Hokies Could Use Show of Strength

By CHRIS DUFRESNE

Nov. 12, 1999 12 AM PT

Looking for a few kicks and a boost in the bowl championship series, Virginia Tech not only welcomes Miami to Blacksburg this week in a key Big East showdown, it welcomes Miami’s schedule.

The Hokies trail Tennessee by .33 for the No. 2 spot in the BCS rankings, but they can make a ratings surge with a victory over the Hurricanes.

How?

The BCS strength-of-schedule ratings factor an opponent’s record, and the record of an opponent’s opponents. In this case, Virginia Tech will get a bump because Miami has played No. 1 Florida State and No. 9 Penn State.

Of course, none of that means much if Virginia Tech doesn’t win.

“I think what we’d better do is worry about how we’re playing and get ready to play Miami,” Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer said.

Beamer is one smart Hokie. Miami poses the most serious threat to Virginia Tech’s quest of an unbeaten season. The Hurricanes wiped out Pittsburgh last week, 33-3, while Virginia Tech needed a last-second field goal to beat 3-6 West Virginia. Miami’s three losses have been to ranked teams: Florida State, Penn State and East Carolina.

Virginia Tech’s defense, led by defensive end Corey Moore, is top-notch, but figures to get tested by Kenny Kelly, Miami’s talented, if erratic, quarterback.

The Hokies needed a heroic effort by redshirt freshman quarterback Michael Vick last week to stave off West Virginia. Vick’s 26-yard scramble set up the game-winning field goal.

And whereas the Hokies may be staggering a bit toward the finish, they do have the upper hand against Miami Coach Butch Davis, who is 0-4 against Virginia Tech.

Davis would prefer you look at the scores: 17-13, 21-7, 27-25 and 27-20.

“We’ve had four knock-down, drag-out battles that have been decided in the last seven to 10 minutes of the final quarter in almost every case,” Davis said.

* Line: Virginia Tech by 9 1/2.

5 THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. How Joe Pa handles defeat. A week after Minnesota knocked Penn State out of the national title race, the Nittany Lions face Michigan, and have Michigan State next weekend. If they’re not careful, they can get knocked down to the Citrus Bowl. This was thought to be Joe Paterno’s last best chance for a national title. He turns 73 in December.

2. Swamp thing. Steve Spurrier’s Florida Gators are smack-dab in a national title chase, but the coach is dad-gum apoplectic. Stuck with a quarterback he can’t trust, Doug Johnson, Spurrier has taken the air out of the ball and enrolled in the school of “defense wins championships,” a theory Spurrier has fought hard to debunk. With the Florida State game two weeks off, Spurrier says he’ll play quarterback Jesse Palmer during this weekend’s scrimmage against 0-9 South Carolina in an effort to retool the nation’s 19th-ranked offense.

3. Ricky losing that number. If it takes 99 carries, Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne will get the 99 yards he needs against Iowa to break Ricky Williams’ rushing mark of 6,279 yards. Williams reportedly has told friends he’s going to cast his Heisman vote for former teammate Major Applewhite.

4. Yet another lucky break for the Irish. The last thing 5-4 Notre Dame needed after getting smoked at Tennessee was the prospect of facing Pittsburgh quarterback David Priestly on Saturday in the last game at 74-year-old Pitt Stadium. But alas, Priestly, who threw for 407 yards against Virginia Tech, is out after injuring his shoulder last week against Miami, keeping Irish hopes alive of winning two of their last three games and snaring an Insight.com Bowl berth.

5. Ralph Mouth. Nebraska cornerback Ralph Brown did something that would have been unspeakable in the Tom Osborne era this week when he predicted the Cornhuskers would beat Kansas State in Saturday’s showdown at Lincoln. “We’re not losing,” Brown was quoted as saying. Kansas State has not won at Nebraska since a 12-0 victory in 1968.

RATING THE TV GAMES

**** Whoa, Nellie

*** Fix the car tomorrow

** OK to watch golf infomercials

* For WWF scouts only

** Illinois (5-4) at Ohio State (6-4),

9 a.m., ESPN2

The Buckeyes have outscored the Illini in their last four meetings, 171-9, but those are only numbers.

* Line: Ohio State by 10 1/2.

** West Virginia (3-6) at Boston College (6-2), 9 a.m., ESPN

Somewhat naive Mountaineers hit big city and ask directions to the Liberty Bell.

* Line: Boston College by 3.