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Thursday, October 05, 2000

Miami Coach Butch Davis is playing it cool. If the No. 7 Hurricanes (3-1, 2-0) beat No. 1 Florida State (5-0) Saturday in the Orange Bowl (noon, CBS), they very possibly could atone for their earlier loss at Washington and get themselves back into the national championship race.

Davis has sidestepped questions about that this week.

"There is no way to answer that," he said. "There are so many factors. All we can do is go out and win and keep playing."

Davis said he has not talked to his team about the national championship implications of the game.

The Seminoles have won the past five games between the intrastate rivals, all with Davis at the Miami helm.

During that time, the Hurricanes have been recovering from NCAA-mandated recruiting cutbacks. The closest of those five games was last year, when the Seminoles won at home, 31-21.

"I'd like to think that every year the games have gotten a little more competitive as the talent level has gotten a little more even," Davis said.

It's an interesting matchup. Florida State leads the nation in total offense (514.6 yards per game), and Miami is fourth (486.2). Miami is second in scoring (50.2 points per game), and Florida State is seventh (41.6). The Hurricanes lead Division I-A with 10 interceptions.

McMahon still hurting

Rutgers Coach Terry Shea is confident senior quarterback Mike McMahon will be able to work through his shoulder problems, but he admits McMahon's status has been detrimental to the Scarlet Knights.

Shea said doctors are convinced by MRIs and other tests that McMahon's right (throwing) shoulder is bruised, but otherwise sound.

McMahon had surgery on the shoulder a year ago and has twice had to leave games this year -- including Rutgers' 29-17 loss against the University of Pittsburgh at Three Rivers Stadium. Sophomore Chad Schwenk then started in place of McMahon last week, when the Scarlet Knights lost to Miami, 64-6.

With an open date Saturday, McMahon will be limited to some light throwing this week before he is allowed to go full tilt next week, Shea said. The Scarlet Knights (2-3, 0-3) play host to Temple next week.

McMahon, a North Allegheny High School graduate, had Rutgers on a roll through two games. He threw for 571 yards and 10 touchdowns in lopsided wins over Villanova and Buffalo.

"We were riding a crest offensively after two games," Shea said.

Then McMahon had to leave in the team's Big East opener at Virginia Tech when he felt a twinge in the shoulder.

"From that point on, it's been very disruptive," Shea said.

Two QB Owls

Temple has joined the club.

Like Pitt earlier this year and so many other teams, the Owls are having a hard time picking one quarterback and sticking with him.

Junior Devin Scott is being pushed by junior Mike Frost as Temple (3-2, 0-1) prepares to play at No. 3 Virginia Tech (4-0, 2-0).

"We're going to evaluate that as the week goes on and decide how we're going to play the quarterbacks," Temple Coach Bobby Wallace said.

Sound familiar?

Game of the week

Two years ago, Temple ruined Virginia Tech's homecoming with a stunning 28-24 victory.

It's homecoming again Saturday at Lane Stadium, and the Owls again are the invited guests as the Hokies try to start 5-0 for the third year in a row.

Virginia Tech blew out Temple, 62-7, last year, but the 1998 game is not forgotten.

It was no fluke," Hokies Coach Frank Beamer said. "They made big plays and they just beat us. And now they're bringing a much better team this year."

The Owls' upset win in 1998 made such an impact that Virginia Tech changed the way it approaches games.

"We don't even talk about anybody by name anymore," Beamer said. "We just talk about what game it is on our schedule."

For game No. 5 this year, though, the Hokies have a weapon they did not have in 1998, Heisman Trophy candidate Michael Vick.

"He's the best football player I've seen in 22 years of coaching," Wallace said of the Virginia Tech quarterback. "And I was around Bo Jackson and Herschel Walker."

Quote of the week

Tom O'Brien, Boston College coach, whose team has endured eight knee injuries in five weeks: "It's a tough situation. You end up sticking your finger in dikes instead of getting better."