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Thursday, September 21, 2000

By Shelly Anderson, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Troy Nunes, 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, has finally won the starting quarterback job at Syracuse. And, yes, he knows he is not Donovan McNabb, the former Orangemen star now with the Philadelphia Eagles.

That doesn't stop the sometimes nasty criticism of Nunes, particularly in the unregulated forum of Internet message boards and chat rooms.

"I'm aware of it," Nunes told The Syracuse Newspapers. He said his family in Butler also has read some of the trash talk on the web.

"I know there are people who sit in front of their computers. Really, if you have nothing better to do than write stuff about college kids, you've got serious issues."

Nunes, a redshirt sophomore, split the quarterback duties last year with another Western Pennsylvanian, Woodland Hills High graduate Madei Williams. Apparently, Williams, a 6-3, 206-pound redshirt junior, is favored among the most vocal fans.

This year, Nunes has completed 26 of 38 passes (68.4 percent) for 246 yards and two touchdowns, with three interceptions. It probably doesn't help his cause, though, that Syracuse (1-1) is coming off of a last-second loss to Cincinnati. The Orangemen were off last weekend and play Saturday at East Carolina (noon, ESPN2).

"It's been going on for a year and a half, so what are you going to do?" Nunes said. "You can sit there and ponder every day, 'Why doesn't everybody like me?' But it really doesn't bother me. The guys on this team know that Donovan McNabb isn't here anymore. And they understand that I'm going to do what I can."

Temple rising

Resurgence might be too strong a word, but there are some signs of life at Temple.

The Owls, who were 2-9 last year and have not had a winning season since 1990, are 2-1 for the first time since 1994.

"I think there's a little more electricity around the campus right now," Coach Bobby Wallace said. "We've played three good games, even though we lost down at Maryland."

That 17-10 defeat has been sandwiched by a 17-6 win at Navy and, last week, a 31-14 victory over Bowling Green in Temple's home opener.

Wallace said things are more positive on campus, not only because of what the Owls are doing on the field, but also because with new dormitories there are more students than ever living at school instead of commuting.

The Owls play host to Eastern Michigan this week. They have not started 3-1 since 1979.

"We went into the season with a goal to have a winning record after our four non-conference games," Wallace said. "We can reach that goal we've been talking about since the preseason."

No flip zone

When Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer saw how his famous quarterback scored a touchdown against Rutgers he almost, well, flipped.

Michael Vick, the super sophomore who is galloping toward a Heisman Trophy, did a mid-air somersault over cornerback Shabib White and into the end zone Saturday during the No. 5 Hokies' 49-0 win.

"That flip scared me," Beamer said.

Vick pulled a similar move in Tech's opener last year and sustained a sprained ankle that kept him out for 1 1/2 games.

"I promised everybody no more flips, but I guess they're just in me," Vick said. "When I was up in the air, I knew I was going to have a perfect-10 landing, and I did."

Game of the week

The national championship trophy was on display at Miami's last game. The Hurricanes lost that day to Washington, 34-29.

If Miami -- which dropped from No. 5 before that Sept. 9 game to No. 12 this week -- has any chance of seeing that hardware again, it will have to win Saturday at West Virginia (3:30 p.m., CBS) in its Big East opener.

A loss would drop the Hurricanes to 1-2 and spoil not only their national title hopes but perhaps a shot at the league championship.

Miami was off last weekend.

Quote of the week

"We knew how good he was, but today, in my opinion, they really didn't show anything. I really don't think he was as good as they said he was."

-- Virginia Tech cornerback Ronyell Whitaker on Rutgers quarterback Mike McMahon after the Hokies' win over the Scarlet Knights.