Meyer then a true freshman in study hall at Co chrane Hall in the spring of 1997' and I struck up a versation and talked for two hours like we had known each other all of our Rachel Jo! Meyer said In ebruary 1998 Meyer gid brought her back to that room and proposed to her They were marred in May 1999 Jio Being married mum lu Meyer act like one of the guys around his teammates oi though always joking about him being linebacker Nick Sorensen said treasures his moments when with us in the locker room or on the plane: rj He gets all goofy like nil back with the Since Meyer had a wife and fr'j degree Tech offensive coordina tor Rickey Bustle asked Meyer in January whether he was returning! to the Hokies Meyer had alreadyr made his decision '41 said I made a conk' mitment to you going to stick it out for five years going get this second degree and going to be here as your second string guy Meyer said That decision seems to be 7 paying off neat to see some fruit coming out of the hard work that I put in" Meyer said Mark Berman can be reached tie at 981 3125 or markberoanokecom i.