Next week's show will feature new AD Jim Weaver in person and Beamer by phone. (Beamer is going to S.C. for a speaking engagement next Monday. During an earlier off week he spoke in Alabama. Interesting how he's going off to SEC country to promote like that??).

Beamer and Bud Foster talked about Alabama-Birmingham having lost to Cincinnati by only 4 points and that Cincy had to drive for touchdowns on its last 2 possessions to win. Cincy beat BC convincingly and also beat Miami-Ohio last weekend.

UAB is coached by Watson Brown, whom Beamer said he faced often from his Murray State days when Brown was coach at Austin Peay (and later at Vandy). UAB likes the option and is rested after 2 weeks off. Billy Clay is defensive coordinator -- they said Tech people might remember the name. (Sounded like he's a former VT assistant. Maybe from the Charlie Coffey era?) The kicker is the son of former Tech QB Bruce Arians.

And now consider the injury report. Bill Roth said that Al Clark was on crutches Monday after spraining his knee early in the WVU game. Roth said he didn't see how Al held out and played. It prevented VT from running the option. X-rays showed no damage to the knee. He should be back Saturday.

Harrison and Steuwe are doubtful. Coaches are working with Marcus Wimberly, who it appears will give up his redshirt year to play Saturday. He attended Loren Johnson's high school. Beamer said Wimberly is the "most ready to play now," as opposed to using redshirts Hall or Davis.

Miami game confirmed as 6 p.m. kickoff on ESPN2.

Re the pass interference call in the WVU game, Beamer called it "a tough, tough call against us." The receiver, as I understood Beamer to say, came down on Prioleau's foot and fell down. The ref saw the receiver go down, so he threw the flag and "figured it out later." Then something was said about how Prioleau sort of bumped the guy (?? I haven't seen a replay yet cuz I was there in person at the opposite end of the field, so I dunno what they were saying). Technically, Beamer said, it was a good call, "but one you never see."

Beamer didn't offer a prediction on WVU-Syracuse. He did bring up that Konrad is back and could make a difference for SU.

Russian Hokie was in the audience and reminded the critics of Beamer's saying of it's not how you start, but how you finish.

Bill Roth then noted that at this point in time during the 1995 season, VT was not ranked (and yet finished in the Top 10 after the Sugar Bowl win). And last year's Orange Bowl team was not ranked at this point either.

"At this time last year, not many gave us an Alliance Bowl chance," Beamer said.

VT has won its past 8 November games.

A caller talked about the significance of winning Saturday to clinch a fifth straight bowl game. "We all need to be there," he said.

Beamer said that after watching video of the WVU game, "we need to guy to (Marcus Parker) more."

Someone asked about moving Ike Charlton to WR. Beamer said that's tough to do during the season, plus they feel that he is coming on at cornerback. Translation: forget it.

The fake punt has been available, it was just a question of when to use it. Beamer said he was thinking about using it in the first quarter at WVU, but didn't because it was 4th and 11. It was successul later on 4th and 4 from the 26 or 28.

Will @ HC asked about absence of the flanker screen. Beamer said that opponents have been up pressing on our receivers and we can't get the ball to them. We don't have people who can get downfield as a deep threat right now.

Questioner wanted to know about short-passing game. Coach said Scales was good for coming across the middle because he has a "thickness" to him. They don't like to run the short guys over the middle because of the trajectory that can lead to tipped passes at the line. A 4th down crossing pattern was there against WVU -- Harrison had his man by 3 steps, but the pass was errant.

People who get the most upset about the swings in athletics are probably ones who haven't been personally involved, Beamer said -- who haven't personally had a bad golf day, or whatever, somewhere along the line. He talked about not dwelling on WVU. It is in the past. You get on with it.

Beamer said he received a letter of apology from the Miami of Ohio coach regarding his remarks after winning at Blacksburg. Beamer blew it off as a thing that happened when emotions were running high and said he wrote back to wish M of O nothing but the best.

Basketball team has 11 a.m. intrasquad scrimmage Saturday before the UAB game. The team plays a Polish squad in an exhibition Nov. 7. Tipoff at 7 p.m. Game will be broadcast.

Bud Foster said the defense played hard against WVU, just didn't make some plays. He said the absence of sacks in 3 games is due to opponents using 3-step drop in those games. Said corners played too soft at the line at times vs. WVU. But said the corners played well for the most part.

A caller talked about the 1993 loss at BC when they had QB Glenn Foley and a potent offense, then how VT closed the year out strong.

ACC and BE use the same tie-breaker system for conference football champ. Roth said that if VT and SU win out, VT will get the Alliance bid. He flat out said that Syracuse won't leap over VT by 5 spots in the polls average (if both win out).

OL coach J.B. Grimes returned to practice field Monday, one day under three weeks from the day he had heart bypass surgery. Foster said he didn't know Grimes' availability for Saturday.

Foster, when asked about the absence of Grimes and problems with the line play, said "it's a big part of it" because it took away the guy who makes the adjustments.

A telling comparison: in past 3 games, VT's mobile QB has been sacked 15 times, while the defense has recorded zero sacks.

And finally, a caller from Princeton, W.Va. tried to get Roth and Foster to bite on a knock-knock joke. It ended with the guy revealing he was a Mountaineer when he said something like "we kicked your butt," prior to hanging up.

Bill Roth responded about how impressed he is with the Mountaineer State: "The top economy in West Virginia is the toll booth on the West Virginia Turnpike."

--GalaxHokie

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